[Closed] All these commuting threads - let's spec your ideal commuter

I've already got mine. Fixie Inc Peacemaker, 43:18 fixed, two brakes, absolutely filthy and completely de-logoed, so it looks unattractive to theives. Lights are duck-taped on.

Light and theft proof, including all of the detachable bits (like forks, brakes). Noisy, so that pedestrians can hear me, and lit up like a Christmas tree, so that crazy taxi drivers can't ignore me.

Nearly finbars, but with gears too, for going up and down the one evil hill I have.

Ideally it wouldn't have pedals, handlebars or spokes, so that I could park it in the train station bike rack, seemingly designed by someone that has never seen a bike.

The joy of Bristol commuting...

Similar to finbar, fuji track (s/s rather than fixed), two brakes, job done

SAme as you OMITN, I ride a steel bike with that spec already though.

I wish i could just do it on my Cannondale six road bike and have somewhere safe to leave it at the other end

my commute is entirely canal, 6 miles on tarmac/hardcore, 7 miles of rough track, some bits are very rough. I chose a mountain bike frame/rigid forks, that would take proper mudguards, could be used for commutes and mtb, all parts compatible with my other bikes, fast/light mtb tyres. key thing was a headset that used a split crown race, so I could easily change between 3 different forks.
I have been looking for a more mtb tourer type bike, but not found anything I like yet.

Summer or winter? the roads here are pothole-hell at the mo' with gravel traps from the shonky road covering the district council 'fixed' the roads with last year.

Winter - titanium cross bike, singlespeed (can't remember the gearing). Currently running a Surly x-check quite battered

Summer = any decent road bike.
Current job has pretty secure, dry lockup facilities.

My cannondale 'race' bike, but with rack and guard mounts. Then I could sell the tourer and the singlespeed and just commute on the race bike, and run it SS with a tensioner in winter.

Summer or winter?

Year round. Living in the sub-tropical north west of England, I regularly need mudguards in the summer.

I want something light and comfortable, but reasonably versatile. Current bike should do all these things, but it's always felt lumpen and lacking in zip.

ahh the one size fits all approach for summer / winter road riding.
Just for the commute I'd probably stick with a s/s but something a bit lighter and better balanced.

Same as the OP .
I like the idea of a Ti cross frame with disc mounts and all the braze ons .

ahh the one size fits all approach for summer / winter road riding

Not quite. Carbon race bike can do what it does in the summer/decent weather. I use my winter bike for year round commuting, so something that fills a sizeable amount of my bike time is what prompted this.

oh that's ok then as long as there are alternate options on sunny days for the long way home 😆

Yep Ti cross frame - not sure about the dynamo lights but then I've not tried them as I use my lumicycles. How would the dynamo cope with the winter salt? It's why I switched to s/s after the corrosion of a couple of years ago.

Ti frame, touring geomoetry, rack and mudguard mounts, hub gears, disk brakes, drop bars, MTB SPD's, lots of reflective bits, good lights but all made to look like it is worth nothing

Probably a Triumph Tiger 800 😀

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I do use the ideal bike for my commute 🙂

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I built mine last month :o)

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mmmmmmm nice ericemel! 😛

given my ideal commute would involve a bit of street riding, a session on the bmx track, a half decent off road descent (found this morning) and a spin along some flat with a bit more street chucked in. i recon a small chuckable singlespeed hardtail would be perfect.

its a shame my commute home from the above involves a sodding great big hill and pretty much 100% uphill riding for which a small chuckable singlespeed hardtail is unsuitable so i have comprimised and gone for a smaller xc bike set up a bit more fun.

however i still think i`m wasting my commute to work and just need to man up and ride a more fun bike.

you wouldnt catch me on one of those skinny wheeled things with drop bars. i might get to work quicker but who wants that when you can be out on a bike having fun?

Hang on a minute! Titanium this? Carbon fibre that?! Stop this ponceyness at once!!! Blasphemers!! Have you forgotten where you are?!!

FFS!!!! Commuters are ratty steel singlespeeds that have been built entirely out of bits you found in the corner of the garage for less than the cost of a Macdonalds Happy Meal.

I suggest you lot go and sit in the corner, grow a beard and have a think about exactly what it is you've done

My Genesis IO singlespeed is my ideal commuter for my south mancs / Irlam / warrington commute (started commutng again yesterday 😀 )

ericemel has put up a picture of what I was just about to describe, albeit there's no mudguards!

Ti fixed gear, plenty mudguard clearance so I can use Marathon Pluses through the winter and CX tyres in summer. Front brake only please. Un-mess-up-able crank/BB setup so that I don't have to worry about destroying the square taper cranks following the rare occasions the bike is stripped and cleaned (suggestions welcome!)

Dynamo lights for when I forget to charge the Exposure. Rack mounts for easy fitting of child seat for nursery transportation. Speedplay pedals, Izumi Supertough chain.

Commute's about 10 miles each way, main roads if I take the winter roadie, towpath mostly if I take the fixed.

Lightweight fixie cross bike. Fast on the road, reasonably capable off. Mudguards that don't rattle or get in the way but still work. Puncture proof tyres, cranks and frame that don't snap, disk brakes that don't need adjustment.

this?

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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/milkbikes/5335532628/ ]Milk Bikes - White Prototype 4[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/milkbikes/ ]Milk Bikes[/url], on Flickr

a robust road bike, fitted with Bren gun and grenade launcher

I am currently using a Specialized Tarmac with 105 and Mavic Aksiums. It is fine. If I wanted to ride on particularly wet roads I would use the Condor Fratello with full length guards and 105.

Something that'll allow me to pick up a couple of bins, or a kayak, or a ladder, or a weeks shop on the way home.

😉

Something like my current bike, but with a hub gear and a belt drive for reduced maintenance. The Milk bike above looks quite promising except it has cable discs, no mud guards and looks skinny enough to be a steel frame.

My current commuter is a Doctor Dew with 2x9 gears and disc brakes.

EDIT: Ooh and if you could finish an entire frame (and forks) in a Scotchlite style that'd be (literally) brilliant!

Brakes got there first, but

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Hang on a minute! ...
I suggest you lot go and sit in the corner, grow a beard and have a think about exactly what it is you've done

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Cannondale Bad Boy Rohloff would be my choice. My commute is nearly entirely off road and at the moment it's a mudfest. I've got the Rohloff which is brilliant for such conditions but a little suspension would make things even better. I had been running my Rebas locked out for a couple of months but went back to full rigid a week or so ago. What surprised me most of all was the extra traction the little bit of movement in the Rebas gave. I reckon the headshock would be perfect in such conditions.

Already got it- a Revolution Courier Race. Flat bars, 8 gears, big mudguards and 700c wheels with fat slicks. Tough as old boots, impervious to neglect, and looks like crap. Pretty much perfect.

Will be getting my ideal commuter in the next few days...

Sabbath September. Sadly just a frameset built up with old parts although am treating it to some new wheels - Dura Ace, Open Pro, Sapim Laser, Alu Polyax Nipples.

28 miles each way, try and do it at least a couple of times a week.

this is mine, mostly mtb stuff as I like the redundancy

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EDIT: could be lighter though...

Alfine 11 in me Virtue would be perfect, too much grunt required 32:16, too spinny for the other bit in 32:18 so I have to spoil its lovely clean lines with dangly gear things. Plus it's getting to trailer pulling time o year again.

I've come to the conclusion even my shonky old road bike is just too fragile.

Lynskey Cooper CX Disc with fancy Giles Berthoud Carbon mudguards and full Ti bolts (for anti-rust rather than lightness). Light enough for a bit of cx racing if I fancy it and solid enough for the daily grind.

Is that^ a Point Reyes? I was thinking about one of those.

Sabbath September

Ooh. Good call. Now, a s/h f+f would be just the ticket for me....

Is that^ a Point Reyes?

It started off as a Novato but I wished I had bought the Point Reyes in the first place, it would have saved me upgrading everything. They have changed quite a bit, mine is an '03 (i think).

EDIT: Just looked a the current Point Reyes spec and it seems really over-priced. If I was starting again I would be looking for just a light frame and build myself.

Already got it. Mong One Chavbred with 700c wheels. Single speed (but have gears to fit for touring) Mudguards, rear pannier rack. Loads of lights.

Does it's job perfectly.

It's a tricky one.

Over the years I've tried 3x9 (too much maintenance, don't need all the gears), 1x9 (optimal selection of gears, less maintenance), alfine 8spd (no maintenance but "feels" heavy and slower than 1x9). Toying with trying a single speed but the way in is all downhill and the way back all uphill so it would be a compromise in one direction or another.

Also decided I prefer flat bars to drops as most of my commute is through town and I prefer the more upright position and better grip on the bars and brakes.

The On-One Pompetamine Alfine 11 Speed is something i would like as a present.

Currently using a cannondale badboy with 8spd alfine, discs and schwalbe marathon tyres. It's proved hugely reliable, the only weak point is the avid disks - the pistons in the caliper clog up with road crud and start sticking, but at least they are cheap to replace. It certainly doesn't feel fast though and I've a hankering for something similarly reliable but a lot lighter....

Flat bars, road type compact gearing, disc brakes, strong wheels, guard & rack mounts.

Simples

currently a moda cross bike with 23mm road tyres on it, in winter or if i'm using the bike off road more then cross tyres on it. In an ideal world i'd get a ti cross frame with full bosses but too much money for the commuter cum road bike at present

Stop stop stop! This thread is now and henceforth officially over:

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Oh wait - this also:

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Belt drive alfine hub brakes, and comes with a thermal coffee mug in a special holder. And frame coloured mudguards!

EDIT: Just noticed this pic is not of the same one I saw in the shop, doesn't appear to have drum brakes.

molgrips that bike is fugly...

Stop stop stop! This thread is now and henceforth officially over:

Oh no it's not..... crap brakes for all weather commuting, too many gears for low maintenance. 🙂

Belt drive alfine hub brakes, and comes with a thermal coffee mug in a special holder. And frame coloured mudguards!

.... and weighs as much as a small house by the looks of it.

Come off it, how much time do you spend faffing with gears on your commuter?

Chris - it's not too bad, but those are my two choices. One for fast, one for relaxed.

Having said that, currently commuting on one of these upgraded a bit:

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When I was running 3x9 through the winter it seemed to eat drivetrain parts (chains, cassettes and chainrings).

I love how a request for subjective informaiton has elicited absolutist responses..!

Oh thank god for the OP. I thought I was the only person in the world who wanted a commuter bike with proper fast bike geometry, 25mm tyres plus full guards and (please god) disk brakes coming in at sub 20lb. Not interested in 'cross' or 'sportive' geometry.

My commute is 13 miles on hilly and muddy back lanes, it eats transmission, rims and brake blocks.

I'm currently on a Kaffenback which is the wrong shape, too heavy and has terrible mini-V brakes. Could be lured by a Kinesis Grand Fondo or Cragg Vale but for the 23mm tyres with guards limitation.

Hoping that Shimano having launched a deep drop brake and/or road disks coming I might not have to wait too long. Brant, Dom - anyone listening?

I thought I was the only person in the world who wanted a commuter bike with proper fast bike geometry, 25mm tyres plus full guards and (please god) disk brakes coming in at sub 20lb. Not interested in 'cross' or 'sportive' geometry.

+1 (although I'd like flat bars rather than drops please).

The On-One Pompetamine Alfine 11 Speed is something i would like as a present

Patience..... 😉 My VRS-11 shifters arrived this morning, so I may have it built by the w/e (my understanding of non-turn washers permitting). Colour cordinated white/black/silver.... includes BB7 discs and a dynamo hub running B+M lights. Been a long time coming, but looking forward to the first ride. If I like the Alfine experience, the frame will change to a Van Nic Amazon.....

Would be a different bike summer and winter.

Winter/wet days bike would be something close to the genesis day one alfine but belt drive and 11 speed, a touch lighter and have full guards. It would still be orange though.

For dry summer commutes I'd be pretty happy using my jake the snake which is my current commuter on a 20 mile each way commute. I'd just strip off all the winter junk.

Obvioulsy I could go a lot more exotic but I don't feel the need

Drop bars,
cross frame with disc mounts and a single rear ortlieb pannier
sturdy mavic 700c wheels with singlespeed hope pro 3 disc hubs for noise and rim saving shod in 25mm conti 4seasons

I imagine a custom build of a pompetamine would do the trick.

Currently riding my jake the snake with a courier bag and it's awesome but I'm worried about drivetrain and wheel wear, and I'd like to move the bag onto the bike as it moves around.

Oh thank god for the OP. I thought I was the only person in the world who wanted a commuter bike with proper fast bike geometry

Happy to be of assistance..!

It really does depend on your commute to be fair.

i have a short (~2 mile each way) commute across a city. My ideal commuter is a 24" bmx. nothing to go wrong, strong enough to beef into curbs if necessary, cheap. easy peasy

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It really does depend on your commute to be fair.

Absolutely ( 😉 )..! That's what I wanted to elicit - [i]your[/i] ideal commuter.

I have the bike, but the snobs amongst you aren't gonna like it... 8)

Here it is;

http://www.ashcycles.com/site/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=88_111_354_277&products_id=1685

Got one on Cyclescheme last year. Brilliant spec for the money, tough as old boots.

Ideal commuter - depends on the route options, but given current commute

700cc/29er wheels
32mm tyre clearance with full guards on
Disc brakes
Alfine gears - can get away with 8 speed
Proper rack mounts

Thinking possibly a Tripster.....?

ourmaninthenorth - Member
I love how a request for subjective informaiton has elicited absolutist responses..!

Well the OP does ask 'let's spec your ideal commuter'

I have my ideal commuter come tourer and have no desire to change it. Even though my commute is now a walk down the street. I can still use it to go to the shops etc... I look at my commuter as a working bike that needs to carry stuff and be comfortable to ride.

However, it certainly wouldn't suit those who's commute is a pivotal part of their 'training schedule'.

Personally, I wouldn't use disc brakes with narrow road tyres but others are free to do so. Nor would I use a 26 0r 24-inch wheeled bike but others do quite happily. Although, the guy who commutes through Hyde Park on a DH bike has made a weird choice.

My commuting is just running around town up to 5 miles each way. I use a Genesis ioid with mary bars, alfine,and 1 3/4 inch road tyres, Works for me.

Thinking I might need to get something made, would love to have the cash to go to Lynskey or Robin Mather (now that he's doing Ti) but may be best to wait for a road disk standard to be set (cynically betting it's not going to follow the same pattern as MTB).

Ignoring the disks which may be a few years away still, other things to consider are the Pearson carbon audax and there was also a Dedacciai frame with similar clearance I found at some point. The Fisher Cronus looked good last year but don't think any made it to the UK and have obviously now disappeared. Anything out there I've missed?

Love my fix-wheel (or fixie if your hip/trendy). The only thing I don't like is the skinny tyres on 700c wheels.
Would want 1.5-1.9x26" wheels for the sake of toe-clearance and pot hole ability, disc brake on the front, bullhorns and full length mudguards.

Pearson carbon audax

Friend rides one as his winter trainer and light tourer. Lovely looking thing.

How does this sound? 700cc 32 spoke disc wheels shod in 28mm Conti Ultra Gators, hydraulic brakes, Compact 105 gearing with 12-25 cassette, flat bars, carbon fork, full guards easily, rack mounts. Might need a carbon post & bar ends.

red 1994 GT Timberline, singlespeed, red grips too!! Perfect for my commute, I luv'it! (well I rode the Pacific Coast Highway on it last year so thought it will do for my commuter)

Last week it was an ancient Cannondale Tourer frame with Mavic wheels and 28mm Vittoria tyres, full guards, rack and panniers. It had flat bars, XT thumbies, 7 speed mtb rear cassette and big road front double chainset.

This week I'm in between bikes while I swap to a new steed so I am on a 94 Stumpjumper with full slicks and 1x7 gearing with riser bars. My commute today was fun and I realised how dull road orientated bikes are with their efficient geometry. No hoofing it off kerbs with road or hybrid bikes...

Next week will be a flat barred Cotic Roadrat with mavic disc 700c wheels, deore disc brakes, rack, guards, XT rapidfire 2x8 with the 28mm Vittoria Rubinio tyres.

However, if this is an ideal world money no object commuter I have logic issues. If money was no object why would I be going to work?

currentley in process of building one for my 15 mile uppy downy trip
so far it looks like
felt q920 frame
2x9 setup
exotic forks
26x1.25 tyres
old hope mini's
flat bar and bar ends
charge spoon

on paper seems to be nice but will see whan its built

Got a 17-ish mile up and down road ride to work. Its all fast open roads so a road bike is the preferred tool.
So with that in mind, I'll have something like that Pearson, would need full guards, panniers and disc brakes.
If it was all in town, something with 26" wheels, singlespeed and would need to be good fun just hacking around on it. And preferably stealthy enough not to get nicked.

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here's mine on my cheeky commute. Could do with a bigger gear I suppose.

My s/s Roadrat with Hope XC discs is a great way to travel to work. lovely handling bike Took me until lunchtime to stop smiling 🙂

My Trek Portland pretty much fits my current commuter bike needs and works ok with a bobyak. For more pickupability I use a brompton.

Patience..... My VRS-11 shifters arrived this morning, so I may have it built by the w/e (my understanding of non-turn washers permitting). Colour cordinated white/black/silver.... includes BB7 discs and a dynamo hub running B+M lights. Been a long time coming, but looking forward to the first ride. If I like the Alfine experience, the frame will change to a Van Nic Amazon.....

Is yours on the road yet?

This week some time..... fettling time permitting

I don't believe the Van Nic has mounts for disc brakes BTW

Can have this as an option, so no bother - the Amazon Touring certainly has a mount as standard. The Rohloff variant has an EBB as standard, so would look to see what they could do as a semi-custom option to cover all the requirements, or get close enough off-the-peg with a tensioner.