I've just started using my HT for commute to work. It's a specialized 29Er and I love the geometry and feel of it. I've changed a few parts to suit me and changed its gearing to 1x10.
I love taking it to cannock and the 100mm Fox forks are just enough, no need for anything more.
I use another set of wheels with fast tyres for commUte but I'm thinking of getting a road bike to maybe cut the travelling time down. Also I get a bit fed up of the forks bouncing up and down when I need to get out of the saddle.
I'm not sure that Ide like the riding style of a road bike. Looked at others but don't like the look of them. Money, well about £1500 is my limit but can adjust if needed. It's only for work so I've been looking at OnOne and pinnacle but not herd of how good they are.
I regularly do a similar road commute on a £400 Genesis Aether road bike.
It's fine. I run 28mm gatorskins.
If I was to buy again I'd think of a CX bike that could take 35mm tyres and mudguards - for winter. Go back to 28s for spring, summer etc
Riding on a road bike is just another variation on a theme. Ride with your hands "on the hoods" and the body position isn't too different from an MTB position. There's a lot of bikes in the £1K bracket because of the Ride to Work scheme. Maybe a CX bike, like the Kinesis 5T?
Just get a Brompton and take it in with you and stick it under your desk. Perfectly capable of coping with an 8 mile each way commute. I do 5 miles each way into my office, sometime 13 miles into other people's.
1500 quid for a bike to ride an 8 mile commute. Christ id get a used flat bar cx type thing for 150 tops. Well I actually did lol not bothered about it getting left out or even nicked.
Then spen? the rest on a rigid 29er . You know it makes sense 😉 I also did that too
My tuppence, I've gone away from my road bike for commuting and use the el-mariachi. Slick-ish tyres and mudguards on P-clips.
My commute's just under 8 miles, the time difference between the road bike and the MTB is negligable over that distance. And I feel a bit of a tit riding the road bike not in lycra.
Cross bike tyres are IMO horrible on the road, squirming all over the place in corners at road bike speeds.
I'd just get something rigid, steel (not for any 'steel is real' properties, it just survives being dropped agaisnt bike stands without denting day after day), singlesped, with mudguards. If anything the el mariachi was a bit 'bling', it looks properly tatty now. Commuters should definately be built in the 'cheep as possible' and 'tough as old boots' frame of mind.
If I were buying again I'd get a Ribble 7005 Winter/Audax bike. Perfect for riding all year around, and not expensive.
Ribble only go up to 58cm!
Just phoned them and they recon 58cm cwaters for people up to 6ft 4inches as long as you don't mind having 12 inches of seat post sticking out the frame.
They wonder why UK people buy USA designed bikes.
I'm 6ft 4 by the way.
Cheers anyway
I've got an On One Pompetamine running Alfine 11. Steel frame so comfy, hard wearing, and cheap (£140!). Disc brakes (cable is plenty for commuting), 32c tyres, rack, mudguards, and lots of lights. It looks like a commuter so I don't think I look silly not wearing lycra, not that I'm overly bothered of course!
Not sure I'd recommend Alfine.
My commute is 12 miles each way.
I just use a Giant Escape hybrid for 13mls each way. Works on road and bridle path plus if I don't mind a bit of jarring I use it on the Ridgeway too. Simply change the tyres according to the season. Under £400 new.
I had a similar itch a couple of years ago. My commute was 14 miles each way, so I thought I'd try a road bike. I hated it! Persevered with it for a bit, but I just hated it more. So I sold it and bought another hard tail. At first I bought another set of wheels to run slicks, but after a while I never even bothered with that
If I was spending that kind of money though, I'd be very tempted by [url= http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXXLSFB/planet-x-xls-shimano-tiagra-flat-bar-road-bike ]one of these[/url]
I use my Gryphon for everything including an eleven mile commute three days a week. I just bought a second set of wheels instead of a whole new bike. New set (Arches) have the mtb tyres on, old ones (Crests) currently sport a set of Conti Speed CX tyres. I appreciate it's heavier than a road bike, but it's not far enough to notice.
I had a carrera subway 24 mile commute each day it never let me down and only a few minutes slower than my carbon road bike. Wish I had never sold it, I'm buying another one very soon, they are under £200 at the moment worth every penny IMO
