[Closed] Commuting 18 miles, Hybrid or roadie ?

Urban, open road, hills, exposed, sheltered, panniers, rucksac, all weathers - all comes into it. Me - road bike everytime, others will suggest hybrid if there is a lot of urban involved.

I have a 10 mile commute which is less effort on the Roadie than the MTB.

MTB is fun going home as its more downhill and theres not a lot in it timewise, but on the (predominately uphill)way to work in the morning there is a much bigger difference

i would have a road bike. with 28c tyres and mudguards. maybe called a tourer/ audax/ abomination by some.

hybrids i see all seem to be very upright/ not very efficient position. not sure i could do a half hour plus like that.

18 miles in 50 mins is pretty quick.

road bike with rack and full mudguards... 18 each way is not to be sniffed at, you'll want maximum efficiency - especially on the days when you are tired/hungover or the weather is rubbish.

Get the right tool for a job - you are riding on roads, so you need a road bike.

Dave

edit: forgot to put that you should use panniers (hence the rack), rather than a rucsac. ortlieb back rollers are 100% waterproof and their expense spread over commuting 36 miles per day, every day is nothing really. Mine have lasted 6 years so far and still look like new.

Thanks Tom, i do a fair bit of MTB stuff, so i'm not exactly unfit... but don't want to wear out my XC bike as that's my main bike and componentry replacing would be expensive.

Just been checking GPS stuff... it was 16 miles, but i took some of the off-road route for the last 3-4 miles which i obviously wouldn't be doing on a road bike lol.

90% of the riding is B lanes from the countryside. The last 2 miles is i guess what people would call 'urban' but really only the last 300m i expect to see any traffic/stopping etc.

road bike with rack and full mudguards... 18 each way is not to be sniffed at, you'll want maximum efficiency - especially on the days when you are tired/hungover or the weather is rubbish.

They'll be the days i take the mondeo in 🙂

If you can cover 16 miles in 50 minutes (19.2 mph average) then you've been riding long enough to make your own decision over which bike to buy!

Sorry 🙄

How so ?
I've never ridden anything other than a MTB... i simply have no concept of whether it's better to do an hour on a Hybrid for comfort ? or is the road bike comfy enough ?

I'd chose road bike with rack and mudguards.

+1 for the roadbike. the fact you can get down on the drops when the wind is in your face is a lifesaver.

I'd try both. I'd be inclined to go with a road bike with 28-32 section tyres. However, the fit is important, and as you're not used to road bikes, it could be a bit hit and miss getting one to fit.

Something like a Boardman hybrid could be a good compromise - quite a racy fit, but flat bars which you're used to.

my current commute is 16.5miles of flat open busy roads,

my advice is get a roadbike and get mudguards for when it is wet. Bizzarley rain doesn't tend to get you that wet, spray off the front and back wheels does. For tyre size unless the roads are crap just stick 23s i don't see much point in fitting touring tyres to ride to work.

Look at stashing as much kit at work as you can, ie shoes, shirts etc.

Road bike + skinny tyres = zoooom.

Hybrid would be ok I guess, bit of a more 'sit up' position rather than riding on drops. Which, over 18 miles you might be thankful for with a headwind.

Look at stashing as much kit at work as you can, ie shoes, shirts etc.

Not a problem there, we have showers etc, i'm also an IT bod so shoes etc don't come into play 🙂

averaging nearly 22 mph for nearly an hour on a mtb is pretty good going

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/320815679765?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Worth buying for £120 ?

This does me for a 10 mile each way commute, and any other road riding I do. I can't get on with drops so it suits me.

[img] [/img]

Not a problem there, we have showers etc, i'm also an IT bod so shoes etc don't come into play

Nor does underwear... 😉

What forks are those, Woody?

Lots of road bikes have quite tall head tubes these days so you wouldn't be as crouched over, but the drops give the option of getting low if you want. CX bike might be worth considering as a compromise.

Kinesis DC19 HG

Roadie every time. I'm doing 38 miles a few times a week and would not be without the drops. Doing it fixed though as I am a hipster 😉

Ta. They look good on it.

averaging nearly 22 mph for nearly an hour on a mtb is pretty good going

+1, that's extremely quick.

I'd do it on a road bike, but then I do everything on the road on a road bike! Mudguards for winter. Don't really see the point in hybrids myself.

Lots of road bikes have quite tall head tubes these days so you wouldn't be as crouched over

My Allez which I commute on is billed as a reasonably racey bike, and yet I had to take all 50mm of spacers (including the headset top cup dust cover) and buy a -12 degree stem to make it the same front end height as my Madone - it was like a shopping bike before!

(it is [i]weird[/i] that allez's and a few other spesh road bikes have such enormously long head tube)

A hybrid is essentially a MTB with road tyres. Buy some slicks for your MTB, see how you get on.

I guess it's driven by what people want, but I thought it was absolutely horrendous, and I couldn't even consider riding a Roubaix or Secteur.

A hybrid is essentially a MTB with road tyres. Buy some slicks for your MTB, see how you get on.

Doesn't really work as a plan for me mate. Basically i'd be swapping tyres potentially 2-3 times a week. Also the wear on the SLX/XTR components for me would not make me a happy boy. I did debate getting a 2nd set of wheels and just using the 29er but like i say, the drivetrain issues are stopping me... To buy a pair of wheels, discs, cassette for the spares is about £150.. which is more than i expect to pay for a commuter bike in total

Dunno if anyone else has aksed but I presume it's 18 miles each way.

[i]I've done the ride on my MTB in 50 mins, so time isn't really of the essence, if the hybrid is 3 mins quicker, and the roadie 3 quicker than that it's not really important..[/i]

Thats up to you what you ride then.

My commute is 20 miles each way and I use a cx bike with full guards and road tyres. Tried it once on my mtb, just felt so slow and cumbersome.

And yeh an average speed of 21.6mph is pretty quick.

Get a road bike. Try a few first to get an idea of sizing. I wouldn't bother putting big heavy touring tyres on either to be honest, 23C or 25C will be fine. I would definitely go for panniers over a ruck sack as well., plus mud guards. You'd surprised how much even a little bit of a wet road will get your arse wet. Even a CX bike might good. 2nd hand crossbow or something similar?

how is cycling to work going to save you money?

you're going to spend hundreds on a bike/clothes/locks/bags/lights/tyres/pasties/yaddayaddayadda.

(if not thousands)

it won't save you any money unless you cancel the gym membership, or give up a car.

My commute-route is 8 miles long, the last half mile is along some nice swoopy single-track. I've got a shabby alfined-inbred that does ok, if i were to try again, i'd get a single-speeded cyclocross thing with discs.

I drive/get the train once every couple of weeks or so with clean shirts, then ride the rest of the week without the need for a bag/panniers.

Mudguards definitely though - full guards ideal, but I just use Race Blades, and they keep 95% of the crap off you, can't believe I resisted for so long frankly.

how is cycling to work going to save you money?

The alternative for me is either £35/day on the train, or 25 miles in petrol (depending on which office I'm in). Even £1000 on kit is recouped pretty fast.

how is cycling to work going to save you money?

you're going to spend hundreds on a bike/clothes/locks/bags/lights/tyres/pasties/yaddayaddayadda.

(if not thousands)

it won't save you any money unless biking you will cancel the gym membership, or give up a car.

£5 a day in fuel. Will soon add up. I have sufficient clothing/kit/etc to not need to buy any more... i'm doing going for SPD's or anthing like that, just trainers/5-10's. things like lights etc i have from MTBing... so the cost is just initial outlay and upkeep, upkeep will be less than the car.

...I have sufficient clothing/kit/etc to not need to buy any more... i'm doing going for SPD's or anthing like that, just trainers/5-10's. things like lights etc i have from MTBing... so the cost is just initial outlay and upkeep, upkeep will be less than the car...

i tell myself exactly the same thing 🙂

bizarrely, i drive to work now when i want to save money - i reckon i spend about £3 per day on fuel, but that's nothing compared to my food bill...

[i]how is cycling to work going to save you money?

you're going to spend hundreds on a bike/clothes/locks/bags/lights/tyres/pasties/yaddayaddayadda.[/i]

I've saved at least £1500 a year in fuel by commuting, so around £7.5k over the last 5 years I've been doing it, what I've spent on clothes, chains, casettes, tyres, lube comes nowhere close to that figure. And I've never felt the ned for additional food.

So the op is saying he's riding this 21.6mph average speed on an mtb wearing trainers?

I didn't buy much additional kit for commuting - a bike and some extra lights.

So the op is saying he's riding this 21.6mph average speed on an mtb wearing trainers?

Yeah, I'd not be worrying about commuting.... give Team Sky or BC a call QUICK!!! 🙂

As others have said, that is seriously quick on a mountain bike. 16miles is a nice distance, I ride (or rode as I'm having a long break from it atm) 19-20miles each way and I couldn't imagine it on a mountain bike. Commuting regularly can soon can become a chore, so being able to get it done quickly becomes important. I use a cx bike as I race cross so I have one, and I like the ability to change the tyres, fit guards, ride towpaths etc. A touring bike would be just as suitable.

I personally don't see the point in hybrids. As inefficient position as a mountain bike without the strength and ability. Perhaps a 29" and fit skinny wheels if you want to go that route, then you'll have a different type of mountain bike to play with as well.

I used to do 10 miles each way, everyday and that was my only way to get to work and I used mountain bike, road bike, cross bike. All were suitable although the road bike was the least fatiguing over the long run.

Commuting regularly kills bikes so bare this in mind when working out how much to spend.

So the op is saying he's riding this 21.6mph average speed on an mtb wearing trainers?

No, the OP modified it after checking the GPS for time and distance. The actual average according to the GPS over an 16.23 mile route came in at 17.8mph. The first figures given were off the top of my head, i then checked the Garmin data.

I did a 16.5 mile commute mainly on B roads for a number of months this year on a hybrid type bike (Merida Speeder T1) with full length mud guards and panniers/bar ends. Seating position was ideal and never longed after a road bike. I did need a new rear wheel which I managed to damage which was probably due to me being 18 odd stone plus panniers, apparently if I break the replacement one I need a tandem rear wheel 🙂

17.8mph is still pretty quick on a mountain bike. I often struggle to get near that on my commuter.

Thank you. It was on a 29er with reasonble low tread Maxxis Aspens.

And i did work bloody hard lol. I wouldn't fancy doing it at that pace on it twice a day 🙂

My time on the Commencal MEta 26" was 4mins 30 slower.

Audax bike every time. Full-time mudguards and a rack. Drops to get out of the wind, as needed last week. If it's flat, I'd ride fixed. If it's not I'd be looking at a Day One Alfine. As already stated, commuting kills bikes. Hub gears and good tyres are essential. For that distance, I'd look at Schwalbe Durano Plus in 25c. The Marathons are good and as bullet/glass proof, but they are heavy.

Oh and you may have well have commuted at 19 mph. But sustaining this on a Friday evening into a headwind (always a headwind in the evenings), will be a tall order. Be sure to eat in the afternoon.

17.8mph average........makes me realise how unfit I am 🙁

My Best time for 10.0 miles door to door is 38 minutes on my road bike.....and that was no traffic Sunday 6pm ish in the summer to drop something off

Audax/tourer as already suggested as you'll want guards for sure (and maybe rack/pannier if you take kit).

A good option could be:
Cotic X
Croix de Fer
or similar...

Very capable as commuters but swap tyres and you can have some more fun.

Audax bike every time. Full-time mudguards and a rack. Drops to get out of the wind, as needed last week. If it's flat, I'd ride fixed. If it's not I'd be looking at a Day One Alfine. As already stated, commuting kills bikes. Hub gears and good tyres are essential. For that distance, I'd look at Schwalbe Durano Plus in 25c. The Marathons are good and as bullet/glass proof, but they are heavy.

Oh and you may have well have commuted at 19 mph. But sustaining this on a Friday evening into a headwind (always a headwind in the evenings), will be a tall order. Be sure to eat in the afternoon.

Fixed/SS would be too tough on the hill out of the village, it's middle ring, large rear for that even on the MTB.. it's a sod of a hill

I agree totally as i said above, i didn't put the number up to say "ooooh look at me"... but more to give the gauge that the distance/time in the saddle wasn't anything humungous etc.. Just an hour give or take.

Commuting kills bikes

Does it? I've hardly touched my Roadrat in 2.5 years, in fact, it's had 1 set of chain/cassette/rings in that time and that's it (aside from the odd tube etc). Admittedly, I'm not a totally dedicated commuter, but it will get ~3000 miles a year on it. I kill stuff on my MTB much quicker! 🙂

Which ever you feel most comfortable on. Personally, I would choose a flat bar, tourer style bike with panniers and mudguards. Indeed, I did.

So lads... How's this for £120 cash ?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/320815679765?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Right sort of bike/ballpark ?

I used to do a similar distance (17 miles door-to-door).

I'd allow an hour each way (largely to account for traffic lights and unknowns). Also, I didn't like to thrash it as I was usually doing it 5 days a week.

I just used my winter road bike (i.e. with mudguards). Did used to see a chap on a hybrid, but wouldn't have fancied that in the inevitable two-way headwind....

Depends how sh@gged the drivetrain/wheels/bearings are and, absolutely critically, if it fits. The sellers answer to that very question is less than helpful, no?

Looks ok to me, got a rack and everyfink 🙂

BLoke seems to know not a lot about bikes, bu describes all parts as at least 8/10. I don't think he's a passionate biker/rider etc though.

Rack would be most useful as i need to carry laptop in.

Size/fit, i honestly dunno... my Meta 55 was a large, my Giant 29er is a medium... but i've never ridden a roadie, so ... dunno.

Carrera are a Halfords brand, so have a pop down to your local one and try one for size. Looking at the pics, it looks in pretty good nick to me, but you never know if they're old pics etc etc.

HI, MEDIUM TOP BRACKET TO TOP TUBE 48.5CM EQUIVALENT TO OUR STANDARD 54CM FRAME LARGE BOTTOM BRACKET TO TOP TUBE 51CM EQUIVALENT TO OUR STANDARD 58CM THANKS

What's that in real world terms lads ? sorry for the REALLY daft Qn.. but the roadie measurements confuse me

Woody speaks good sense - go to Halfords or similar and try some road frames to find out your size. The sellers answer is gibberish anyway, so you may be better off just going and looking at it/trying it for size there-and-then.

I personally don't see the point in hybrids.

The Hybrid's natural environment is in mainly urban environments, rather than green lane commuting. The more upright position is better for seeing what's around you in traffic and that, and the MTB style geometry is better suited for dealing with potholed streets, kerbs, steps, the odd less than perfect surface like towpaths etc. The 700c wheels are fasterer than 26" ones. Oh, and v-brakes are betterer than crappy little roady caliper ones for having to stop suddenly.

I know this cos I've ridden all manner of bikes round That London, from 10" travel DH beasts, to skinny lightweight racers. The best all-round bike for everyday urban commuting is the Hybrid. That's what it was designed for.

If I were the OP, I'd just stick some skinny tyres on the 29er, and maybe some bar-ends. As for all this 'efficiency' guff; it's a commute, not the TDF. 😆

Woody speaks good sense - go to Halfords or similar and try some road frames to find out your size. The sellers answer is gibberish anyway, so you may be better off just going and looking at it/trying it for size there-and-then

Bit inconvenient that, it's a hike over to East London for me. I was going to get a mate to pick up for me really...

I'm guessing this isn't the best idea... But i've had this debate about trying MTB's of course in the past and have managed to only try 1 of them for size before buying one. They all seemed to work out well enough for me,

f I were the OP, I'd just stick some skinny tyres on the 29er, and maybe some bar-ends. As for all this 'efficiency' guff; it's a commute, not the TDF

If it wasn't for drivetrains and time spent swapping between tyres etc then i'd do that without doubt mate yes.

I'm guessing this isn't the best idea...

The question then is how many drivetrains can you go through before you justify the cost of a bike? If that's really the main reason. If you just want another bike then fair enough!

The question then is how many drivetrains can you go through before you justify the cost of a bike? If that's really the main reason. If you just want another bike then fair enough!

The answer is i guess...2 LOL. Lets say i run a 10 speed chain witha decent cassette and a set of SLX spec rings... x 2.

That's about the same sort of price as the purchase price at £120.

i actually don't WANT another bike, i struggle for space enough as it is... but i want the increased training / fittness and the potential cost savings.

My commute is between 20 and 25 miles either way, and having tried various options over the past 2-3 years, my view is Road bike, mudguards and rack.

[i]Commuting kills bikes[/i]

No it doesn't. I've been using the same bike for the last 5 years doing an average of 6000 commuting miles a year and it's perfectly fine. I replace the chain, cassette, bb, and tyres around every 6 months, cables and bar tape annually I upgraded the mechs about 3 years ago to ultegra and they're doing just fine, but that was only down to upgrading them on my road bike Still using the original shifters.

Yes things need replaced but that happens with anything you use.

Road bike all the way. I'm going to guess at around a 30% improvement in efficiency for roadie over mtb... leaving you very little time in the saddle based on your numbers.

Road bike all the way. I'm going to guess at around a 30% improvement in efficiency for roadie over mtb... leaving you very little time in the saddle based on your numbers

Considering that would put me to 24mph average i'd be VERY suprised at that figure lol... i'm a human not lance armstrong..

What conditions are the B roads in, if lots of pot holes, a tourer type with say 32-37 tires, if good condition then a road bike with 23-25's

Would look at somthing with discs if possible.

Last winter was pretty brutal on equipment for me. I broke a freehub, 2 chains, cassette, bb. Front mech seized up and had to be replaced. Tyres need replacing less than every year and I wear the rim tape out every 3-6 months, depending on how bad I'm willing to let it go. Summer is fine, it's as soon as it becomes winter.

I guess it's all on your outlook, but replacing expensive equipment every 6 months or less is in my mind "killing it" when all you are doing is going backwards and forwards to work. That's why I say bare it in mind when you are purchasing that this stuff is not going to last many months.

In comparison, my road bike last forever because it gets cleaned after a ride rather than chucked in a shed/bike rack after being covered in salt and rain.

And the point is the miles add up. Last winter I was doing between 100-200 miles a week on salty, wet, oily roads. A bike (meaning, chain/bb/cassette etc) is not going to last many months of that.

Anyway, sounds to me like the best option would be a new set of wheels with road tyres. Easy to swap, not much space, cheap and usable for other things if you gave up on the commuting thing.

Anyway, sounds to me like the best option would be a new set of wheels with road tyres. Easy to swap, not much space, cheap and usable for other things if you gave up on the commuting thing

it's not a terrible idea but finding decent price 29er wheels with 15mm front maxle is tough

it's not a terrible idea but finding decent price [s]29er wheels with 15mm front maxle[/s] road bike that will fit me and last longer than a trip to the end of the road is tough

FTFY 😉

weeksy - Member
i actually don't WANT another bike

you take that back!

[i]I wear the rim tape out every 3-6 months[/i]

How do you do that then? I've never worn rim tape out and I'm doing around the same winter mileage as you.

What conditions are the B roads in, if lots of pot holes, a tourer type with say 32-37 tires, if good condition then a road bike with 23-25's

Would look at somthing with discs if possible.

You'd generally be wanting to ride around the pot holes, not through them. The roads around here arn't great but I still wouldnt want anything bigger than a 25.

Why discs? Road bike brakes are plenty powerful enough for the skinny road tyres that they use.

There wasnt too much of the commute in urban stop/start situations so discs would be pointless imo.

how tall are you, by the way? there's a medium disced kaffenback on on one for £899. I'd get that if I were you and it fitted me.

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Whydiscs? Road bike brakes are plenty powerful enough for the skinny road tyres that they use.

er, if i go for a 'road ride' i choose to ride on quiet roads, i don't actually need to brake very often.

despite this, my new road rims are already noticeably worn - i'm already on my way to needing a new set of wheels.

if i'm 'commuting' i need to stop quite a lot (red lights, junctions, picking up used jazz-mags, etc...

commuting will wear out rims faster than road riding.

pads are cheap, rims are expensive.

rim brakes are a crap idea.

Why discs? Road bike brakes are plenty powerful enough for the skinny road tyres that they use.

There wasnt too much of the commute in urban stop/start situations so discs would be pointless imo

Please try them and report back - both my road commuters now use BB7 and I won't be going back to calipers.

6'0"