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Hello all! I am considering commuting to work, but don't have a clue where to start bike wise. I have a Bfe for hooning around the Peaks and reckon that might be overkill for commuting.
The journey is roughly nine miles both ways, from Macc to Congleton and back. A friend has recommended the Vitus Bee 29er, but I think I might die on a singlespeed.
Apologies for the rambling post. Basically, anybody have good advice with regards bike and lights?
Any advice (related to the above) would be greatly appreciated. 😀
How much do you want to spend?
SS is cheap and lasts a long time, if your route is hilly you may want gears though.
Full mudguards are a must.
congleton to macc is flat, so a SS would be a good call, proper mudguards are well worth tho, even if it doesn't rain as much as you'd think, it keeps everything clean and your shoes stay dry. Most importantly, ride a bike you'll enjoy riding 🙂
work, have you got a shower, locker, steel hoop to lock to?
get really cheap bike clothes for commuting in and leave stuff at work - I have a coat, shoes, towel and toiletries, full emergency change of clothes (for when you forget to pack something)
enjoy 🙂
Road or off road?
If road get a road bike that will take full mudguards and a pannier rack. Discs for consistency in the wet.
Do you need to wear a suit for work? Do you need to be clean?
have a look at the dolan prefissio for an inexpensive geared option
genesis day one for mudguardable ss road
Thanks for the input. To answer a few questions....
Looking at around £600 max. I need to wear a shirt for work, coupled with jeans and shoes. Unfortunately there is no shower, but the bonus is I'm the manager so the bike can live in the office 😉
The route is basically one long A road.
just get a pair of wheels with slicks for your bike 9miles is nowt on an a road
I commute on a Kona Major One, SS cross bike, full mudguards, really good front light, couple of LED flashing units on the rear.
Leave shoes, jeans etc at work, take them in once a week. Use a rucksack to transport suff, get one with a rain cover. Carry spares with me, well tubes, pump etc.
As for a bike, I'd look at the Pompy from On-One, cheap enough in SS spec. Get some tough tyres as well for this time of year when the roads are crappy.
Having just bought a Whyte fast urban bike I can highly recomend it! Not quite a full road bike but a more mtb style geometry with a flat bar 700c wheels and rack mounts etc.
Easy to ride, stable at speed and nimble to maneuver.
I would start doing the commute on what you have first, then after a while firstly you'll know whether you're going to stick with it and secondly the type of thing that would be suitable for you to purchase.
Can you get something on the cycle to work scheme?
http://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/
Means the cost thing is a bit more manageable. Or what others have suggested, another set of wheels (or even just tyres) for the current bike while you get used to the ride and distance.
Rucksack, good lights (multiple cheap(er) lights are better than one super expensive set), always carry a waterproof and a basic toolkit (mine live in my rucksack permanently so I never use them on another bike and forget to put them back after a weekend!).
Leave as much stuff at work as possible, take in underwear and a clean shirt each day. Wet wipes, towel, deodorant and you can have a decent wash in any bathroom.
This is worth a look for advice, tips etc on commuting:
http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/commuting
The related side of that is...buy a membership of British Cycling, the legal side of it comes in handy if you get knocked off!
Thanks for all the advice everyone. I will probably give it a go on the Bfe, see how I like it. If I do it's an awesome reason for another bike 🙂