[Closed] If you commuted 8 -10 miles each day....

Depends how gnarly the bridleway is, and how fit you are, and how hilly it is.

Steel SS cross bike if you could get away with it.

for me it would depend where I was leaving it at work?

Probably build a HT from a second hand frame with average parts so if it was plundered I wouldn't be too pissed off in fact, I have cost me around £200 to build 😉

700x32 tyres, gears if you need them, whatever bars you like

sounds like my commute 😉

Using a kaffenback complete with mud guards 😉

CX Bike.

I do 8 miles round trip on a mtb kitted up with fenders. hydro discs and panniers but its road and some gravel paths -I need carrying/hill climbing rather than speed on 26" slicks. It's a fun monster but 10 miles each way would be a pain or build huge legs/heart.

If your route is 10 miles one way then I would say CX bike as I am assuming you will get better brakes, mudguard clearance in wet weather and some carrying facility than a road bike.

A friend uses a Planet X Kaffenback steel CX bike 12-34 cassette, V brakes, 700x32/28 and flies with roadies and to work on all sorts of terrain.

SS steel framed tuff nut bike for me, or summit like a Charge Plug with afore mentioned 32cc tyres like Conti Race King Supersonics.

Bargain tastic at [url= http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Charge_Plug_2010/5360039090/ ]Wiggle[/url] too at the mo 😉

Genesis Day One Cross Alfine

CX bike

Something like this?:

[url= http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3003/2995422681_fed954f9c9.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3003/2995422681_fed954f9c9.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/8133348@N03/2995422681/ ]IMG_4144[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/8133348@N03/ ]oxym0r0n[/url], on Flickr

Although bigger wheels would be fasterer

HT Saracen frame with a 100mm RS Dart 2, front disc brake (no rear), single front chainring/7 speed rear, Kenda Kobra semi-smooth tyres at about 60psi..... it weighs about 12.5 to 13kg, I had the frame and fork, everything else was bought online. Probably owes me about £150 to £200.
I do the 10 mile canal/road combo to work on this:
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For that short distance I would just use my mountain bike. Unless you are using this as an excuse to buy / build something new?

front disc brake (no rear)

I'd rather have a back brake then a front brake for commuting, why'd you set it up like that?

cos the hose was'nt long enough?

I guess for cheapness? The rear hub looks like it has a disc mount.

The rear hub looks like it has a disc mount.

I was constantly locking up the rear, and found there was plenty braking power using the front on its own.
I think ideally a rear V brake might have been better, but I'd chopped the V brake studs off the frame a while back bacause the threads where goosed. Stopping is fine, even abruptly..... just need to be sure to get my arse over the back of the saddle toot-sweet.

The frame hasn't a rear caliper mount no, but I did use a A2Z caliper mount, which was fine. The old V brake mounting is now a hose guide.

Well spotted. I saw no V-brake mounts and (wrongly) assumed it was a disc only frame.

rigid single speed mtb

I do my 12mile roiund trip to uni each day on my FS Ironhorse atm with 2.35" mtb tyres. It is hard goin but is keping me fit, however I do have an old road bike which cost me £10 which I will be using once I get it down to edinburgh.

That's what I bought my croix de fer for, although we have pretty good lockers at work so I am happy to commute in style! 😀

Any old bike would do if your only doing 8-10 miles per day

well i have a 7mile flat road commute each way and i use my old kona rigid, with semi slicks 1x9
its awesome
[img] [/img]

Old road bike/tourer unless the bridleway is rocky or gets very muddy. Used to do similar on 27x1 1/8 tyres, I'd probably stick 27x1 1/4 on because they're more common (or 700c x 28 if I could get a slightly less old road bike with sensible sized wheels).

For most canal paths / easy bridleways, anything more than a tourer is massive overkill, and you'd just be faster on the road bike.

I'd rather have a back brake then a front brake for commuting, why'd you set it up like that?

That's crazy talk. Front brake for stopping quickly on the road. Back brake for when you just need to slow down but aren't in a hurry. Back brake isn't important, but front brake is vital for safety in an emergency. You can't stop anywhere near as quickly with a back brake.

Joe

i do 12 miles on similar terrain, i had a choice of all sorts of bikes but i went for a boardman cx bikes with full mudguards and i don't regret it. Perfect for it. Even take the mudgurds off and use it properly off road sometimes but frankly that's quite scary 🙂

[img] [/img]

This.. with puncture protected tyres..
Then on a weekend it gets some mtb tyres put back on.

I do 9 each way everyday near enough.

I do 10 miles each way on bridleway, green lanes, back roads and main roads.

2011 Genesis Vapour with Aksium wheels proving pretty bloody good 😀

8 miles each way on cycleway and canal on my ss kinesis decade.....tubeless tyres filled with solution are the best solution to the thorns especially on the canal.

That's crazy talk. Front brake for stopping quickly on the road. Back brake for when you just need to slow down but aren't in a hurry. Back brake isn't important, but front brake is vital for safety in an emergency. You can't stop anywhere near as quickly with a back brake.

I'd agree for normal riding, but commuting?

I do most of my commuting on my bmx. Back brake is perfect for it.

I used to do 11 miles each way on canal paths & roads on a cheapo 2nd hand v-brake Spesh Hardrock. Cost me £100 for the bike and in 3 years I spent maybe £5 on inner tubes.

As long as it's not uber-heavy and has some modicum of reliability, you'll be grand on whatever you choose.

I built this for my 14 mile towpath commute, half the distance is rough rutted towpath, half is tarmac or aggregate.
Basically, I wanted to build lightweight, but with MTB bits, so I could easily convert it for mountain biking. I can keep it indoors at work so no theft issues.
[img] [/img]
Same bike in Spain last week with fork and tyre change
[IMG] [/IMG]

Some sort of sensible durable hybrid. Revolution Courier or similiar. In fact that's what I do use... Tyres are going to be the most important choice though.

if I wanted cheapness
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLqrymode.a4p?f_ProductID=12410&f_FullProductVersion=1&f_SupersetQRY=C432&f_SortOrderID=1&f_bct=c003155c018333c018336

if I was splashing out then a rigid inbred 29er 1x9, on-one carbon fork, selection of tyres

I must get a photo of my commuter... It's the most repulsive sack of you know what you have ever seen, yet Sid Race Titaniums, XTR, EC70 bars, built with 700x23s and full length mudguards. Someone would need to be mental to try steal it as it looks like aids.
PS. It was all built with old odds and sods I had kicking about, so I only spent about £80 on it 🙂

for 4 flat miles each way? prob just grab my BMX

I would use my commuter. Its rather a waste but..

Its a genesis IOID. running on slicks and with mudguard and mary bars.

Comfy, sus is nice on potholed roads, alfine for reliability.

Mine sounds ideal

13yr old steel frame, rigid forks, converted to SS. Paint looks crap so doesn't draw attention.
Decent brakes (Magura HS33, not as fancy as discs so again less attention, but very good, very rusty boosters to hide shineyness) and decent-ish wheels for speed when needed (XT/317 so again don't look much)
Badly ripped saddle and one black/one silver crank.
Good pedals (959s) and last-years race tyres so can go the fun way home.

I commute about 12km a day (6km per direction) and used to use a road bike. I felt it was quite silly, I would maybe break a sweat but no chance of getting fit as it was not even a warm up.

Now I ride with my Uzzi and sticky tires (Muddy Mary GGC). I'm slower, but I feel I might be getting fitter. 😀

singlespeed cyclocross bike, lot of fun off road, fast on the road (if you gear it right) plus easy maintenance. that felt breed ss in classifieds would look good if i didn't have one already... alternatively just stick slicks on your pimpest mtb and buy a couple of kryptonite new york locks with the money you save on not buying a new bike!

Singlespeed Tricross here with sks guards... No off road, just a two mile road commute, though it more than happily copes off road. Also used as the winter road bike.

Vgc second handers for about 200 quid last time I looked.

Similar commute to me although mine varies between 5-9 miles depending on route. Flat-barred Roadrat with 2x9, discs, SKS full guards and 700x35c CX tyres. Comfy, quick, reasonable on the muddy bits, low maintenance. I would've gone Alfine too but the range isn't enough for the hills I have.

Could've spent less but I decided to indulge myself with our Bike to Work scheme 😳

depends entirely on the condition of the bridleway.

these are a deal

[url= http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_551205_langId_-1_categoryId_165534#dtab ]SS Bike - £50 off[/url]

I did almost exactly your commute on a couple of different bikes and settled on a V-braked On-One singlespeed. Cheap, effective, minimal maintenance.