[Closed] Commuting bikes?

do it properly - 700c x 25 and drop bars.

I use a Cannondale Bad Boy 8 (Alfine hub so no claggy mech through the winter). Crud catcher on the downtube, rear seat post mounted mudguard, sorted.

I stuck with a converted MTB and botched traditional mudguards on. I couldn't be bothered dealing with another set of standards and wheel size, cos I like to swap stuff around between bikes. It meant I could use up some bits from the spares box, but was also an excuse to get some more shiny mtb bits.

kona dew drop

croix de fer here, tho I had to get a bike that i could do road/canal light offroad too as my sheds too small for a fleet of bikes 😀

semi knobblies for summer commuting, bash a bit of off road in too then
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5175/5489399845_5531e5beb4_b.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5175/5489399845_5531e5beb4_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/rocketdog/5489399845/ ]the Extended Commute ride[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/rocketdog/ ]rOcKeTdOgUk[/url], on Flickr

Sod the drop bars, you'll just look like a ****.

I use a kona dr dew btw.

do it properly - 700c x 25 and drop bars.

plus 1

Either of these from Wiggle are a bargain.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/charge-juicer-mid-2010/

Or

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/charge-juicer-hi-2010/

Just got the Hi and it's lovely 🙂

Dew for me. It's ace. Drops or flats depends on how much city traffic you have, I reckon. More open road = drops, more urban = flats.

However 700c is a must - definitely makes a huge difference to speed.

However 700c is a must - definitely makes a huge difference to speed.

Agreed. My foldy bike with 20" wheels is frustratingly slow on the occasions when London traffic clears for more than 400 yards.

Just finished a new commuter, going to get flammed for this but I am loving it.

SS 29er inbred, ridged

Running Conti 35mm speed king cross, the rear is nearly slick after running it at 60psi ;-), but its been a real buzz working out the best lines on my local commuting trails.

Compared to normal 29er tires it feels so nippy.

I've been commuting on a Pomp since Jan - love it!

I commuted on a folding electric bike - 10 miles of hilly lanes, but could wear work clothes and not need a shower - as the office didn't have one. Full mudguards and a rear rack. Then I did 100% human powered on the way home. Selling it now as I live in town...... one careful owner.....

agree with flat bars if the route is mainly urban, traffic, lots of stopping and starting

drops if its more rural "open roads" where you might benefit from being able to get more "aero" - makes a difference if you are riding home into a headwind

frame that will take proper full length guards (although I have used crud catcher race guards on my road bike for the last couple of years and they are very good)

700cc - tyre choice will depend on route

Get an old road/tourer bike from Gum Tree, e-bay or similar, £20-30.

Flat bar, spares box.

Replacement levers, £10

Done.

APF

Merida Speeder here with bar ends, mud guards and panniers. 700cc Schwalbe Marathons. 36 mile round trip started this week. I'm around 17.5 stone and even with the rear panniers the factory wheels haven't budged.

Love the bike, very comfy and delighted I went with it.

Waiting for my Kona Dew to arrive from CRC - am ridiculously excited, just because it's bike shaped...

Boardman hybrids look pretty hard to beat for VFM.

Although now the weather has improved I've developed an irrational desire for one of these:
[url= http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/CBPXSLPFB/sl-pro-carbon-hybrid- ]http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/CBPXSLPFB/sl-pro-carbon-hybrid-[/url]

Agree with the flats vs drops comments, my commutes mostly urban and flats feel a lot more secure than drops.

Boardman bikes are great but unfortunately they don't do the hybrid in XL, so if you're over 6ft they are too small - hence the Cannondale 🙂

1991 Kona Cinder Cone
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spesh langster - love mine

One of these suit?

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/bregantes-mega-bike-clearout-3-commuters-and-other-quality-bits

Just use the bike you have.

Flat bar Cotic roadrat singlespeed. Slicks and mudguards are the magic ingredients.

ute does look fun but gonna be a right pita for more that a couple of miles on a regular basis.

I'd def want a road bike for 12 miles

It's totally going to depend on the individual situation. And your preferences and facilities at work. For example I;

Have a pretty flat 5 mile commute, bit of country lane, bit of town.
Don't need to carry anything, other than 5th day clothing changeover.
Like to get wet, have a drying room but no showers at work, can get away with stinking 😉

Ergo, this is my commuter:

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No guards, no racks, one gear. It's lovely to ride. If only I wasn't crippled, I'd have ridden it twice today 🙁

Running a basic Kona Dew, 12 miles each way on roads, cycle paths and towpaths - takes full mudguards and panniers, a bit harsh to ride but I've swapped the contact points to improve that, a bit slow (roughly an hour each way depending on winds, load and energy levels) but does what I need it to reliably through the winter for £300

oh, there's too much choice....

Charge Mixer Afline great bike and if your less than 5'10" then you can pick up a size small Mixer 8 from Rutlands for just £399

The Ute is a nice bike but not really for distance commuting in it's stock form as it's 37lbs-ish in weight with an upright riding position. You could stick a long stem and flat handlebars on to make it more comfortable for distances but it's still heavy for a 24 mile round trip.

I use mine for fun 😀

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Kona Paddy Waggon. Just bought one from the bay for my commute and the ride is superb. I also looked at a Specialized Langster, but fitting rack and mudguards is more of a pain. For 10 miles, drops for me and panniers. It's not light, but a lot lighter than a UTE!

Mountain bike for me. running a genesis IOID at the moment - 8 sp alfine, discs and 1 3/4 inch road tyres for braking grip. Urban commuting over short distances. I prefer the grip to the speed hence fat tyres. Mary bars as well

Did you actually need to take the wheelie bin somewhere or were you just proving a point?

I assume the wheelie bin was for all the used nappies 😀

I think the UTE is more a town bike for someone that needs to carry a weeks shopping and a few kids and not the first choice for racking up the miles.

CRC have just taken 30% off 2010 Konas
[url= http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=64959 ]null[/url]
[url= http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=64971 ]null[/url]

But you are right there is too much choice. So get one that floats your boat!

I use my Raven, big miles small miles it does it all 🙂

Ive just started commuting to a train 7 miles away. I'm using an old Scott steel MTB with slicks and 38:16 Singlespeed ratio.

Im finidng it a bit uncomfortable tbh - the whole leg is on country lanes - I did 7 miles in 30 mins last night but i find I'm either spinning out with the wind behind me or struggling with the wind in my face.

Also when its not windy my position seems very high and open - with the wide riser bars (may cut them down and fit a longer stem)

I really fancy a road bike but will something like a Carrera TDF be equally as uncomfortable due to lack of carbon fork?

I could always go back to gears on it but that means buying shifters/cassette/cables/mech which seems a bit pointless on this pub bike esq frame.

When I use to commute in my old job I used an old Orange Clockwork with single 42 ring up front and gears at the back running slicks. Not as fast as a road bike but it use to be comfy.

[url= ]Day one[/url]
I`m hoping to get one of these shortly. Really fancy the no hassle gearing and some drop bars for a change.

i find I'm either spinning out with the wind behind me or struggling with the wind in my face

Precisely why gears were invented. Stop fannying around and get some mechs on 🙂 Oh and if I were using an MTB in this fashion it'd have flat bars and bar ends on it before you can say streamlined.

but will something like a Carrera TDF be equally as uncomfortable due to lack of carbon fork?

No - the comfort is all in the position and contact points really. A carbon fork or frame might iron out some buzz but it's extremely subtle and the sort of thing you might notice after 4 hours in the saddle - being a little less fatigued and pained all round and therefore feeling a bit more comfortable. That's what I noticed when I got my carbon bike, although it was a more expensive bike than the one it replaced.

Or just go get a Kona Dew/Carrera TDF and sell this beaten up old SS for beer money.

I use one of these for my 27 miles per day:

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I certainly wouldn't ride 27 miles on this, but it still ranks as the most useful bike purchase I have ever made...

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Support vehicle for Hit the North 2010

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Christmas

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Mechanical recovery service

That UTE does look awesome - could probably get more in that than my MX5!

It's a common misconception that wider tyres have more grip on tarmac -they don't.

Dammit no UTEs in the sale.

I would use wider tyres on an urban commute, but not as wide as TJ I don't think. It's not just grip, it's cobbles, potholes, kerbs, bits of pathway etc.

I think my commuter's got 38mm on.

I commute about 5-7 miles to work one way depending on the route I take. Used to use the road bike but it was getting battered over winter and ultegra bits were not cheap to replace. Managed to get a Marin steel HT with 7 speed Altus/Acera gears, had some better wheels and slick tyres, v brakes replaced cantis and the latest addition were bar ends. Looks pretty crap with full guards, but rides fairly well. It's only about 5min slower one way then the road bike but it is almost 5kg heavier. With the cash saved on not replacing the road bike drivetrain I managed to pimp out the road bike and the Marin just keeps on working. 7Speed just works.i'll do some rides to work on the road bike when it's dry as I keep it inside but cycling to uni or around town then Marin is my weapon of choice, any bike thief would probably be afraid to touch it not to get some dirt or rust on his Lacoste tracksuit. My commute is not long enough to properly warm up so due to knee problems single speed is out of questio, cargo bikes look fun but I have a Tesco up the road and big waitrose round the corner and shifting 37lbs of a bike and carrying it to the top floor flat would be a PITA plus I would not want to leave something half decent looking chained outside for longer then an hour.

I'm using a Planet X Kaffenback with triple chainset, Conti Twister tyres and Bontrager race Bullhorn bars for my 12 mile canal bank commute. The triple's overkill for the commute but with tyres swapped for something narrower it's also my day-trip roadbike and touring trailer hauler too.

Very little mudguard/rack clearance on my small size bike is it's only drawback. So it's generally dry weather and courier bag for me.

Bontrager race Bullhorn bars

😯

Is it 1992 or something?!

Now back to being my commuter again after a spell as a general hardtail.

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Lovely frame, but now tatty, had considered a drop handled 700C, but combination of offroad and urban, means this is more suitable.

I have a £200 Raleigh something-or-other that just feels right. It has 26" wheels and mudguards, a weird headset, and V-brakes, and feels just like the sort of bike I would have ridden as a 10-year-old.

I love it.

Having said that, my MTB is a 2009 Fisher Big Sur and I have always been quite pleased with that too. Unquestionably fit-for-purpose. Yet I just rode by an older gentleman in a suit, riding my very bike, but decked out in full commuter gear. 😯 I don't know why, but it made me feel a bit depressed.

Onzadog - Member
Did you actually need to take the wheelie bin somewhere or were you just proving a point?

Bit of both tbh!

I live down a farm lane so it's about 150m up to the road where they collect the bins. To be honest, by the time it took to strap it on securely it was just as quick to walk it up to the road instead! Still, just goes to show what you stick on the back of cargo bike 🙂

cynic-al - Member

It's a common misconception that wider tyres have more grip on tarmac -they don't.

Bullshine. Of course they do. 🙄 Otherwise every vehicle would be on 15 mm tyres.

You might be more likely to aquaplane in the wet but I doubt any bike tyres are wide enough for that.