Right me and soon to be Mrs XC-Steve are looking to move to a house which is about 5miles from my current work, so another mode of transport will be required… which will sadly mean I’ll be FORCED to ride a bike to and from work every day!

So, I have an old frame in my parents house, seatpost, bars, forks and front derailer, should I build this up with Slicks… or use this as an excuse to buy a dark side bike? Riding my current XC bike isn’t really an option…

Also what other things will I need to purchase, I have mud guards for when it gets grimy, are two helmets (one for commuting and one for XC rides) a good idea and likewise shoes, bag etc? What’s vital? I’ll also need a lock…

to sort of answer some of your questions, i used to ride a slicked mtb, now ride a pomp. the mtb was perfectly good for that use so if you’ve got those bits i’d probably go for a singlespeed build of that for simplicity and cost.

mudguards are a good move, i use the same helmet for all my riding and use a rucksack to carry change of clothes – i keep suit and shose at work so only need to take underwear, shirt and tie each day.

If where you leave it will be secure, I’d spend some decent money on something designed for commuting. You are probably going to spend more time on it and cover more miles than on your mtb.
Decent wet weather gear, mudguards, panier rack, lights, lock + cable for attaching helmet etc, proper pump, tubes etc…

Some folk reckon cross bikes are perfect for commuting, but if you are going to be only on road, get a road bike / tourer for a speedier ride.
You could also consider a flat-barred road bike (some folk call em hybrids 😉 ) for comfort.

Thanks Geoff, good point on having to ride it more than my XC bike… slightly depressing mind! Think works bike storage is roof covered and cctv’d (plymouth uni) but don’t think its cycle access only.

Thing is having just got married and moving into our first non-furnished house money will be a bit thin, so thinking a bodged bike will have to do for a couple of months…

What’s the best bag? Guess clothes, laptop (sometimes), food… will obviously need to be waterproof.

jeez – it’s only 5 miles! Do it a couple of times and see what gear you think you need. Less than 20 mins ride, unless there’s some serious hills.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/camelbak/daxio-ec008981?query=daxio

I would recommend this bag if you dont want to get panniers. I dont think it is 100% waterproof though but I got a cheap waterproof bag cover of Ebay for when it really comes down. has a compartment for the laptop and plenty of room for everything else you need to get in it

DezB downhill to work uphill home, Edge of Dartmoor to Plymouth City Centre…. and its actually 5.1 miles so there! That’s 51miles per week… 221miles per month and 2,652miles per year… which will mean combined with my average 60miles of XC riding per week will mean I cover… 5772miles per year… my car averages about that per year ha… ok I should do work thanks everyone for your input shall no doubt come up with some more questions when I actually move!

on cooler mornings you’ll probably get away with just riding in in work clothes, especialy if you can start work super early before the trafic gets going.

5 miles isn’t enough to justify a road bike (unless it needs justifying!). I used to do 15miles each way 4.5 times a week (used to get a lift on friday mornings to swap over the bags of clean/dirty stuff under by lab bench). Remember to budget for the inevitable harribo habbit that you’ll aquire, i could eat a bag of harribo, a box of jammie dogers and a couple of ice creams a day!

Cross bikes and tourers are just for people who need an excuse for being slow!

5 miles isn’t enough to justify a road bike (unless it needs justifying!).

well put and agreed!

as for bags, i’ve always used a karrimor 25L rucksack up until i got the pomp, now i’m getting a pannier for a bday pres. the rucksack’s fine, it’s not really waterproof but on a 5 mile ride even if it’s chucking it down it’s not really a problem.

and its actually 5.1 miles so there! That’s 51miles per week… 221miles per month and 2,652miles per year…

Yeah! Get your self kitted out for the long haul mate 🙂
I had a 5 mile commute for a while a few years back. I must say it was very pleasant and I found an off-road section I could use (in the dry). It was flat though (and I didn’t do it every day). I used to wipe myself down with babywipes when the showers were broken.
Sorry, what was the question?

Well I have been toying with the idea of a Darkside bike… hmmm and my passive comments of well I’ll need to get another bike didn’t receive any negative feedback! Although having said that, this house is located quite close to some of my favourite trails… defiantly not the reason why I want to move there honest, could incorporate them into a ride to work loop during the dryer months…

The biggest thing for me was to run panniers rather than a bag. No sweaty back and I can carry more load more comfortably. I’ve got an old mtb with slicks for my commuter (only 4-5miles a day) and fitted a pannier rack with aid of some jubilee clips, feels much nicer.

I would only consider a road bike around the 8 -9 miles + riding as there is little time difference between the two and road are less comfortable
Would advise a MTB with slicks and mudguards and a pannier rack
Would not bother with anything different clothes wise (well bright yellow is a good idea)and same helmet though I remove the peak for the road bike!
Lights depends on whether the roads are lit or unlit. If lit get abright front flashing light (so people can see you rather than you see the road) if unlit then a proper light that you could also use for night riding.

Get a very expensive lock as much as you can afford and heavy and leave it where you lock your bike up
Take a wheel inside if possible and seat (no point stealing it then)

5 miles could be done on anything I cycle 25 miles round trip on the days when I dont ride at night.

Road bike.
Just a cheap one.
So much easier than even a fully rigid – slick-shod mtb.
If it’ll fit you this might be worth a look…

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3321717/Trail/searchtext%3ERACING+CYCLE.htm

And full guards are an absolute must, no matter how they look.

5 miles isn’t enough to justify a road bike (unless it needs justifying!).

well put and agreed!

OK, so what is the magic number at which a road bike would be preferable?

Silly question but can you fit panniers on frames which don’t have mounts?!

5 miles is a dodle. Traffic lights will make more of a difference than the type of bike will.
Over the years I’ve went from mtb, to road to flat bars on the raod bike then to single speeded Roadrat.
IMHO single speed the mtb and add mudguards come autumn. Know you route before you commit to a all out road bike.
Re panniers, there are various methods from humble back pack to seat or post mounted bags. Basket on the bars?

Basket on the bars?

That’s quality might do that! ha! Anyone got a spare small dog I could let sit in there as well to sit in there way to work?

I use my old fully rigid marin with pumped up slicks as my work bike. But i’ve left it so with a swap of tires it can be used offroad. Fully rigid bike is nice and light, plus you can put your old bits from the xc bike on it when you upgrade it.
For 5 miles your old bike will be fine. If money is an issue, then its not worth getting a new bike. Better to have an old bike that blends into the background than a new one attracting the wrong kind of attention!

Junkyard – Member

I would only consider a road bike around the 8 -9 miles + riding as there is little time difference between the two and road are less comfortable

Thats a bit of a sweeping statement to make.
Obviously you have had a road bike that didnt fit you and a mountain bike that did.

My road bike is perfectly comfortable, in fact on the road I would say a good fitting road bike is the most comfortable bike you could get, with the multitude of hand positions available.

But yes, for 5 miles a full on road bike is a bit overkill unless you are going to use it elsewhere.

I do 12 miles each way every day, a quarter or nearly all off-road depending on how I feel. XC mtb with 2.3s, with a 30l Karrimor rucksack. Been commuting this way for pretty much 15 years. You could do it on a butchers bike wearing a top hat and flip flops (don’t let CinammonGirl see you), it’s only 10 miles 😉 Suck it and see!

OK, so what is the magic number at which a road bike would be preferable?

it’s 6 miles on road to work for me. takes me 24 mins on a CX bike, was 40 on the MTB when the CX was bust. CX bike means I can go off road on the way home, less traffic and more fun, 10 miles instead of 6. Getting better at wheelie drops on the drop bars

I’d buy whatever bike you want to buy and use the commute as a fairly feeble justification. Got me an extra mtb in the garage. Road bikes, cross bikes, hybrids they’re all good.

But seriously for 5 miles you could ride anything.. maybe get a post mount rack on a normal mtb and take the long way home without the luggage.
You’d do it under 30 minutes on a downhill bike even with the odd uphill, I’ve managed roughly that with a trailer and toddler, with his bike in the back of the trailer!

Buying a road bike will mean you’ll want to extend your commute, which will get you fitter. Cycling on the road on an MTB is pretty rubbish in comparison

I’ve been cycling in every day for a year now, I managed to get rid of the car as well.

My top tips are

Leave clothes etc at work, so you only take in tools and a shirt each day
Put slicks on whateve bike you use and mudguards are essential, no ifs, no buts.
Panniers are good but you shouldn’t have much stuff to carry so rucksac should be fine.
Have seperate communting and weekend cycling kit so you don’t worry about getting shoes muddy on a sunday etc.
Be organised, I never unpack my back, just stick my phone and lunch in it each day.
Don’t bother lugging waterproofs around all of the time. When you cycle everyday you soon realise that it doesn’t rain as often as you think and you are only going 5 miles
Leave your lock at work
Take advantage of the bike to work scheme, get a new bike and justify it by working out how much you are saving on not running a car.
Vary you route to stop yourself getting bored.

I agree with RichPenny, get a cheap roadie (I bought an old Trek from here for £250) and, if you’re anything like me, you’ll start to enjoy the ride and go for extended journeys on the way home.

btw – I now use a cx bike with road tyres, can be quickly switched into cx mode if the opportunity arrises.

I’d just singlespeed the old frame you’ve got as you’ll notice the difference in price when it comes to replacing the drivetrain. I do 7 miles each way on 32:16 with 2.2s, and that includes a climb of 450ft on the way home.

I use a CX bike with touring tyres, mainly for puncture resistance and offroadlite capability (there’s a few places where I can use canal towpath or cinder paths as shortcuts or to avoid traffic).

Do either about 6 or about 15 miles each way (can drive part of the way and leave the car at a park and ride). Usually ride in with clothes for the week in a rucksac on Monday morning, leave rucksac in work for the week and bring clothes home on Friday evening. Shoes, wash kit, towel and lock live at work. If I need to take laptop home or whatever the bag is there for me.

Midweek I manage on jersey pockets, saddle bag, frame pump and bottle. Don’t bother with mudguards or waterproof, I carry a gilet (and in spring/ autumn) pair of armwarmers if I’m not wearing them already which is fine for an hour of rain, and I can dry stuff at work if I get wet on the way in.

Bike does make quite a difference IME – the cross bike with slick tyres takes 20-22 mins to do the 6 miles into town, cross bike with knobblies about 24 mins and MTB about 28 mins. Definitely have a variety of routes and mix it up to stop things getting boring.

Bike commuting is ace 🙂

EDIT – forgot to say, did buy a second pair of shoes for commuting ages ago but I never wear them. I’d far rather wear damp SIDIs that fit like foot gloves than the heavy, flexy trainery things I bought for commuting so that was a waste of money.

I lent my colleuge my £5 Raleigh Pursuit I got from the tip, he happilly commutes 20 miles on it twice a week… I think £5 is enough for a road bike.

Is there any where at work xc-steve that you can stash you bike away from the public?

I used to lose my commuter hack bike every six months or so, locking it up in public view. The locks used to be worth more than the bikes!

I use a CX bike for my commute, got loads of space for mud guards and off road tires, great to be able to mix up the route a bit with local trails, helps when you start to get bored with the same route in and out.

Find a dry cleaners round the corner & never have to iron a shirt again or turn up creased – unforseen bonus of commuting my bike.

Try and get soon to be Mrs XC to drop shirts at work whenever she might be passing (assumng she drives). My good lady lets me know when she will be passing work so I get a few shirts ironed the day before for her to drop off when she’s passing, suit and shoes kept at work………no need for rucsac, just a saddle bag with tube, pump, multi tool, moby, cash card and cash in, travel as light as possible.

As others have said singlespeed the old frame you have, I done that to my old bike and I commute a similar distance. I run a 44×16 ratio as it fairly flat but with a few steep, short hills that I get out the saddle for. Also get mudguards, lights and a comfy rucksac.

Hmm Singlespeed ay… not sure I’m ready for that… although do like the idea… but what happens if I cant ride the hill to my house?!

barrykellett
Perhaps if I pumped up the tyres on my MTB to 120psi and ran them super skinny like the road bike it would be the same. It is the potholes and crappy B road route that are the cause of the bone jarring ride coupled with the extra speed I am doing them at.
The bike is sized perfectly thanks for your concern but fair points a road bike is not LESS comfortable than a mtb though the ride may be something to do with suspension 😉

Hmm Singlespeed ay… not sure I’m ready for that… although do like the idea… but what happens if I cant ride the hill to my house?!

Just give it a go if you keep trying you will get fitter and get there eventually im sure. youd be surprised what you can achieve without gears

Indeed but what do you do if you can’t ride up the said hill? Turn around and ride down the hill and just don’t go home. or… walk… ?! Ha!

Sit by the side of the road and hang your head in shame?!

Is it that steep then?

nah! just curious as to what happens to single speeders when granny ring isn’t an option 😆

it’s amazing what you can get up – i can ride up a reasonable hill on the pomp with a crate of stella strapped to the rack and a bag full of shopping over my shoulder. you just push on up, you can turn the pedals surprisingly slowly and still get good power down.