Commuting - What bike do you commute with?

I commuted to work last summer on my roadbike. A Felt F-65. I am probably going to pick up a Surly Crosscheck to commute with this spring/summer/fall. I think it will be much more versatile for a commuter. Out of curiosity I was wondering what types of bikes every one else used to commute?

Roadbike. Roads I ride are just like the roads I ride on the weekend so I figure it is a better solution for me.

I use an adapted mountain bike. I've put on slick tires, rack, pannier, and fenders with an extra mud-flap on the front. I find it works well for carrying stuff, it's comfortable, and I like it better than a roadbike for stop and go traffic because of the more upright posture.

One day I'd like to splurge on a touring bike for commuting.

Road bike. Racing Gearset. I am getting close to dropping coin on a touring bike. I added a rear rack, panniers, and all kinds of other goodies. Its probably one of the heaviest racing bikes in the area ;) (I really need to weigh it in fully loaded)

I really like a variety... Giant Sedona Mountain bike for Rainy Muddy Muck days, a Giant CFR carbon fiber with a 3 spoke aero front rim for windy days (or days I just want to blaze), and the ever trusty centurion (beater that won't die) and finally an old schwin 10 speed (the kind you used to be able to buy at waly world back in the day) for the days I really want to punish myself :)

I have two identical Trek 6500 mountain bikes I alternate between. I run slicks in the summer and mount a studded tire on the front for the winter.

I hope to place an order soon for a Go-One3 enclosed trike (velomobile).

We did this last year, I think, so you might look back in the archives for some other posts on the topic.

My main commuter is a Novara Randonee, a steel 700c touring bike with f/r racks, panniers, rack trunk, Niterider lighting, fenders, and cyclocross tires.

In nicer weather I use my Airborne Carpe Diem, which is set up as a light touring bike (rear rack, touring tires, wide gearing).

I don't commute on my road bike; there are too many trolley tracks on my route.

RichC

Here's my main commuter, as of last year.

I commuted with a new Trek 6500 for awhile, but then re-habbed a 1988 Trek 830 that sat in storage for years and will use that for commuting. The 6500 will just be used for trails and maybe loaded touring.

I set up my commuter with 1.5" Trek Invert K tires, Zefal fenders, and head/tail lights. Part of my commute covers rough roads, railroad tracks, busted glass, etc., so I prefer the MTB and Kevlar tires. Plus I feel more nimble on an MTB versus a road bike.

On nice days I ride my rebuilt raleigh technium road bike, on nicer days I ride my rebuilt bridgestone RB-t touring bike but my main commuter is a refit Iron Horse AT-50, built up with full XT, brooks saddle, topeak rack mule front and rear, night rider classic lighting system and planet bike fredy fenders, in the summer I run conti. top touring 2000, fall, michelin wildgrippers and in winter Nokian mout and ground studded tires, it's a pretty bullet proof bike, rides well loaded and has wall climbing gears.

I use a banged up old Raliegh Citylite, which is basically a converted mountain bike. That's the main bike; although I just picked up real cheap an old Peugeot to bang around on; it should be overhauled in the next couple weeks and then will probably become my main commuter for awhile.
On nice days, and those I feel like a detour (to avoid some singularly pitted roads) I ride one of my fleet of older Peugeots.

Winter I ride a Specialized RockHopper with rear disc brake & Nokian Mount & Grounds. Spring & Fall wet weather my Terry Flora with fenders. Dry rides in good weather are the domain of the Terry Symmetry (no fenders, no rack, just a handlebar bag).

My old touring bike is now my commuter. It's a 1980 Vélo Sport Alpin, 21 gears.

It's only problem for commuting is with the oversize platform pedals (1" shaft) that were used then. After being on the verge of dying for the last 3 years, my right pedal finally died yesterday, so the bike is at the shop getting a new crankset -- still with platform pedals, albeit standard ones.

I figure that if the new crankset lasts 60 000 km, it will be a good investment.

Oh. Yesterday, the pedal seized when I was about 2 km from home. So I pedalled the last 2 km while towing 2 children in the trailer + 1 on the trailercycle... and I was pedalling with the left foot only. This morning, I did the 1-legged commute to work (3 km)... and tonight I walked home.

Regards,

AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!!
Never, ever, ever clamp a bike by the top tube!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Originally posted by D*Alex
AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!!
Never, ever, ever clamp a bike by the top tube!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's good advice if you don't know the nature of the tubing. In these days of thin-walled double-butted tubing, you certainly want to use the seatpost to avoid potential squashing problems.

On the other hand, loosely clamping straight-gauge steel tubing while you wash the bike, with the bike balanced in the clamp, isn't likely to hurt anything.

RichC

I use an old light-touring bike with a mix-n-match set of components. Stronglight chainset works as a low-ratio double or a triple, friction downtube shifters for reliability, long drop caliper brakes for 32mm tyres + fenders, handbuilt wheels , and a home-made lighting system.
I had some threaded eyelets brazed on to fit a 4-point luggage rack and did a home paint job.
Its all old school technology, but is very nippy and reliable in all weathers.

Depends on the type of riding I want to do. I have a fixed gear MTB I've been putting some miles on, and I have a couple other fixed gears I play with. If I want to do a big ride after work for the miles I take a road bike and try to plan for it, so I don't have to carry my messenger bag on the ride.

I guess for me it isn't about commuting as much as it is just plain riding.

Giant Innova hybrid bike, looong fenders, rear rack, panniers. No lights in summer ;) flashy and constant rear lights in winter, plus a bright front light.

Originally posted by MichaelW
Its all old school technology, but is very nippy and reliable in all weathers.

"Nippy?"

"Nippy?" Fast (colloquial UK English)

Fixed gear road bike. 28c conti tyres, ESGE fenders, Brooks saddle, carradice saddlebag. My clothes go in a timbuk2 messenger bag.

Fast, l ight, and smooth.
42x16 gearing.

Dave

I used to ride my hard tail mountain bike with a backpack but now I ride a mid eighties Miyata touring bike that was given to me. I have added lights, fenders, panniers & clipless pedals. This is a very nice bike for commuting. It has Miyatas own triple butted cromo tubing, long wheelbase, triple ring gearing & cantilever brakes. It takes big tires (700X35), fenders and racks easily. It was build as a true touring bike with 40 spoke rear wheel, but in the eighties touring bikes were not selling so it was marketed as a sport touring. They gave it flashy neon graphics and they even shortened the wheelbase with a spacer.
Miyata sold alot of these bikes in the late seventies and early eighties and these bikes can be found at garage sales across the country.
I'm sure there are other great commuting bikes but I can't imagine it.:)

I think I've metioned it somewhere before but I (like many of you) have allot of different bikes. I've been commuting for just under 22 years. I have a web photo album with most of my bikes (winter bike, main bike and tandem). If you are interested it's at:

http://community.webshots.com/user/mtessmer

Look under "My bikes"

--Mark in Minneapolis

Sterling how do you like your F-65,i got the SR-71.

I see a post down here that says to never, ever, ever, clamp a bike by the top tube. Why not? Almost every carrier does this, inclluding mine. What am I doing that could harm my bike? Thanks for this info.

Trek hybrid makes for a fast commute everyday. No rain to speak of here in the desert, so I can get by w/o fenders.

just getting broken in

Primary right now is an early '80s Schwinn Voyageur touring bike with 40 spoke wheels set up with a single speed freewheel. Secondary, soon to be primary when the rack gets installed, '70s era Trek road bike set up fixed gear. Neither has fenders now, but I may put them on the Schwinn.

This is my 1988 Trek 830 that I recently pulled out of storage to use as a commuter:



Original:
Frame: Tange Triple-Butted MTB CroMoly
Fork: CRMO
Derailleurs: Shimano Deore Light Action 18-speed - Friction Front / SIS Rear
Crank: Sakae SX with 43-38-28 Oval Chainrings :D
Brakes: Shimano Cantiliver Front - U-Brake Rear
Hubs: SR Sealed Mech 36-hole
Rims: Araya 26x1.5
Saddle: Vetta

New:
Tires: Bontrager Invert K - 26x1.5
Fenders: Zefal
Headlight: VistaLight Road Toad (also clip on tail light)


It rides well but I don't want to use it as anything more than a commuter. I prefer my newer Trek road (1000) and MTB (6500).

Old pic from lastyear. Also riding a Gardin touring frame with
straight bars and 1x8 gearing.
Current ride is a Fisher mtb with Nokia W160 M&G tires.

Here's my Trek 520 I pressed into service as a commuter:

It sits in my office during the day getting charged up. (I have a charger at home, too. My ride's too long to not do a recharge.) I use a messenger bag, so no panniers. I use reflective tape on the cranks and inside the wheel rims and at certain spots along the frame. The seat bag carries CO2 cartidges, patch kit and tire lever. And a garage door opener !!!

How many of you carry a garage door opener on your wheels? !!!

As I said before, I was close to buying a commuter. Here is my new one. Very similar to Andy's.

Just a bit cleaner, with full fenders, and a rack.

Cool bike, with sloping top tube and all. But I bet you don't have a garage door opener !!!

We have the same light system, too. I use mine in flash mode nearly all the time. I can't begin to describe the number of times having a 6 billion candlewatt power flashing front light has saved my keester. The back light is very bright, too. It contains around 10 or so individual LED lights. Very bright.

Rear light: 16 LEDs.

I could always add one. Right now the doorbell works pretty well to get my wife to open the garage. ;) I have been thinking of pulling it out of the car though.

Hey, Andy, what are you doing to secure the battery cable under the downtube? I am going to use zip ties. I don't want those fender pegs to catch on the wire now that I have the battery on that bottom cage.

The cable from the battery to the light is actually pretty taut so the front fender does not interfere with it. So there's no problem given that I'm too lazy to tie the damned thing down in the first place.

Also, the battey rack being on the bottom cage is a great help in the rain since it diverts the spray away from center/crank/shoe region.

Hooray! I just got a cheap-n-nasty digital camera, and can finally show off my rig. That there's my baby! (Best friend Akela in background.)

Inkwolf, that's the shortest bicycle I've ever seen. What are you, 4'3"? HA HA HA

5'-2" with short legs. :D It's a 15" frame Specialized Expedition comfort bike, customized with non-susp seatpost, shorter cranks, etc.

Mine's 62cm. I have a problem finding frames that fit. So, apparently, do you!!