Commuting - Best Ideas For Commuter Bikes

I am new to commuting in the last month. At this point I'm commuting every other day. My commute is 21 miles each way and I love the early morning best with less traffic. However my route has about a 4 mile section of "bad" road with lots of pot holes. It seems to be very hard on my newer road bike. But I have an old Falcon 10 speed road bike I'm thinking of converting into a commuter.

This is what got me thinking about all of you on this forum and the wealth of experience you have. What do you feel is the best type of bike for commuting? And to get even more specific what features have you added over the years to make your bike more comfortable, practical and safer? In other words what constitutes the perfect bike for commuting and what features or customizing have you done to make your bike better?

I'm looking forward to your suggestions.

If you're thinking of converting your 10 spd into a commuter, especially over rough roads, I would try wider tires to soften the bumps. I'm not sure what sizes are available if you have 27" rims, but I'm sure someone else will know!

Other than that, a rack with provision for panniers, or some sort of rack pack, depending on how much you need to transport would be necessary.

If you will be riding at night, of course you will need lights.

Don't forget a seat bag with a patch kit and minimum tools for common repairs, tightening etc., and a frame or mini pump. For high pressure tires I would recommend one of the Topeak Morph pumps (see thread in mechanics section).

Have fun!:D

It might be easy to go to a size 700 rim--that's what I did with my old Nishiki that came with 27-inch steel rims. All I had to do was adjust the brake arms a little. You'd have a bigger choice of tires that way....

Wider tires are great. You may suffer some speed deficiencies, but the balance between tire width and road smoothness is one you have to make based on experience.

I've found that my 700 x 25 tires are fine, but mostly because I know my route so well. Before I learned it's bumps and gained confidence "taking the lane" on rough pavement, it was trickier.
If your tires are narrow, keep them up to pressure and learn to follow the best parts of the road (or take an alternate route.) Always try to follow as straight a line as possible, as weaving can be hazardous. Cars don't have this problem, they always ride in the middle.

When the road has major irregularities, learn how to move toward the center and control the lane, if you feel safe doing so. It's better to hold up traffic than to weave left from the edge around dangerous bumps and risk getting hit. Weaving in the center with traffic behind you is better. If you are controlling your lane, the cars behind you will not try to pass you and force you into a rough spot that might cause a flat or even a crash. You will have to learn when to take control. Safety is more important than any embarassement caused by holding up traffic.

I've found that most drivers are as concerned about your safety as you are, and are smart enough to recognize what you're trying to do. Just try to let patient motorists pass when you can.

All in all, I favor the smoothest, straightest, widest roads. These are safest not only for cars, but especially for cyclists. Aim for these if you can. You will not weave and you'll be more visible. This is the ideal situation.

I hope this helps a little.

Well I cannot tell you what is the "perfect," commuter, for that is all up to you after all it is you who rides it. IMHO if you cannot take it in with you wherever it is that you go, I would not try to make it look cool. Make it as unappealing as you can. If you carry weight then a touring bike fits the bill better. If you need speed but comfort to carry light weight then the cyclocross route may be better. For total comfort a "comfort bike," or a "city bike" may be the one for you. IMHO I would not use drop bard for commuting in rough areas. The position is not very friendly for disturbed pavement. Also your skinny high pressure tubes are not the most pothole soaking option. A medium width 26" street tire will give you more bump asorption than a 700. I am not knocking 700c just stating a point. However the rolling speed of a 26 is slower than a 700c but if you are not in a hurry who cares. I commuted 5 days a week 35 miles a day, on my MTB. Just put street tires on it and away I went. Hope this helps.

High performance commuting bikes should be tuned for the local conditions (road surface/terrain etc).
Generally, you are going to need attatchment points and clearance for rack and fenders, even if you dont always use them.
700c and 26" wheels perform well with mid-sized slick tyres (ie 25 to 32mm or 1 1/4 to 1 1/2"). Brakes setups and frames can give too little or too much clearance for close-fitting fenders.
A 4-point luggage rack will always be better than a seat-post mounted rack.

You need a frame that carries no excess weight, but is strong enough not to dent. I see little old ladies on 40lbs roadsters, and big strong guys on 18lbs ultra-light road bikes.

Dont feel constrained when it comes to gearing. Use what you need regardless of the original "style" of the bike. That may mean a single chainset, a double or triple . With cogsets, dont believe that more is better. 9 speed systems are not built for long term durability.
Hub gears work well, when fitted to quality bikes. (their poor reputation is more related to the crappy bikes they are attatched to). Sachs 7speed is the best. Singlespeed is a good solution in flat cities.

With lighting, dont forget dynamo/generator systems, esp the Schmidt Dynohub.

You need a bike you can leave out, so do you really need quick releases? How convenient is it to remove your seatpost and wheel everytime you lock up. Better downgrade the components and use bolts. It will speed your total journey time quite a bit.

Drop bars or straight, its a personal choice, but either is good on any terrain (remember cyclos cross?) .
Commuter bikes dont get washed down and tweaked after every ride, so you need a system which is resilient. You need rims which wont wear out after a season, tyres which are tough. Handbuilt wheels are a real plus, even if you use cheaper components.

The perfect commuter is the ultimate custom bike.

I'm with Hunter on this one...get the bike that best suits your enviroment. I commute 10 miles a day on a hardtail MTB with 1.5"slicks. I think the ride is great. I keep the pressure up on the tires and I couldn't imagine going any faster even on a road bike. I usually average 15-17 miles an hour over the 5 mile commute. Now, with a longer commute, I would get a softer saddle, but other than that, I don't think I would change the bike.

BJ, When I first saw your post, I knew you had opened up Pandora's box. This group all think their bike is the ideal bike...Of course MINE IS! ;) Tis true, what works for you, is the way to go. Some thoghts to consider. The potholes worry me a bit with thinner tires. If you do go to the 700c tire, you can find a host of widths available, which enable you to handle more than pavement, perhaps the occasional dirt road, etc. My bike is a Giant Cypress, while not the only way to go, it works for me. It has 700cX40c tires and handles a lot of varied terrain. The Cypress has a soft tail (shock built into the seat stem) which is nice for rougher road, but not required by any stretch.

Don't skimp on your helmet or gloves. The helmet protects your brain, which you want to keep for a very long time. Find one that fits and is comfortable in the Wisconsin climate. I like the gel gloves, because I have a rigid fork, and it gives a little shock absorbtion, and avoids numbness in the hands on longer rides.

Consider a bar-end mirror or helmet mirror so that you can see what traffic is doing. If you will be out in evening or early morning, you will need front and rear lights. The blinkie light for the rear helps you be more visible to traffic. Pretty much bikes need to be visible because we are stealth vehicles.

Definitely get a rack that will allow panniers, the blackburn racks are reasonably priced. pannier bags give you plenty of room to haul stuff back and forth (clothes, papers, daytimer, palm, raingear, FOOD!) Depending on where you park your bike, (I keep mine in my office) you will want a good lock(s) a ULock and cable is a great theft deterrent. A combination lock cable will work well for short time away in visible areas, but a good ULock is a major pain to remove!

A cyclometer is a fun toy, which gives you input on how well you are doing time, distance, cadence, average speed, maximum speed, odometer, etc.

Drink lots of water, and often. Enjoy!

AlphaGeek wrote: "The helmet protects your brain, which you want to keep for a very long time.'

Which prompts the question: why do cyclists wear helmets, and motorists don't? ;)

As for the cyclocomputer: a definite plus! It doesn't have to be fancy, but I suggest it should have auto start/stop. With frequent stops as on a commute, it's almost impossible to remember every time to restart a manual one. Which undoes the benefit of having one in the first place!

When I bought my cyclocomputer, I wish I would have thought about the auto start/start. Of course, I only spent $15 on it at PerformanceBike, so no big loss. When I am biking to and from work I like to know my average speed, not my average time spent at stop lights. I don't stop it unless I know I will be at the light for a couple of minutes.

Thanks everyone!

I've been doing a lot of road riding over the last year so I have learned to have the right helmet and gloves and tools. I also am a numbers freak and love to keep track of the miles and time on the computer. I can take my bike into the office so I don't need a lock.

But you got me thinking that perhaps my mountain bike should be converted to a commuter instead of the old 10 speed. I can always change the tires back to knobbies the few times I go off road each year and a tire change is easy. It has a front suspension and should handle the pot holes well enough. I'll check into a rear rack of some type and get the right lights. The side mirror sounds like a good also.

Thanks again!!!:)

Originally posted by JonR
Which prompts the question: why do cyclists wear helmets, and motorists don't? ;)

Sooooo...That's the problem!!! :D

bj, we didn't say much about it before, but commuter tires are ordinarily slicks, not much tread. It travels much better on asphalt, than knobby MTB tires. OK, OK you MTB guys keep cool, MTB tires are WONDERFUL for M's ;)

I'm weird, I know it--I like knobby tires on streets. When I had a car it was a VW because I liked the hard ride. I like DOS. I guess I don't care for much insulation. :)

Originally posted by bjlaw
Thanks everyone!
You're very welcome! :)

Keep posting!

Went to the bike shop last night and got a pair of slicks for my mountain bike. Big difference!! The ride is smoother than the knobbies of course but the overall comfort with the wider tires as compared to my road bike is dramatic. I took my same route in this morning and the pot holes and raised cement slabs were fun rather than dangerous and jarring. It only took 7 more minutes to get here. I'll do this for a while and if I really like the change I"ll go ahead and get a rack and a few other accessories.

Thanks again:)

bjlaw,
You may want to look into a suspension seat post. It would take a lot of bump out of the pot holes.

Thanks fubar, I'll try it. Got any suggestions on brand or type?

BJ

Yup, everybody has there favorite bike for commuting. I'm not going to touch that one.

The three most important tools that will keep you commuting more often are:

1) Fenders
2) CONVENIENT rack or (better yet) basket.
3) Rear view mirror

I really like my suspension seat post for taking the edge off my aluminum frame, but I'm begining to wonder if it is resposible for some occassional knee pain. Since saddle height is so important (1/4" off can make a 40% decrease in efficiency), and my seat post has over 1" of "throw", my saddle is either too high or too low most of the time.

Originally posted by mwmw
Since saddle height is so important (1/4" off can make a 40% decrease in efficiency), and my seat post has over 1" of "throw", my saddle is either too high or too low most of the time.
I'm very interested to read this comment based on experience. It bears out what I posted somewhere else about loss of power due to suspension.

I'm not athletic, and I'm not powerful. I don't foresee ever using suspension in any form (fork, seat, or rear-end), because I need all the efficiency my bikes will let me gain. Plus I like a hard ride! As for jolts, I rise off the seat. I'm strong enough to do that. :)

To me, also, suspension falls in that broad category of soft-easy-pre-digested that's the catch-all for culture these days. Look at PBS.

Originally posted by mwmw
...my saddle is either too high or too low most of the time.

I know what you mean, I've got a soft-tail too (the bike, not the butt)! ;) I have heard lots of theories on saddle height. What method do you use to determine correct saddle height?