Utility Cycling - Help With Buying Good Utility Bicycle ...

I'm still researching which bicycles to choose from, mostly for utility ... I've been considering the Surly Cross Check, Aurora Elite, Surly Long Haul Trucker, Trek, and several others ...

Whatever I buy, I need to have something that I can count on for many years. Bicycling is my only transportation for commuting, running errands and shopping. I also want to have a good bicycle for camping.

I need a bicycle that is versatile, will handle front/rear racks/panniers (at least a good 50 pounds for shopping/camping), my weight (204 pounds), backpack (another 20 pounds), and also pull a Bob for stocking up on groceries every month (across town), and either wide or narrow tires.

I'm still researching which bicycles to choose from, mostly for utility ... I've been considering the Surly Cross Check, Aurora Elite, Surly Long Haul Trucker, Trek, and several others ...

Whatever I buy, I need to have something that I can count on for many years. Bicycling is my only transportation for commuting, running errands and shopping. I also want to have a good bicycle for camping.

I need a bicycle that is versatile, will handle front/rear racks/panniers (at least a good 50 pounds for shopping/camping), my weight (204 pounds), backpack (another 20 pounds), and also pull a Bob for stocking up on groceries every month (across town), and either wide or narrow tires.

Have you considered a Surly Big Dummy? If I had to rely on my bike for everything a BD would be high on my list.

If I could keep only ONE bike, it would be a Surly Big Dummy. If it was two, the other would be a Rans Dynamik with RAC system. Its a fun ride around town.

Have you considered a Surly Big Dummy? If I had to rely on my bike for everything a BD would be high on my list.

I did a search for the Surly Big Dummy, and it looks like that bike is available only as a frame/fork set. I would have no idea where to begin, trying to put together a bike by myself. So I need to buy a bicycle complete, ready to roll .....

Hey vja4Him
Sounds like a great plan... I am doing the same thing right now... I live about 30 miles southe of you ....
I Have had real good luck with Giant Bikes... Last Sept I bought a new Giant Sedona (the steel framed one) to use as a utility bike.. Cost was under 300 bucks.. So far I have around 600 miles on it and have had no trouble at all ... I have a pair of Waald folding baskets on it and love them.. I also have a large plastic container (like the old milk boxes) that fastens on the rack for more storage... I can haul three or four bags of groceries whit the set up... As soon as Nashbcomes up with a 20 percent off sale I am going to get a utility trailer for those cross town trips to Costco etc..
Giant rates these bikes at 300 punds weight (including rider) capacity...I weigh in at 230 and have had no problems there either..
THe local bike (Giant) dealer also gives excellant service on the bikes.. Lifetime free cable and brake adjustment et. does excellant work and does it while you wait... He gtets it right the first time, if I do it that is not always the case :-)
Only changes I have made to the bike are the seat which I replaced with a Brooks and I added tire liners and thronproof tubes to protect against the infamous Goathead thorns which are so prevelant around here...
I also have a Giant Cypress which has around 6k on it and has had no problems.. I figure I can buy two or three of thse bikes for half the price of some mentioned and still get the dependability I need... I have been car free for a couple years now and so far have had no problems with the bikes...
Just my way of thinking...

"Whatever I buy, I need to have something that I can count on for many years."

If you buy a Worksman bike or trike you'll be able to pass it on to your grandkids they are that
well made.

Browse this link to order ,to your spec's, the bike of your dreams delivered to your
door!:thumb: http://worksmancycles.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/recreational.html

I own a Worksman PAV and rode Worksman for 40 years in the factory where I retired from. :love:

I own 5 bikes. If I could only keep one it would be the Big Dummy. Have even taken it off-road. Chances are you won't need a Trailer with the BD. Have your LBS build you one. After getting the Dummy last March I gave my trailer to one of the mechanics at my LBS.

Take a look at the Kona Ute. I've had mine for 9 months, using it for all sorts of errands, jobs and adventures. I've changed out the lame handlebars and seat, but otherwise mostly stock.
Excellent gearing, shifters, and wheels. Have carried 9 bags of groceries, a 9'6" surfboard,
a 12 foot ladder, two bundels of asphalt shingles, and rigged a trailer to tow a 56 pound kayak. Priced around $900.00 for '09 edition. If you need more bike, take a look at the Extracycle site. Good luck.

I did a search for the Surly Big Dummy, and it looks like that bike is available only as a frame/fork set. I would have no idea where to begin, trying to put together a bike by myself. So I need to buy a bicycle complete, ready to roll .....

Hey Vja4him,

Actually you haven't looked closely enough. Complete bikes are advertised on Surly's site.http://www.surlybikes.com/bd_comp.html :D (http://www.surlybikes.com/bd_comp.html)

Your request calls for a bike to carry yourself, 204 lbs., plus 50 lbs, plus 20lbs, plus be able to pull a trailer with groceries is asking a lot. I would suggest a Worksman 3 wheeler.

Your request calls for a bike to carry yourself, 204 lbs., plus 50 lbs, plus 20lbs, plus be able to pull a trailer with groceries is asking a lot. I would suggest a Worksman 3 wheeler.

I would respectfully disagree. At 205+50+20 the only issues you would have are on some lightweight rims designed for racing. All of the bikes being talked about here can handle this without an issue.

Your request calls for a bike to carry yourself, 204 lbs., plus 50 lbs, plus 20lbs, plus be able to pull a trailer with groceries is asking a lot. I would suggest a Worksman 3 wheeler.

204 + 50 + 20 = 274 pounds.

I'm only 20 pounds shy of that before I even put on a pair of shorts. I've been beating the snot out of a Surly Cross-Check complete for the last 5000 miles.
Short of a bike with boutique racing wheels, 300 pounds in the saddle isn't asking too much from your bike. (I also have an '88 Trek 400 singlespeed that I stand on and hammer up the hills, and a Schwinn Woodlands I'm converting to a utility bike, and I'll use that to haul a B@W 32A trailer.)

"" 204 + 50 + 20 = 274 pounds, "" PLUS-- he wants a trailer to load a month's worth of groceries on. Just too heavy, in MY opinion.

If you'll peruse the Clydesdale forum, you'll find quite a few folks that are over 274 lbs that ride fairly conventional bikes. The weak point in a lot of bikes seems to be the wheels, not the frame itself, but there seem to be quite a few wheels that will work, too.

As for building a Big Dummy up from scratch- I don't have a clue how to go about doing it, but if I wanted one, I'd just get down to my local bike shop, tell them generally what I wanted, and I'll bet they could fix me right up. There's no law that says you have to personally decide on each and every component.

You can order a frame/fork set from any good bike shop that has a QBP account in your area and they can build the bike as you want it. Or you can order a built bike here when they are back in stock at>http://store.xtracycle.com/_e/Xtracycle_Complete_Bikes/product/SUB-BD1/Big_Dummy_Longtail_from_Surly.htm

I own a Big Dummy and I think it's the best thing out there for my needs but!! I have a very hard time leaving a $2.500 bike unattended out side the grocerie store even though I U-lock and chain it up. Have a look at the Kona Ute http://www.konaworld.com/09_ute_u.cfm

Ciao,
-o-^o


I did a search for the Surly Big Dummy, and it looks like that bike is available only as a frame/fork set. I would have no idea where to begin, trying to put together a bike by myself. So I need to buy a bicycle complete, ready to roll .....

A pro thief won't touch a BD. Its too akward to fit in a vehicle and riding away with it still presents storage issues. Not to mention transporting it to another buyer later. I'd go for easier pickings.

I'd probably (actually I did) go for a good, used, early - mid 1990's rigid steel MTB for those uses. Of course, I'm kinda cheap.

Trek 990, KHS comp, Bridgestone MB 0-3, etc, etc. Something nice, that has rack and fender mounts. I forget if the 990 did, might have to cross that one off, nice frame, though.

MTB parts are often harder to break and cheaper to replace than road/touring parts.

I'm a fan of anything Surly makes. The shop I work at sells a lot of BDs and they're all awesome.
I ride an older Cross-Check and I love it. It's on its fifth wildly different form right now. I got it as a single speed. I made it a 1x9 with cantis as a commuter. I put a triple and racks on it for a tour. I put upright bars and a basket as a different commuter. And now it has mustache bars.
For one bike that does everything; Cross check is where it's at.
I still like my Xtra though.
My $.02
-Dylan

Your request calls for a bike to carry yourself, 204 lbs., plus 50 lbs, plus 20lbs, plus be able to pull a trailer with groceries is asking a lot. I would suggest a Worksman 3 wheeler.

Trike is not nearly as versatile as a bike, and he won't be hauling that much load every time he rides.

My suggestion is a cargo oriented bike, like the Big Dummy Kona Ute or the Yuba Mundo, and then pickup a decent vintage steel MTB for backup.

Aaron:)

The Surly Cross Check is now at the top of my list! I don't need to haul ladders, surf boards, animals, cement, etc. I'll only be stocking up with lots of groceries using a trailer once a month.

I'm getting used to shopping several times a week, and getting into good enough shape that I actually enjoy going out for a spin to pick up stuff. Sometimes I even go out of my way both before and while hauling stuff home, so I can get in some extra miles ....

So, most likely small panniers for the rear and front will do just fine. I dug out my old shoulder bag, and will be giving that a try instead of the backpack ....


Trike is not nearly as versatile as a bike, and he won't be hauling that much load every time he rides.

My suggestion is a cargo oriented bike, like the Big Dummy Kona Ute or the Yuba Mundo, and then pickup a decent vintage steel MTB for backup.

Aaron:)

Trike is definitely NOT what I want. I will be taking my new bike (whatever that might be - Surly XCheck?) out on the trails sometimes, and hopefully for the 32 mile (each way) trek to Knights Ferry (some hills both ways), and other rides with the bicycle club.

A trike would be difficult to get around town for me. There are so many places I ride where a trike would be a huge problem .... The roads and sidewalks around our area are broken, huge cracks everywhere, disrepair all the time, lots of obstacles everywhere ....

Riding a bike is like riding through an obstacle course around here .... !!!


Trike is not nearly as versatile as a bike, and he won't be hauling that much load every time he rides.

My suggestion is a cargo oriented bike, like the Big Dummy Kona Ute or the Yuba Mundo, and then pickup a decent vintage steel MTB for backup.

Aaron:)

I own a Big Dummy and I think it's the best thing out there for my needs but!! I have a very hard time leaving a $2.500 bike unattended out side the grocerie store even though I U-lock and chain it up. Have a look at the Kona Ute http://www.konaworld.com/09_ute_u.cfm

Ciao,
-o-^o

That was my thinking... Around here the bad guys will steal anything with wheels... That is why I bought and use my under 300 dollar steel framed mountain bike... That is the one I chain up... With the economy going down the tuves and the price of bikes rising like they are bycycle theft is really taking off... As far as transporting them goes heck, they just ride them off..
It would really make me nervous to leave a bike worth more then a couple hundred chained up and unattended...

ok, you don't want a utility bike but a bike that can occasionally carry 50lbs AND the occasional 60mile road ride AND commuting AND trail riding AND tow a trailer AND ride on trails AND wide or narrow tires.

LHT will be a better load carrier but it sounds like you're picking more for a commutter/trail riding bike.

this should resolve it

http://worksmancycles.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/cruisers.html

ok, you don't want a utility bike but a bike that can occasionally carry 50lbs AND the occasional 60mile road ride AND commuting AND trail riding AND tow a trailer AND ride on trails AND wide or narrow tires.

LHT will be a better load carrier but it sounds like you're picking more for a commutter/trail riding bike.

Nice bikes as far as they go... But if you are used to a 23 inch frame and are planning on 60 mile rides I think they fall a little bit short of the goal... Seems like more and more companys are coming out with this one size fits all crap...

"" 204 + 50 + 20 = 274 pounds, "" PLUS-- he wants a trailer to load a month's worth of groceries on. Just too heavy, in MY opinion.

Nah, not even close to the limit of destruction for the Cross Check. A typical grocery run for me involves loading up a 15 - 20 pound sack of groceries on the front rack, filling the 4gal bucket panniers I've got on either side (another 15 - 20 pounds each) and lashing a 35 pound sack of dog food and a couple cases of soda across the top. This is on a bike with 700 x 28 tires, making a 4 mile trek.
I put a grocery loaded bike up on the scale once, and the bike + load was 110 pounds. Plus me, that's at least 360 pounds.

Besides, if the groceries are in a trailer, what does that have to do anything with the bicycle (except for the attachment point)? I've seen pix of a guy hauling a stove, desk and some other stuff on a B@W 96A.