Commuting - Need Help With Bike Suggestions

Thanks everyone... goin' with the touring bike... now in process of test driving! :D

I use a MTB with slick tyres and SPD clipless pedals. It's served me well over the last few years.

For the most part I use a Giant hybrid. It's a '94 vintage Innova. It's served me very well, slightly modified with computer, 32mm tires, aerobars, rack and sometimes panniers, and plenty of lights and reflective tape. Of course I also carry a seatbag with basic equipment, you'll see this stuff on some of the other threads.

I like the hybrid as the 700 size wheels allow a little more speed, the bike is fairly light, but it is also comfortable on the rougher sections.

I also sometimes commute on my C'dale road bike when I don't have too much stuff to carry, and I've also gone on my Trek 4500 MTB. BTW, that was a 30 mile roundtrip commute.

I use a slightly upgraded low-end Giant MTB with Vredestein Spider semi-slicks, a rack and panniers. It copes well with pot-holed country roads, woodland bridleways. It might not be the fastest thing on two wheels but then neither am I :)

I'd look at Tourers, Hybrids, or road-adapted hardtail MTB's or even cyclo-cross bikes. You want something fairly rugged and reliable, capable of carrying a light load, and fairly comfortable. Much depends on the route and length of your commute - if you've got good roads all the way, and don't mind carrying whatever you need for work in a backpack, then a road bike might be okay.

As important as the basic bike are the accessories - lights (and reflective materials), tyres, luggage, saddlebag with essentials etc.

Richard

Lots of good comments up above.

It didn't take me long to realize that my road bike wasn't going to cut it for commuting. The roads were to rough in the city. I was shaking it to pieces. I converted my mountain bike to a commuter. The front suspension was dramatically better. I also put slicks on and bar ends for more hand position options.

You live in Montana. Invest in warm clothing. 200lbs of battery operated electric underwear. Use your leftover money to buy the bike.

wide open roads long commutes = touring bike
suburban\urban = converted MB of reasonable weight or cyclocross

windy days require drop bars, city parking requires good d lock.

enjoy

I use a mountain bike so I can get off the road when I need to. Also, I think one of the best purchases I've made so far was a set of Bontranger Select kevlar belted tires. 700 miles of riding through gutters and all kinds of trash and no flats.....yet.....knock on wood. (Of course, a close second would have to be my neoprene booties.)

If you are going completely car-less, you need more than one bike.

Bikes need maintanance and you don't always have the time to do it right away. You will need one steed ready to run while the other is getting fixed.

You could use this opportunity to get two or three different kinds of bikes - one for different conditions. You could have a mountain bike for snow days, a road bike for nice days, an old 3-speed or single speed "freighter" with huge baskets for grocery shopping and hauling.

Hats off to you for making this commitment. God honors you.

The best commuting bikes are always customised for your ride, in terms of tyre size, gear ratios and range, luggage and lighting system and all weather capability.
The best all round bikes are probably the modern version of cyclo-cross touring bikes, with bags of clearance, and useful threads all over. Bianchi Volpe/Jamis Nova kind of bike. They tend to be a bit more agile than full-on touring bikes.
My own one is a lighter touring style, with caliper brakes, but I dont ride wider than 28mm tyres. If you going to ride into winter you may need more clearance.

Drops vs straight bars is less important than correct fit.
700c vs 26"mtb wheels is less important than correct tyre choice.
A high pressure 26" slick can be faster than a 700c hybrid tyre. You can always fit higher pressure narrowr tyres onto a hybrid or touring bike for more speed in good conditions.
Are you going to need studded tyres for winter ?

In wheels , you need reliability more than racing performance. 36 spokes and thick braking surfaces will last the winter. Handbuilt wheels with mid-range components are ideal.

The Trek 520 looks a fine bike for the job. For the price, compare to Bruce Gorden BLT.

Originally posted by mike
1) If you are going completely car-less, you need more than one bike.

2) You could use this opportunity to get two or three different kinds of bikes - one for different conditions. You could have a mountain bike for snow days, a road bike for nice days, an old 3-speed or single speed "freighter" with huge baskets for grocery shopping and hauling.

3) Hats off to you for making this commitment. God honors you.

1) Agreed.
2) Agreed. I generally use a road bike with 28mm tyres, but sometimes the mountain bike, and sometimes even the Bianchi, for fun. Mudguards are a must for wet weather or for commuting in street clothes.
3) Agreed. As one of my friends observed 30 years ago, "God rides a white Masi."

If I could have just one bicycle, it would probably be a high-quality road touring bike with 700Cx28 or 700Cx32 tyres, mudguards, a rear rack, and a decent lighting system.

Hi Manderax:
the first bike I ever purchased for myself was the one I bought last year, a Trek 7300 that I got as a means for coping with a very long bus strike. It's a hybrid, and I've been very happy with it as my main & preferred form of transportation. (don't have a car).

The reasons I chose it:

-it fit. Not too many bikes come in my size.
-I wanted something sturdy like a mountain bike
-but I wanted it to be a little faster
-but I didn't need to be a speed demon, at least not in stop-and-go traffic

-I was used to the riding position of a mountain-style bike and thought perhaps the upright riding position would be more useful for me in traffic (me see more, me more seeable)

-the bike shop that had the Treks had really helpful staff; the place "felt right", and it was close to home
-I got it into my head that the Treks were what I wanted (a more emotional than rational preference)

It's fine for what I do: mostly commuting (17 miles RT or more, with some rather significant hills) & getting around town to get to games or run errands.

I know that I would likely find a road bike faster and more nimble, and the hybrid really isn't suited for doing daring mountain-bike maneouvers like the one my boyfriend tried on it early on (left the poor thing with a less than perfectly round wheel :eek: ) It is, however, sturdy enough for commuting over less than ideal roads and carrying various combinations of groceries, shopping, work gear (inc. laptop), and play gear.

It's neither a race horse nor a mountain goat -- more of splendid mule, but it works for me. Most importantly, however, is that it was enough of an improvement over my old bike to make me very pleased with it, while being just familiar enough that I wasn't freaked out about learning to handle it when I was also learning to *really* ride in traffic. Of course, what ends up working for you will depend on your experience and temperament.

I think Mike's suggestion of having more than one bike for different conditions/purposes/situations is a really good idea: I wouldn't mind having a few other bikes one day. Still, one has to start somewhere, and starting with one worked well for me.


-Cathy