Commuting - Touring bike vs Road bike - Any suggestions?

Hey guys, haven't been around long but I've been riding about 20 miles a day for the last bit getting back in shape, and enjoying the cool morning air. I'm riding on an El cheapo Mt Bike from wally world, mainly because it's heavy, shifting sucks, and it has an awesome spring to absorb my power..lol.

anyhow, I'll be commuting to school this fall and I had originally planned on buying a road bike in the $1200 +/- 100 range for the trip. It's only 6.5 miles each way, and it won't be a problem. I could do it now, on this wretched bike if I wanted. However, I plan to ride more when I get there. There is some beautiful scenery and places that I want to explore, and, go on some longer rides (~50 mi).

I know it would be much easier to carry my stuff on a bike with racks in the rear instead of in a backpack, but I'm concerned about the longer rides with the touring bike. Also, I didn't see so many touring bikes (with the racks included) near my price range. All of them are significantly more expensive than what I was wanting to spend.

Any suggestions? Specifically, will one do something the other wont on each type of trip? Specific bike recommendations? Anything will be useful, just want some ideas.

Thanks for the input! Happy riding.

You can put a rack on most road bikes and enjoy both worlds. Just make sure it has mounts on the seat stays and the dropouts.

1200 clams seems like a lot when you haven't even done the commute consistently yet. Wait a month. 1200 is also a lot to lock up on campus.

I also don't think you need a tourer for those distances.

You don't need a touring bike if you want to go on some longer rides. It's when you want to bring stuff with you that a touring bike starts to make a lot of sense.

Find a nice mid eighties Japanese road bike with sport touring geometry and you will have the best of both worlds... it will be a little lighter, quicker, and nimble but will also handle a decent amount of gear and longer rides.

given the likelyhood of theft I'd dial back from a $1200 road bike and consider this:

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/mercier/galaxy.htm

Besides the ability to carry more stuff touring bikes have more relaxed, upright seating position. Most typical road bikes would have more aggressive, forward position which is tiring for average cyclists on long rides. Although, as Sixty Fiver said, there are some road bikes in between.

thanks for the input guys. The only thing that concerns me is once you drop below $1000, you start getting the sora and tiagra components instead of the 105. I plan on putting thousands of miles on this bike over its lifetime and would hate to have to spend more money in the future to upgrade them instead of spending it up front. I'm not so concerned about the theft at the moment, just on the type and quality of bike I need.

Any gripes against the tiagra? Will they last a while? If so, I may be open to more lower-priced options then.

Thanks again for all the input!

I wouldn't get a touring bike unless you plan to do some loaded touring. For commuting and light touring, a sport tourer like a Salsa Casseroll, Gunnar Sport or Soma ES would provide a livelier ride and lower weight.

In between road bikes and touring bikes (geometry wise) are sport bikes.

It's what most people got in the 60s/70s.

They'll take a rack, but they won't be slow.

it's what I have, a Gunnar Sport.

IMHO, get a cheap bike for the commute...less than $300. You don't want to lock a $1200 bike up on campus because it will get stolen. If it were me, I would use the bike you already have for the commute because there is less chance it will be a target for theft, and it will be a good workout for you. You could even put slick tires on it to make the ride a little easier. Then spend $1200 on a road bike you want to use for real riding.

More than I realized to think about!

By the way, for those of you with Nice bikes, do you carry any sort of insurance on them?

thanks for the input guys. The only thing that concerns me is once you drop below $1000, you start getting the sora and tiagra components instead of the 105. I plan on putting thousands of miles on this bike over its lifetime and would hate to have to spend more money in the future to upgrade them instead of spending it up front. I'm not so concerned about the theft at the moment, just on the type and quality of bike I need.

Any gripes against the tiagra? Will they last a while? If so, I may be open to more lower-priced options then.

Thanks again for all the input!

Tiagra is fine. I have probably 5k miles on the Tiagra group on my old 80-something Bianchi beater.

http://www.chipcom.net/bikes/bianchi_x.jpg

I agree with everyone who has said to get a beater bike for locking up on a college campus. For me back in the 90's it was a campus green Schwinn Varsity. Nobody ever messed with it, because nobody wanted it.

Yea, overhaul your 'retched bike' with clean grease, cables , etc.
make it work , without flash. there is a greater likelihood
it will be in the campus bike rack with both wheels on it, at the end of the day.

+1 to the sugestions to have a "beater" for campus. I second Sixty Fiver's recommendation to find a basic 1980's road bike and make sure it is all tuned and ready to ride. It will be far more pleasant than your current bike and won't attract too much attention.

If your commute was 1-2 miles, I'd say stick with the Wal-Mart POS. For 6-8 miles, I'd be pining for something more pleasant to ride.

Then, save money on the side for a nice road bike for your longer weekend rides (and who knows, club rides during the week).

Depending on the bike theft situation at your campus (look at what other folks ride and what kind of locks they use), the Wal-Mart bike may be ideal (not a theft magnet) for commuting. Depending on the design, you may be able to lock the suspension and you can put road slicks on for a slightly faster ride. 80s and 90s road bikes as suggsted above are good candidates, and also lend themselves to single speed and fixed gear conversions if you have a flat enough ride and want a lower maintenance drive train. For a 6-7 mile ride, I'd consider sticking with a backpack and using a helmet-mounted light if you will be riding at night so there's less stuff to move off the bike when you park or if you need to use a bus with a bike rack.

My commuter is a Bianchi with cyclocross frame geometry. Plenty of mount points for racks and accessories, I can mount wider tires (35mm with fenders), and a drop-bar geometry I prefer. I could do at least light touring with it, and I at least don't have a problem with heel strike with panniers. My son has a Jamis Coda (flat bar road bike with MTB-style drivetrain) at college; it's also viable as a distance bike (he used it for a 184 mile C&O Canal trip and I borrowed it a few time before I bought the Bianchi) and takes racks & fenders. I'd add bar ends or maybe clip on aero bars, or replace the flat bar with a moustache or trekking bar if I was going to tour with it to provide more hand positions.

Great stuff guys. I may have to look into getting some road tires and toughing it out for a while.

Get whatever bike you want for school, and don't let the $$$ of it deter you from riding it. Most thefts are crimes of opportunity. Other times, thefts can be deterred by locking your bike up properly. Even more more thefts can be deterred by having a decent enough lock and using different deterrent strategies (locking skewers, using 2 locks, uglifying your bike, etc.).

Colleges usually have a lot of people walking around, especially when in session. Secondly, a lot of colleges require some sort of permit or id to to access the campus. Third, just because there are racks available, doesn't mean you have to use them. Some professors let students bring their bikes into class or lock them in an office. Other times you can lock your bike up by the campus police station or somewhere that is more secure. Fourth, due to increasing violence on campuses, a lot of schools have set up cameras to help monitor.

Get whatever bike you want for school, and don't let the $$$ of it deter you from riding it. Most thefts are crimes of opportunity. Other times, thefts can be deterred by locking your bike up properly. Even more more thefts can be deterred by having a decent enough lock and using different deterrent strategies (locking skewers, using 2 locks, uglifying your bike, etc.).

Colleges usually have a lot of people walking around, especially when in session. Secondly, a lot of colleges require some sort of permit or id to to access the campus. Third, just because there are racks available, doesn't mean you have to use them. Some professors let students bring their bikes into class or lock them in an office. Other times you can lock your bike up by the campus police station or somewhere that is more secure. Fourth, due to increasing violence on campuses, a lot of schools have set up cameras to help monitor.

Here is the usual image. Notice that just the front wheel was secured with the Ulock and the frame probably with a cable.
205204

thanks for the input guys. The only thing that concerns me is once you drop below $1000, you start getting the sora and tiagra components instead of the 105. I plan on putting thousands of miles on this bike over its lifetime and would hate to have to spend more money in the future to upgrade them instead of spending it up front. I'm not so concerned about the theft at the moment, just on the type and quality of bike I need.

Any gripes against the tiagra? Will they last a while? If so, I may be open to more lower-priced options then.

Thanks again for all the input!

I've got a 2005 cyclocross bike with 8 speed Sora components that I bought new, and a (new to me) 2004 9 speed Dura Ace road bike that I just recently bought. The cross bike has been through many winters, 5,000+ miles and still works lovely. The shifts aren't as "crisp" as the Dura Ace but as long as it is adjusted properly (as with the other bike) it shifts fine and I have zero concerns for the reliability.

Sora is not as easy to shift from the drops when compared to Tiagra because it's hard to reach, but really I don't think reliability itself is going to be a problem with the "lower" end Shimano road components.

The reason I didn't mention the security part is I will have my own, or at least shared office, so I probably won't be locking it up outside that often, except on errands. But I've read a lot of good advice today on the locking techniques. That pic is crude! Who would only lockup their front wheel :)

Also been researching different bikes online. I've found that there are name brands with good components, and "generics" with good components for significantly less money. Any thoughts on name brand vs generic?

No problems with Tiagra here. I ride over 100 miles a week and never had any issues a slight adjustment couldn't take care of.

My 2008 Kona Jake came with Tiagra components. I've moved them around to three different bikes because I like tinkering, but I would guess I've put around 5000 miles on them (including a lot of time in the rain) and they still work perfectly.

Here's something to know about for a commuting road bike: the Axiom Streamliner Disc DLX (http://www.axiomgear.com/products/gear/racks/rear-racks/streamliner-disc-dlx/)rack. Whether you have disc brakes or not, the extensions on the bottom pull the rack back a couple of inches so that you avoid heel-strike issues on road bikes with shorter chainstays or very tall bike where the rack has to be farther forward to make it level as in my 1982 Trek 715 that I commute on. This changed my life, at least the commuting part of it, because it allowed me to everything off my body and onto the bike. Here are some shots:

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-KfR8SD9/0/L/i-KfR8SD9-L.jpg

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-sz9J2Fp/0/L/i-sz9J2Fp-L.jpg

Was finally able to get a pannier big enough to carry my laptop which greatly increased commute frequency. If anyone is interested in the most awesome pannier ever, you can order this one from Troy at Philosophy Bags (http://www.philosophybags.com/). Canvas and leather, made in USA. Not cheap but the quality is amazing and Troy is great to work with. He made this one custom.

I've got a $300 Giant Hybrid with cheap components, and I have 24,500 miles on it. The only thing I HAVEN'T replace is the components that people generally worry about. I've replaced both wheels, the bottom bracket, and the cassette a few times and of course the chain many times, but never either of the deraillers or the shifter or the brakes (apart from cables). I rarely even wash the thing. It still runs absolutely fine. I get the feeling that the main reason some people need very rugged components is that they're too proud to put a kickstand on their bikes, so they have to buy components that can have the bike dropped on them a bunch and still stay aligned.

Honestly, right now I'd have no problem jumping on it and riding it across the country, I'd just drop new tires on it first.

I once read a book by a guy who specializes in bicycle crimes and bicycle laws. (If I think of his name, I'll post an edit.) He had data which shows most bike thieves are lazy and opportunistic. If you want to bring an expensive bike to campus, there are some things, according to him, that are proven to decrease the chance of theft or increase the chance of you getting your bike back if it is stolen.

1) Never have the nicest bike on the rack. If it looks too flashy, make it look crappy with some tape or stickers or paint.

2) Invest in security. The author recommended a minimum of 10% of the price of the bike. Buy the best U lock you can find. Buy the best chain lock you can find. Use both. Buy a set of Pitlocks to secure your components.

3) Lock in a well lit open area with as many pedestrians and other bicycles as possible.

4) Before there is a theft, check to see if your home owner's or renter's insurance covers your bike. Document the hell out of it (photos, receipts, serial numbers, videos of you doing wheelies on it, etc.) Cops may not give your bike back if you can't prove convincingly that it's actually yours.

Personal note: I've read several campus security memos explaining that bikes had been stolen off the same rack mine was on at the same time mine was there. I have a top-of-the-line U lock secured to a scratched up bike. I've locked my bike next to some others, gone into a campus building for a few hours, and come back out to see missing ssaddle and wheels on the other bikes, but not mine. My saddle and wheels were better than theirs, but I have locking skewers and binders.

I think that you have received some good advice here, albeit a bit skewed given the population in this particular forum (withstanding the security recommendations, all of which I agree wholeheartedly).

Based on your original post, it seems as if you want this bike to serve at least two purposes - commuting to campus and venturing out for some longer rides. Given what you have described, including the fact that you will have an office on campus (graduate student, I assume), I think that your initial estimation was pretty good. A road bike will be more than sufficient for your short commute and it will probably be safe in an office (although I would get in the habit of locking it there too; I am a prof and stories abound about thieves bold enough to go into offices and take whatever is available).

I believe that touring bike might be a bit overkill for the 50 mile max rides you were talking about. Some road cyclists can ride upwards of 200 miles without packing too much gear (albeit with proper planning for food and hydration).

Also, assuming that you are either an undergrad or grad student, coupled with the fact that you are developing your interest in cycling, I think that its best to get a bike that you will love to ride. Pragmatics don't typically last for many new cyclists, especially those who mention that they want to venture out to longer distances. Bike lust is certain, but its easier to swallow when you have one less bike to long for...

Take what you will from what I have recommended, in the end as long as you enjoy the ride you won't regret your choice.

You don't need a touring bike if you want to go on some longer rides. It's when you want to bring stuff with you that a touring bike starts to make a lot of sense.

+1
I don't think you need a rack and panniers for just longer day rides. Try a Carradice Saddlebag or a good cycling specific backpack. Trust me. I bought racks and I find I hardly use them day to day.

+1
I don't think you need a rack and panniers for just longer day rides. Try a Carradice Saddlebag or a good cycling specific backpack. Trust me. I bought racks and I find I hardly use them day to day.

You can certainly get a big saddlebag. That can work great. But the difference between carrying a bunch of stuff on my back and carrying it in a saddlebag or on a rack is night and day. Like, a brand new day.

I just got back from a week of loaded touring so I may be a bit skewed...
With gear, it's sturdy, flexes well, and I can go all day. Without gear, my tourer feels hollow and heavy. They're made for hauling weight - a lot of it. I wouldn't necessarily recommend a true touring bike simply for longer rides unless you're carrying a lot of stuff.
I also chock another vote for using your crapbox for your short school commute. Enjoy that roadie for your longer rides.

Find a nice mid eighties Japanese road bike with sport touring geometry and you will have the best of both worlds... it will be a little lighter, quicker, and nimble but will also handle a decent amount of gear and longer rides.

+1...they're comfortable, versatile, inexpensive and still have a little pep. You're going to get passed by the carbon crowd, but seriously...who cares.

Another option here is cyclocross bike (I rec a used Poprad). Many have rear rack capacity and it's going to be quick and functional. Want something road'ish? Toss on 23s. Going over gravel? 28s. Sludge? 35c knobbies. I LOVE my Poprad.

I just got back from a week of loaded touring so I may be a bit skewed...
With gear, it's sturdy, flexes well, and I can go all day. Without gear, my tourer feels hollow and heavy. They're made for hauling weight - a lot of it. I wouldn't necessarily recommend a true touring bike simply for longer rides unless you're carrying a lot of stuff.
I also chock another vote for using your crapbox for your short school commute. Enjoy that roadie for your longer rides.

While this is true, some feel better than others unloaded. Yes...the LHT is going to ride like utter turd without 70 lbs of crap on it. They're horrendous. My Koga Miyata steel traveler rides quite nicely, even unloaded. I have it built up with some sports touring touches, like 32 hole rims, STI, slightly more aggressive gearing, slightly more aggressive positioning and 28s and it rides like a thoroughbred. If/when I go full tour, I can pop on some other wheels, raise the bars and make a few gear changes. My old Lotus Odyssey also rode ok unloaded. I think the LHT is giving full tourers a bad name, they don't all feel like total and complete crap.

While this is true, some feel better than others unloaded. Yes...the LHT is going to ride like utter turd without 70 lbs of crap on it. They're horrendous. My Koga Miyata steel traveler rides quite nicely, even unloaded. I have it built up with some sports touring touches, like 32 hole rims, STI, slightly more aggressive gearing, slightly more aggressive positioning and 28s and it rides like a thoroughbred. If/when I go full tour, I can pop on some other wheels, raise the bars and make a few gear changes. My old Lotus Odyssey also rode ok unloaded. I think the LHT is giving full tourers a bad name, they don't all feel like total and complete crap.

Nice arrangement. Since most of us (assuming) don't blast off on a loaded tour every other week, a few simple changes gives you the best of both worlds. I have a Trek 520. The LHT seems to be popular, but it's not for me.

I rode the heck out of that bike today and it just handled GREAT. A lot of it was actually off road, some fairly technical...and while I carried it a good bit (and it's by no means light with the racks, fenders, bell, lights, etc.), it really had a nice, stable ride. It's my go to, do anything bike and is one of the greatest things I've ever bought. I have a lot of stuff that's more valuable and fancy...but if I could only keep one bike, it would be the KM. God knows what I'd do if something happened to it...I'd have to get a custom Bilenky to replicate a bike this sweet. Even that would not quite match up IMO.

I feel less awful right now than I did after a much less difficult 50 miles on Saturday with a road bike.

I'm going to be blunt...the only reason the LHT is popular is due to a lack of options. It would NEVER be able to compete in the market place against the 1980s Japanese/Trek tourers.

I'll be even more blunt...every Surly I've ridden (cross check, karate monkey, LHT) handled like the tubes are stuffed with a mixture of lard and styrofoam.

The thing with a touring bike is that it will weigh at least 10lbs more then a road bike and that is 'naked', and a lot of that weight will be in the wheels. Furthermore, when you put the other stuff that usually goes with a touring bike (front and rear racks, fenders, ect) then the weight differential is closer to 15lbs heavier then a road bike. This is not taking into account the aerodynamic advantage that road bikes typically have, and the lower rolling resistance of 700x23 tires compared to the 700x32 that you will usually find on a touring bike.

The 35lb bike is fine for most tasks but a 35lb bike is still a 35lb bike at the end of the day and it's never going to feel more nimble then a bike that is closer to 20lbs.

+1
I don't think you need a rack and panniers for just longer day rides. Try a Carradice Saddlebag or a good cycling specific backpack. Trust me. I bought racks and I find I hardly use them day to day.

It depends on where you live. In Los Angeles, you can probably get by with a water bottle and not much else. In Seattle, even if it's sunny when you leave the house, you simply can't assume it won't be raining several hours later. I bring rain gear with me wherever I go, and I use that rain gear with depressing regularity. I use my rack and panniers pretty much every day.

Guess I like the tubes of my frame stuffed with "lard and styrofoam"; I love my Surly LHT, which happens to be my only bike. I think the LHT and the Cross Check both make good choices for commuting and general riding, and I think they'd make good choices for the OP if he wants to drop coin on a new bike. I'd also suggest checking out some of the older bikes being suggested, but I felt the need to stick up for Surly and say there's another reason Surly bikes are popular -- they're good bikes, and I think they could serve the OP well.

The reason I didn't mention the security part is I will have my own,
or at least shared office, so I probably won't be locking it up outside that often,
except on errands.

Folding Bike will take up less room, inside and you can fold it up
and take it in with you on errands too.

I like my Brompton, Bike Friday's Tikit uses a derailleur
or an IG hub drivetrain according to order preference.
same wheels, a high Pressure 349x37 ,16".

Guess I like the tubes of my frame stuffed with "lard and styrofoam"; I love my Surly LHT, which happens to be my only bike. I think the LHT and the Cross Check both make good choices for commuting and general riding, and I think they'd make good choices for the OP if he wants to drop coin on a new bike. I'd also suggest checking out some of the older bikes being suggested, but I felt the need to stick up for Surly and say there's another reason Surly bikes are popular -- they're good bikes, and I think they could serve the OP well.

Chocolate and Vanilla man.

Cue Different Strokes theme.

I wouldn't even look at touring bikes, but something along the lines of sports-touring possibly. They tend to be lighter and more nimble. Things that come to mind are the Jamis Aurora, Bianchi Volpe (more Cyclocross), and Trek 520 (they seem to change every once in awhile between hardcore touring and sports touring IMHO).

Other options are Cross bikes like the Surly CC, Kona Jake, and Specialized TriCross.

However, even entry level roadbikes should work as well.

I like the looks of this rack (http://www.arkel-od.com/us/all-categories/bicycle-bike-pannier-rack/arkel-randonneur-rack.html) for a roadbike:
http://www.arkel-od.com/media/catalog/product/f/i/file_5_8.gif

I commute on a 2000-ish Cannondale aluminum touring bike. I'd prefer a nice cyclocross bike to commute on, but I got a heck of a deal on the Cannondale ($125 needing a minor refreshing!).

While I like my commuter a lot, I would not want it as my only bike. It is kind of slow and doesn't handle that well. It does feel tough (no problem flying over train tracks, hopping curbs, rolling through potholes, etc), but not quick and agile like my road bike. For lack of a better description, my touring bike isn't exciting to ride.

In your position I would do one of two things:

1. Buy a beater to commute on if you ever plan to lock the bike up outside for any amount of time. Spend the rest of your money on a nice road bike for your weekend excursions (this is what I do).

2. Buy a nice cyclocross bike or sport touring bike if you have a secure place to store it (which it sounds like you do).

I'm biased, but I prefer option 1 as it has the greatest flexibility. I have a utilitarian, inexpensive bike I can lock up outside of a grocery store, bar, and my workplace. I'll be sad if it is gone, but only out a few hundred dollars. Then I have a nice, fast road bike I can ride on the weekend for recreation. The best of both worlds, but slightly more expensive than only having one bike.

Also having two bikes gives you more flexibility - if, say, you taco the wheel on one bike, you'll have a spare to ride.

I just got back from a week of loaded touring so I may be a bit skewed...
With gear, it's sturdy, flexes well, and I can go all day. Without gear, my tourer feels hollow and heavy. They're made for hauling weight - a lot of it. I wouldn't necessarily recommend a true touring bike simply for longer rides unless you're carrying a lot of stuff.

My bike sighs with relief and says, "He sure took a load off" every time I get off. I am the load, and a touring bike works well as my usual road bike!

Sweet bike Man! You're rockin it old school with a flickstand and everything. What's the gearing on that front ring?
http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-KfR8SD9/0/L/i-KfR8SD9-L.jpg

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-sz9J2Fp/0/L/i-sz9J2Fp-L.jpg

How much would a touring bike (LHT, for example) need to weigh to ride well? I put my bike, with paniers, lights, and all, on the scale at my LBS a few weeks ago and it was 56 pounds. No wonder I can float up the logging road hills so easily when it's empty.

Sweet bike Man! You're rockin it old school with a flickstand and everything. What's the gearing on that front ring?

Thanks! Yeah I searched long and hard for this one. Of course when it rains it pours and I now have a second 710 frame ready to build up if this one ever gets stolen / wrecked. Flickstand came with the bike, I had never seen one before but it works great.

Chainring is a 40, with a 6-speed 12-28 Uniglide cassette. I probably spend 90% of time on 20, 17 and 15 cogs as my commute is pretty flat.

Thanks! Yeah I searched long and hard for this one. Of course when it rains it pours and I now have a second 710 frame ready to build up if this one ever gets stolen / wrecked. Flickstand came with the bike, I had never seen one before but it works great.

Chainring is a 40, with a 6-speed 12-28 Uniglide cassette. I probably spend 90% of time on 20, 17 and 15 cogs as my commute is pretty flat.Nice! My '87 400T has a 14-28 freewheel & a 32-42-52 crank in the front. My commute is also pretty flat so I never really get off the middle ring. I took my flickstand off when I added my fenders.

What's the story w/ the chainguard - where did you get that?

Chainguard is from Velo Orange...think it was 25 bucks. Works great but you have to unscrew bottom bracket to mount it. They have it in three different sizes to fit various chainrings. this is the medium size.

+1
I don't think you need a rack and panniers for just longer day rides. Try a Carradice Saddlebag or a good cycling specific backpack. Trust me. I bought racks and I find I hardly use them day to day.

I would agree with this.
See pic;
206839

I have panniers for it as well, but only use them for food shopping and longer tours (over 4 days).

The bike is a de-badged Cross Check, and it works.
These bikes work, they are not the best at anything, but they do work.