Commuting - Looking to switch from Mountain to Road Bike

Hey folks...I've been commuting off an on using my slightly modified mountain bike (2001 Specialized Rockhopper). My trip is 28 miles round trip and I'm doing it 2-3 times a week. The whole thing is flat/smooth city streets, with the occasional square curb here and there. I'm 6'2 and about 230lbs and am in reasonable shape.

I've swapped the tires out for the smallest street/city tires I could fit on the thing and that helped a bit...I found I picked up a couple mph, but I'm still feeling like it just takes too much effort to ride this thing at an acceptable speed. Not to mention all the years I abused it as a mountain bike. Lots of squeaks, creaks and groaning coming from this thing. I track my rides and I average about 14.0 - 14.5mph for the trip.

Barring my own fitness level, would I see an appreciable difference in speed and effort by switching to a road or cyclocross bike? I'd be willing to spend as much as $1200 (which is what I originally spent on the mountain bike back in 2001).

I can park the bike in my office so theft isn't an issue. I would be using it for primarily for commuting with an occasional paved trail ride once or twice a month. I don't need panniers. I have a seat-post mounted rear rack that I use to carry my stuff and was planning to continue using that.

Can anybody point me toward a few recommendations?

What brands does your Local bike shop sell ?

Surly cross check, try some of the commuters from raleigh and bianchi.

I'm in Northern California...and although I'm not really familiar with the latest brands the two LBS's I go to sell Specialized, Diamondback, Focus, Cannondale, Bianchi, Trek, Giant, Surly...uhh, that's about all I can think of.

A road or cyclocross bike will probably be a few pounds lighter and could give you a better aerodynamic position, depending on how agressively you set it up. If your Rockhopper has a suspension fork with no lock out, that's definitely sapping your power on pavement. It's debatable how much faster a road bike would make you, but it would likely be more comfortable for the same with tires and lack of comfort can wear you down over a 14 mile trip.

The Kona Jake is my top recommendation. The Cross Check is also nice at about the same price point. The Jamis Nova Race also looks good.

Is it pretty much open road or do you have a lot of intersections where you have to stop/slow down? The reason I ask is that unless you've got some decent sized stretches where you can just put your head down and go, you're not going to get to and from work much faster, - if that's the goal.

That being said, streets aren't really the RockHopper's element. A road bike will be more fun (IMO) in those areas where you can open it up, - even if it doesn't make that much difference in overall travel time.

A Bianchi Volpe might fit your price criteria. It's another cyclocross bike. Note: Cyclocross bikes typically come with cyclocross tires. If speed is a concern, factor replacing those into the cost of the purchase. A good set of road tires with decent flat protection won't be real cheap. Otherwise, there are quite few choices for pure road bikes at 1,200 or less. Just try a bunch and see what you like.

Edit: When you've got your options narrowed down to a couple bikes, do a search on roadbikereview.com or other cycling review site to see what people say about the stock tires for each bike. Often times the stock tires on road bikes ride nice but are flat prone. You may need to replace them right away. Factor that into the cost so you're not surprised later.

Ride as many bikes as you can. CX bikes are usually pretty versatile but check out a variety of bikes and see what you like. If you are buying from the same shop that you bought your Rockhopper from they might be able to help you out with the price or accessories.

I just made the switch from commuting on pretty much a mountain bike with road tires, to a drop bar touring bike. The difference in speed is marginal unless your commute is open road where you can just get in the drops and ride for long distances. If there are a significant number of stop signs or lights, then forget about any real speed gain.

On the other hand, the road bike will give you more hand positions and will be more comfortable to ride into a headwind because of the aerodynamic advantage. These are the biggest differences by far that you will notice. Basically with a mountain bike a headwind absolutely just saps your energy. With a road bike you get into the drops as low as you can and the wind is much more tolerable. Likewise a mountain bike gets tiring for my hands after about the 10-15 mile mark because you basically leave your hands in the exact same spot. With a road bike you constantly move your hands around while you ride and longer distance rides feel more comfortable as a result.

Again, the differences are better observed on long rides in open highway at sustained speeds. For commuting a mountain bike does very well because the distances are typically 15 miles or less, and often in situations where you have to stop or maneuver around obstacles, which are situations that a mountain bike excels at.

Well, I don't have any delusion of cutting my commute time drastically...maybe a few minutes...but it's more about the quality of the ride and the effort I'm exerting. Currently with the weight, gearing, tires, and sheer age of my bike, I feel like things are dragging a bit...and every once in a while a guy on a road bike just blows past me like I was standing still. :) Like I said...I'm averaging about 14mph and I'd say top speed I'm able to sustain currently is about 16-17mph on flat ground.

At least half the ride is open road (through an old Air Force Base, and then a fairly rural area with no stops) where I think if I could tuck in and crank it up I'd be able to take advantage of a road bike. Once I hit the city, it's stoplights, curbs, back alleys, and so forth...but it's only for about the last mile. The bulk of the ride is wide open.

Anyway, thanks for all of the suggestions. I was looking at the Jake years ago. One thing I notice with many of the cyclocross bikes is that their top gear seems to be fairly low...close to that of my mountain bike (44t on my Rockhopper and 46t of the Surly Cross Check). Are Cyclocross typically geared lower? I was under the impression that they were usually geared like road bikes on the top end?

I've never owned a road bike, so pardon my ignorance, but with a wide open stretch like I have, wouldn't I want to shoot for something that had a 50+ tooth crankset?

In my opinion, for a 28 miles trip a road bike should, at the least, make the trip less work.

I can only say from my limited experience, but that's my feeling. The only way to know for sure, unfortunately, is to buy the new bike and ride it for several weeks. 28 miles rounds trip is a noticeable distance, and even small improvements in speed or effort add up, especially when you're doing it several times a week.

Entry level but decent road bikes start at around $800. The next level up is about $1200, where you get longer lasting components - everything is more refined, but I'm also not sure it makes a "huge" difference. I'm really not sure though...the $1200 bikes "feel" smoother and faster than the $800 bikes, but I'm not sure that it's not just perception.

Full carbon bikes start around $2,000. Above your price range, but...I really like mine. :-D It's not about lightweight for me as much as it is about improved ride quality. On the other hand...my $800 commuter bike has slightly wider tires than my road bike (only slightly) and ever since I changed my riding style to not death-grip my handlebars they're both pretty comfortable to ride. :-)

For suggestions I don't own one, but I like the looks of the Specialized Sectuer -
http://www.eriksbikeshop.com/2010-Secteur-Sport-Triple-Road-Race-Bike/PR3C5374/Product

It's the aluminum version of Specialized's Roubaix, their "endurance" road race bike, so not a super aggressive road bike but also in the "fast road bike" category. It does have rear rack mounts so no problem attaching a rack. If I was buying a commuter bike right now that's what I would be looking at myself. It also has road gearing.

Since you can mount a rack on both, the one advantage of a cyclocross bike is that it can fit larger tires and it's easier to fit fenders. I don't know what your route is, so I cannot say if this would make a difference for you. I ride my 23c (road size) tires and bike on crushed limestone trails where I live, as long as it's dry, for you don't usually "need" anything wider if you're riding paved stuff.

Race-oriented CX bikes have a lower top gear just because anything bigger than a 46T ring is essentially useless for most people in a CX race.

The Kona Jake is a nice option because while it shares many characteristics of its race-oriented brothers, it has a few nods to utility use such as a 50-39-30 crankset. Having said that, I moved the triple from my Jake onto my Cross Check and put a 46-36 double on my Jake for racing last year. This sping, in pure commuter use, I found that the 46T big ring on the Jake was plenty big, but I replaced the 36T small ring with a 34T.

Note that a 46x12 gear will give you a speed of around 30 mph at 100 rpm. If I'm going faster than that, it's because I'm going down a very steep hill.

Anyway, thanks for all of the suggestions. I was looking at the Jake years ago. One thing I notice with many of the cyclocross bikes is that their top gear seems to be fairly low...close to that of my mountain bike (44t on my Rockhopper and 46t of the Surly Cross Check). Are Cyclocross typically geared lower? I was under the impression that they were usually geared like road bikes on the top end?

I've never owned a road bike, so pardon my ignorance, but with a wide open stretch like I have, wouldn't I want to shoot for something that had a 50+ tooth crankset?

I know a few people who race cross casually and a couple of them have gone to a single chainring that's not all that big. From what I've seen the courses aren't laid out in a way that let's you get up a ton of speed.

If you get to a point where you're doing group rides you'll probably want something bigger than a 46, but then again you'll be fast going down hills just by virtue of being a big guy. I'm not and I have to pedal to keep up on the downhills. ;)

Though I don't hit 30 on the flats often, I can do it without too much trouble if I'm blessed with any kind of tailwind so personally I'd want more of top end. Chainrings and cassettes are pretty easy to swap out if you want something different.

Thanks for everybody's advice.

After work I went to my LBS and tried out a few bikes...the two that I liked the best, and were within my price range were these...

Specialized Allez Comp
http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCProduct.jsp?spid=52848&scid=1001&scname=Road

Specialized Secteur Elite Apex
http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCProduct.jsp?spid=52882&scid=1001&scname=Road

Both have essentially the same components...SRAM Apex. I thought the shifting was extremely smooth and quick. Both bikes were double/compact cranksets. The Allez was a 52/36t with 11-28 and the Secteur was a 50/34t with 11-32.

Granted I haven't ridden a road bike since I was a teenager (back when they were simply called "ten speeds") so I don't really know what I'm looking for in a test ride...but in general I liked both bikes. I took each bike on about a mile loop through the streets downtown and did not have any problem keeping up with rush hour traffic at about 18-20mph. That would have been difficult to almost impossible on my mountain bike, so I was instantly impressed that I was able to throw a leg over a road bike and instantly see a difference.

The Allez felt extremely nimble, but a little twitchy and hard for me to keep in a straight line. I assume it is mostly user error/inexperience, but it felt like it always wanted to be laid down into a turn. The Secteur felt a little more stable like it wanted to go in a straight line. As a total noob, I felt much more confident and comfortable on the Secteur.

Both bikes are on sale this weekend for $1169, and then on top of that Specialized has a deal where they're throwing in a free helmet...not sure which one but it says "a $200 value". Anyway, since I currently only have my mountain bike helmet that would be good.

So therefore, I'm leaning toward the Secteur. Can anybody offer a reason to consider the Allez over the Secteur?



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Footnote: I was previously considering a cyclocross, but at this point I think I'm leaning more towards a full-on road bike with endurance/comfort geometry (such as the Secteur). I have no need for fenders, panniers, rain/mud/dirt tires, and my terrain is all smooth road and I can take advantage of higher gearing. Therefore, I just don't see any reason to go with a Cyclocross if I'm just going to turn around and swap out gears, tires, etc turning it BACK into a road bike. Anyway, that was my thinking...

So therefore, I'm leaning toward the Secteur. Can anybody offer a reason to consider the Allez over the Secteur?



Did you try the "steel" Allez for $700? If they have one in stock I think it might be worth comparing the feel of an aluminum frame versus a steel. I've always prefered steel myself.

Did you try the "steel" Allez for $700? If they have one in stock I think it might be worth comparing the feel of an aluminum frame versus a steel. I've always prefered steel myself.

In my opinion, it's not even worth trying because of the downtube shifters. I always hated those things...hate them even more in traffic...

The Allez felt extremely nimble, but a little twitchy and hard for me to keep in a straight line. I assume it is mostly user error/inexperience, but it felt like it always wanted to be laid down into a turn. The Secteur felt a little more stable like it wanted to go in a straight line. As a total noob, I felt much more confident and comfortable on the Secteur.

Yup, that's the general difference between the two geometries. The Allez is more twitchy...I mean, "more responsive", lol. :-)

More stable handling is also better suited for a bike where you'll be carrying anything on a rear rack, so the Sectuer has an advantage there to. If you put a rack that carries a pair of shoes on an Allez I'm sure it would be fine, but if you have a laptop, lunch, rain gear, something else heavy, it would affect the handling on the Allez more than the handling on the Sectuer.


Both bikes are on sale this weekend for $1169, and then on top of that Specialized has a deal where they're throwing in a free helmet...not sure which one but it says "a $200 value". Anyway, since I currently only have my mountain bike helmet that would be good.

No reason to turn it down, but there's no big difference between mountain and road helmets for your head - either will work about the same.


So therefore, I'm leaning toward the Secteur. Can anybody offer a reason to consider the Allez over the Secteur?

I'm the same guy from earlier, but I would recommend the Sectuer myself, of the two. The advantage of the Allez is that it's more "race" geometry with "more responsive" handling so that when you're bombing down a mountain you can take that turn a little closer, or edge out of the pack to break away slightly faster - neither of which will be helpful for you at all. While it's twitchier handling you might get used to, but why take the risk when the Sectuer already has handling you'd prefer?

Bottom line is that unless you're racing there's really no advantage to the Allez. It isn't even faster, but more responsive handling.



Footnote: I was previously considering a cyclocross, but at this point I think I'm leaning more towards a full-on road bike with endurance/comfort geometry (such as the Secteur). I have no need for fenders, panniers, rain/mud/dirt tires, and my terrain is all smooth road and I can take advantage of higher gearing. Therefore, I just don't see any reason to go with a Cyclocross if I'm just going to turn around and swap out gears, tires, etc turning it BACK into a road bike. Anyway, that was my thinking...

Overall I personally agree with you. Actually, the page for the Sectuer mentions it having fender mounts so it's possible they have it a little more clearance for those...I really don't know though.

Bigger tires are useful for potholes. However, if you don't have potholes (or are riding more laid back routes where you can dodge them) it doesn't matter. Another thing bigger tire clearance is useful for is if you live in a state like Minnesota where I am so you can ride studded tires in the winter. Doesn't sound that like would be a thing for you, though.

In my opinion, it's not even worth trying because of the downtube shifters. I always hated those things...hate them even more in traffic...

I was suggesting he compare steel vs. aluminum. The Allez might be the best apples-to-apples comparison someone can get. There are plenty of other bikes to choose from if steel was the preferred frame material.

Thanks Paul...oddly it didn't register initially as I was on "model/line/elite/comp/apex/caad/2.1/what-have-you" overload after looking at so many bikes...but when I got home from the LBS and went back over this thread again, I realized the bike you'd recommended in the first place was the one I ultimately ended up liking. Thanks for the comments and essentially validating where I think I'm at with the decision.

I think the full-road option is the way to go. I'll likely keep my Rockhopper in its current street/hybrid configuration (as I don't really do any serious mountain biking anymore), so I'll have it for situations where I might need something a bit more rugged. Oh, and no studded tires needed out here in (mostly) sunny California.

Oh, and no studded tires needed out here in (mostly) sunny California.

I hate you. :D :D :D

I have a Specialized Sequioa - the predecessor to the current Sectuer. If it looks like it's going to rain or it's going to rain I attach clip-on fenders to my bike. The issue isn't getting wet - if it's raining you're going to get wet, and the rear rack generally keeps my back dry if it's not raining. It's more that the wheel kicks up all kinds of crap from the street. It gets kinda gross if you think about the things that animals are doing that end up on the street...on the other hand I haven't bothered trying to put full coverage fenders on or anything, so it's not a huge deal.

If I was you, and it sounds like you can store your bike inside in an office, I would be seriously tempted to try out the full carbon Roubaix...I just like the ride of full carbon. :-) Certainly not "necessary" though!

Have fun. :-)

I actually have an 01 Rockhopper that I use to commute sometimes.. I put some 26x1.95 slicks on that bad boy and I really enjoy riding it on the streets. I usually use my road bike though, anymore.

I have an updated drive train on my Rockhopper and I have to say that the wheels, XT hubs and Mavic rims, made a huge difference in how fast it rides. I've thought about putting a rigid fork on it, or one with a lockout, and use it for commuting.. I ride the raod bike instead.

To make a long story short, I almost prefer commuting on the MTB. It's more fun to ride, It's plusher than the road bike and with the current drivetrain I make pretty good time on the bike, plus I can hop curbs and speed bumps on the MTB.. Not that I can't on the road bike, it's just not as fun. I also have a better seating position to ride in traffic on the MTB, more upright. The slacker head tube angle gives it more stability in traffice as well.

I'll have to dig through my Garmin logs, but I have averaged about 18-19MPH to work on the MTB and I can be a bit faster than that on the road bike.. It's about a 9.5 mile trip, each direction. The road bike is more efficient for me, but the MTB is more fun. I have also never gotten a flat while commuting on my MTB, but I have gotten them on the road bike. Now that I'm running Gatorskins that should be a thing of the past..

I was suggesting he compare steel vs. aluminum. The Allez might be the best apples-to-apples comparison someone can get. There are plenty of other bikes to choose from if steel was the preferred frame material.

Yeah, I figured that was what you meant, Matt. I saw the Steel version on their website. Anyway the LBS didn't have one of those, but I did ride Bianche Volpe, which had a steel frame. I just wasn't as impressed with its overall feel, although that doesn't necessarily say anything about the steel frame. Your comparison would have been a good one since I'd be comparing the same bike, just with differeing frame materials.

Anyway, in comparison, the Volpe felt like a tank, a lot like my mountain bike, and I just felt sluggish on it. I don't know if it was the seating position, the components, or what...but both of the specialized bikes just had perfect balance and begged to be ridden fast and it felt effortless on them. Riding the Volpe at speed felt like work. Again...as a 230lb noob on a road bike, I'm not quite sure what it is I'm looking for in a test, and I'm sure my skills will develop over time and then I'll better know what to look for...but right off the bat, I felt like I could take that Secteur and just run with it.

I was planning to hit a different shop today to check out a few more, including a Surly with a steel frame. I'll see how that goes.

I actually have an 01 Rockhopper that I use to commute sometimes.. I put some 26x1.95 slicks on that bad boy and I really enjoy riding it on the streets. I usually use my road bike though, anymore.

I have an updated drive train on my Rockhopper and I have to say that the wheels, XT hubs and Mavic rims, made a huge difference in how fast it rides. I've thought about putting a rigid fork on it, or one with a lockout, and use it for commuting.. I ride the raod bike instead.

To make a long story short, I almost prefer commuting on the MTB. It's more fun to ride, It's plusher than the road bike and with the current drivetrain I make pretty good time on the bike, plus I can hop curbs and speed bumps on the MTB.. Not that I can't on the road bike, it's just not as fun. I also have a better seating position to ride in traffic on the MTB, more upright. The slacker head tube angle gives it more stability in traffice as well.

I'll have to dig through my Garmin logs, but I have averaged about 18-19MPH to work on the MTB and I can be a bit faster than that on the road bike.. It's about a 9.5 mile trip, each direction. The road bike is more efficient for me, but the MTB is more fun. I have also never gotten a flat while commuting on my MTB, but I have gotten them on the road bike. Now that I'm running Gatorskins that should be a thing of the past..

Nice! For reference mine is the FS A1 Comp with disc brakes and the (crappy) Judy fork. Black with blue and yellow. Here it is prior to commuter-izing it...

http://www.tooleries.com/filelib/pics/rockhopper1.jpg


What you have done with yours is pretty much the point I was at with my Rockhopper before deciding to just go with a road bike.... I don't believe mine has the XT gear though. I thought it was all LX stuff. Or are you saying you swapped it out FOR XT components?


Anyway, I'd love to hear the specifics of what you've done. I'm by no means ditching my Rockhopper and will likely continue to ride it on weekends and maybe use it for commutes where I have more cargo than usual. At this point it's a street/light off-road bike and if I ever do any mountain biking, I'll just get a new bike for that.

The Allez is made of a higher grade of aluminum (if I understand Specialized's marketing claims correctly), but that's not nearly enough to justify getting the bike that didn't feel as good to ride. Definitely go with the Secteur.

Did you try the "steel" Allez for $700? If they have one in stock I think it might be worth comparing the feel of an aluminum frame versus a steel. I've always prefered steel myself.
It is a shame that the Steel Allez isn't available with brifters, or at least bar end shifters. I have the red 2010 Steel Allez, and love it. Its downtube shifters are very easy to shift (for DT shifters) as the indexing works well and they are light to the touch. With that being said, I would prefer to have bar end shifters on there instead of DT shifters. Since I paid $399 on clearance for my bike, I figure that I can handle the DT shifters for a while before switching it over to bar end shifters.

The Steel Allez is a great riding bike, by the way. :)

The Allez is made of a higher grade of aluminum (if I understand Specialized's marketing claims correctly), but that's not nearly enough to justify getting the bike that didn't feel as good to ride. Definitely go with the Secteur.

I know you can buy an Allez with higher grade aluminum if you buy the really top end model...actually, it looks like this year you can buy the Sectuer with the same stuff. I would bet it's benefit is just a slight decrease in weight, though.

I know you can buy an Allez with higher grade aluminum if you buy the really top end model...actually, it looks like this year you can buy the Sectuer with the same stuff. I would bet it's benefit is just a slight decrease in weight, though.

It looks like the Secteur with E5 aluminum also has carbon seat stays, so it probably makes more difference than the A1 vs. E5 Allez models. You're probably right though that weight is the main difference. It's also possible that they went with a stiffer feel at the same weight, I suppose.

I was suggesting he compare steel vs. aluminum. The Allez might be the best apples-to-apples comparison someone can get. There are plenty of other bikes to choose from if steel was the preferred frame material.

Actually, the steel Allez has slightly different geometry and very different tube shape, so I'm not sure this would be any better (or worse) than comparison with any other steel bike. It does have the same tires and wheels, so I guess that helps in the comparison.

Yeah, I figured that was what you meant, Matt. I saw the Steel version on their website. Anyway the LBS didn't have one of those, but I did ride Bianche Volpe, which had a steel frame. I just wasn't as impressed with its overall feel, although that doesn't necessarily say anything about the steel frame. Your comparison would have been a good one since I'd be comparing the same bike, just with differeing frame materials.

Anyway, in comparison, the Volpe felt like a tank, a lot like my mountain bike, and I just felt sluggish on it. I don't know if it was the seating position, the components, or what...but both of the specialized bikes just had perfect balance and begged to be ridden fast and it felt effortless on them. Riding the Volpe at speed felt like work. Again...as a 230lb noob on a road bike, I'm not quite sure what it is I'm looking for in a test, and I'm sure my skills will develop over time and then I'll better know what to look for...but right off the bat, I felt like I could take that Secteur and just run with it.

I was planning to hit a different shop today to check out a few more, including a Surly with a steel frame. I'll see how that goes.

The difference between the Volpe and the Allez can be lots of things, but primarily in this case it is attributed to the geometry. The Allez is a performance bike whereas the Volpe is a light touring machine. It handles like a tank for a reason. If you go to a Surly shop you'd be most interested in their "Pacer" model.

Have fun shopping and don't be in too much of a hurry. Try 'em all. Some more than once. Really take them for a ride and get what will make you happy for a long time to come. It's not everyday you get to walk into a shop and test ride bikes with the actual intention to buy. Milk it for all it's worth! And I have to agree with PaulRivers ... Don't overlook full carbon. At least test ride one!

If you like the Secteur over the Allez that's fine. The most important thing is that you are happy.

Nice bike!

Mine came with some old school LX components.. It's an A1 as well, but I have a different color scheme.. White and blue, I'll see if I can dig up a picture of it.

I got some STI LX shifters and converted to hydro disc brakes, put on LX derailleurs, and picked up some wheels, that I got cheap to slap on there. I got an LX crank as well. I got everything for a good price, and I got the bike used many years ago, so I'm not into it that deep and I enjoyed doing all the work on it, plus I learned alot, so it was worth it..

I ran slicks for awhile and it was a pretty decent commuter. I've contemplated putting a rigid fork on there, since I've got a full suspension Prophet to MTB on.. I ran the slicks with the old drivetrain as well, but it really flies with the new wheels, I think that was the biggest difference, by far. Everything else was just because I could, except the crank, that was pretty beat up from the trails.

Alas, I've got my road bike, so I really don't want to put any more money into the Rockhopper. My son has been riding it now, I've offered to let him have it. Now that he's taller than I am. I am building him a flat bar road bike though, so who knows what he will want to do with it.

I did find a picture, but it was before the crank and derailleurs..

I just wanted to update this thread and thank everybody for their excellent suggestions and sound advice. I ended up going with the Specialized Secteur and am very happy with it. I just had my first commute this morning and it performed flawlessly. I haven't commuted in quite some time and felt pretty good on it, although I took it nice and easy for this first ride.

I swapped the stock carbon fiber over alloy seatpost for a cheap alloy seatpost, and then mounted a seatpost rack and rack bag. I'm still needing to work out seat height and position but overall I feel good on the bike.

I've mounted the SPD pedals from my mountain bike and am wearing my mountain bike shoes for now...and I think that will be just fine for now. I'll worry about lighter/better/whatever pedals later. Not to mention my MTB shoes are fairly comfortable.

Anyway, I'm shooting for a couple days a week commute and then see how that goes. Thanks again everybody, and I'll definitely report back any questions, observations, etc to this thread.

Here's a pic of the bike in my cubicle, along with this morning's data from runkeeper.

http://www.tooleries.com/filelib/pics/cycling/CommuteBike1.jpg

http://www.tooleries.com/filelib/pics/cycling/1stCommute-Results.jpg

http://www.tooleries.com/filelib/pics/cycling/Route-NoLabels.jpg

I just wanted to update this thread and thank everybody for their excellent suggestions and sound advice. I ended up going with the Specialized Secteur and am very happy with it. I just had my first commute this morning and it performed flawlessly. I haven't commuted in quite some time and felt pretty good on it, although I took it nice and easy for this first ride.

Glad to hear that. :D :D :D


I swapped the stock carbon fiber over alloy seatpost for a cheap alloy seatpost, and then mounted a seatpost rack and rack bag. I'm still needing to work out seat height and position but overall I feel good on the bike.

You...realize you could just mount a regular rack on there and not have to worry about a seatpost rack swinging around while you're riding, right? :-)


I've mounted the SPD pedals from my mountain bike and am wearing my mountain bike shoes for now...and I think that will be just fine for now. I'll worry about lighter/better/whatever pedals later. Not to mention my MTB shoes are fairly comfortable.

lol, it's not really a big deal - in fact most of us deliberately use mountain bike pedals for our commuter bikes because the mountain bike shoes are much easier to walk into work with, or stop off at the store or something, then road shoes which are difficult to walk around in. Not really any difference in speed or efficiency either.

I personally own both road shoes and pedals and mountain shoes and pedals and deliberately use the mountain shoes and pedals on my commuter bike when I could be using either.


Anyway, I'm shooting for a couple days a week commute and then see how that goes. Thanks again everybody, and I'll definitely report back any questions, observations, etc to this thread.

Would be curious to see what kind of time difference you're personally seeing. :-)

Glad to hear that. :D :D :D



You...realize you could just mount a regular rack on there and not have to worry about a seatpost rack swinging around while you're riding, right? :-)



lol, it's not really a big deal - in fact most of us deliberately use mountain bike pedals for our commuter bikes because the mountain bike shoes are much easier to walk into work with, or stop off at the store or something, then road shoes which are difficult to walk around in. Not really any difference in speed or efficiency either.

I personally own both road shoes and pedals and mountain shoes and pedals and deliberately use the mountain shoes and pedals on my commuter bike when I could be using either.



Would be curious to see what kind of time difference you're personally seeing. :-)

Yeah, I had thought about a regular rack but I already had one of these seatpost racks and a bag, and just really liked the setup so I just went with that.

Yeah, the more I think about it, I might just stick with the MTB shoes and pedals since they're comfortable and they're what I'm used to.

Well, 53 minutes was the fastest I could do on my mountain bike a year ago when I was 30lbs lighter and in MUCH better shape....so to go out first time and match that, I was pretty impressed. I'm hoping to drop about 10-15lbs in the next month and get the legs back and see where I'm at. I'll definitely post progress in that case. :)

There's a 50 mile loop that I do on Sundays and it runs the gambit from bike paths and back roads, to industrial city roads and lots of train track crossings. Depending on the traffic and weather I can do the loop on my Huffy MTB in anywhere from ~2 hours 40 minutes to ~2hours 55 minutes. I'll use the Huffy because it's outfitted with balloon tires that ride smooth and relatively fast like Schwalbe Big Apples or Fat Franks so the rougher sections of road don't really take away from my comfort level. I lose very little time riding the Huffy compared to my Nishiki Olympic with 700X23 Gatorskins.

Have you thought about a bike messenger bag instead of the rear rack? I ask because I have both on my MTB and find that the bag works better for me than the rack... Also I am in the same boat you are but I am 6'6" and over 300+. I found that the Specialized was far more comfortable than almost everything else out there for someone my size. Oddly enough the one that beat it for overall comfort was the Merchx EMX-1/3.

Well, I used a backpack for a while and didn't really like having anything on my back due to heat. How is a messenger bag compared to a backpack in terms of comfort, heat, perspiration, etc?

For me it was allot better in terms of comfort and location as well as heat. It sits across the back from shoulder to hip instead of right no the back and I had a pad on the neck/shoulder area for comfort. Plus I could lock it in tight and high or let it go looser and lower unlike a back pack. Sweating... You are going to sweat no matter what you do but it kept the interior stuff dry FWIW. If you have an Apple store near you they have them so you could try it before buying then go to: http://www.timbuk2.com to customize one for you. Its what I ended up doing.

Well, I used a backpack for a while and didn't really like having anything on my back due to heat. How is a messenger bag compared to a backpack in terms of comfort, heat, perspiration, etc?

It's a little better, but you still sweat. I can't imagine you're not sweating by the end of your ride anyway. It's all personal preference, but I've found that all backpacks are not equal. I used to use a backpack, then I switched to a rack and pannier because of the sweat/comfort issue. But I didn't like the way the pannier changed the handling of my bike so I tried a messenger bag. The messenger bag was definitely better than the backpack, and that's what I used most of last summer. In the winter I switched back to the pannier for a while because sporty handling wasn't much of a priority. Then mid winter I got a bike-specific backpack (Novara Commuter) just to try it out. I've found that it's more comfortable than the messenger bag (especially with a heavy load). I also have a trunk bag with zip out side pockets that I use sometimes when I'm not carrying much. It's more aerodynamic than the pannier, but more comfortable than the backpack. Obviously I like to have options. :D

It looks like you aren't carry much, so the rack and trunk bag is probably good for you.

It's a little better, but you still sweat. I can't imagine you're not sweating by the end of your ride anyway. It's all personal preference, but I've found that all backpacks are not equal. I used to use a backpack, then I switched to a rack and pannier because of the sweat/comfort issue. But I didn't like the way the pannier changed the handling of my bike so I tried a messenger bag. The messenger bag was definitely better than the backpack, and that's what I used most of last summer. In the winter I switched back to the pannier for a while because sporty handling wasn't much of a priority. Then mid winter I got a bike-specific backpack (Novara Commuter) just to try it out. I've found that it's more comfortable than the messenger bag (especially with a heavy load). I also have a trunk bag with zip out side pockets that I use sometimes when I'm not carrying much. It's more aerodynamic than the pannier, but more comfortable than the backpack. Obviously I like to have options. :D

It looks like you aren't carry much, so the rack and trunk bag is probably good for you.

OK, well I still might check out a messenger bag anyway as I also like having options. Not to mention I use the bike to go to friends' houses who live nearby and a messenger bag sounds like the perfect way to carry a six pack of beer or a couple bottles of wine :)

Yeah for my work commute, I leave a pair of shoes at work, as well as a whole assortment of toiletries...so basically I carry my clothes which I roll and they go in the rack bag and I'm good to go.

Just...an fyi. I have read plenty of people who have tried a messenger bag and hated them. The general consensus is usually that a rack (attached normally to a bike to it doesn't sway around like a rack that attaches to the seatpost can do) is the best, easiest, and most comfortable way to carry stuff on the bike.

I'm not trying to get into an argument on the topic - I haven't even used a messenger bag. But I think the impression from this thread that a messenger bag is better is a couple people's opinion, not any sort of concensus.

I can say that I've used a backpack, and I've used a bike specific backpack, and the more bent over I am the more difficult it is to be comfortable having anything on my back. The bike specific backpack is fine with my mountain bike, but very annoying with my road bike, because on the mountain bike my back is fairly straight, while on the road bike my back is more curved...ish as I'm leaning over.

If it's hot out I always prefer the rack. I bought the best bike-specific backpack I could find - it has a mesh back and inside the bag there's a plastic backing that keeps the actual pack off my back. It works the best of anything I've seen - where the mesh is I wouldn't sweat through my shirt, but there were some small points at the top and bottom where the pack would contact my back and I'd sweat through my shirt there (I personally don't seem to sweat a whole lot and almost never sweat through shirts).

Here's a pic of someone carrying a case of beer on their bike -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/philipwilliamson/2556921855/

And another one -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/elneenya/3564529999/

I think I tend to agree Paul for the commute, but the messenger bag would be handy for more casual riding...like over to friends or to the store where I need to carry a lot more stuff than the rack can accomodate and I'm not as concerned about performance.

Also you've mentioned seat-post racks swaying around. Ive never had this problem, ever. I tighten it down real good and it seems super solid.

Depending on your beam rack clamp, you might want to put an old inner tube around it. For carrying things I do prefer a rack. Beam racks are usually fine if you don't carry a lot of weight.

For grocery shopping I personally bought the Banjo Brothers Market Panniers -
http://www.calhouncycle.com/ProductCart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=176&idproduct=1453

They were...well honestly, I brought a Digiorno's pizza box with me and tried to fit it in different panniers and the Banjo Brothers ones were the only one where it would fit and also close over the top. :-) (So no worries about groceries flying out the top if it gets bumpy). I put one on each side and they carry 2 grocery bags worth of groceries, twice as much as I could fit in a backpack.

Yeah, I don't know why some seatpost racks seem fine while others sway around. I know I've known people who have had complaints in person, plus seen complaints on the forums, but then other times for other people they seem to work fine.

Don't take my comments as meaning that a messenger bag would be "wrong" or anything, just mentioning what's worked best for me. I'm sure a messenger back would work ok as well.