Commuting - Want to commute but am confused....

Its not unusual that I think about things enough to really confuse myself so I will let you guys/gals try to sort out this newbie's mind:

I am looking for a new bike because some person decided they wanted mine.... I used to commute on my 27lb full suspension MTB. I will commute in the future in all weather but for TX that means no snow. So I am thinking that a cyclecross bike is the way to go because I can still do some group rides on weekends(no racing) but not have to worry about tearing up a road bike by dropping off curbs, and running over road trash. Also I have realized the need for fenders in wet weather. I carry stuff in messenger bag but thought rack might be nice. Should I also be considering a road bike or is that out of the question? Will a road bike handle the abuse? Are there really increased maintanence issues with steel or would normal care/maint. keep the bike looking good and in working order?

I have about a grand to spend; 5'11" 180lbs and have considered the
LeMond Poprad and Surly Cross check, but haven't gone out and really test ridden anything yet. Any help and reccomendations would be very helpful.
thanks!!

Either a CX bike or a touring bike will be good choices - for the CX bike make sure it has the appropriate lugs/attachment points for racks and fenders if you intend to use them (not all CX bikes have them, but the Lemond and the Surly do)
For lots of wet and snowy weather you may want disk brakes or the option to mount them, but I don't have any experience here.
For riding in a range of seasons you may find yourself converting parts of the bike as seasons change - narrower tires in the summer, wider, even studded tires in winter. Fenders you may choose to take off if you get several weeks of dry weather at a time.

I use a Lemond Poprad where rain is rare (but frequent in the winter months) and snow is non existent and the roads are generally good condition. I use 28 or 25 slicks year round, but put on 38 knobbies for riding single track on weekends. I really like this bike.

Al

Hi,
the Poprad looks like a nice bike. There are some others like the Jake the Snake. Take a look at other types, like Lemond's Big Sky , Specialized Seqouia,Trek 520, etc.

Rather than the Cross Check, if you're looking at Surly, check out the Pacer and the LHT.

Someone was having a jake the snake sale.....looks like a good bike.

Any of these more tour-oriented 700c bikes will make a good commuter.
The Cross Check (or any other CX based tour bike) is good for rougher conditions and occasional tracks and trails.
Light touring road bikes like the Pacer convert well to fast road use, but still have clearance for medium tyres, fenders and rack and are plenty strong enough for daily , all-weather use. Steel is not a problem, it has paint on the outside and you can put wax on the inside.
The LHT is perhaps overkill for a commuter, with a big load-carrying capability at the cost of some agility. Good if your alternate use is loaded touring.
Most riders who use these kind of bikes tune the gearing to their own needs (strength, terrain, surface, load carrying). You can use single, double or triple chainrings, std or compact chainsets.
Fully rigged commuters with drop bars rack, fenders and lights seem to be less attractive to thieves than sporty MTBs.

A CX bike is great, just check for heel clearance with panniers, if you will be using them (and I *hgihyl* recommend them.)

Steel is no issue. If you ride through a downpur, maybe pop the seat out and flip the bike to make sure it's drained. Hit it with frame saver every year or so, if you are really anal.

I test rode a Poprad at the local BS and liked it. The newer models have better components, think Shimano 105, with bells and whistles like the topbar breaks, which really are for racing but I think they are cool anyway. I didn't end up buying it due to price, but I liked it. Check out ebay, you can find tons of poprads for sale.

Should I also be considering a road bike or is that out of the question? Will a road bike handle the abuse? Are there really increased maintanence issues with steel or would normal care/maint. keep the bike looking good and in working order?

Certainly not out of the question--you can commute on almost any type of bike. Many people commute on road bikes, especially when they have longer commutes. A road bike can handle the abuse, as many long-time commuters can attest. There is nothing inherently fragile about road bikes, though some come with racing tires that are not especially appropriate for commuting (upgrade to Kevlar-beaded tires, like Bontrager hardcase). As others have noted, normal care keeps steel working fine. (Again, people were riding on steel long before other materials became common).

But the two cyclocross bikes you've identified are also very popular with commuters, and are both excellent choices.

I rode my old road bike 14 miles one way in my last job. It was ok but not the best.
Now I have a new job and got myself the bike listed below (cyclocross) as a birthday present in December. It does a great job of "handling" the crappy roads and potholes in Atlanta streets.
Go with the cyclocross bike. I think you'll be happy.

. So I am thinking that a cyclecross bike is the way to go because I can still do some group rides on weekends(no racing) but not have to worry about tearing up a road bike by dropping off curbs, and running over road trash.


A cross bike is a great way to go. You have clearance for wider tires and the higher BB gives you more clearance to hop larger obstacles.

I've used two "sport tourer" type bike for nearly 20 years of commuting. I've always abused my bikes -- curbs, bumpy dirt roads, mud, snow, rain, ice, gravel, train tracks (riding on the ties between the tracks), car collisions, crashing in events -- and the bikes seem to have handled it all well.

I've occasionally bent or lost a spoke but I've never taco'd a wheel. I'm also a light rider -- 155 pounds -- and I don't typically carry too much weight with me. I did strip the threads from my non-drive side crank a few weeks ago, but this bike/crank is 18 years old so I guess that's okay.

RFM