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Serious road bike used as a commuter?

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Serious road bike used as a commuter?

Old 06-20-08, 06:16 PM
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I bike on a road bike, but then I have:

a 16 mile each way trip on a well paved and traveled bike route.
rain ~10-15 days a year.
a walk in closet that I can lose my bike in at work.
no real need to transport anything but myself to and from work.
pretty open hours as to when I start/stop work.


It's amazing that there's not more people biking to work... they just don't feel like it I guess.
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Old 06-20-08, 06:23 PM
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Originally Posted by tjspiel
There are people who've convinced themselves they need SUVs to commute to work too, so I guess it's not limited to cyclists.
You know...in my search for a good bike to ride to work and around town, I've come full circle. At first, I wanted a fast road bike cuz that's what I like to ride most. Then I thought it'd only be comfortable to ride an MTB with full suspention. Now I'm back at the road bike cuz I really think that'd be fine. That's why I'm looking at flat bar road bikes now. It's in the middle but still far on the "road bike" side of the spectrum. After reading this forum, I'm going to check into a drop bar bike though.

Oh...and can I quote that in my sig, tjspiel? VERY well put and very true to an extent.
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Old 06-20-08, 06:25 PM
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JMRobertson,

I'm trying to work my way up to biking to work, but I don't want to be a fool and jump into something without doing a bit of homework so I don't hurt myself or those around me. I'm excited about the prospect of really sinking my teeth into it...but I'm definitely one to test the waters first, dip my toe in, get used to it, and then slowly make my way in. Others dive right in, no guts...no glory, sink or swim. I'm a little more reserved in my approach, but I'm getting there!
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Old 06-20-08, 06:32 PM
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NoRacer...what specific model is that?
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Old 06-20-08, 06:42 PM
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I started a couple months ago... it goes a lot faster than I originally thought it would. I have the luxury of being able to toss my bike on a bus and knock 13 miles off that 16 mile trip for about a buck. For a while I would bike halfway and bus the rest. But then I just started doing the full route and it wasn't so bad. One thing about biking. It gets easier, and it gets faster. There are hills on my route that three weeks ago were daunting, but now I'm taking in middle gears at 10-12 miles/hour. It will come... just keep at it.
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Old 06-20-08, 07:58 PM
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I currently commute on my steel road bike, and am trying to turn it into more of a commuter bike. Currently have a rack and milk crate, and probably getting fenders and lights this weekend. If I wanted to though, I could use my more serious road bike (Not even close to some of the bikes posted here though), as my job is not far away at all.
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Old 06-20-08, 08:02 PM
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I commute on a road bike, I like the ability to keep up with traffic, on my MTB it just spins out.

Go for the Orbea Aqua! Carbon fiber stays to make the ride so much comfier.
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Old 06-20-08, 08:35 PM
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Originally Posted by tjspiel
1. If I had a few grand invested in a road bike I'd be reluctant to park it outside but truth be told, it would probably be fine where I work as long I left at a reasonable hour. I'm lucky in that I can bring my bike inside.
I wouldn't. Not a nice bike. Of course, that depends where you park it, your schedule, etc.

Originally Posted by tjspiel
2. They can be expensive, but let's be honest, there's people who've spent well over $1000 on "commuter" bikes.
True.

Originally Posted by tjspiel
4. If you keep your tire pressure up, you'll survive most potholes. Obviously there's a wide variety of rims and tires used on road bikes so YMMV.
Depends on what you mean by pothole. Not to brag, but where I come from we have a serious problem. More serious than the serious bike.

Why does Montreal have so many potholes?

Originally Posted by tjspiel
5. Contrary to popular belief, you can put fenders on almost all road bikes, - even serious ones.
True, but nobody does it. Well, almost nobody.


For those five points, your mileage may vary, but I prefer to use a beater when I commute. My old bike is still plenty good enough to be an enjoyable ride and discreet enough not to attract any attention.

Last edited by jpmartineau; 06-20-08 at 08:37 PM. Reason: Fixed quote blocks
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Old 06-20-08, 08:52 PM
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Originally Posted by jpmartineau
Depends on what you mean by pothole. Not to brag, but where I come from we have a serious problem. More serious than the serious bike.
Yep. We have a similar situation in Gatineau. When I go for rides on my road bike I tend to ride in low traffic times and places, which allows you to safely navigate the obstacles.

But when riding in rush hour traffic into the city I usually ride my flat bar commuter bike with a rack and 700x38c slick tires. I can pump those tires up and not worry about them for three weeks or more, but I'd be regularly getting pinch flats on the skinny tires on the road bike if I didn't pump them up every other day.

I notice that the people who do commute on road bikes around here almost exclusively use vintage steel ones as well. I assume they're mostly concerned about theft of anything newer.
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Old 06-20-08, 09:18 PM
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There's a guy near my neck of the woods who has an '07 Bianchi 928L for sale. I'm worried that it might be just a tad too big for me at 55cm. He sent me pictures and it is simply beautiful. Unfortunately, he has several people interested and is currently letting a friend do some extended testing with it. I'm afraid his friend is probably going to jump at the chance to buy it. Seems to be a good deal on the bike and he's willing to throw in some free stuff, which is nice.
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Old 06-20-08, 10:55 PM
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Originally Posted by NoRacer
They are SKS Raceblade fenders.

You can get them through REI or Performance Bike.
Thanks, I've tried several of the Planet Bikes fenders but can't get the fit right on my road bike. I've heard that the SKS don't stay put, but seems like they work fine in your case, I'll have to try it out.
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Old 06-20-08, 11:31 PM
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Originally Posted by MedLine
Thanks, I've tried several of the Planet Bikes fenders but can't get the fit right on my road bike. I've heard that the SKS don't stay put, but seems like they work fine in your case, I'll have to try it out.
Mine didn't stay put but others seem satisfied with theirs. It almost seems like the luck of the draw.

Just make sure you buy from REI or Performance, as mentioned, in case they don't work.
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Old 06-21-08, 12:55 AM
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Originally Posted by Jaeger
Yep. We have a similar situation in Gatineau. When I go for rides on my road bike I tend to ride in low traffic times and places, which allows you to safely navigate the obstacles.

But when riding in rush hour traffic into the city I usually ride my flat bar commuter bike with a rack and 700x38c slick tires. I can pump those tires up and not worry about them for three weeks or more, but I'd be regularly getting pinch flats on the skinny tires on the road bike if I didn't pump them up every other day.

I notice that the people who do commute on road bikes around here almost exclusively use vintage steel ones as well. I assume they're mostly concerned about theft of anything newer.
Hehe, I think the problem is widespread across Quebec. There's something wrong with our civil engineers (and the politicians).

My commuter is a 88 rockhopper. Not exactly vintage steel, but steel it is, and theft, I don't worry about. I love how it rides. My nice bike is a LHT, and I'm also looking for another steel frame to build up a road bike... so I guess I prefer steel
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Old 06-21-08, 09:39 AM
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I started commuting about when I started riding a bike (in my adult life, training for triathlons). In my old job, we had showers and lockers, so I didn't have to carry much stuff. This was about a 25-30 mile round trip and my bike was parked at a bike rack in our Dallas suburb company parking garage. I started out using an old Schwinn I bought from a coworker. After I realized this was for me, I upgraded it with Supergo Korso wheels and 8-speed bar-end shifters and rode it from late '05 to mid '06 (note I'm a Mar-Oct commuter):


Then, I got a deal ($375) I couldn't refuse on a tri bike and the Schwinn sat and I pretty much always rode this starting mid '06:


Well, since the Schwinn just sat and I loved that old bike, I converted it to a fixed gear and split the commutes between it and the Klein. I also switched jobs lengthening my commute to 35-40 miles round trip. I have no showers or lockers, so I installed a rack on the Schwinn and still split the commute between bikes using a backpack on the Klein. I also store my bike in our company's closet (small company).

Now, I've got a screaming deal on a new Javelin with Campy Veloce and have sold the Klein (sniff, sniff), so my commutes are split between it and the Schwinn:
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Old 06-21-08, 10:23 AM
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Chris,

That is a beautiful Javelin!
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Old 06-21-08, 10:49 AM
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That javelin has some serious handlebars! haha
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Old 06-23-08, 05:43 PM
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I know I made the right choice going with a road bike after today. After almost two weeks of commuting/training & logging over 400+ miles I'm feeling a lot stronger with some endurance to spare. My commute is far so I wanted something that was gonna get me from point A to B fast. Even with a fully loaded backpack and panniers I was steady at 18 to 21 mph on the MUP today. About 60% of my commute is a MUP with a fairly smooth surface with little other bikes or pedestrians on it. Course the heat was down today so that helped.

I lose most of my time when I'm riding with traffic and stopping for stop lights ugh. Even then I can easily keep up with traffic while I'm in downtown. The road bike screams for me to go go go but I wouldn't have it any other way. If you're going to commute long distance then freck, go for the road bike.
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Old 06-23-08, 05:56 PM
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What's your commute road bike?
I looked at your commute on the map. Wow!

I'm still weighing my options. There are a couple of guys in my area who have a couple of REAL NICE road bikes for sale. I like both of them, but I'm still so new at this...I don't want to jump on one of the deals only to discover I wish I would have waited. I like to have all my ducks in a row and do lots of thinking and researching before taking the plunge.

Heck, I've even entertained the idea of getting a recumbent bike or trike. My thoughts are all OVER the map! I've got to get it together before my bank account runs dry!

Originally Posted by theWolf
I know I made the right choice going with a road bike after today.
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Old 06-23-08, 06:22 PM
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Originally Posted by Mr23779
What's your commute road bike?
I looked at your commute on the map. Wow!

I'm still weighing my options. There are a couple of guys in my area who have a couple of REAL NICE road bikes for sale. I like both of them, but I'm still so new at this...I don't want to jump on one of the deals only to discover I wish I would have waited. I like to have all my ducks in a row and do lots of thinking and researching before taking the plunge.

Heck, I've even entertained the idea of getting a recumbent bike or trike. My thoughts are all OVER the map! I've got to get it together before my bank account runs dry!
It's a Specialized Allez Double. I would just say make sure you feel comfortable on the bike. I test drove less/more expensive bikes but the Allez just "fit". I dunno, the bike should really have you at "Hello"

Test every bike you think you might want so you have no regrets, bike shops are eager to sell.
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Old 06-23-08, 06:31 PM
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Nice bike!

Yeah, I know what you mean. I want the bike to speak to me. That same phenomenon has happened to me before...so if I go with a road bike...I want that same thing to happen.

Originally Posted by theWolf
It's a Specialized Allez Double. I would just say make sure you feel comfortable on the bike. I test drove less/more expensive bikes but the Allez just "fit". I dunno, the bike should really have you at "Hello"

Test every bike you think you might want so you have no regrets, bike shops are eager to sell.
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Old 06-24-08, 09:41 AM
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I don't see why anybody would want the little bit of extra comfort of a slower mountain bike or thick fat tires. I see guys on these ceap bikes and thick tires struggling to get up hills, no wonder they are scared to take the lane.

For me the ability to move fast and be agile far outweighs the desire for comfort. I'll get comfortable when I'm home chillin on my couch.
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Old 06-24-08, 09:55 AM
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capolover,

Would you mind posting a pic of your bike? It's very nice!
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Old 06-24-08, 10:33 AM
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I think i posted it... maybe? here you go.
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Old 06-24-08, 10:47 AM
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Yes, I saw it in another thread...but thanks for posting it here. Very nice! I looked into getting one of those but my LBS was out of them. I had the option of ordering one, but I'm the type of guy who likes to test things out.
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Old 06-24-08, 11:13 AM
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What follows is just MY opinion. Based on commuting and general riding. That said....


Originally Posted by Mr23779
"Self, these are rolling works-of-art and have the latest/greatest components, etc...and since these are magnificent machines and are meant to be ridden long distances, built like tanks but weigh next to nothing, are effecient, and are the epitome of cutting-edge design...wouldn't they make great commuting machines, too?"
FOR REALZIES?

Rolling works of art? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Give me a lugged steel frame with classic brooks seat and bar tape and day of the week. It's like hardcore porn to me.

Latest components? Any bike can have that and the latest is not always the greatest. The big brands like Shimano make great stuff but they are just giving the public what they THINK they need and not really what's best. 10 speeds? Now 11 coming out? Do you realize what has to be done to get extra cogs in the same amount of space? They have to be thinner and therefore wear out quicker. Other than cassettes and cranks, there isn't anything else component wise that's any better from anything ten years ago or more, and I still wouldn't say those are better anyway.

Meant to be ridden long distances? No. They are meant to go fast like Lance. Or make you think you go fast like Lance. Bikes meant to go long distances (touring bikes) are the complete opposite of racing bike. They are built stronger, built to take heavy loads, the geometry sits you in a more upright and comfortable position so you can actually stand up straight when you get off. They have clearance for tires that let you tackle almost any terrain and fenders for the ever changing weather during long/far rides. The only thing that makes road bikes better for long distance is they are lighter and there for somewhat easier to pedal. When every second counts and you need ever last bit of energy while racing, that's a good thing. For commuting, who cares?

Built like tanks? This is a joke, right? Especially if it has any carbon. That stuff is light and flexible but it can only take so much before it snaps. Bend or dent your steel frame and it may still be rideable. At least to get you home. Crack carbon and you're screwed. Break a spoke on a racing wheel and again you are screwed. I Hope you have a cell phone. Those thin tires are also more prone to flats. The only thing I would relate to a tank is the road-feel if the pavement is anything but uber smooth.

Efficient? Well, ok... i'll give you that... in one sense of the word. Light and fast = pedaling efficiency.
But I wouldn't say they make an efficient commuter.

Epitome of cutting edge design? Mmmmmaybe... so is Lamborghini but I don't think I'd want one as a daily commuter.

Great commuting machines? No. See above.

I used to be a roadie. Then I started commuting and woke up.
I still have a road bike but I only ride it once in a blue moon if I happen to ride with someone else that has one and I want to match their "pedaling efficiency". Lots of people commute on them which is cool it's just not my cup of tea. I just thought some of your reasoning was a bit out of whack.
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