math is fun

I have a Tricross sport that I commute on. They fit sks chromo plastic fenders fine. I did have to buy some extra hardware from mcmaster.com to make the front fender fit. I really couldn't be more happy with the tricross its light, fast, and reasonably priced for what you get.

gerv 

Again, I have a 2006 Volpe and many, many miles on its original components. However, I would recommend trying a Surley Cross Check. I'm sure other models would fit the bill too. When I tried them, the Cross Check came in a 54 and 56 cm range, while the Volpe had a 55cm. I went with the 55.

You just need to put bike fit first on your list and let the more cosmetic side play second fiddle.

Andy_K 

This. I've got a Cross Check and a Kona Jake. Of the two, I'm a bit partial to the Jake, which I recently made even more commuter friendly by installing a Civia Bryant fork and front disc brake. It's hard to tell from the website pics if the new Jake still has all the eyelets and rack mounts that the 2010 and earlier models did, but I think I see an eyelet on the fork, so I'm guessing it does. The Soma Double Cross is another good commuting option and is available with front and rear disc tabs.

As for brifters vs. bar end shifters, the difference is huge, but preferences go both ways. Ride bikes with both and your preference will be clear.

JeffS

I had been riding bikes with "modern" shifters for 15 years or so. When I decided to pick up a bike with bar end shifters I absolutely hated them. I still own that bike (raleigh sojourn), but I rarely ride it. I have to move my hand to shift and it brings back memories of the poor-shifting "ten-speeds" I had as a kid. Many people say barcons are sturdier. Personally, I have never broken a shifter, mountain or brifter. Maybe I've been lucky though.


As far as bikes... I went through a bunch of bikes in search of the right one. My favorite bike at one time was a disk brake cyclocross bike (salsa las cruces). Then I bought my casseroll and haven't looked back. It's perfect for my needs. Comfortable, but not sluggish feeling. I'm not a fan of canti brakes, so I'm less a fan of the new model that was just released. I also have a carbon tricross that I will likely try as a commuter one day.

There are plenty of options out there if you look around.

My suggestion for everyone who doesn't know exactly what they want is to buy used. There are plenty of good values on ebay if you're patient. If it doesn't work out, you can sell it for what you paid for it and try again.

noglider 

I have a Surly Cross Check which I got as a frameset. I built it up mostly with stuff I had. It's a very versatile bike. I just re-equipped it this week, and it's up to about 31 pounds, but it's still very nice.

Pictures coming soon. If I don't post them, nudge me.

Andy_K 

What the heck did you do to get a Cross Check up to 31 pounds?

noglider 

I don't know. Maybe my scale is wrong. First of all, the Cross Check is stunningly heavy for a modern frame.

I've added a rack, fenders, bottle cage, bell, cyclocross tires (for the winter), and, uh, I can't remember. I promise to post pictures.

electrik

If you are stuffing the panniers full of crap don't even think about what the bicycle weighs compared to another.

BarracksSi

I've got a "Valpe" -- it's a Bianchi Valle, which has (as far as I can tell) the same frameset as the Volpe, but it comes with flat bars, fenders and a dynohub. I put a rack on mine, which made it a lot more useful, plus better lighting; but I converted it to drop bars a couple months back, hence the "Valpe" nickname.

I figured that the conversion was basically the same cost as buying a Volpe and adding generator lighting to it.

One trick is that when I don't have panniers on it, it feels really light.

Watchdog

Well because no one has mentioned them yet, how about the Rocky Mountain Metropolis Sea https://www.bikes.com/main+en+01_102+...ATID=27&Y=2011
or the Opus Sentiero https://www.opusbike.com/en/bikes_5_33-66-sentiero.html
or the Kona ***** Inc https://www.konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=*****_inc

I think all would make good commuters, all have drop bars, disc brakes for wet weather commuting, and the Rocky and Opus both have eyelets for front racks if you have a bigger load.

jwbnyc

If I was in the market for a new commuter the Volpe and Cross Check would be at the top of my list.

Actually, the Cross Check would probably be what I would go with for a little more rough road capability, larger rubber, and a greater selection of studded tires that would fit for winter riding.

I'd buy the frame and transfer my current set up over and then change stuff here and there as things wore out.

That's where Surlys really shine. You can get just about anything to work on them, so; you are basically out the price of the frame depending on what you decide to change to start.

Andy_K 

I reject that notion. It's not light, but I don't think it's as heavy as everyone makes it out to be. It's maybe a pound heavier than an aluminum frame in the same price range, and the fork might add another pound. That's not so bad.

Anyway, I'm not trying to bust your chops or anything. I was just surprised by the weight you posted because my Cross Check weighs around 26 pounds with rack and fenders, and I've had it as low as 21.5 built as a fixie.

noglider 

Andy_K, I exaggerated. It's not stunningly heavy. I'll see if I can figure out why mine is so heavy. What size is yours? Mine is 58cm. It's too big for me. My ideal size is 56cm, and I'm looking to trade this one for a 56cm if I can find someone willing to do that. In the meanwhile, I put on a super-short stem on it, and it's perfectly comfortable for me.

canyoneagle

Couple things:
- An IGH is definitely worth considering. The slight loss in efficiency (I don't notice any, though I'm sure it would me measurable with calibrated instrumentation) is not worth fretting about for transportation bicycling. IGH's are frequently used by trans-world adventure cyclists for a variety of reasons. If you will have frequent exposure to rain or snow, the IGH offers a much cleaner and simpler chain line, with reliable shifting regardless of the level of muck. Shifting performance suffers somewhat below 0F due to oil viscosity. I switched over to IGH's about 5 years ago and will not consider another derailleur drivetrain, even for a mountain bike.

- Many drop bar bikes are available, as this thread has yielded. The Civia bikes have a growing base of happy owners, several of whom do participate in these forums from time to time.

- Though belt drive is still in its early stages for the bicycle application, it is certainly very functional. There is some risk that a belt drive system on today's bikes may be superseded by the next evolution in the technology in a year or two. This has happened to me, as I am an early adopter of the technolgy. It doesn't bother me - I am tckled pink with it and personally feel that it will offer a viable option to a conventional chain, particularly where grit and grime are issues. I havent had to clean my dirvetrain in the 1,500 miles I've put on my belt thus far. YMMV.
Nevertheless, any bicycle with belt drive can very easily be converted back to chain drive if need be - it shouldn't be a deal killer IMO.

noglider 

Good point, canyoneagle. The only real disadvantage to an IGH I can think of is cost. Fewer bikes come with them, so converting a bike involves cost. Same with a belt drive.

One of these days, I'll build a bike with an IGH with at least 8 speeds. I haven't been happy with 3- or 5-speed hubs, mostly because the gears were spaced too far apart.

Andy_K 

Mine is a 54. I could also go a size down, but then I'd have the shorter head tube, which is probably my biggest complaint about the Cross Check.

SurlyLaika

I ride a Cross Check like it fine, but what I would recommend for you, since you're willing to spend up to $1,900 on the Civia, is to buy a frame you like and build it up customized, drive train, handlebars, saddle, pedals and all. I like how the Soma Buena Vista, also Surly's Troll and Karate Monkey might fit the bill.

I like my stock bike, but the more I learn about the components the more I would like to change out some components, just out of personal preferences.

canyoneagle

I've been very happy with my Alfine and Nexus 8's, though the gaps are still larger than a conventional road bike so fine tuning in a headwind is compromised. The 5-6 gap on the Nexus/Alfine 8 is my primary gripe with the system, as it is the largest step and occurs between two of the most frequently used gears.

Still, I'm an IGH convert and feel the benefits that I've seen far outweigh these minor niggles.

The 11 speed alfine offers a much more linear (and closer) gear ratio spread.

caloso

How hilly is Omaha? I'd always thought the Bianchi San Jose would make a nice SS commuter if your topography would allow it.

canyoneagle

+1 or a similar SS bike with CX-type versatility

tjspiel

There's always the San Jos8:

Ember

Incredibly so. I can't imagine using a SS or fixie here. The bike that I first used when I started commuting was a 5-speed Schwinn Collegiate and it wouldn't shift the lowest and highest gears. I had to dismount and walk almost all the time when I was going up hills.

Thanks again for all the suggestions and advice~!

RoadieRex

I've been commuting recently (in upstate NY) on a Surly Long Haul Trucker. I put 26x2.0 Schwalbe Marathon Plus MTB tires on and it handles the snow well. The low gearing of the LHT is nice when muscling through wet, heavy, snow and slush. I'm going to retire my Surly from winter commuting (because it's my touring bike and the salted roads can be unkind)...just want to extend its life. Just got a Motobecane Fantom Cross CX this week that I'm working on getting into commuter mode.

canyoneagle

It's hard to beat BD for bang for the buck. ^^^ here's another option for the OP to consider. Definitely a solid value IMO.

canyoneagle

The SanJos8 is a very cool adaptation. I'm pretty sure that Harris only made these for local pick up, so it would have to be facilitated. Cool bike, though.
Did Bianchi drop the San Jose from the 2011 line?

Here's one that has come up from time to time on these forums, and I believe a few folks here have put some miles on theirs. Option?
https://bikesdirect.com/products/mercier/kilott_wt5.htm