thiocyclist

I've been on a Windsor Oxford as my main commuter for over 3 years, and I am about to move to a different city with a slightly longer commute (one-way distance increasing to 6 from 4 miles). I am quite comfy on the Oxford -- I truly love the Nexus hub, as well as the overall "shape" of the bike and how it influences the riding experience -- but I am starting to think maybe it is time for something a little nicer. The frame paint job is starting to wear out in lots of areas, so it has lots of metallic holes shining through, and overall I notice it is a pretty heavy bike compared to that of my friends. I have entertained building my own replacement, since many offerings that are similar to the Oxford are no better or worse in quality, but on the other hand maybe I should just hang tight with the Ox. What do you other commuters think?

treadtread

Hang tight. Do the new commute for a couple of months on your existing bike, then decide if you need to upgrade. This will also give you a better idea of what bike is suitable for the new conditions, should you decide to upgrade.

Steely Dan

if you like what you got, then i'd hang tight with it and see how it goes. going from 4 miles to 6 miles is no big deal at all. if your current bike works great for 4 miles, then it should work just fine for 6 miles if the topography is similar between the two routes.

now, if you were going from 4 miles to 14 miles, then that might be enough of a distance change to consider getting a new bike...... possibly, the oxford might still work perfectly fine for that distance too.

spivonious

Depending on terrain, you may find the 3-speed to be limiting, but definitely give it a try first. I do 7 miles each way on a similar bike (although with a 21-speed derailleur drivetrain) and don't find the upright positioning or bike weight to come into play much.

Matariki

At my average commuting speed (12.5 mph) the difference between a 6 vs. 4 mile commute would be less than 10 minutes. I can't imagine that you would have any significant changes in comfort with the longer route, whether you upgraded or not. A nicer, lighter bike may give you a faster commute, but in practice I have not found this to be significant either. I can average perhaps a single MPH higher average with my 20 lb skinny-tired bike over my 35+ loaded down normal commuter with fat tires. I can get to the next red light faster though.

I concur with the others. Use the Oxford and see how it goes.

On the other hand, if you just want an excuse to acquire another bike, well I agree with that too.

Leisesturm

You cannot build a better bike than one of the big guys. You can build a more unique bike, a more personalized bike, and that's all good, but value goes right out the window when you start down that road. I don't know you, and I'm sure you are a fine human being with great posture, and you have no overdue library books in your possession. Your present bike and commute mark you as a cyclist of 'only' modest attainment. You are not (yet) worthy of a one off build and since you likely lack the skillz to pull it off yourself, you are going to pay $$$ for labor. I'm not going to say you have to stick with your present rig, I'm all about the n+1 with respect to bikes. You would be amazed at what $150 will fetch at a bike co-op. Amazed I tell you.

H

Booger1

WOW!

When is it permissable to build a custom bike for yourself...5 years,10,15....Maybe it's a mileage thing,5000 miles,10,20.....Or do I need to submit a document to some governing body for approval...

If you like the way your present bike rides,that's 90% of the battle,the rest is window dressing.

3 years is plenty long enough to know what you want for a bike,build it if you like.Keep riding your other bike and take your time building the new one.Shop around and you can find great deals on parts if your not in a hurry.

path4

+1, mime increased about 0.7mph. The two measurements were taken months apart with similar traffic conditions. I am not sure weather it was due to my improved strength or better bike (road vs folder, summer vs spring).

wphamilton

I vote for upgrade, get a sporty road bike with some gears.

Leisesturm

I think you know what I meant... the faux outrage is for whose benefit exactly? Last I knew the UCI was still a force to be reckoned with and still making life difficult for riders of anything new and different.

thiocyclist

Why do you say that? I am not a big fan of derailleur systems personally, because they shift so much slower than a Nexus.

noglider 

Both. Keep the Windsor and start shopping for its mate. If this is your only bike, it's time for you to own a second. Or at least start thinking about it.

What kind of bike should you look at next? That's really the question. I suggest you start looking at sport-oriented hybrids. On one of these bikes, you will lean forward slightly more but not much. Weight is reduced and overall quality is improved. One example is the Giant Escape 2. This bike has a triple crankset and an 8-speed cassette. Cassette hubs are more reliable and durable than rear hubs that use a thread-on freewheel. The gearing may be wider than you need, but you never know. It could take you farther on a weekend ride, because you could tackle any hill at any speed. The Giant Express 3 is the next model down and has a 3x7 drivetrain. One fewer cog is not a great loss, but the rear hub takes a freewheel instead of a cassette. If you can afford it, get a bike with a cassette hub.

Or try a few different bikes. Go to a local bike shop and test ride two or three bikes. Also check out the local offerings on craigslist. After a few test rides, you'll have a clearer idea of what's next for you.

Don't get rid of the Windsor. Love it for what it is. There will be times when the Nexus hub is right for the job.

If you don't have fenders on your bike now, consider getting a pair, and you can put it on the Windsor or the next bike. This way, one bike will be ready for rain. The other bike doesn't need to be.

wphamilton

More gears is better than just 3 gears. It is a 3-speed hub, right?

I initially built my road bike as 1x8 gears, which was perfectly fine for commuting. In fact, 3-speeds would have fine for the commute. I wouldn't have particularly missed the other 5.

BUT, the point of the road bike is to have more fun with it. Lighter (faster up hills), more nimble due to the geometry, faster due to the rider position if nothing else. More gears means better range at the top or bottom end, or both, which for me means it's more fun for longer, more varied rides. I could probably take a Windsor Oxford on one of my long weekend rides, but I probably wouldn't. Too many hills, and too long in the saddle, I'd feel like I was plodding through it.

Booger1

OHHHH!....This a sanctioned commute.....I'm an idiot.....

thiocyclist

I think I understand your perspective, but for me the 3-speed Nexus is very preferable to my previous 21- and 10-speed bikes which had derailleur systems. I cringe when I look at derailleurs anymore, since I have gotten so spoiled by the Nexus. Currently I don't miss having any more gears either, though there are Nexus hubs that go up to 8 speed.

gregjones

How much time did you live with an Ultegra/Dura Ace level bike before you decided to split the sheets and start loving the Nexus??

thiocyclist

Probably never, I don't know what price point those come in at but probably not mine (remember, I am "'only' of modest attainment"). The 21-speed was a Shimano Altus IIRC. Considering my current ride is a $400 bike and I wouldn't want to go more than double that on any bike right now, is any bike out there I can afford equipped with the Ultegra/Dura Ace?

gregjones

Nothing snark from me. You just explained your derailleur statement.

Musician-oriented???? Every campfire strummer with a $300 plywood box brags about how it sounds "as good as a Martin".

Same thing.

wphamilton

Well if you're avoiding derailleurs I don't see why a 1x8 internal hub wouldn't be fine on a road bike. Just a little heavier and more expensive I think. I don't know if you can find that stock on a racing style road bike, but it's something I wouldn't mind riding personally, if you can get it in a range from say 35 gear inches to at least a hundred gear inches. That would cover it mostly. With only one ring and no DR's you'd get to save some weight that way.

thiocyclist

I am not following how this analogy relates to the internal hub - derailleur preference.

The music forum reference was more to do with the way people respond, not the content of the debate. Anyway, I was not familiar with your use of "split the sheets" and your post came off a little more hostile than I think it really was supposed to, so I actually redacted my comments about snark. My bad.

dynaryder

Horses for courses. I used to use a 3spd as a run around/beater bike,but I never commuted on it. Way too narrow of gearing for the hills I had to contend with. Tried it with 8 and 9spd hubs,but they just couldn't match my 3x9 for climbing up steep hills and bombing down them.

Huh? Derailleurs shift just as quickly as IGH's. IGH's are probably actually a touch slower since they require more cable pull than derailleurs.

thiocyclist

In my experience, the Nexus shifts WAY faster than the many derailleurs I have tried or owned. No, not Dura Ace.

Matariki

I built a custom bike when I was 8 years old. A little bit of this bike, a little of that one, some salvaged wheels, and there I went.

Do anything you want to do and call it good. I do have to say that my current commuter is a custom build: 42 year old steel frame, new wheels, and various other old and new parts; and so it evolves.

thiocyclist

Well, I had busted the last set of pedals a week ago and finally replaced them with some nice metal ones so now I'm happy again. I think a combination of riding a friend's featherweight bike and seeing the finish starting to come off of the frame is what bugged me in the first place. That said, I wouldn't trade this bike for 99% of the ones I see out there, including the friend's featherweight. As cool as a good road bike is I really like the way the Oxford is designed and how it affects my posture, and I don't see many road bikes doing this for me as they seem to be optimized for speed demons from what I can tell. But I could be the idiot who prefers the plywood box as someone said.

My new commute will probably be less hilly overall, so that's a plus. Currently I deal with a couple pretty severe hills. If the Ox can handle those it'll be fine with another mile or two, as I have taken it 30+ miles many a time.

noglider 

You can put flat or swept-back bars on a road bike. Or use a stem with more rise or less (forward) extension.

If you're going to have more than one bike, and that is a hypothetical point so far, there is a good argument for one of them having a derailleur system. They are cheaper and lighter, and the ratios can be changed easily. You still have the advantages of an IGH if you keep your IGH bike. So when you want a bike whose gears you know will just work without thought, and maybe you're heading out in the snow, take the IGH bike. When you want to take a fun weekend ride, take the derailleur bike. It's the fair weather commute day where you have to stop and think about which bike to take.