JxC

So, I've been "studying" for several hours and have come to the realization that there are an insane number of variables that come into play when purchasing a new bike. It's much more daunting than I expected. While part of me wants to talk to guy at my local shop, I'm hesitant because I have an innate distrust for salespeople. That said, I'm crossing my fingers and hoping to pick the brains of some of you wonderful Bikeforum folks.

Earlier this morning I did some window shopping online only to realize that I know squat about bikes. I'm in the market for a commuter bike (again). I'm ready to ditch the unused gym membership, maybe get more audiobook listening time in if it won't kill me, save on gas, and be a little greener.

My first purchase in 2008 was a Specialized Crosstrail. I lived in San Francisco at the time, and it served me well through college, post-college, and was a welcome substitute to public transit. Not knowing any better, it seemed like a better choice than a road bike, though I was overtaken by "fixies?" pretty regularly. This made me feel like I was losing time with a hybrid bike, and then I convinced myself that maybe it just wasn't the right hybrid. I sold in 2010 when I started a new job that was farther away than I felt was reasonable for me to commute. I haven't ridden a bike since and I've missed riding quite a bit.

I'm in a new city now and live in the burbs (of sorts). I'm about 15 miles from my office and would like to start cycling again.

Here's what I think I'd like:

• $500 - $750 pre-tax price point. If I better understood cycles, it would help me justify a $1k+ model.
• Light metal (I will have to carry it up stairs)
• Hydraulic Disc Brakes
• Flat-bar?

Maybe something akin to:

• Norco Indie
• Bianchi Semplice
• Trek FX

I look at the comparative models and model variants, and I just don't understand why some cost more or less than others. The variables, specs and brands are all gibberish to me. What core info do I really need to know about my commuter bike to justify the cost?

Is it crazy of me to think that a road bike would be less safe for a low experience rider in city traffic? I wouldn't be opposed to one with drop-down or bullhorn handlebars, but I think that's something I'll have to experiment with after my initial purchase.

Here's a Google Map link to the meaty part of my would-be commute. The before and after are all gridded city streets.

As far as accessories go - I do expect to have a bit of lighting and reflectors since it's winter and get's dark well before I would leave for the day, but I don't expect to carry much with me other than a backpack with a change of clothes, a bottle of water, and possibly my laptop so long aI'm not worrying about a fall and it getting crushed. Fenders would be nice (I remember my rear tire shooting rain water onto my back).

Any advice would be very much appreciated!

Leisesturm

You've already justified the cost. Now you just need to pick a bike. Very generally, the more expensive the bike, the lighter it is. In your price range a Specialized Sirrus is worth a look. Trek FX 7.? are also good bets. As I understand it Treks are thief magnets. But so are Honda Accords and people still buy them by the bucketload.

Beth W

I have only been cycle-commuting (in San Francisco) since summer, but have done so on a few different bikes already. A comfortable, mid-weight hybrid is great -- with that big hill you might want plenty of gears, especially as you're getting into shape. (In fact, you might try finding a shop that will rent you a few different bikes so you can try them out). That said, I also recently got a road bike -- but it's got swept-back handlebars and an upright, less aggressive posture, and it's lightweight and zippy. I'm a slowpoke still so I'm not speeding past the fixies, but it's pretty easy to handle for a newbie.

CliffordK

15 miles is a long commute. Not unreasonable, but long.

You didn't mention your height and weight. Not the first thing to ask, but it does make a difference when choosing a bike.

There are many different types of "commuter bikes". I wouldn't spend too much time stressing over a commuter specific bike. A road bike should do most of what you wish for.

Each person is different. I don't think I've ever purchased a "new" bike, other than a couple of kids bikes. Let someone else take the initial depreciation hit, and get a bike that is worth two or three times what you pay for it. At the same time, you should be comfortable doing some of your own work on the bike if you go the used path.

Expect your commuter to take some abuse (which is another reason not to have a fancy new bike).

The difference between carbon fiber, aluminum, titanium, and a quality steel frame is only a couple of pounds. Steel is tricky because many people cut corners and make them heavier than they need to be. Likewise there are many heavy aluminum bikes, but there are also good lightweight ones.

Some people like disc brakes for bad weather. You're in sunny California. You can lock your wheels up with standard calipers. I just don't think I'd stress about getting disc brakes. Nice to get, but it shouldn't be a deal breaker either way.

I've ridden drop bars all my life. At 15 miles, you may benefit from the drops. Especially if you hit wind. You can move your hands around a bit more with the drops to give you more flexibility. At least don't completely ignore them without first trying them.

I wouldn't stress about fenders. A rear rack is often nice, but there are ways to get around a paucity of mount points.

Anyway, I'd encourage you to keep an eye on Craigslist. Don't ignore the "road bikes".

If you find the "deal of a lifetime", post a link here and someone will comment.

a1penguin

Since you don't know much about bikes, I can't agree with the building one up from component, but recommend purchasing a complete bike. You are correct that there is a lot of choice in bikes out there and it is not obvious what you are getting for your money. I think bike prices follow the same general rules as many products. At the low end of the price scale, you get higher quality at a higher price. At some point, you start paying a lot more to get lighter weight components. These curves would look like a hockey stick. Personally, I try to find the price point that maximizes the value.

Groupset - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia has a list of groupsets and includes the hierarchy. The difference between road and MTB groupsets will be weight and range of gear ratios.

I think for hybrids $500 will get you a nice hybrid, while a road bike will be in the $1000 price range. Hybrid will weigh on the order of 25-28 lbs, road bikes 20-21. Hybrids will have mounting holes to fit full fenders; road bike won't have these. Hybrids will accommodate tires that are wide (32-35c), but road bikes are often limited to 28 or 25c (c equals millimeter). Wider tires are better for crappy road conditions.

There are also some brands that offer quality bikes at a lower price than the big name brands. Fuji and Giant offer good value for the money. In my shopping experience, I found Specialized to charge more for privilege of purchasing the brand name. Trek, Cannondale and Felt were priced between the two ends. REI Novara brand is not as popular and mentioned as often in the forums, but the people I know who own these bikes like them and I haven't seen a lot of negative comments on BF about REI bikes. Performance bike carries Fuji and they have sales every other weekend or so.

You commute isn't all that long, but 700 ft elevation gain is pretty substantial and you might prefer a hybrid to a road bike because of the lower gearing.

As for the bikes you've listed, the Trek FX is very popular here; the other two are not mentioned that often. Looking at the $600 Norco, it has rather low end Altus groupset. I don't have a good sense of what hydraulic brake models are better. It has MTB gearing and pretty wide tires: 37mm == 1.5in. The Semplice has only two speeds and is not well suited to a 700 ft elevation gain. The $600 Trek FX 7.2 disk has next level up Acera groupset and 35mm tires. I think the tradeoff here is that the Norco has better hydraulic brakes but lower groupset.

As you live in LA, perhaps you might consider looking on craigslist? A used bike might save you some $ and give you the chance to figure out if a hybrid is the right choice for you. I'm also not sure that you need disc brakes; it doesn't rain often in CA!

You should head out to some bike stores, look at some bikes, kick some tires, ask questions. I don't know what the road conditions are like for your commute, but the local folks should be able to provide some guidance here. And test ride some bikes and see what you like and don't like. Remember, fit is the primary selection criteria when choosing the right bike.

tsl

The purpose of your first bike is to teach you what you want or need in your second bike.

Starting out--or starting over--you can't yet know what ultimately will work for you. Given time, you can learn what all the myriad variants mean, but that still won't help you to know how that relates to your own personal needs, desires, preferences and conditions. Only one thing teaches you that, and it's experience.

So don't sweat the small stuff. And look towards the lower end of your budget. Your first bike, or first bike returning, won't be perfect for you. Period. So just take a good stab at it, knowing that in time you'll figure out what that second bike should be.

Save some of your budget to carry-forward to your second bike, or to put towards better accessories. IME, commuting is tougher on accessories than it is on bikes. You can get away with cheap on the bike, but on accessories, cheap translates to cheesy. Cheesy isn't up to the rigors of daily commuting.

As for what works and doesn't work as a commuting bike, the only common denominator seems to be two wheels. You don't need to spend much time in the Commuter Bicycle Pics thread to see that it's more about personal preference than anything else. Nobody here can tell you what your personal preferences are.

That said, given you've already tried a hybrid and determined that it didn't give you the experience you desire, maybe looking at hybrids again isn't the right choice for you. But bear in mind that if your objection is that other riders were passing you, don't blame the bike. Blame your legs, and work on them this time around.

Yes, I ride roadies. Yes, I'm faster than most. I very, very rarely get passed. But I've been passed by a guy wearing flip-flops on a squeaking X-mart mountain bike. My bike wasn't to blame.

No, not crazy at all.

Just bear in mind that when anyone here to tells you a road bike, or a mountain bike, or a hybrid, or a city bike is "better" for commuting, well they're simply disguising their own personal preferences as advice. Again, I direct you to the nearly 13,000 posts in the Commuter Bicycle Pics thread for proof of that. Every bike in that thread is a "commuter" bike, and they're all different.

I have a strong preference for roadies. Roadies make me happy. All my bikes are variations on the theme, and I commute on every one of them. There is no "logic" that dictates why I prefer roadies. For every argument I make for roadies, someone else can take the same argument, turn it around and say that's what made them choose their preferred type of bike instead. And we'd both be "right".

If roadies seem attractive to you, sure, try one. If you have doubts, try something else.

It's generally cheaper and easier to buy a new bike than it is to convert one from straight bars to drops, or drops to straight. The highest-cost items of a modern bike drivetrain are the shifters. Each bar type takes a different kind, so it's not simply a case of bolting-in curvy bars. You'll be replacing big-ticket parts too.

catonec 

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Jim from Boston

Nicely said. I started out with an upright Schwinn Suburban in 1971, and Bike 5 is a high four-figure carbon fiber one that I use for commuting, at twice my intended starting price. Bike number 2 wore out, number 3 was totalled in an accident, and number 4 is my beater mountain bike.

My own particular shopping strategy (for almost anything) is to look first at the high end items to include all the bells and whistles available, then whittle downwards to find a product acceptable for my needs and price. I hate to have buyers remorse by being too cheap, FWIW.

By the time I bought Bike 5, I was so devoted to cycling that I just took the advice of my trusted bike mechanic who said. "I know your riding style, and here's what you want." and he was absolutely right.

warrior4130

I did not read thru every response to see if this had already been said, but if possible, go to several bike shops, and find one you are most comfortable with. They explain to them what you're looking for, and via my experience, get fitted, even if you go with the cheapest fitting, then sit on bikes, and buy the one that is the best fit and most comfortable that you can afford. I read a lot, and this seems to be the "path" to ownership that I came across most often (with some variation). I did just that....I first "shopped" the shops, then made sure I knew what kind of riding I would be doing the most of, I got the cheapest fitting, and ended up getting a bike that I did NOT want...actually, I like being a bit different, and I did not want a Trek, because half the ppl I ride with ride Trek (other half ride Specialized)....but, at the end of the day, Trek was the best fit that met my needs

Bike Gremlin

All my commuting bikes have a rack (for carrying backpack and panniers) and mudguards (for rainy days and puddles). I like to ride in work clothes whenever it is convenient.

I have a road bike and a MTB. For anything under 5-7 kilometers, rigid MTB is perfect. CHEAP, bombproof, easy to ride across shortcuts (kerb jumping, grass, gravel etc).

MTB is also better when there's snow.


Road bike is nicer for longer distances (10+ kilometers), on (at least decently) paved roads. Though even my road bike has 28 mm wide tyres (these are superwide by roadbike standards) - so it's more like som sort of hybrid.


For my first bikes, I went cheap, until I was sure what I want. My main commuter is still a cheap old 2nd hand MTB.


I live in flat lands so no need for any disc brakes. Cheap v-brakes and cantis do the job very well. Also, for commuting on pavement, I see shock absorbers as a flaw, not an advantage.


As far as price differences go:

1) try different types of bikes and see which one is for you. I'd go cheap, 2nd hand. Try road bikes, MTB, hybrids. After that, you will know what kind of bike you want.

2) Get the right size frame. Most frames will do for commuting. I'd go with cheaper alu, or steel, but if you like carbon - by all means, why not?

3) Gear: I'd go cheap and reliable. Up to 8 sprockets in the back, 2, or 3 up front will cover most needs. If you can afford and like more, more expensive, then go for it. Shifters also - plenty to choose from. I like friction shifters for cheap price and being bombproof, but we're all different.

4) Wheels - I'd look for wider tyres, for reliability and comfort, but again - if you prefer the fast (feeling) thin tyres, go for it. For stopping in the wet, using rim brakes, aluminium wheels are the best. Hubs that also produce electricity for lighting are good, but weigh more and are a lot more expensive - so this is your choice.


My main commuter is cheap because bikes get stolen a lot, ugly looking, but also reliable. Rides almost as fast as a road bike, except when riding in strong headwinds. Weight is generaly not a problem - I'm a grown man, so 5 kg +- is no big deal for me to carry, while on the road, it makes next to no difference.

mcours2006

This is very good advise. I would echo the idea that your first bike isn't going to be perfect, both in the fit and the style. The more you ride the more you'll learn about yourself and your own preferences.

From what you're written, OP, you consider something like a flat-bar road bike like a Giant Rapid. I have a Rapid 2 (2012). It is essentially a road bike (sister bike to Defy) with road components and 25mm tires. The top tube is slight longer than its sister's to accommodate the flat bar. Aluminum frame with eyelets for rack and fenders. Triple crankset with good range of gears on the 9-speed (perhaps 10 now). You'll appreciate it on the long climbs. Mine tops out at just about 21lbs. I got mine used, but I've seen it new at the LBS for $750. The Rapid 3 and 4 would be less.

Robert C

At 15 miles, each way, per day I am going to recommend a recumbent. The reason for the recommendation is comfort. Further, you mentioned the safety aspect, a recumbent give you the "heads up" position without the huge aero loss. Problems are that there are no real new choices in your price range, sad; but it's the truth. The next issue is that recumbents are generally heavier than similar conventional bikes.

With those two things out of the way, a recumbent is really the best choice for a long commute.

bikemig 

If I were commuting 15 miles each way, I'd get a drop bar bike but ideally one that takes fat tires and that has interruptor brake levers so that you can ride from the top of the bars and still have braking as well.

Cross bikes make fine commuters. I'd check out the motobecane fantom cx from bikes direct Save up to 60% off new Cyclocross Road Bikes - Motobecane Fantom CX Clearance

You'll have to put it together yourself though; here is where a bike co-op can come in handy as you'll get some advice in doing this.

wolfchild

I hope you're joking. Seriously 15 miles is not that long.

You must have a very weird definition of what comfort is, because any regular bicycle is very comfortable if the size is correct and if set up correctly to fit the rider.

No it's not, people ride centuries and tour across the world for thousands of miles on regular bicycles, you don't need a recumbent to ride a long distance...Actually it would be the worst choice for somebody who lives in a high-rise apartment and has to use the elevator or carry it up the stairs.

mcours2006

I don't think he is. He appears to have several recumbent bikes. No one else here would even think about recommending a recumbent bike, because it's a dumb idea. No offense to Robert C.

wolfchild

Not only is it dumb, but also dangerous and totally impractical for daily commuting through the suburbs or a city with heavy traffic.

tsl

And there you have it. Nine posts between my two and everyone is recommending a different type of bike as the ideal commuter.

We are all right, BTW.

As for the recumbent recommendation, I have a friend in another forum--we've met and have ridden together, up a mountain of all things--who will only ride recumbents. He was as tenacious a commuter as I am. We both rode our bikes to work every single day for years and years and years without interruption. He put just over 100,000 miles on his "new" LWB recumbent, at about 8,000 miles a year of daily commuting.

It can be done because it has been done.

I use the past tense because at age 70, Kirke retired at the end of October. Worse, less than a month after retirement, he was crushed under the wheels of a FedEx semi-trailer which right-hooked him.

So Wolfie, pipe down on the recumbent bashing, okay?

They may not be the choice that you would make or I would make--and fortunately, nobody says we have to. But it suited my friend Kirke just fine for dozens of years and hundreds of thousands of miles, and Robert C seems to like his and is equally entitled to express his opinion.

Unconventional does not equal wrong.

wolfchild

That is a very sad and tragic story, sorry to hear that. Was he riding a regular bike or a recumbent when the accident happened ??

I wasn't the one who even started making recommendations about which type of bike OP should get...It was somebody else who said that a recumbent is an absolute and the best choice for any distance 15 miles or more and we all know that that's wrong...OP even said that he looking for something that's light weight because he needs to carry it upstairs, good luck carrying a recumbent up the stairs...That's the problem with " which type of bike should I get" threads. A lot of people make recommendations based on their own personal likes and dislikes.
I would never recommend any certain bike to anybody and say that it's "the best", and I would never ask anybody else for advice what type of bike to get.

fietsbob

OK number 1 you aint gonna get hydraulic disc brakes on the kind of money you are willing to ante into the game .

mcours2006

Well, no. I would say some are more right than others.

The OP mentioned light weight so he can carry it up stairs, aluminum, disk brakes, flat bars because he was unsure of drop bars due to his inexperience riding one, and price range of $500-700. How does a recumbent bike fit with these criteria?

We make recommendations based on what the OP has written. It's ridiculous to recommend that he build a bike from the frame up, or get a recumbent bike, or that he triple his budget and get a CF bike.

And I am sorry to hear about your friend.

Wanderer

Given that your price range is rather wide, I'd consider a Sirrus Sport Disc, or Sirrus Elite Disc. Either would be perfect for your use.

Also, given that there may still be old models available, you might be able to score a Sirrus Comp Disc under your mentioned $1000 hi limit.

MHO

dynaryder

Except for two of the three bikes he mentioned.

JxC,first thing you should do is see what's available in your area. If you're that distrustful of the shops,you can always get second opinions here. Plus there are good shops out there. You could also check to see if there are any co-ops/bike kitchens. Test ride lots of bikes,the correct bike for you is one that fits you properly,and whose ride and handling you like the best.

fietsbob

then they needed no hand holding from me. just go buy stuff.

L.A. has almost(?) as Many Bike shops as Portland Oregon

they're just further apart , dont like one go find another .

wolfchild

Another thing OP should consider is, are disc brakes really necessary ??. I mean OP lives in Los Angeles which doesn't really have winters, no ice , no snow, no salt/sand on the roads, rim wear is not too much of an issue in their area, so why even bother with disc brakes ??. A good set of V-brakes would be just as good for stopping and a lot easier to maintain.

dynaryder

While I agree the OP doesn't need them,hydro discs are certainly much easier to maintain than V brakes. On street bikes,you bleed them every couple of years,and replace the pads when necessary. And before you say it,no,bent rotors are not a thing.

Before anyone starts telling the OP what he wants,and we start another brake flame fest,I think the OP should check out his local shops and decide what appeals to him.