KeolinPortara

I've been bike commuting off and on to work using a heavy 21 speed mountain bike with a suspension and panniers. My ride is just under 6 miles, mostly on a paved bike path along a river (which is really pretty, and well-maintained). There are a few hills but it is mostly level. I live in a desert so it doesn't rain that frequently.

My office has a shower and a dedicated outbuilding for bicycle storage, so I have a pretty ideal setup in that sense. I'd like to get a bike that is lighter and without a suspension (as I hate how it steals power on climbs). Panniers are kind of a must for me though as I have some lower back pain that gets aggravated by wearing a backpack on a bike, and I have to carry a 15" laptop and a change of clothes to and from work every day.

Any recommendations would be appreciated. I've never had a road bike before, but I'm open to getting one... I've just heard that road bikes don't often accommodate fenders or panniers very well. My primary motivation for bike commuting is improving my health with regular exercise, and my current bicycle is way overkill for this paved route. Probably looking to spend no more than $1000 on the bicycle if possible (including accessories).

yankeefan

On such a short commute a hybrid or a city/commuter bike would be a great choice. If you plan on using your bike for more than just commuting (maybe a weekend ride at a good pace) a cheap cyclocross bike would be a good option. Lower end cyclocross bikes sometimes have rack+fenders mounts in addition to drop bars kinda giving you the best of both worlds.

DiabloScott

Surly
Cross Check
Fixed Gear

Stun

Find a steel mtb from the late 80s at a garage sale and put slicks, paniers and fenders on it! Also, a lot of people around here sell bikes that they have already set up as commuters--that might work too! It has already come up, but do you plan to use the bike for anything else besides commuting?

KeolinPortara

I would like to be able to do longer rides on the weekends, once I've built up some stamina for my daily commute. I had been riding 17 miles regularly on my heavy mountain bike until a back injury knocked me out of commission for a while. I'd like to get back up to 20-25 mile rides.

jaxgtr

I would go with a Cross bike or a fitness\hybrid

wphamilton

@KeolinPortara it all comes down to what kind of bike YOU like. We'll all have an opinion about what we'd ride on your commute, but you can make just about anything work. With a little imagination even a road bike can accommodate fenders and something for your laptop.

Sullalto

$1000 should be plenty for an entry level drop bar/road bike + accessories.

If it's mostly flat, weight doesn't matter much at all. I hesitate to discourage n+1, but why not just get a rigid fork and keep using the bike you have? When I was commuting 5 miles on a comfort bike, it was fine. 15 miles, I definitely prefer my road bike. But 5-6 miles? Not a big deal in bike choice, provided you're comfortable. Especially if your speed is limited by curves deliberately placed on the trail to slow down cyclists, and pedestrians. 5-6 miles simply isn't long enough to make a big difference in elapsed time due to weight.


But if a new bike is more likely to make you ride, then **** practicality and get thyself a new bike.

Lots of bikes with drop bar bikes can fit racks or fenders or both. Maybe not high end road bikes, but there's plenty of capable commuters with drop bars. If you have back pain, make sure you can put the bars at a good height for you though-since drop bars tend to be placed lower than flat bars. But not necessarily, look at touring bikes. Similarly, with back pain, I would second the suggestion for cyclocross&adventure bikes-the ability to run wider tires can make the ride a lot smoother. They're more likely to have rack attachments as well.

If you have big feet, pay attention to the chain stay length though-I didn't and with size 15 feet, I get heel strike with 415mm chain stays.

I use a trunk bag, and it works marvelously for an iPad, lunch and change of clothes. TopeakŪ Cycling Accessories ? Products - MTX TrunkBag DXP very convenient, with the topeak rack. Just slides on. Fold out panniers, as well. Though actual panniers would be more aesthetic if that matters to you.

TransitBiker

Not sure if this would work with your budget, but it has pretty much everything you need aside from a bottle cage.

Breezer Bikes - Greenway Elite - Bike Overview

Hope that helps!

- Andy

jfowler85

Are you comfortable building something yourself? I just put together a commuter using a Devinci Caribou 1 frame, Redline carbon fork, 105 drivetrain, FSA wheels, mini-v brakes, and C3 tt handlebars with Dura-Ace barcons followed by Kore cx levers. Total cost was around $650. Bought everything from clearence/sales/closeouts. So far so good, absolutely loving it. It's a bike that can wear many hats - I've been able to fit 700x44 studded tires with fenders, it has plenty of eyelets for racks and said fenders, and is light enough for a nearby gravel century later this year.