redryder74

Hello,

I’ve been using a Dahon foldable bike for cycling to work for 6 months, but I feel like changing to a full-sized bike.

First off, my current bike is heavy with the rack and pannier fully loaded (almost 16kg). With the small 20” wheels, I feel like I’m working hard just to get it to climb hills or go faster. I top out at 25 km/h on flat terrain and average 16 to 20km/h. I also find the bike difficult to control, and I’ve fallen 3 times in 6 months. Both knees have been scraped badly.

My route to work consists of flat road + bumpy pavement, and I need a maneuverable bike to navigate between pedestrians in the park, dogs, potholes, tree roots, etc. The distance is about 12 km each way. There is also a distance of about 300m where I am climbing a hill.

So should I be looking at a hybrid bike, mountain bike or road bike? Are there other categories of bikes that I’m missing?

MichaelW

Cyclo-cross disc-brake bikes are really good commuters for all-weather, multi-surface use.

Elvo

This. CX Disc brake bike with fenders and a rack is the best all-around commuter bike.

chasm54

Another vote for a CX bike or a light tourer. If you opt for the CX, make sure it has the eyelets/braze-ons to allow you to fit a rack.

The other advantage is that these types of bikes can double as road bikes for recreational use - light and fast enough to be fun.

rumrunn6

my vote = road bike

qclabrat

I've tried road, cross and touring bikes for commuting and find the touring bikes most comfortable and effective

road bike geometries tend to be overly aggressive and the lower back gets a beating with a backpack on
cross bike worked great, but the tires were not road tires which made them less efficient, also don't have rack mounts on my cx

another option is mountain bikes with street tires, if you can swing two sets of wheels, you can still take it out on weekends on the trails

fietsbob

Drum brakes are near zero maintenance, havent done a thing to mine for 25 years. built into wheels for the bike of your choice..

Got A Super secure lockup ? if not I'd just get a bike you can afford to lose.

MichaelW

Replace CX knobbly tyres with commuter rubber such as Marathon.
CX race-bikes lack eyelets (and chainstay bridge) but entry/mid level cx are more touring/do-it-all-oriented machines with the usual rack/fender/bottle eyelets.
Rear disk mount should be on the chainstay for rack-compatibility.

kingston 

Folding bikes are the worst commuters unless you really need a folding bike, then they are the only option. My personal favorite commuter is a fixed-gear or a coaster brake because they are so low-maintenance, especially on a relatively flat commute like the one you describe. Vintage road bike is pretty good, CX has it's advantages (disk brakes are the bomb in the winter slush), touring bike is a little more comfortable than either, rigid 90's mountain bike set up as a commuter is pretty tough to beat as an all-around performer, but it will probably be a little slower than some of the other options.