pdxtex

Do you commute by road bike? What is your set up for dry and wet conditions? Different bikes? Tires?

Winter is proving to be a conundrum. In an effort to make cycling to work fun, Im actually getting a bit ocd in the process of find the best wet weather type of setup. Currently Im just riding a trek 1000 with fenders and midgrade wheels. Its a tank, and probably always will be so, wet weather or not. The only saving grace are the conti tires and as intended, they roll quite well and have decent grip. So, in winter do you ride a crappy bike and just live with it, or are you riding one of your nicer bikes and just dealing with the crappy weather?

datlas 

Lots of options. I have a SS set up with fenders and lights. I use the stock 25mm tires.

Depends on your roads and conditions.

garciawork

I have two bikes that I ride to work depending on my mood. A Lynksey R230, and a custom Mikkelsen. The Mikkelsen has a rack with panniers (when I have it installed) and the Lynskey has a seatpost rack when I feel like using it. No fenders on either, but I have some for the Mikkelsen. Both are on tubeless Hutchinson Fusion 3's, and I haven't had any issues.

Yes, I should have a crappier commuter, but I love these bikes so much I'd probably still use one of them anyway, and I ride after work when it isn't too late, so I want the right tool for the job!

Oh, my commute is about 6.6 miles here, and 6.7 home. i'll be moving soon, which bump it to 7-9 miles depending on route.

Drew Eckhardt 

Sure. For about a year it was 12 miles one-way and before that it was 9-10 miles one way. Then I moved closer to work.

Titanium Litespeed with a rack and Arkel Commuter pannier. 25mm tires either Gatorskins or GP 4 Seasons.

When it rains I just put the rain cover on. Fenders would be nice but it doesn't rain that much.

When I lived in Boulder, CO and it snowed I switched to a spare wheel set that I kept a set of 27mm Vittoria Tigrecross tires on (they just fit through my Campagnolo brakes with the releases open and a hard whack on the tire).

WhyFi

I don't have room for two bikes (NYC livin'), so I guess that that means that I ride my good bike. I'm not super hard core when it comes to the commute - I'll ride if it's above 20°F and if there's isn't accumulated mush on the ground. I will not ride in to work in the rain, but I'm happy to ride home in it. The only change to my bike for foul(er) weather is the addition of a rear fender when there's wetness/muck. I don't really want to do the rack thing, and I don't like backpacks, so I usually bring extra clothes when I don't ride or, if I have to, I'll wear a backpack and swap out 2 or 3 changes of clothes at a time. Commute is short - 6 or 7 miles.

pdxtex

my dry day options are great, and ive got a few bikes i like to ride. pride, greasy drivetrains, and good paint jobs prevent me from using them once it starts raining though. i do like the single speed idea, ive got a kona paddy wagon also, and its a blast but i find the gearing not very ideal for a longer commute or one with hills, i have both. my trek is leftover from college days and its got sentimental value, but would better serve holding your houseboat in place. componentry is probably a secondary thought when it comes to wet weather success, brakes being the exception. frame geometry, tire selection and wheels id see making the biggest contributor to something fast and still safe. local bike shop here has an outlet with a few caad 9s left over, bet that would make a good starting point for a do all, all weather bike....

pdxtex

ok, see, we have a similar outlook, cold, dry, no problem. rain in morning, no thanks, im not in the mood for dealing with pelting water and bad drivers. going home, who cares. im not much of a rack person either, and a bike oriented commuter pack is great. things ive had decent success with, water repellant outfits, lighting (300 lumens good), fast tires....things i need to work on, better stopping and a easy to manage fender system. full coverage are great but a pain in the butt on bike with tight clearances...

vermilionx

i only have 1 bike.

i have a lezyne super drive for my headlight and just a weak cateye flashing red taillight. i just started using conti gp4000s not too long ago so hopefully, the vectran breaker will be good enough to prevent flats.

my commute is only 4.5 miles one way.

i won't ride in the rain though.

lesdunham

I commute one day a week from May until September 13.8 miles to work. There are 3 of us that link up about 2 miles from here. It takes about 55 minutes +/- 10 minutes. 1 day week is all we can find work schedule, weather, and other rides/hobbies allow. Hybrids or road bikes are the norm.

alexaschwanden

my commuter road bike is over 35+ lbs and its a tank,it has light, trunk bag to carry a few things i need, and i commute 6.2 miles round-trip twice to the YMCA in palo alto. also it takes about 15 min each way about.

pdxtex

california commuters will find little sympathy from me. but keep trying! those minneapolis folks are the hardcore ones....

DinoShepherd

My commuter is my C-X bike with slicks and fenders. That's it.

Really, really like the Conti 4-Seasons 28c. Sram Rival. 12 miles each way.

I carry my stuff in a Blaq pack. (local dudes)

Between C-X and commuting in the rain, I blow a set of wheels and a drivetrain a year. No big deal.

1nterceptor

I commute on a 2009 Fuji Newest 1.0. I've added Planetbike SpeedEZ fenders
and lights. 700 X 25 slicks year round. My commute varies from 23 miles to 34 miles
roundtrip, depends if I get on the George Washington bridge before it closes
at midnight. The coldest it gets in the NYC area is about 10-15 degrees F, so it's
not too bad compared with other places and we don't get a lot of snow. I'll ride on
light snow but I'll take the bus when it's snowing hard. And light or heavy rain
doesn't bother me too much.


SNOWBOUND by 1nterceptor, on Flickr

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hheUc-zlfiM

IcySmooth52

She's my commuter, rainy-day rider, and sometimes I want to exercise on a dirt road instead of a paved one. She's known as Sub-Zero among me and my friends.

a1penguin

I commute 8.5 miles each way to work on roads. Road bike. 25mm Ultragatorskins. Fine for dry weather. For wet whether (I'm still waiting for it to arrive), I recently purchased a Trek 7.5FX with disc brakes and added SKS fenders. The FX has 28mm tires. It rides slower than the road bike, but it's still comfortable. I'm not a big fan of the thumb shifters on flat bar bikes.