Originally Posted by mikeC_32541

Thanks for all the considerations.

I originally decided on the Orbea because I wanted a road bike, but not for commuting purposes. I liked the way the bike handled, the fact that not many people have them, and the sharp blue color. I also did not want to get a cheaper bike and get the upgrade urge early on.

Then I got to thinking: I'm not really going to do that much "road bike" leisure riding due to lack of spare time and the fact that my wife would not want to take up this hobby with me. She'd rather mosey around on a cruiser. So I figured the only way I would really ride the bike would be as a substitute for the car, and all it would take would be allocating extra time in the morning (The way home will probably be the same or quicker on a bike due to traffic).

So basically, I am wanting to use my commute as an excuse to enjoy a 2K road bike.

I'm close to a final decision and will probably get the Orbea and only use it when it's not raining, I'm carrying absolutely nothing to work, and would be unlikely to want to stop on the way home. Right now, this is the case almost every day. So I figure I will need the car 1 day a week to bring laundry to/from work or plan that when the 5 day outlook shows rain. I pay the office rent, so storing the bike and a weeks worth of clothes is not an issue.

If the road bike experience turns me into a hardcore commuter, then I'll look for a second, more practical bike to replace the car on rainy days and when I need to transport stuff to/from work.

As a side note, after about 200 trips to the office (less than a year), the bike would pay for itself. Parking is $8 a day here and a minimum of 1 gallon of gas to go 22 miles is over $3.