Originally Posted by
mbryant52
Alright, I've got another suggestion then. While you're trying to buy your way out of sweating, how about taking some of that excess dough or one of those underused bikes and passing it on to someone who would actually appreciate it? How about Bicycle Aid for Africa at
http://www.re-cycle.org/? After all, it's only because so many have so little that a fortunate few can stockpile high-end bicycles in their suburban garages.
Hi, I checked out the link but it appears they only accept bikes at locations in the UK. However, it is kind of presumptuous of you to imply that I could be more charitable than I am currently. I have donated bikes in the past to local organizations and we (my wife and I) donate time monthly to do a highway cleanup and to support bike advocacy. We also donate much more money each year than the cost of this bike that I'm building. We try to take a balanced approach to our lives. I think of my personal bike consumption as a way to support an industry that could do a lot to help our current world condition.
Originally Posted by
megalowmatt
For what it's worth I don't think this thread should turn into a "haves & have nots" thing. The OP is simply asking for advice and has specific requirements. I think most in this forum would agree that the two bikes he posted are perfect commuters but again he's asking about a specific drive train configuration and a set of panniers he can comfortably carry.
Thanks.
Originally Posted by
richkarr
I bicycle commute with my laptop daily and found the Topeak laptop bag is the best solution for me. Note I'm not affiliated with Topeak in any way. Another bicycle commuter at work noticed my set-up and now he has the same for his laptop. The following is a link to the bag on the Topeak site.
http://www.topeak.com/products/Bags/MTXOfficeBag
My normal commuter bikes (Surly Karate Monkey, Novara Strada) have the Topeak rack which makes taking the bag on/off quick and simple. I've also used the bag on my Cargo bike (Trek Transport) with a non-Topeak rack and some bungee straps. Amazingly the latch still functioned on the Cargo bike but needed the straps to stop the bag from wiggling. I've had a few opportunities to test the rain cover here in Texas and can report nothing inside the bag got wet including paper. It comes with a shoulder strap. I now use the bag to always carry my laptop independent of commuting by bike or car.
The downsides are it's a little pricey depending on where it's purchased (got mine at REI), and there's not a lot of room for other stuff such as a change of clothes or lunch. I end-up using a bungee net to hold my lunch bag and/or dry bag with change of clothes, on the top of the laptop bag when needed. The upside is I'm still the widest thing on the bike and the bag stays out of the wind as opposed to a normal pannier set-up.
Looks like a possible winner. Appreciate the info.
Originally Posted by
Barchettaman
I'm currently putting together a lightweight commuter / flat bar roadbike. Granted, the carbon FF was in the parts bin, and lots of the drivetrain is coming off a wrecked and dumped MTB thing that a neighbour hauled out the bin for me, but it's going to come in at a lot less than $1,300. The frame is a recently powdercoated road frame I got for €25 on local pickup eBay.
It should be around €80 all in if it all comes together OK and I will have a fully functional +/- 9kg commuter bike.
Point being it's much more fun not to throw money at a project like this - at least for me.
Now, on topic, rather than panniers, I got a KlickFix rucksack with a saddle mount, and it is absolutely bloody marvellous, I can't recommend it highly enough really. Might be an option for you as you have a longish walk from bike park to office.
Hmmm...maybe the Klickfix with the laptop bag above will work better than panniers.