I haven't bought a new bike in almost 10 years. All my bikes have steel or aluminum frames. I'm thinking about getting a new or used bike for my commute and am looking at some carbon-framed bikes. Does anyone use a carbon fiber framed bike to commute?
The commute is around 35 miles round trip, roads and paved bike paths, every day. I've never owed a carbon fiber bike and am wondering about durability, locking it up on a bike rack every day, scratches and so forth. They should be fine, right?
I commute year-round, preferably on a high-end carbon fiber bike. I have secure indoor parking, and a fine aluminum beater for inclement weather.
Security and protection notwithstanding, I have posted about the performance characteristics that make it desirable for commuting:
Originally Posted by
Rowan
…
Performance in this context does not mean outright speed because that is down to the person riding it and their strength and endurance.
But rather is in the quality of the shifting, braking, ride, handling through corners and over rough surfaces, aerodynamics and (dare I say it) comfort.
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
…My average speed stayed the same, but I thinkI was hampered by injuries from the accident, and I believe the new bike compensated at least to maintain my average speed. I did note that I was more inclined to sprint (successfully) to beat traffic lights before they turned red.
I further craved the smoothness of the ride, including the shifting,making cycle-commuting more pleasurable. Of greatest benefit, while long (greater than 40 mile) rides took the same amount of time as before, I felt much less tired at the end.
Since carbon fiber bikes usually don’t have eyelets for a rear rack:
Originally Posted by
joelcool
I've been commuting with CF for years. The only difference with commuting is that you're typically going to carry stuff. We all have differing needs as to what to carry…
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
…Like most carbon fiber road bikes, mine has no eyelets for a rear rack. I recently posted to this Touring Forum thread, “Light Touring” about my search and satisfactory find of (large) seat bags:
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
I use my carbon fiber endurance bike (Specialized S-Works) for commuting, and my best solution has been to use a seat mounted (not seatpost) Arkel 15 Liter Bikepack..
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 02-04-19 at 08:09 AM.