Originally Posted by
non-fixie
Interesting to see all these suggestions for sporty machines. Where I live the most important quality of a commuter bike is that you can just hop on in your suit and tie and pedal to work. Upright bikes with fenders and closed chain cases have a distinct advantage in that respect.
People in the U.S. tend to live 10 miles or more from work. I think that has something to do with it. My commute is 10 miles. Hopping on the bike in suit and tie wouldn't help because even on a cold day I'd still be so sweaty when I got to work that I'd need to change. Happily, I don't have to wear a suit and tie at work, so I'd be changing into a T-shirt and jeans, but I'd still need to change. When I first started biking to work, I did so in my "work clothes." I quickly discovered that it wasn't a viable solution. So now I use a road bike and wear my cyclist costume and change when I get there.