Originally Posted by
clowther06
...my commute is ten miles each way, and I have wanted to get a faster bike in order to cut down on the approximately 45 minutes it takes me. Between having young kids and a demanding job, shaving 5 minutes off my commute is worth a lot to me. While I appreciate traffic lights, etc. have an impact on my commute time, I am on a trail for about half of the ride and there are several large hills that I suspect a lighter bike would do better on. While I am always on paved surfaces, there are certainly bumps in the trail from tree roots and lots of potholes in downtown DC, which is where I work. So, while I am tempted to get a fast road bike, I understand that may not be the best for these conditions. I have also been told that for my use, a race bike may not be the most comfortable ride.
Given this situation, does anyone have thoughts on what might make sense? My preference is to get something used for better value and to spend somewhere around 1,000. I know there are commuter bikes out there, but they all look heavy and slow. Is a CX bike the way to go?
Greetings [MENTION=506839]clowther06[/MENTION], I commute over on the VA side of the Potomac. I ride an aluminum endurance road bike with wider tires and panniers for most of my daily commutes. But I also ride a road bike, especially in the warmer summer months. As long as you have somewhat durable tires and good wheels, you'd do fine on a road bike. My ride is a hilly 9 miles. Do I notice much time difference between my clunky commuter and my lightest road bike? I wonder. Maybe a couple of minutes savings in reality. My perception is that the lighter road bikes are more fun (and maybe have the sensation of being faster), but I wouldn't swear to it in court.
Please let me know if I can assist you (i.e., if you mail order a bike, I'd assemble it for you gladly). Phil G.