Originally Posted by
Captain Slow
My two cents:
Comfort bikes, cross bikes, hybrids, whatever... they are THE BEST commuters.
I've been commuting for years on a '99 Crossroads Euro Elite. It's great for hopping kerbs and short-cutting down gravel paths, things I couldn't do back when I rode a "respectable" Cannondale road bike to work & back.
I run Performance (or are they Nashbar?) head & tail lights, Mt. Zefal hybrid fenders, a no-name rear rack, and a Performance rack trunk that's big enough to swallow most of the stuff I need to take with me. Tires are Forte ST-K, and the Schrader tubes are full of Slime. All up, it weighs 36# on the freight scale at work.
Heavy doesn't always equal slow. Commute time & speeds don't have to suffer if you ride one of these... You just have to work harder to go fast. Think of what it would cost you at the gym to build that kind of strength.
(I'm told it builds character too... I'm still waiting for that part to kick in.)
One upgrade I strongly recommend is a heavy duty wheelset. I found a pair of 36 spoke Velocity Gliders for just over $200 at one of the online retailers.
My #2 commuter is an old Fuji mtb w/1.75x26 street tires. Weinman 519 36h rims. Looks very similar to the bike pictured here. Rack, trunk bag, lights, blinkies, cages, etc. The only mods are a 46t Rocket Ring single frt w/a 12x26 7 sp cluster rr. It's slower than my #1 rb commuter, but I allow for that and it IS more comfortable. Use it for short trips and change of pace.
I say max out your current steed w/fenders, rack, bags, etc. Narrower tires, too. Get some liners or check out some airless. Get the HP type and up your psi at least 20-30 psi from where you run your tires now.