Originally Posted by
thdave
I don't get why commuters need to defend themselves in a commuting specific forum.
...
Like I said apart from the OP's piss poor thread title appears to mis-represent his personal choice of bikes he may like to ride while commuting as an overview which it clearly is not.
Originally Posted by
thdave
..Surely there are all kinds on commuters on here. Some coming from the countryside into small towns to work. Some from suburbs or urban areas going downtown. Some travel a mile or two--others go for 20 miles each way, and some deal with several hundred feet in elevation changes. Some are in dry areas and some in greenbelts...
Agreed
Originally Posted by
thdave
...But the modest commutes by the typical commuter over much of the North America and Europe warrants a commuter specific bike, with fenders, kickstand, a rack, bell, and lights. That stuff, at a minimum, is needed if one wants to commute year round (unless you're in Death Valley or the Great Victoria Desert)...
I strongly disagree with that. People "over here" commute on everything from FS DH rigs (legs of steel), suicide fixies, triathlon bikes, hardtails, pashley delivery bikes, brompton folding bikes, catalogue store mountain bikes, recumbents, bmx bikes, etc. Please let me know where to find the typical commuter as, at least in the UK, while you may like to say that there is an average there are very, very few, if any, people at the average point.
Originally Posted by
thdave
...Also, for the normal commuts of less than 10 miles, there's little reason for drops. You'll save a few minutes but lose the heads up vantage point needed for safe city riding...
...and you know this how? Handlebar height is whatever you choose to make it and is completely independent of handlebar type.
Originally Posted by
thdave
...I know many riders go for long jaunts and take their road or cyclecross bikes. Yeah, they go faster...
That depends almost entirely on leg power and you know it.
Originally Posted by
thdave
...Does that exerience, which you'd never do on a commuter style bike...
What are you talking about? My "commuter bike" of choice is a 700c/drop bar/disc brake bike. With that in mind how can I never experience that on a "commuter bike"?
Originally Posted by
thdave
...jade you so much that you'd never ride on an upright bike with fenders?...
I've used various rental bikes but, yes, I did dislike the constant rattling, postion, lack of leverage and poor braking enough that I'd never willingly pick the same style if there was another, different choice. There may be better options out there but, so far, a 700c/disc brake/drop bar commuter bike is my best option.
Originally Posted by
thdave
...Does it make you think that such commuters are misguided?...
For example, Dutch bikes are barely visible in the UK (flat-ish) but have a strong presence in Holland and Denmark (both pancake flat). Does that mean the UK is misguided for not choosing dutch bikes as the average? I suggest that in Holland and Denmark long established manufacturers have captured the market with cheap, mass produced bikes. The market in the Uk and, most likely, the US is both much larger and much more diverse hence the diversity in "commuter bikes" as shown in the pictures thread at the top of the forum. Again, there may be an average but there are very few people at the average point.
Originally Posted by
thdave
...Just why would you say that bikes made for that purpose are "limited" or "narrow minded?"...
I apologise if you've mis-construed my meaning. Please read my posts again. The OP's piss poor thread title is narrow minded. His choice of bikes is his own and, in my not so humble pinion, in no way represents anything other than a few bikes he may like to ride. It's not an overview of "commuter bikes" at all. His personal preference for commuting has it's place but hardly represents the "average commuter bike".
Originally Posted by
thdave
...We know there's a roadie bent that's been going on here for a long time...
I don't understand what you are talking about? Please check the commuter bikes pictures thread and let us know where you feel the "roadie bent", whatever you mean by that, is?
Originally Posted by
thdave
...But can't you see that there's real reason for commuter specific bikes?...
I can. If "commuter specific" means gets used (and enjoyed) for a regular commute then I absolutely love my drop bar/700c/disc brake commuter specific bike. I'm sure other people love their suicide fixie commuter specific bikes, FS MTB commuter specific bikes and so on.
Originally Posted by
thdave
...I testify that I use every feature on my Breezer...
Good for you, apparently you chose the bike that you felt would best fit
your circumstances and went from there. I did the same thing and chose a 700c/drop bar/disc brake commuter bike. Many other commuters did the same thing resulting in the proliferation of different commuter bikes.
Originally Posted by
thdave
...How can it be that such bikes are narrow minded?
As I said before the OP's piss poor thread title is narrowminded. His choice of bikes is his own and in no way represents an overview of commuter bikes.