Originally Posted by TexasEdit

OK, here’s my commuter. It is a Giant Cyprus comfort bike with Shimano Altus components.

For all those detail geeks (I say that with respect – I learn a lot from reading the posts from the detail geeks):

- Yes, that is an aero bar on a riser handlebar. Please say it quietly so that no one in the road forum hears. I got the idea from reading a post about “antler handlebars.” Although I almost never try and get in an aero position while commuting, I do use the aero bars to provide another comfortable hand positions (holding the large forearm pads). It also gives me added spots to attach a small bag and lights.

- Yes, that big metal plate on the back wheel doesn’t look right. My commute is 9 miles on Farm-to-Market roads in rural East Texas. I was having a problem breaking rear spokes (I’m 6-2 and go about 250). Fixing spokes and truing wheels isn’t in my skill set just yet, so I’d have to take the wheel to my LBS … but my LBS is an hour away and a broken spoke usually meant considerable down time. Then I started reading on the C&V forum how they mix and match components from different bikes. Well, I have an old Schwinn Continental that is virtually bomb proof. I thought, what the hell, and took the wheels off the Schwinn and put them on the Giant. Worked like a dream. I lost a few gears, but that hasn’t had much of an impact on my riding. An additional benefit is the Schwinn wheels are 27-inch compared to the 700 Giant wheels. I can get 27-inch tubes from Wal-Mart when needed. Don’t have to drive 2 hours to my LBS for a tube.