huhjunn

I've spent the past two days reading various online articles and forums about cycling to work. But there is just so much information and variables to consider that my head is spinning. So I'm at this forum for some sage advice on what type of commuting bike I should hunt for.

Here are some details about me and my needs:


Height: 5'7 with a 30.5 inch inseam.

Budget: 100 - 300 (hoping to find a used bike via classifieds)

Intended use: Commuting (work, school, downtown)

Distance: Not exactly sure, but let's say 15km (from my house to downtown Toronto).

Riding Conditions: Most likely road/pavement with occasional rain. I plan to ride during the dryer seasons (fall, summer, spring).

Location: Toronto, Ontario - Canada

FrenchFit 

Feel free to ignore this advice, all good advice is routinely ignored on the BF: Get a used, like Craigslist/garage sale, rigid mountain bike, probably 15" with the seatpost up, and just ride. Buy some commuter appropriate tires if they don't come on the bike. Over time and with road experience you can refine your preferences and spend more money. The mountain bike will always be worth something to you, even if it's a bad weather bike or grocery getter. Simple.

huhjunn

I greatly appreciate the advice but for some reason a mountain bike does not appeal to me because it's the only bike I've ever ridden as a child and I kind of want something that looks sleek and mature. I feel like I'm buying a new car lol.

Would a hybrid be a good option? They seem to be listed on craigslist within my budget.

MacNasty

+1 on the rigid mtn bike, used off craigs if possible. Where I am [Kentucky] I see used Trek mountain bikes in great shape all day long in that price range. Put some slicker tires on and you are good to go. Then in a year or so after you formulate a list of your like's and dis-likes in a bike possibly upgrade.

Mr. Hairy Legs

Whatever bike you get, plan to spend another $100 or so on strong tires (I use Marathon Plus on both my commuters). Flats really suck, and most tires simply aren't up for the challenge, even those sold with the most expensive bikes.

For your budget, rigid MTB with road tires would work fine. Hybrid would be fine too.

achoo

Also, budget for things like lights (you want nice, bright ones - not the cheapest you can find) and other things - a good pump with a gauge to commute with, spare tubes, eventual chain and cassette replacement, eventual cable replacement, saddle bag for tools, tools to commute with, maybe rack/panniers. Definitely fenders because you will get caught in the rain.

Also, plan on what you'll wear while commuting.

Yeah, you can spend some real money. But compare that to how much you're NOT spending on gas, and how much longer you'll be able to put off replacing your car(s).

You'll need to be prepared to fix flats and broke chains while commuting. You might want to be prepared to fix broken spokes.

And finally - just do it. It isn't hard. It's just different from what you're used to, and what you and probably most everyone else you know has always done. BFD.

huhjunn

What does everyone think of this bike: road bike 27 inch 10 speed bike men's bicycle SuperCycle

It's not a mountain bike but it is inexpensive and looks like it has enough room for fenders and a rack.

achoo

It might be OK. A couple of things jump out at me in a negative way:

1. Stem-mounted shifters and center-pull brakes. There's nothing really wrong with them, but they're not found on better bikes. Seems like that may be a bit high of a price to pay for used bike that may not be much better than what you can buy new at Walmart. But I'm not familiar with any SuperCycle...

2. Cables are tie-wrapped to the frame. Why? I know on my one bike where I had to do that, it's because the cable holder had corroded to the point it wouldn't hold the cable. Not a good sign.

3. No closeups of the rims. Again, why? If the wheels have problems, you'll probably have to spend over $100 for replacements. At least.

If you do go look at it, make sure you pull the seat post and look inside the frame. If the owner won't let you, don't buy it.

huhjunn

Thank you for your help I will steer clear of that bike.

The hunt continues . . .

TransitBiker

For a starter, you could try this:

Draft - Urban Series, Bikes | SEBikes.com

If you want something more substantial, say so & i will take another peek.

- Andy

huhjunn

Wow those bikes look nice! Do you know how much it might cost me? I can't seem to locate a price.

Do they have options with more gears? I want to be prepared in case there is a slight incline somewhere along my commute. Or is that not necessary lol?

TransitBiker

Prices are in right area above the photo. The tripel has a 3 speed hub with coaster brake. Coasters are excellent for all weather, as they are enclosed from the elements.

- Andy

dwilbur3

For your first commuter, you mostly want to make sure it's safe and reliable. After commuting for a year, you'll have a lot better idea what you really want/need.

My first commuter was a bike-shaped object from Target. It taught me 2 important things: 1- I can ride a 20 mile round trip and 2) riding the wrong bike can be painful and hard work. I bought my second bike on eBay and that taught me to be careful to pick a bike that's the right size. My last bike taught me to remember to lock the garage at night . You can learn a lot from your bikes.

Saving Hawaii

Even if the chain doesn't break on you (and I've definitely broken chains before) your braking power is still completely compromised lacking a front brake. The rear wheel simply doesn't have enough traction while braking to stop you quickly. The harder you break the more your weight shifts to the front wheel. It doesn't take much to simply lock up the rear wheel and skid. In fact that's a popular little competitive event for fixed gear riders. They'll lock the rear wheel and see how far they can skid before they finally come to a stop. They're deliberately unweighting the rear wheel as much as possible but the point being is that the braking offered by rear wheel only is poor at best.

gregjones

Put non-knobbies on a MTB and there's not a big difference between that and a hybrid.

^^^THIS^^^

You have asked for our advice and you quickly received the best answer for someone in your situation. On top of that, that advice has been reinforced with back-up.

You can carry on as long as you wish or do what most of us would, and have done, do.

Now, after you buy your used MTB---here's a collection of tires to use on it.

megalowmatt

I was going to post 15" rigid mountain bike but FrenchFit beat me to it. I have 3 rigid steel early 90's mountain bikes and they ride well, have quality frames and were inexpensive.

In fact one of them I bought in '91 and was the bike that got me into commuting when I pulled it down from the rafters a little over 5 years ago.

If you want a rack depending on the frame you may need to use some of the problem solvers hardware to attach it but don't let that hold you back. You could get into commuting fairly inexpensively this way and figure out how you'll like it....then eventually get something different because we all know new bikes bring great joy.

a1penguin

That looks like a good choice IF IT FITS. It might be a bit large for you. That bike looks VERY clean, well maintained and not ridden into the ground. It is inexpensive and if you ride it for six months and decide you want to upgrade to a sleeker bike, you can sell this bike and put the $ toward a different bike. If you don't like riding, you can sell the bike and you haven't lost a lot of $.

You can replace knobby tires with slicks and the ride will be smoother and faster (less rolling resistance).

Be patient, keep looking through craigslist.

megalowmatt

My opinion is that 19 inch frame is too big for somebody who's 5'7". I ride 17-18" mountain bike frames and I'm ~ 5'9".

matimeo

I'm a big fan of the cyclocross bike for commuting. You might be able to find something used if you keep your eyes out for it. It combines the best of a road bike with options for larger tires and fenders.

chephy

There is nothing "immature" about a mountain bike. I am by no means dissing your taste, just sharing an observation: people's tastes in bikes change after they've actually done a decent amount biked for a while. The god-awful crap that department stores push as "bikes" is an illustration. Millions look at them and think "hey, what a sleek-looking bike!" Most non-cyclists don't understand why you would pay 800 dollars for a bike-shop bike, when you could pick up a nice-looking machine from Walmart for $129.99. And I look at Walmart bikes and want to vomit. And it's not just that I theoretically know they are bad bikes. It's a gut reaction by now. They look plain ugly.

That said, one thing is certain: you gotta love your ride. In the end of the day, I would never encourage anyone to buy what I think is a great bike if they're lukewarm about the looks. It counts. But I've seen so many people pick a bike just based on looks and get completely disappointed because that's not at all what they really needed. I've seen women pick some beach cruiser type bikes because in their minds that's what women's bikes must look like, and then never ride them because they're slow and heavy and clunky machines. (That's a particular pet peeve of mine... women's bikes are NOT the same thing as bikes with step-through frames! *sigh*) I've seen people go and buy a bike with the biggest saddle and upright geometry because it looks "comfy", and then regret it because they find out the saddle chafes their inner thigh and the upright geometry actually hurts their back and makes the kind of cycling they're hoping to do completely inefficient. I've seen people go and drop a crapload of money on a bike a size too small because the correct size looked "intimidating". I've seen people buy hybrid bikes when a touring/cyclocross/road bike would have suited their needs better because they were scared of the drop handlebars.....

The list goes on. So please, don't go by looks alone. Two pieces of advice:

1) Find a way to at least test-ride a few different kinds of bikes. Even better, rent different kinds of bikes for a day or two, if you can afford it, or borrow from friends... That'll at least give you an idea of how different kinds of bikes ride.

2) Don't spend a fortune on your first bike. You will most likely buy something that isn't quite right for you, just because of inexperience and the overwhelming number of options. Go on craigslist (rigid mtb would be my first choice too, but a hybrid might be fine as well). Buy a used bike, ride it for a year. Do try other bikes throughout the year if you get a chance. By the end of the year you'll have a better idea of what you need, and what kind of a bike would provide that.

3) Learn to adjust the bike for best fit (saddle height, forward/aft position). And do not judge the comfort of the bike by how comfortable the saddle feels. Saddles are easily swappable. An otherwise ideal bike for you might feel like the worst bike in the world if it doesn't have a saddle that fits. But that can be fixed. What can't be fixed is the basic frame geometry and quality of the components.

Here are a few bikes off Toronto craigslist I'd consider if I were buying one right now:

Steve Bauer 18 speed
Specialized mountain bike - with 17" frame (Specialized Hard Rock... nostalgia!)
Norco bicycle (my experience with old Norcos is that they're tank-like... but I'd still take a look)
Miele hybrid bike (oooh, my kind of geometry!)
Miele Cicli chrome-moly commuter bike

Obviously, it needs to fit and to actually be in good condition. Good luck!

TransitBiker

I rode a coaster only bike for 12 years and i'm still here, but ok. Did you also read the part where i said "if you want something more substantial, let me know"?

I rode a mountain bike for 4 years same use as i do now with my uptown. A mountain bike with smoother tires is still heavier than ideal, which affects handling, acceleration curves, and braking.

This with fenders would be good if mountain bike was the chosen route:
https://www.fujibikes.com/bike/details/nevada-21-v-brake

Taking budget into mind:

https://toronto.craigslist.ca/tor/bik/4588405393.html
https://toronto.craigslist.ca/tor/bik/4590149628.html
https://toronto.craigslist.ca/tor/bik/4609294360.html
https://toronto.craigslist.ca/tor/bik/4608278387.html

- Andy

chephy

Mmmmm, I like!!!

MattoftheRocks

I haven't broken a spoke in fifteen years of riding potholey streets on skinny tires with my 185lb body.

You will need to learn hand signals, tire repair and, if you ever ride in the rain or snow, chain cleaning.

Since you'll also be fitting lights, tools and a bag at the very least into your budget, you're stuck with used off of kijiji or craigslist. Last time I was in Toronto, the roads were glassy smooth compared to here in CNY, so a road bike sized 55-59cm should do you fine. If you're patient and willing to surf the web and drive a ways out of town, you can easily find a very fine barely-if-ever used steel Trek or Specialized or japanese road/touring bike for under $200.

Booger1

Buy the Marin

If I was looking,it would be in my garage....TODAY!