Commuting on your C&V
 

Hello!

As many of you already know, this weeknd I pulled the plug on my first C&V acquisition... and my second. Now the thing is I want to ride them A LOT. It has come to mind that I'd like to start commuting to work by bike. Problem is that I cherish my new bikes too much.

The roubaix is not in question, the bike is worth it's weight in gold. If stollen I would be devastated. Then there are the C&V machines for which I paid 1/25th of the price of the roubaix. Yet, they are unique and I believe that finding another one would be REAL hard. They really dont have a specific price for me so It's not about money, it's about the bike.

I have the Panasonic DX4000 which is in unbelievably good shape. Then I have the Lotus Unique which needs some work but it is quite a looker. Would you take any of these two on a commute to the inner city and leave them locked in a multi story parking lot? The lot has cameras but no gate. You can come in and out as you please.

Have any of you ever asked the concierge in your building if you could take the bike upstairs to your office? Really not sure what to do. I believe commuting by bike will be 1) fun and 2) will save me a substantial amount of money and time.

Thanks,
Luis

The only non-C&V I ever use for commuting is the '96 Outback. ;)

I think the better question is the conditions the bicycle is parked in at work.
Mine come right in, no locking required. If I needed to lock them up outside exposed to weather, and mischief…. that would be a problem.

The other night I did think, riding in the dark where glass is more difficult to see a decent amount ahead that riding the seta tubulars may not be the best idea now.

Ride each to work and see what suits you best.

Seems like a good excuse to get another bike :)

+1

it depends on your office environment as to if you can bring your bike in. Scope out your office first and see if there is an empty closet, office, coat/locker room or even maybe a deadend hallway that you could store it in. Then go ask your boss if you could park it there.

Now what you also have to consider is, and I think this is way important, does your office have a shower or can you bring or store wet wipes and deodorant at work. Nobody likes a stinky cubicle dweller.

I voted for the Lotus Unique. While it may be a nice bike and hard to replace, it's still a not so rare or high-end bike that it would be difficult to replace with a comparable bike if something unfortunate were to happen to it. The DX4000 is more of a race-oriented bike. No eyelets on the Panasonic, correct? I'm not a a Lotus expert, but I understand the Lotus Unique was around the middle of the line-up in their sport range, and has eyelets for racks (convenient for a commuter). Sounds like a great commuter option to me.

The Lotus is a sport class bicycle that will accommodate those things that most commuters want as it was designed as an all rounder and could have been used for light touring.

With front and rear eyelets you can add a rack and fenders as I am sure Atlanta has a wet season and I always remind people that those puddles you ride through are often filled with more than water.

No. 1; get a bike you don't mind locking up outside. I like vintage mtbs for commuting. That's what i mainly use. That said, I like being able to take my bike into my office.

My suggestion: ride the Lotus for now and consider building a dedicated commuter bike in the future.

Like what others have said, get another bike. I commute on a 1981 Ross, if it was stolen I'd only mourn for a week, instead of the rest of my life like one of my grail bikes. Craigslist yields plenty of decent hi-ten sorts of bikes that make good commuters, or old MTBs.

Thank you for all your input guys. Seems like so far the option to buy another bike is winning but only by a thin margin.

I'll try to answer all your posts without quoting because then my post will be huge. Hopefully I'll get every point discussed.

* I park my motorcycle near the bicycle rack at work. There is usually one bicycle that is locked to the rack and that is it. The multi level garage is open with no gates and is about an eight of a mile from the building. For anybody that lives in atlanta, I work in queen building in sandy springs. Maybe that gives an idea.

* I believe both bikes would suit me well. I can always stap a backpack and hit the road. The commute is 10 miles each way so it's no biggie. Should take me 35 minutes or so in either bike.

* I would probably ask the concierge in the building see if I can use the elevator to take the bike to my floor. Regarding showers, I am not sure. I'd have to ask them too. I know there is the athletic club there and has showers but I believe I need to be a member and I am not paying 100 dollars a month for a gym membership. Otherwise it is getting really cold now and I think I wont sweat for these few months so maybe some deodorant could do the trick.

* The lotus Unique would probably be my choice as well if there was no option to ride another bike. (which I really shouldn't spend more money!)

* There is this old mountain bike that looks promising. http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/bik/4130573707.html :p

Dude. Buy the Bianchi. Looks like it's in great shape; better than the one I just bought, and I love mine. Put some road tires on, fenders, rack, maybe eventually a drop bar conversion with bar end shifters...you don't have one of those yet, right? The only downside is you keep finding bikes in excellent shape, which bike thieves also tend to notice.

Oh btw I don't know where the seller came up with that 500-1000 nonsense but the asking price doesn't seem bad to me at all given the condition. That bike is built with some good stuff.

Here's mine, replacement fork but it still has a very nice, lively ride.
http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/...ps41ab3e84.jpg

You guys have seen my theft-resistant commuter.

The big joke when I was a UCLA physics undergrad was conservation of mass -- "The lighter the bike, the heavier the security chain." My standard advice through the years has always been, "Park next to a better-looking bike with a flimsier lock." It's sort of like the two hikers -- "I don't have to outrun the bear -- I just have to outrun YOU."

I would snap up that Bianchi mountain bike in a minute. If it wasn't such a long drive to N. Georgia, I'd be heading there now. Gad, it even has a Celeste green stem! I don't even mountain bike, but I might start if I had one like that.

buy that Bianchi now please

+2

Or better yet, ride all of them to work at once :p

What? You can't bring your bike inside and park it by your desk? I provide indoor bicycle parking for all my employees, no questions asked.

Get a new job.

my answer is always yes about commuting by bike. the purest form of cycling is actually using it for transportation IMO. it really makes me appreciate the bike all the more. it turns your bike from basically a big kids toy or exercise machine into an extremely fun and efficient means of transportation.

That would be so distracting. I'd look at it and think about riding, then notice it needs a little clean up and start doing that, then maybe decide I need to replace the bartape, etc, and I wouldn't ever get any work done.

p.s.-wanna hire me?

I'd love to get that bianchi but that would be another bike that i'd hate to leave outside in the elements and exposed to robery! As much as I love that bianchi, I think I couldn't get away with getting another one... My fiancee is already on my tail.

I rode my modern bike to work, my vintage bikes to work, my modern mountain bike to work... and the end of it all, the touring bike worked best. I still rode the modern now and again when I wanted to get a nice workout.

I agree about the Bianchi. Buy it but don't ride it to work! Then you will need to search for another bike for commuting!:)

I work in DC where bike theft is frequent. Fortunately it is a Government building. The racks are outside but under a protected area from the weather (the third floor is bigger than the entrance). The unfortunate part is that they will not allow bikes in the building, even the parking garage where there is a ton of space. I feel secure locking my bike there because it blends in with all the others which are newer with many more desirable than mine.

If you have pride of ownership in terms of keeping your bike looking good. You will have a problem finding a bike not to care about! Mine is a RockHopper I bought new with the intent of it being a beater. It wasn't beat and now it is only 3 years away from being 20 years old. It is a good commuter in a lot ways, physically challenging (near 50 lbs. loaded on the way home), big tires for suspension, very effective fenders and nearly enough room to mount a bell, computer and light on the handlebars. I mounted a rack for the trunk bag and thats it.

See if there is a bike that doesn't attract attention. Trek 900 series are a dime a dozen but still a good bike for commuting. Outfit it to your needs and lock it up with a respectable lock and think about loosing it and accepting that fact. That way every day after work you will feel great that your bike is still there!

Can't help it, got add a pic to this thread even though it is in a ton of other threads:[IMG]http://i985.photobucket.com/albums/a...psfa978af2.jpg[/IMG]

I think getting your bike stolen would be a shame, but I think not riding it would be an even bigger shame. Ride your bike. Riding to work is a great way to use your bike, since it kills two birds with one stone.

I think I am going to end up using the Lotus. Just need to snatch a set of Ukai 27x1 wheels (I dont think the ones it has are salvageable). Need a new saddle too and pedals. Not going to use the rat traps as I really dont like them.

I am very concerned about finding good wheels for a good price. Saw a few on ebay and they were 75 bucks a piece! That would be more than the whole bike for the two wheels. They were 27x1.25 too which is not the right size.

I am concerned about the brooks too. They are way too expensive to buy new and I have no clue about sizing on those saddles.