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Modern steel road bike under $2K for fast commuting?

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Modern steel road bike under $2K for fast commuting?

Old 07-20-15, 06:23 PM
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Originally Posted by plumberroy
That is sharp I like the looks of plated bikes might have to put different bars on it though as I prefer upright or flat handle bars
Upright bars?



Same bike with upswept bars. This is what I have on order. Its $850.
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Old 07-20-15, 06:25 PM
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Originally Posted by DiabloScott
42t single crank (with chain keeper) and 11-36 10v cassette - seems like a nice selection.
Originally Posted by phughes
The front is a 42 and the largest on the rear is 36, low, but for my needs I like even lower. I have lots of big hills and carry weight. I'd rather spin. Still, I am salivating over the Weekender Drop, beautiful bike.
But the OP "likes to go fast and wants to go faster". 42-11 for a high gear is going to be pretty limiting and probably much lower than what he's got on his Masi.

Even a compact double on a typical road bike doesn't go as low but goes much higher.

Last edited by tjspiel; 07-20-15 at 06:32 PM.
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Old 07-20-15, 06:30 PM
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Originally Posted by tjspiel
But the OP "likes to go fast and wants to go faster". 42-11 for a high gear is going to be pretty limiting and probably much lower than what he's got on his Masi.
One can play with chainring/cog tooth sizes to go faster. OP shouldn't be put off by the stock configuration. Few people keep their bike stock.
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Old 07-20-15, 06:31 PM
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Originally Posted by tjspiel
But the OP "likes to go fast and wants to go faster". 42-11 for a high gear is going to be pretty limiting and probably much lower than what he's got on his Masi.
Hey, I recommended the Colossal -
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Old 07-20-15, 07:21 PM
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Originally Posted by tjspiel
But the OP "likes to go fast and wants to go faster". 42-11 for a high gear is going to be pretty limiting and probably much lower than what he's got on his Masi.
42/11 works out to about 101" by my math. It'll limit some people, but one should be able to go pretty fast with it.
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Old 07-20-15, 07:50 PM
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Originally Posted by tjspiel
But the OP "likes to go fast and wants to go faster". 42-11 for a high gear is going to be pretty limiting and probably much lower than what he's got on his Masi.

Even a compact double on a typical road bike doesn't go as low but goes much higher.
Yes, my comment was not about the OP. For me, I would prefer to have a double or a triple. I have a triple now and like the range. I do like the simplicity of the Weekender Drop though. Sometimes that is nice, depending on your needs.
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Old 07-21-15, 04:31 AM
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At $2k, I'd be considering the BikesDirect LeChampion Ti. No rack bosses, but for Ti, I'd figure out some workaround...
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Old 07-21-15, 05:56 AM
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Originally Posted by mconlonx
At $2k, I'd be considering the BikesDirect LeChampion Ti. No rack bosses, but for Ti, I'd figure out some workaround...
If its a road bike, that won't come with bosses.

They're generally lousy with loads.

In a commuter bike you want stability and the trade-off is some loss of speed when carrying a load and also when riding on uneven terrain.
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Old 07-21-15, 07:23 AM
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Originally Posted by NormanF
If its a road bike, that won't come with bosses.

They're generally lousy with loads.

In a commuter bike you want stability and the trade-off is some loss of speed when carrying a load and also when riding on uneven terrain.
Some road bikes do have bosses. The one I linked to, like many others, does not. There are racks made for such situations.

OP said they are looking for a faster bike than their cx Masi (load carrying ability, stability), specifically a road bike...
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Old 07-21-15, 07:36 AM
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The Gunnar Sport would make a great fast commuter and could probably be built for about $2K, and much less if moving parts from another frame or building from used/discount parts. Soma Smoothie or ES could be built for about $500 less.

I've commuted on many different bikes over the years, and the biggest factors affecting speed were the tires and the amount of loads/gear I was carrying (not including external factors such as wind, rain, traffic, red lights, etc.). My fastest regular commuter was probably my Eddy Merckx Corsa 01, but it barely had room for fenders with 25 mm tires. My De Bernardi was even faster when I briefly had it rigged up as a single speed, but that was brutal on my knees and did not last very long. Currently, my fastest commuter is a Waterford RST-22 sport touring bike with no fenders and 25 mm tires. My other commuters have larger tires, fenders and rear racks so they are heavier with more rolling resistance.
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Old 07-21-15, 08:06 AM
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Originally Posted by NormanF
If its a road bike, that won't come with bosses.

They're generally lousy with loads.

In a commuter bike you want stability and the trade-off is some loss of speed when carrying a load and also when riding on uneven terrain.
Sorry, lots of road bikes come with bosses for a rack. Specialized alone has two or three models so equipped with them..

My Allez is a pure road bike, but definitely a low end one. I had a rack on it for a summer. It worked fine but I definitely prefer the more spritely handling with it unloaded.

Outside of winter, my main criteria for a commuter bike is that it works and that it's fun to ride. Actually pretty much the same criteria I have for a bike whether or not I'm commuting.

I'm quite happy to wear a backpack for commuting and don't particularly care if the bike is stable with 60 lbs of gear on it. I do have a bike I can use offroad or would make a decent tourer if I were inclined.
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Old 07-21-15, 11:28 AM
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Raleigh makes cheap steel bikes
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