Vitani

Hello. I'm a college student and I'm looking for a good bicycle to commute with for the next two years. Everything that I need is within a 5 mile radius - as in the college, work, etc. My build is skinny-average, 5'6". I want a bike that I primarily use to commute and (maybe) on occasion go on biking trips for a few days. For example, a bike trip from Miami to Key West type of deal (~160 miles). What do you ride? What do you prefer? My budget is anything up to about $600. I'm super excited to get a bike! Thank you for the input

HardyWeinberg

Anything that makes you want to ride it. I realize time and money are tight but try test-riding a few different kinds of bikes (rigid mtn bike, touring or cyclocross bike, road bike, hybrid) and see if anything calls out to you. You might wind up checking craigslist or consignment shops for something that will fit into your budget and still leave room for peripherals (helmet, rack, repair kit...)

Even if something calls out to you now your opinions might shift over a few k miles of riding... I would guess a rigid mtn bike is most likely to work for you right now and will never be useless in your closet if you do decide you'd more enjoy riding something different. People I know who are not gearheads stick with their mtn bikes forever.

noglider 

My favorite kind of bike is an old steel road bike adapted for my purposes, as light as possible but not too expensive, and heavy enough to carry me and my stuff.

But that doesn't mean it's right for you. First, start off with the knowledge that you can commute on anything, from a 100-pound delivery tank of a bike to a BMX bike to an upright city style bike to a mountain bike to a road racing bike. For commuting, it makes a lot less difference than some people suggest. On the other hand, you'll find some bikes more enjoyable or more affordable than others.

If you want to take multi-day trips, you will probably be happiest on something weighing 30 lbs or less and has low or low-ish handlebars and lightweight wheels. And that kind of bike will be very good for commuting, too.

Keep your eye out for incredible deals, especially after you buy a bike. I bet that sounds strange, but hear me out. Your first bike may not be a long-term love, but it will get you rolling. Once you have it, you have the luxury of time to get an excellent value out of your second purchase. Maybe you want a bike that sold new for $1,500 but only want to spend $700 on a used one. You can do that if you wait and search long enough. Or you can take an existing cheap bike and upgrade it over time, spending frugally.

Just some thoughts.

Here is my 1974 Raleigh International which I've painted myself and replaced everything on it. I got it as a frameset (frame and fork), and this is the second rebuild, with a 3x8 drivetrain. I plan to put fenders on it. In the second picture, you see the front rack and dynamo-powered lighting system. I've been messing with this "bike" for five years and probably spent less than $1,000. In the meantime, I have had other bikes to ride. If I had built this all at once, it would have cost more, but I wait until I can find things selling cheap.

Steely Dan

my everyday commuter is an aluminum disc brake CX bike from bikesdirect that i equipped with road tires (700x28 conti GP 4 seasons), fenders, lights, and a rack/panniers.

the bike is probably a bit of overkill for my short little 5 mile commute runs, but it's a nice ride and it works for me.

AlmostTrick

For couple years now I've been preferring a fixed gear bike. But what any of us like has nothing to do with you!


What do you ride now? (or have ridden in the past) What did you like/dislike about it?


Yeah, as suggested by others above, you need to get out and test some bikes.

AlmostTrick

Oh my! Would ride! ^^^

DiabloScott

1. Semi-upright riding position for seeing in traffic.
2. Attachments and room for fenders
3. Handlebar real estate for lights and bell
4. Rack for trunk bag
5. Flat pedals and toe clips for riding in regular shoes
6. Fixed gear for reliability and fun

dabac

I do most my commuting on an old rigid MTB. A 7-speed rear gives great mileage, and I can still get road cassettes w/o problem. Triple front comes in handy in heavy snow.
I've been looking to build up a kinda-sorta road bike with a bullhorn bar. I never use drops in city riding, and have trouble getting comfortable on the hoods.

spectastic

If you're in college, and will only use the bike to commute, then get a single speed. almost zero maintenance, cheap to acquire, lock it up anywhere and not worry about some dip**** denting your tube. believe it or not, people are generally pretty self centered.

I go to school too, and I commute on a caadx disc with ultegra (on most days) because I have an office to put it in. I also use it for training rides and stuff. If it's anything more than $400, I would not trust my bike to be left outside, especially not on a college campus.

HardyWeinberg

There's a lot to be said for SS and especially if you're in a flattish place gears are overrated even for lugging cargo.

globie

I have a road bike, but I didn't like loading it up with racks, fenders, lights, etc.
I got a sports touring bike, which I liked better, but it did not survive an encounter with a texting motorist.
I got a full-on touring bike, steel frame, heavy as hell, and it's by far my favorite. It's not the quickest, but I'm not racing, I'm carrying stuff.

Abe_Froman

Whatever's cheap that you will want to ride the most. 5 miles is totally doable on any kind of bike, from a cruiser to carbon fiber racing bike.

I'm assuming since you're in college money is a concern...$600 is more than you would need to find a nice bike. Since it will likely get left outside for long stretches outside buildings, I'd maybe look for older used sport touring models. You can get something quite nice for a few hundred bucks that will look nice, classic, but not have a high bling factor for thieves, as well as do everything you want it to do.

InTheRain

I commute on my favorite type of bike for commuting - steel touring bike with a bionx ebike kit.... way, way beyond the $600 limit. However, the price is right for the 200+ days per year that I commute on it.

Abe_Froman

Hah, I've been looking at getting about $500 worth of equipment shipped over from China to do an eBike conversion. It can be done for under $600!

Darth Lefty 

If you hang around the C&V forum for a bit you will realize that the bike industry has been churning out vast quantities of adequate-quality adult-size bikes for 45 years. (At the same time there's been a lot of disposable department store junk.) I don't mean bikes for racing, I mean "just a bike" for riding around. There was a turning point in the 80's where people walking into a bike store looking for "just a bike" walked out with, not a road bike, but a MTB. There was another turning point in the 90's when MTB's got good suspension and therefore more expensive, and people buying "just a bike" started buying hybrids. Recently there's been a turn back to drop bar bikes. But in any case they're adequate for commuting, and on Craigslist they cost nearly nothing - like two or three tanks of gas. Every part on it can still be replaced with something compatible if it breaks.

We on this forum get nerdy about this stuff, trying to pick out the best value for money or placing limits on what's good enough to be acceptable. For myself, I have a heart bug so I really prize low rolling resistance, and a little nod to weight and aero. I'll never buy another stiff, heavy tire. I look out for parts that aren't fragile or susceptible to rust. I'm not hung up on brand name or business model of the seller. I've built my current bike up from a frame with both new and used parts, but I see that if I took my preferences and applied them to a new bike, I'd wind up in the $750 sort of range - still a great value compared to $20k for a Civic.

johnnyace 

My 1992 Bridgestone XO-2 may be the most perfect commuter bike I've ever owned.

Andy_K 

This is solid advice.

The bike you want for running around a college town and the bike you want for a multi-day 160 mile ride aren't very similar. If security weren't an issue, I'd say buy the bike that's right for the multi-day trip and use it around town. In your situation however, I don't think that's wise.

I've got a 1973 Nishiki Olympic that I bought for $25, stripped of its original parts and am reassembling as a singlespeed beater. Something like this would be the kind of bike I'd want for running around a college town. It's a nice enough bike that it's fun to ride, but it looks enough like a POS that no one is likely to steal it. And if they do, it's cheap to replace. Here's a "work in progress picture of it as it now sits:




You could actually turn a bike like this into something that would work for the long bike trip as well, just by adding gears. The International that noglider shared is more or less a deluxe version of what I'm talking about. His chrome lugs give away the quality of the bike and make it a bit of a theft risk, but it's mostly low key and that would be a great bike for a long trip.

The closest equivalent I have is the 1980 Schwinn Voyageur I just finished putting together (which happens to be the bike I rode to work today):



I got this frame for $20 (though it was damaged and I needed help from a friend to straighten it). The paint looks much worse in person, as there are spots all over where I touched it up with a color that doesn't precisely match and I didn't bother to smooth the surface. The components I have on it are relatively new, possibly newer than you'd want on campus, but you could find what you needed to build something like this for a few hundred dollars on eBay.

The key is to have your bike look ugly but ride nice. But regardless of how ugly you make it, you'll need a good lock and proper locking technique because thieves will steal absolutely anything that's easy to steal.

Kedosto

For what you're describing you'll need two different bikes. You'd want a touring bike for your long trips, complete with racks, etc. Not really SS territory.

College commuting demands a "beater quality" yet reliable bike that won't break your heart if/when it gets stolen. SS or geared based on personal preference.


-Kedosto

Bike Gremlin

I've tried a MTB, a road bike, a hybrid and a trekking bike. The optimal type turns out to be a treking frame:

Rigid fork, 28" wheels, with room for at least 37 mm wide tyres + mudguards.

37 mm is comfy enough for shock absorbers to not be needed, for rough roads and potholes, even when loaded, while still not being too slow. It also means there's room for 35 mm studded winter tyres.

Flat bars, but cut narrow, to allow filtering between cars and better aero. Just enough room for brakes, shifters and lights. Bell is not needed - better when they don't hear me before they see me - I just filter between pedestrians if they walk on a bike lane. They get freaked and jump after I've passed by them.

Shifters that enable friction mode - for winter when shifting cables get frozen.
No more than 8 speed at the back - cheap and reliable chains, cassettes and RD operation - not sensitive to dirty/worn cables and housing.
Triple crankset, for riding up hill tired with a loaded bike.

CliffordK

Isn't most of Florida flat. So, perhaps the fixie isn't a bad idea.

I seem to end up with hills wherever I go, so at least some gearing is nice. Plus, when towing a trailer, I'll often find myself dropping a couple of gears.

Each person is different, and as HardyWeinberg suggested, choose something that you like, and fits your goals and personality.

I've ridden an old steel road bike for decades. Recently I've expanded to a couple of mainly road bikes. But, the old road bike is still my go-to bike for many things.

I do have a sleek CF bike, but I wouldn't use it as a campus commuter (too much risk), and don't really want to tow a trailer with it (very much).

The old steel bike is good.

How big of an issue is RAIN?

I usually don't use fenders much. Even my "rain bike" is currently fenderless, but that may change. They might be worth considering in certain environments. Fender clearance might be important.

baldilocks

It depends on your riding style. I don't like competing with traffic. I take sidewalks on a road with 45 mph speed limits. I jump curbs to enter into a park that will take me to a less traveled area. So my recommendation is either a rigid or at least hard tail mountain bike. Another option would be a dual sport. With any of these I would recommend that they are rack and fender compatible. If money wasn't tight for me right now I would love a Surly Ogre. A couple of less expensive bikes I'd consider would be a Trek DS or a Trek Marlin. Again, it depends on how you like to ride. I also feel safe riding a mountain bike in the snow while I wouldn't want to try it on a road bike. Here's a picture of my current bike, which is fine, but I've been bitten by the 29er bug. Bigger wheels roll over bigger objects easier. Hope you find the perfect bike for an awesome price. (Post a picture of it if possible)

KonAaron Snake 

I use two I primarily use...one for when I'm parking outside, downtown, and for most winter riding...



This one is used for rain, longer commutes and safer parking commutes...



If I don't have to carry anything, I'll often use a road bike.

CrankyOne

I have a couple of road bikes for road racing kinds of stuff, a mountain bike for off-rad and a city bike for transportation/commuting kinds of stuff. The city bike is overwhelming the most used and is preferred for everything from riding to meals or grocery to a 70 ride for an enjoyable day.

More: City Bikes | LocalMile

Here's my Workcycles Opafiets city bike along with a bakfiets in the background.

martianone

some have suggested an older (pre carbon fiber) road bike, while this is reasonable; not sure it is optimal for OP need. Suggest a rigid fork mtn bike, replace the knobby tires with a touring tire. If you live in Fl, get some fendsrs to keep the rain splash down. Get rid of the FD, set up the bike up as a 1xn.

AusTexMurf

I have about 4 bikes that I use around ATX all of the time. My 1991 Bridgestone MB-4 is one of my favorite bikes I have ever owned. Another vote for an old rigid steel mtn bike in good mechanical condition and rolling touring type tires. I love the 26X2.0 Continental Travel Contacts on my MB-4.