srestrepo

I agree with this. Initially, I purchased a bike that I knew would be for all year commuting and likely would have the battle scars to show for it. But over time and with daiky use I've slowly built it to be better than my nicer road bike. At first I didn't care, but now it's just a reflection of my tinkering and curiosities. Sure the monetary value differs, but the attachment to it is just as great as my other bike.

caloso

I have to disagree. I consider myself an avid cyclist and have 4 bikes I currently ride. Two of them are Specializeds on different ends of the spectrum: 1) my race bike, a 2016 Tarmac that cost more than my first car; and 2) my beater, a 1990(?) Rock Hopper that I paid $40 for at a yard sale when the kids were toddlers so I would have something to tow their Chariot.

I love that craptastic old Rock Hopper. But I wouldn't be heartbroken if it were stolen or wrecked, just grateful to have rescued it from sitting in a garage all those years.

Aubergine 

All my bikes, even the cheap ones, are fantastic to ride. I am retired now but when I did commute, I rode one of my two custom Stevensons or my Holdsworth. These days I typically take care of errands on my two Old Peugeots that have been highly modified. Love those bikes!

noglider 

There are so-called sleepers which may be cheap to purchase or may be ugly (or both) which ride great. I have a 1971 Raleigh Super Course whose paint is an eyesore. It's one of my best riding bikes. I picked it out of the trash and have rebuilt it several times, as I like to experiment with it. I'll be re-re-re-rebuilding it soon. Generally, I wait for components to come along cheap, as I'm not in a hurry. This is how I have rebuilt it cheaply.

But I have put a lot of time into it, so that would be a loss.

PatrickGSR94

I guess it's because none of my bikes were that cheap, and I've put a lot of time and effort (and some money) into all of them. More money on some than others. My KHS is pretty much a parts bin build, but I still love it.

I picked up an old Rock Hopper from a guy back in 2006 I think, which was in pretty bad shape, dude just gave it to me. Rims were bent up pretty bad. But I didn't know anything about bikes back then. I wish now that I would have kept it, but I ended up just putting it out by the curb. Probably could have built it up into something cool.

kingston 

I just did a search on Chicago craigslist for bikes under $200, and there are literally hundreds of bikes that would make decent commuters for around $150. Yes it would be a bummer to have any bike stolen, but for most people a bike that can be replaced for $150 is not really a life-changing loss.

PatrickGSR94

Except that most of us here on BF would probably spend near that much or more outfitting it for commuting: adding fenders, lights, racks, bags, etc. etc. And if all that got stolen, well then that would really suck.

Bike Gremlin

Nice setup


I like having two bikes, since bike is practically my only means of transport. So now I have cut down to two. One hybrid that I use for every day, everything - it is a good quality bike, not cheap.

The other is a rigid frame 1996. MTB that SWMBO rides in fair weather and during the winter it gets studded tyres and I use it as a winter bike. As soon as I source some 1" ahead headset bearings (cups?) It'll get a 1" threadless fork as well, so only the frame and FD left from the original 1996 bicycle.

I'm planning on making a road bike as well, ass soon as I find the right frame (good but cheap 2nd hand, with rack mounts since I always haul some stuff around).

I always ride the best bike - just "the best" depends on the weather.

ussprinceton

I have a CAAD10 56cm that I use to commute with

RidingMatthew

i think that for me that would be greatest lost beside the memories I have with my current commuter..
I did my first bike tour with that bike. (Great Allegheny passage) I ride it with my son, I have ridden with my father and my father in law. it is the go to knock around bike. I would hate to lose the rack, fenders and light mounts.

it is not as fast or as expensive as my Cervelo but it is priceless for me.
I have actually considered getting a bikes direct steel bike with 105 as a back up to my commuter for days when my commuter is in need of repair etc. (haven't convinced wife it is necessary yet)


yep

NikBikes

This thread makes me want to get more bikes!

alias5000

My choice of commuting bike is governed by theft-likelihood. Thus, it's my lowest end bike. Recently upgraded it and also upped the theft-prevention aspects to compensate.

WonderMonkey

None of my bikes are high end at all so I do use both for commuting. Even though my "best" isn't expensive, it doesn't have protected status. If I had a special event or something coming up I may get my best bike ready and keep it off to the side while I use my other, but that's just to ensure it's ready to go.

chephy

I used to "save" my good bike, and then I thought, the heck with it, what am I saving it for? That elusive across Canada trip that might not happen till I retire anyway? So I started using the good bike for commuting in decent weather, and it's been fun. The important thing is to have good secure storage at work. And, oh, I don't ride it in the winter with all the slush and salt. And also I'm on a temporary hiatus from bike commuting seeing how I now work 74 km from home, but that should change come May, fingers crossed!

robertorolfo

I tend to subscribe to this school of thought. If you are going to ride, why not ride the most enjoyable mount possible? As long as your bike can handle the conditions/situation, I say to ride what makes you happiest.

ExPatTyke

I'm lucky in having a secure area at work for my bike - that would make a difference to which bike I ride to work otherwise.

The bike I choose to ride on my commute depends on the weather; if it's fine and the roads are dry and the forecast for the day is good, then it's the Gitane or Peugeot.
If the weather's not so good then it's the modern road bike.
And for the typical British weather I bought a BSA road bike with full length mudguards and 27 X 1-1/4 tyres this Winter - at £25 from eBay it's been an investment.

ph0rk

No, but I am always thinking of upgrades to the commuter.

Plus, the big thing is I like mounting the load (laptop, etc) on a rack rather than my back. That plus the common need for fenders means the commuter bike gets the lions share.

Darth Lefty 

Advertising tends to push on you a bike for all the things you might do, rather than one for the things you commonly do. I know I'm very susceptible to the idea I could go do some vast months-long tour or bikepacking trip and I need the bike and the stuff for that, when in fact no such trip is on the near horizon, and if it ever were, a new bike for the trip would be the least of the expenses.

surak

I've realized that I vastly prefer commuting on my only road bike over my dedicated commuter bike. The downside to riding it all the time is that it's higher maintenance -- I'm always worrying over the drivetrain cleanliness whereas I just need to wipe down my commuter (a Priority Continuum Onyx with belt-driven IGH) once in a blue moon. I'm 10-15 minutes faster one-way on my road bike, so I guess an argument could be made that I can apply the time savings to maintenance and I'll probably still come out ahead.

The funny thing is my wife doesn't want me to take my "nice" bike all the time (in reality the road and commuter bikes' MSRPs are nearly identical). So last night I suggested getting an even nicer bike so as to not feel bad about dirtying my current one. I'm not sure why she wasn't convinced by my foolproof logic.