wanax

i mean those racing bikes with drop bar, carbon fork...

i heard people talking about those bikes are not suitable for hill climbing because of the high gear ratio. is that true?

Mars

No, that is not true. I have commuted for the past 4 years almost always on road bikes. The only down side, in my view, is that if you ride in snow or ice the narrow tires are not the best choice and there is not enough clearance for wider ones. The gear ratios will be fine for most riders.

Good luck with your commuting.

gear

road bike for nice weather, cross bike for everything else.

RonH

My old commuter was an aluminum road bike but was too uncomfortable for my aging body on Atlanta's crappy streets.
So I got my "new" commuter last December (see picture in my sig). Similar geometry, drop bars, etc. The slight differences in geometry, the steel frame, and carbon fork make commuting much more enjoyable.

ItsJustMe

OT question, I notice you have Planet Bike fenders. Is it just me, or are they too short? If I draw an imaginary tangent from the wheel to the bottom of the flap, it seems like you're going to have wet feet.

My home-made mudflaps go down very low from my Zefal fenders. I broke a rear and am looking at Planet Bike or SKS for my next set, just wondering about this.

huhenio

Whatever keeps you riding is ok ... if road bike is happyness to you, do it.

CBBaron

I looks to me that the PlanetBike Freddy fenders need a longer mudflap. Luckily it is very easy to fashion one.
Craig

ghettocruiser

Beat up roads were the undoing of my road-bike commute. Instead of cranking along I kept braking and swerving around broken pavement. On the MTB I just plow over it.

pinkrobe

Road bikes make excellent commuters. They are not terribly good on snow or ice, though.

cooker

What they said.

I commute mostly on an older road bike with 27" wheels. I use slightly wider, sturdier tires (1.25") than I would for racing (if I raced). However, I tend to rely more on my mountain bike in spring when there are a lot of potholes, and in fall when there is a lot of leaf slime on the road, and I don't ride on ice (mid-Dec to mid-March in Toronto). A rack and pannier is a better choice than a back pack....lower centre of gravity for more stability, also less back sweat. The road bike is fine for modest paved hills (it's a lot lighter) but wouldn't be as good for steep hills since the gearing is not optimized for that. The road bike is better in hot weather, again because it's lighter and I can coast more and sweat less.

R

caloso

Personally, I can't stand straight bars. One hand position (and awkward at that) just seems like a recipe for carpal tunnel syndrome. I just don't see the appeal of these "flat bar road bikes" that I've seen marketed at the commuting and fitness crowd. But that's just me, potato-potahto.

And as far as gearing, if you've got a triple with a 30t granny ring and a 25 or 27 cog on the back, I'd think that's as low as you'd need to go.

My problems with my roadie commute bike is the lack of braze-ons for racks and the limited tire clearance means I have to use RaceBlade fenders.

phillybill

Road bikes make fine commuters. But in the winter time I switch from a drop bar to a flat bar setup for better control in the wet and cold conditions.

bandregg

You won't be able to fit fenders or a rack most likely, but to address something that a previous poster said, you will be able to run slightly larger tires. I can put 25mm on my road bike just fine, and it looks like 28mm will just fit.

jwbnyc

Get a road bike that accepts larger tires. Something like the Trek Pilots.

I switched from a Hybrid to a road bike this Summer. It's much more comfortable, not to mention faster.

Pilots accept 28's with full fenders, maybe larger.

Phantoj

Road bikes are more efficient because of less rolling resistance and less wind resistance due to the aero position.

Some can take racks, many newer ones can't take anything but a seatpost rack.

The longer your commute is, the more attractive the road bike is.

Patriot

I specifically use my old steel road bike. I atteached a rack to it with P-clips, since it isn't made for ir. My commute is almost 23 miles, so using my MTB would be a day long nightmare. I can get there in under 90 mins on my road bike though.

tajsss

I also use a road bike. It's an early 90's aluminum Trek. Works fine for me. I've attached a rack with P-clips as well and it seems to be holding up fine. The roads around here I think are actually pretty good so the worry of potholes and stuff is not too big for me.

Tim

RonH

I haven't had wet feet yet. I'm very happy with the fenders.

CBBaron

Road bikes can make great commuters, however not all road bikes are equally well suited. While most road bikes can be used a bike with long reach or canti brakes will allow room for fenders and decent sized tires. Also look for bikes with the approiate fittings for fenders and racks. My old Trek 400 has all the fittings but uses short reach brakes so I am limited to 23-25mm tires with fenders or 28mm without. In modern bike a few "comfort" road bikes like the Pilot come with long reach brakes. More common is cyclocross bike which have similar geometry but have canti brakes and room for fat tires. The last choice is touring bikes which also have canti brakes and a longer chain stay for better pannier-heel clearance. So if you want to use a back pack and don't need fenders a road bike works pretty well, however most people will suggest a cyclocross or touring style bike for best flexibility. With the exception of tourers and a few "commuter" bikes all of them will probably need new tires for a commute.
Craig

Toki

Just to take a different tack, I am going to assume that you might be asking because you have only one nice road bike and you want to use it for commuting.

There is nothing wrong with using your road bike for commuting, but you have to ask yourself whether or not you are willing to treat it that way. Remember, when you ride your road bike for fun, you choose where, when, how, etc. When you commute, you will be riding despite many conditions that would otherwise make you consider calling off the ride.

You will abuse your commuter. You will take it into poor weather and in some cases unintentionally put it in harm's way. You will pile it with a load (either directly or on your back). You will have to find somewhere to park it that might not be safe. In short, your commuter will be your work vehicle and you should not hesitate to treat it that way.

That said, there are lots of reasons why a road bike would make a fine and even practical choice (see all posts above). But if you just spent thousands of dollars on it, you might want to consider spending a couple hundred more to get a different ride and leave your road bike for the weekend. That way, you can commute without worrying about your bike.

d2create

Nice road/race bikes are no good for me.
The roads around here beat the crap out of it. It's the equivalent to driving your lambourgini on a back dirt road. You're Toyota Corolla can handle it, and definitely your suv, but not your lambo.

take what you like about your road bike and apply it to more of a hybrid bike. You can use drop bars, similiar gearing, and thinner tires like 29's. Not too thin, but not too thick. And use a frame that allows for a rack. You may not use one now but you will in the future.

chephy

Only in spring?! I find there are plenty of potholes year round!

Dutchy

It all depends on where you ride. The road bike is fast and able to fit into small gaps between stationary cars but they don't stop in a real hurry and can be more prone to flats. A commuter MTB is always going to be a bit slower but they rarely get flats on bitumen and can stop very quickly in emergency stops. In the wet I prefer the wider tyres of the MTB yet I prefer the road bike in the hills as it climbs so much easier. I alternate between both depending on my mood. I do notice that my after ride recovery is much quicker when riding the road bike.

CHEERS.

Mark

wanax

thank you for your fast responses and valuable advices offered.

The roads are okay but not so well in my city. There are always hilly roads with lots of broken pavement and gravel surface, the governent says they are gonna spend more tax money onto the roads, but they just dont do it. (takes almost 1 year to re-construct a 2k road??!)

right now I am thinking about getting a road bike for my next bike. it that possible to fit 700x32C cyclocross tyres and triple chainset onto the road frame?s or it just depends?

MTBs are cool,comfortable and practical, but i just dont feel like riding one.
less practical, more fun... haha

jwbnyc

That sounds like a good set up and with a cross bike you'd have the option of going with bigger tires if you felt the need.