Artkansas 

Seems like kind of a strawman argument there. Of course any bike can be a commuting bike. I would hazard a guess that the most common commuting bike in the world is the "Flying Pigeon" in China.


Ultimately it comes down to a question of does Bike A get Bicyclist A safely and efficiently to work/school and back. All that needs to be taken to account is the route and the cyclist.

I have a 10 speed that I have been using to commute to work for decades. But when I moved to Little Rock, I was faced with a short commute featuring steep hills and bad roads. I switched over to a 15 year old mountain bike to which I added fenders, racks and lights. In commutes the 10 speed was good at, the extra sized tires of the mountain bike would have been a disadvantage, and currrently the 10 speed just wouldn't have the gears to get me up the hills. A proper commuter bike is an equation with infinite solutions.

newbojeff

I'm sorry, but recumbents and BMX bikes cannot be considered commuting bikes. Commuters must be a tourer or cyclocross bike and have a rack, panniers, fenders, and good lighting. Anything else is not a commuting bike.

Wait...what? Oh, sorry. Thought I was in A&S.

Ride whatever the hell you like or want. If you're going back and forth to work its a commuter.

chipcom 

All what hype? Care to cite some examples?

bmclaughlin807

HEY! My first (And only!) new bike was a Walmart bike... I put many thousands of miles on that bike.

As far as to the original poster, yes, any bike CAN be a commuter bike, but... do you really want to ride a full-suspension mountain bike on a 14 mile road commute? Or try to ride a racing bike on snow/ice covered roads? How about hauling 20 lbs of stuff in a backpack?

Riding 15 miles in 100+ degree weather with no water bottles?

How about riding a mountain bike through slush or wet roads with no fenders?

My commuter bikes are an '88 Raleigh Technium with fenders, rack, panniers, etc. for when the weather is nice (Most of the time around here) and a department store mountain bike with fenders that I pulled from a dumpster for when the roads are icy/slick.

georgiaboy

I agree wholeheartely. The commuter forum is a very supportive group. All the various dialoque I have seen has been very repectful and considerate to everyone regardless of their bicycle choice. All commuters are welcome here.

ax0n

Commuting is a life style, not a bike style. Most bikes labeled "commuters" are either comfort/cruisers or flat-bar urban bikes.

In practice, most commuters are using road, cyclocross or touring bikes with fenders and panniers.

Citabria

I commute on either my cyclocross bike or kestrel talon road/triathlon race bike.

Never much liked the concept of a traditional commuter bike since, well, they're slower.

I do avoid the rain, however.

caloso

Once again, the Fixer nails it pithily.

I have 5 bikes (the CF race bike, the tri bike, the vintage Italian, the POS mtb, and the fixie). I've commuted on all of them. It usually depends on what I'm planning to do after work.

I-Like-To-Bike

I wouldn't. Children commuting to school use them all the time.

These pictures were taken Oct 30th at the Middle School a mile from my house.Guess it depends how narrowly you wish to define commuting.

bent-not-broken

I can't imagine having only one commuter bike! I have a 15 y/o Raleigh with gaspipe tubes with full fenders for rainy days, A Nishiki 12 speed flat bar for sunny days, A 12 speed fuji with partial fenders for chance of rain days and a chloroplast fendered GT mountain bike with Nashbar studs for winter slush. The neat thing is all were bought for $25 or less at garage sales or thrifts. This variety keeps the commuting experience 'fresh for me.

Ride what ya got and enjoy!
Bent

JeffS

Out of curiosity, what percentage of those bikes are locked?

CommuterRun

Any bike can be a commuter, but I have found that I have other bikes better suited to commuting than my road bike.

I-Like-To-Bike

Don't know. I didn't look but I would guess some, maybe most are. When I go to the library I seldom see anybody locking a bike there.

DataJunkie

Crap. I forgot the kids.

rando

yes. any bike can be a commuter bike. just commute on it.

I like my old road bike.

chephy

I know an adult who commutes on a BMX. I often see chained to the bike rack. She probably doesn't have to ride it very far, but who says it's only a commute if it's long?

Artkansas 

I used to commute when I was a kid. But I grew out of it, now I'm an adult commuter.

I-Like-To-Bike

Cyclists who boast about their "Serious Cycling" bona fides?

Polaris43

There are some purists on this forum... like the person that asked about a Dahon Cadenza for commuting on the commuting forum only. I suggested that they ask the question on the folding bike forum (of someone like Mauna Kea who has one and rides the hell out of it) and they said that they wanted to know what the COMMUTERS thought, not what the folding bike people thought.

Like people who are on the folder forum don't commute on folders (or other bikes) and like commuters that don't have folders are a better judge of a folding bike, even if they've never been on one.

I notice that the person who asked the Cadenza question never did receive much of a response on the commuting forum nor did they stoop to asking the low lifes on the folder forum - of which I am one, by the way.

If you want to see some elitist bashing on the commuter forum, check out the GMC Denali review thread. There are plenty of people who trashed the guy for buying and commuting on such a "crap" bike.

So, while many on this forum are live and let live, easy going, ride what ever you want types, there are others who clearly are not.

I, for one, will continue to peddle my chubby butt wherever I please on my 16" folder. Others may laugh and call me a "Fred" if it makes them feel better about themselves. I will also continue to give props and respect to anyone who's out there, commuting, touring or joy riding regardless of their mount. Since we don't know everyone's individual circumstance (maybe they can't afford a "real" commuter, don't need a full pannier set up or don't have a place to store a full size bike) who are we to judge?

I-Like-To-Bike

It happens.

Such forgetfulness is a requirement for being an expert on the A & S list.

CdCf

Hehe, around here there's a guy in his 60s riding around on the streets with a full suspension downhill bike, wearing a full-face helmet. This is far from any potential downhilling area, I should add. Amusing doesn't begin to describe it...

Dunvegan67

********I agree! Any bike IS a commuter bike, if you COMMUTE with it! With a mountain bike it would be easier to pedal along if you changed the tires to a road tire, or an offroad tire with a solid bead running down the middle of the tire. I think commuter 'purists'(if there is such a person) should only be allowed to commute on unicycles!

rnorris

My most common commuter is an early '90's stumpjumper, though hard to tell sometimes with all the dirt on the frame (fenders don't get it all). Slicks, friction shifters, headlights and blinkies. Cost all of $130 and I can't break it; the 7-speed rear cluster works happily with an often grunged-up derailleur.
I do confess to longing for a real drench-happy commuter with an enclosed chain and 7 speed hub, though it probably wouldn't do as well on hills.

DataJunkie

Why don't you get it over with and shoot me while you are at it.

cyclezealot

With a back pack, guess any bike can be a commuter. I like using panniers for commutes. Plus, in city traffic often bikes with slightly wider tires is a good idea.