caloso

Interesting to me that many people cited poor pavement as a strike against road bikes. Maybe it's just Sacramento, but I find that the pavement in town is much, much, much better than out in the country where our local road races and training rides go.

If the old plastic bike can handle Copperopolis, it can certainly handle L Street.

capolover

There was a stretch of my commute that the pavement was falling apart. I altered my commute and found a much better set of roads that get me there faster.

You're going to hit something in your commute, but I think its good to focus on whats in front of you anyway.

NoRacer

They are SKS Raceblade fenders.

You can get them through REI or Performance Bike.

tjspiel

Nice Bike. My Allez was a triple but I replaced the crankset with a double. A triple on a bike with short chain stays doesn't work so great IMHO.

Any problem with heel strike with those panniers? It's good to see pics of a competition oriented bike outfitted like that because so many people in this forum seem to be under the impression that it's impossible.

tjspiel

Yeah, they're called "road bikes" for a reason. I don't know where else you'd be expected to ride them. There are people who've convinced themselves they need SUVs to commute to work too, so I guess it's not limited to cyclists.

Then there are the traditionalists who only want to ride steel which is fine, but aluminum has been used on aircraft for decades and they're under a lot more extreme loads than bikes are. Now Boeing is using carbon extensively in their new "Dreamliner". Carbon fiber can be very tough.

littlewaywelt

why wear ballet shoes if you're just going out to dance?

Road bikes are great, but the ride is harsher and the positioning not as comfortable.
When the ride isn't a race and isn't about speed why not use a more appropriate tool, something more comfortable that still gets the job done?

Aside from ride quality, I don't need the extra milage and potholes beating up my custom road bike when there's no benefit to riding it. Also, while theft isn't really an issue for me, I wouldn't want to chance my custom road bike (old as it is) getting ripped off. For commuting, I think the closest I would go to a road bike is a cyclocross bike, but I'd have to have a commute longer than 5 miles each way to even consider it.

Tabor

I commute on my Surly Pacer (my only bicycle, at the moment). Right now it is my everything bike, and I like to consider it a serious road bike. I built it up with a full Ultegra group, anyway. But the Pacer does have braze-ons for fenders and a rear rack.

That said, when I get the money, I think I will pick up a touring bike for my main commuter and the Pacer will be relegated to particularly nice days. I am also trying to figure out how to commute some days (on the Pacer) without the rack/pannier I currently use.

NoRacer

I use my road bike for everything so that I will have maintenance on only one bike. I do not sacrifice one bike for the sake of another, because there is only one bike. [ I also wear tennis shoes everywhere when not in bike shoes ]

As far as harshness of ride, that is subjective. I've ridden my Giant on some really long rides--like this one:



I have no issues with it over distance.

capolover

You can strike a balance and get good areas from both worlds.

Why not have a light fast frame/wheels with a comfie seat?

Anyway, im not out there for a rub down and a shiatsu, its a workout for me and I want a solid frame under me to do it with.

bipedfred

I did to, but I wore a t-shirt and cargo shorts over them.

To me, the best commuter is your favorite road bike with urban warrior tires, fenders, and rack. So you see, you really do have justification for buying a clone of your road bike.

chipcom 

I commute on the road bike on nice summer days, on the xcross bike on most other days, on the touring bike when the weather is colder, on the Big Dummy when I need to haul clothes and food and stuff to work, and on the snow bike when it's snowy/icy. But of course none of my bikes are 'serious', they all have to have a good sense of humor to tolerate my butt upon them.

icedmocha 

If you had to pick 1, what would it be?

tjspiel

Why wear work boots when running shoes work just fine?

I don't find riding against a stiff headwind on my mountain bike the least bit comfortable, and some of the hills that I find a chore on my MTB, I fly over on my road bike. It's also easier to carry, etc. Being stuck with one riding position on the MTB does nothing to enhance comfort either. The only thing it's really got going for it in terms of comfort is a cushier ride which might be really important to some folks but just isn't to me.

If I had a custom road bike that I wanted to save for posterity I probably wouldn't want to ride it much either. My road bike is something you can buy off the shelf and though it's serious in terms of its roadiness, it's nothing particularly special and my life wouldn't end if it were stolen or broken in some mishap.

Browncow

I have the same on my bike -- they are called SKS Raceblade fenders. Designed for roadies on rainy weather training rides but they work well enough for commuting. See halfway down this page: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/fenders.html

chipcom 

I don't have to pick one, because I have six
I choose the right tool for the job at hand and the conditions of the time.
Obviously the most fun is the road bike on a nice summer day when I don't have to carry anything...but everyday isn't a nice summer day when I don't have to carry anything.

theWolf

At first my heels would hit the panniers a lot but since then I've learn to avoid them, no big deal really. Just an adjustment on my part. There's only two small hills I climbed on my commute so the double works fine for me. From the first time I was on the bike I loved it, even against the Elite version.

Update: Using some short bungee chords, I rigged it so that the panniers were pushed back. No more heel strike at any position.

baillieul

I commute on either my Giant OCR C2 or my son's OCR3. I ride approx 50 KMS roundtrip on a very hilly route. A mountain bike would be murder on the hills. Hybrid would work though. We already had the OCRs in the garage so I just use them. Had a rack and pannier bag on the OCR3 at one point, but switched to a messanger bag only when I have to carry stuff. The carbon bike has no place for racks or fender mounts. The OCR3 has rear mounting points, but nothing on the front carbon fork. Generally leave all clothes at work and shower there.

Tried Planet Bike Cascade fenders from MEC ( $26 ), but switched to the SPEED EXs fenders from MEC ( $21 ). Switched tires to 28mm Gatorskins on the OCR3. They ride really really nice. If I was to consider a hybred, it would be a 'performance hybred' like the Giant FCR series. My Giant LBS is very good to me.

caloso

FWIW, I also have a steel fixed road bike that fit with full fenders for the rainy season. It's an '89 Trek 660:



No fender bosses, but that can be remedied with the creative use of p-clips and zipties:

Banzai

Xcross bike with panniers to swap laundry.

Six13 in between days with no baggage whatsoever.

Xcross bike the next day...and the cycle repeats.

If I only had one bike it would be the cross bike...but I don't. I have a fun bike too. Which incidentally feels as smooth over the crappy roads on 23mm tires as the cross bike does on 32mm tires. Cannondale frames are made by magic elves. That's why they ride so nice and taste so good.

Chuck G

I started commuting on a not so serious road bike with cheap components and cheap wheels. I got tired of spokes breaking on the rear wheel and decided fenders are a good thing to keep road K-rap out of the drivetrain.

I now commute on a serious touring bike. Since most of my cycling is riding to work, when I got new bike it made the most sense to me to get a serious commuting bike.

capolover

caloso - nice bike!

caloso

Thanks. I rode it in today. Nothing like the silence of a fixed drive train.

tjspiel

That is a nice bike. Fortezzas?

caloso

Yes. Got them cheap at Performance. Very good tires for the money, imo. They finally wore out and I replaced them with Conti 4000GP's (internet bargain on Steep and Cheap). I think I like the Conti's better, mostly because they're 25mm. If you could find the Fortezza's in 25mm, jump on them.

rmp5s