noahjwhite

I'm about to retire my specialized S-Works E5 for commuting purposes. I live in Milwaukee and the roads here are horrible. I can't take it anymore. I've been riding my cushy fixed gear steel Raleigh one-way most of the time. The problem is that I have a few steep hills to tackle right before I get to work... which leaves me sweaty and flushed. Would a cyclocross bike be a good choice, or should I go touring?

Bottomfeeder

I've been riding a single speed Surly Crosscheck for years on the mean streets of L.A.... which are getting worse all the time. Honestly, I can't imagine how it's ever gonna get better. Anyway; yea, if you don't mind running some 32, 35 or 38 mm wide comfort bike tires, a cyclocross frame can make a huge difference compared to a road bike which maxes out at 25... maybe 28's. Yea, I'm a fan of steel cyclocross frames.

But lately - and perhaps this is just me getting old - I've been feeling the roads so much, especially after working 8 or 10 hours, I'm really tempted to try a light weight mountain bike frame with front suspension for my next commuter. I keep running into those BikesDirect titanium mountain bikes for like, 16 hundred to 2 grand...

DanO

noahjwhite

Thanks for the response. I actually would prefer wide tires due to the lower pressures. I use 32's on my fixed gear. The roads I'm forced to commute on are REALLY bad. There's more bumps, cracks, and potholes than road . It's about a 10 mile commute each way. My problem with mountain bikes and hybrids is that my wrists get sore, even on a short 10 mile trip. I need multiple hand positions.

uke

Use gloves. I just started wearing them, and, while they don't completely absorb the damage, it's a lot better than holding on to the bars. I bought these, and am loving them.

DoB

Padded gloves and fat tires works for me, and I ride terrible roads in several stretches.

dwr1961

Either a cyclocross or touring bike will cure what ails ya...

I have a road bike that accomodates a 700x28 at most and got tired of getting beat up riding secondary roads that have seen far better days.

So... I built up a cyclocross frame that allows me to run 700x35's @ 70psi. The diffence is amazing... Like a Magic carpet!

The key, it seems, is having a frame/fork combo that'll let you use the right tires for your conditions... I still love my road bike - in the right situation. And I have a hardtail mountain bike that works great for it's intended purpose... But when you're talkin' about nasty pavement a tourer or 'cross bike is JUST RIGHT.

Mark my words.

Good luck, my friend.

Michel Gagnon

I would suggest either cyclocross or touring. But in either case, make sure the bike allows wide tires. Two very popular contenders are the Surly LHT (touring) and Crosscheck (cyclocross), both of which allow 700x38 (or 42?) tires with fenders. It means you can have your comfortable ride, use the bike for tours in the mud, or install studded tires for winter rides. For commuting, the differences between LHT and Crosscheck are:

- CC slightly livelier
- LHT has longer chainstays so it would be more stable with a heavy load and more comfortable over bumps (not by a wide margin)
- LHT comes with a wide range of gearing whereas unfortunately the Crosscheck complete comes with a double.

elTwitcho

If the Raleigh works well and the only issue is that it's fixed, why not get a bike with similar geometry and construction? My steel fixed rides over bumps nicely, sounds like yours does too. Why not a similar geared bike and maybe even opt for a carbon fork and you should be laughing at those roads.

Bottomfeeder

Who say's mountain bikes have to have low, flat bars? I first built up my Crosscheck with traditional drop bars. But when I decided to try flat bars when I reconfigured for single speed. Then I found these mustache type bars in a used parts bin at a bike shop. They're actually MTB bar diameter, unlike most true mustache bars, so I was able to slide some bar-ends close inside by the stem and whala! Hand positions galore.

Sorry, the pic's were made to show the DIY headlight. But you should be able to see what they generally look like. These bars are the one component that will absolutely, positively, be transfered to my next bike - whatever it is.

DanO

d2create

First look for something that has the geometry you like.
Then get something that will take minimum 32 tires plus fenders. Even if you don't want fenders now, you might later. Good to have the option.
Finally, make sure it's steel with a steel fork. Stay away from aluminum.

seeker333

I'll add to the above, if you happen to take a road bike size 54 cm or less, then you'll be able to use a LHT with 26" MTB wheels, that will accept tires up to 26x2.0" with 60mm fenders - which should be a big benefit on bad roads / dirt roads. Maybe you can even fit studded tires in the winter.

skinny matt

I ride a hybrid that I decked out with drop bars. Suspension (front and seatpost), rack, fenders, 35mm tires, lots of hand positions. It's tough, comfortable, and not nearly as heavy as you might think. Works for me.

BCRider

Bottomfeeder, that was an immensely lucky find and a really nice looking modified setup.

Noah, I got a set of these coming that I'm hoping to use on my own cyclocross commuter.

https://www.somafab.com/barsparrow.html

I love drop bars overall but seldom get to use the drops. Recently I've tried moustache road sized bars and they are nice but I don't like the horizontal positioning that the levers are forced to use. Then my new Redline has bullhorns and those are great but again it's either straight out or straight across. No happy middle ground. So I'm hoping that the Sparrow bars used in the drop style shown in the top picture will provide me with the pleasent middle of the road "baby bear's porridge" that I'm hoping for.

Another oddity that I'm trying out that so far is working well is using bar ends inboard of the grips. This works for me since I like to use the outer end of the brake levers for more leverage so there is always a nice space of around 3/4 inch between the end of the grips and the lever mount. So I filled it up.... Yes they ARE an ugly blue. Slippery too. I'm going to either put slip on grips on them or use bar tape.

They provide some nice hand options as well as working superbly for climbing steep hills. Just gotta fix the slippery issue.

dynaryder

Novara Safari. REI has them on sale now. Super comfortable,tough,wide gear range,disc brakes. I'm running 2" Marathon Supremes and they bounce over everything in site and are still plenty fast.

noahjwhite

I almost bought the safari last year and the REI sales rep actually talked me out of it

kk4df

+1. I have a Surly 54cm with Schwalbe Marathon 26x1.5 tires and wide SKS P65 fenders. I was glad for the wide fenders yesterday during a very heavy downpour. And the wide tires really make a nice ride, compared to the bone-jarring ride I used to get on my road bike with 23mm tires.

The Surly LHT makes a fantastic commuter, as well as the nice touring bike it's intended to be.

kbblodorn

I've been dealing with the MKE roads on a '93 Specialized Rockhopper rigid steel frame mountain bike. It's way better than my road bike (Specialized Roubaix). These roads have been plain nasty. I am also in the process of swapping out the flat bar with drops from an old Trek I have, to address both the hand position issue and my desire for a lower aero position for head winds. I figure that will give me most of the benefits of a nice steel frame touring bike, with big 26 x 1.65" tires. I bet you could find a Rockhopper or Trek from the 90's pretty cheap. My commute is 19 miles each way (Menomonee Falls to South side of Milwaukee)

-Keith

noahjwhite

Thanks for all the responses. Here's all my answers

1. I use glove 100% of the time. Helps.. but not enough.
2. This bike is a race build, (I don't race anymore), it's custom, and super super stiff... ouch
3. I like the Raleigh fixed gear geometry ok. I'd just use it all the time except the couple hills kill me..
4. I don't need a lot of gears... probably only 3, any more is luxury.
5. Considering selling my Specialized race bike, which means I need something that can handle distance as well as commute 10 miles.
6. I have a mountain bike but I've been riding road so long I don't like sitting up. I ride in the drops 90% of the time and I like to go fast. Lightweight mountain bikes seem overly expensive.
7. I've been looking at those surly's for years. Can't find a dealer that sells them in the area (if anyone know of one, let me know)
8. Anyone like the Kona Jake or Bianchi Cyclocross (can't remember the name)

dynaryder

Waaattttt??? Heresy!

Danre

If you like the Raleigh, why not get one of their geared models? Something like this:
https://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/road/clubman/

noahjwhite

That is a nice bike. I've seen it online but not in the stores (I could order it of course). What I don't like is the cost... it has a lot of expensive fluff. Brooks saddle ect...

kk4df

Most bike shops order from the QBP (Quality Bicycle Products) catalog. Surly is a bike available in that catalog. Surly says that just about any shop can be a Surly dealer. I've never seen a Surly in a bike shop around here, but had no problem ordering a Surly bike. Call around and ask the shops in your area, and I bet you'll find one that can order one for you.

Now if you have to test ride, and can't just match the geometry table to your most comfortable current bike, that might make it tough to just order one from a catalog.

Allen

How about building an internal gear hub for the One-Way?
That and as wide of tires as it'll take.

ItsJustMe

I ride 4 miles of pretty rough gravel road each way. I got a Brooks Champion Flyer sprung seat, and I'm riding an upright bike so that takes some of the pressure off the hands. It doesn't bother me too much now.

Ken Wind

QBP actually owns Surly as well as a number of other bicycle companies, such as Salsa, Civia, Dimension, and Winwood. I used to think that nobody actually stocked them, but lately I've seen a few in shops. The LHT and the Cross Check are the ones I see the most too. If you call around, you may be able to find a shop near you with one in stock, or a shop that's willing to order one for you to test.