ALLSTOTT

i was debating if i wanna use my bmc to ride to work? but i dunno if ridin it to work would junk it up.. i mean it is a nice bike. i have 3 bikes but out of the 3 my bmc is my favorite and its ALOT faster. would yall use it to go to work?

kylejack

Classify your commute as training rides and sleep well at night.

MNBikeguy

There are varied and countless reasons for riding particular bikes to work.
"Showing signs of use" is not a valid reason. (IMHO)

Popeyecahn

I dunno, ever seen the roads in Europe they race on? It's only a bike, if it feels good and you like it then ride it wherever you please.

rugerben

Personally, I wouldn't commute on a bike that I couldn't comfortably hop off a sidewalk or run over gravel and river rock. Then again, if you are only commuting on paved, smooth roads then go for it.

knobster

Depends on your commute. Crappy roads with glass and road junk? Rain and snow? Gotta carry a bunch of stuff? Get a bike that doesn't cost much to repair/replace and can carry the load. Nice roads, weather and don't need to carry much? Ride the BMC.

ALLSTOTT

the roads are ok i mean they are your average paved roads. my commute is 15 miles each way and its all paved

Tapeworm21

I don't think your giving lighter wheels enough credit. I have a set of Ksyrium SL's that take some obnoxious bunny hops and massive hits. The true is still spot on. It's an amazing wheel set that is race worthy and training worthy. Lots of other sets fit this scenario as well.

That said, yeah.... I'll commute on my Tarmac SL every once in a while. I have 9 bikes to choose from, why not?

demoncyclist

I rode my R900 all summer. I swapped out the CF seatpost for an alloy one with a post rack and small trunk to hold my lunch, and kept a supply of clothing at my desk. A bike is made for riding, I don't care what type of bike it is.

mickey85

Don't know if you'd call it a "racing" bike, but my '79 Pro has carted me back and forth to school (10 miles each way) a lot.

nmanhipot

Considering the fact that you've got relatively warm, dry weather out there, go for it. I have three bikes to choose from. My first choice is a dedicated commuter that has disc-brakes and fenders to handle all the rain we get here in Atlanta. Second choice is a single-speed which I ride when I'm feeling masochistic or getting complacent. Lastly I have a CF Trek road bike with Dura-Ace, which I just put back into service because the other two have got mechanical issues at the moment. I'm enjoying riding the road bike until I get the other two back in service.

Are goatheads an issue where you are? If you get a lot of flats, you could try the slime tube strips - they've virtually eliminated the frequent flats I was getting on my heavy commuter that I had 25c Gatorskins on.

I would say that most newer CF frames are very, very durable, unless you crash. The drivetrains, however are not and replacement parts can get expensive. Further, the wheels are limited if you're heavy and are carrying a load. Most roadies are generally well under 200 pounds and shouldn't have a problem. Just understand that if you're going to put lots of commute miles on it, you should understand that at some level it, as a whole, and more specifically, its parts, are expendable.

chipcom 

I ride my road bike to work on sunny warm days all the time.
Commuting to Luke...oh yeah, I'd definitely take the road bike...except on on those rare monsoon days.

treebound 

Does it count if my road bikes used to be considered race bikes when they were new, 20+ years ago**********

The destination, the parking at the destination, the road/trail/path conditions and hazards on the route, the neighborhoods along the way, the traffic attitudes along the way, the theft potential at the destination or along the way, all help me to decide which bike to ride. If all the conditions let you feel comfortable commuting on your race bike then I see no reason not to.

A bike is a bike, ride and enjoy them.

tjspiel

I have a 20 year old Peugeot that was marketed as an entry level racer that I use in the winter. The bike I use the rest of the year is an entry level racer from 2005.

I've raced with both of them but anyone who is a serious competitor will have a more serious (more expensive) bike. I don't worry about locking up either of them outside, at least for short periods of time. That to me is the biggest downside of having a really expensive bike, - worrying about it.

There's someone in our building who commutes with his Cervelo during the warmer months.

caloso

Yup. I was so glad when the city finally installed bike lockers in my parking structure.

treebound 

Wow, nice looking lockers. Much nicer looking that those pressboard or chain-link options. Probably cost a fair dime as well.

caloso

Yeah. The city must have gotten a deal on them. They have them in all the city structures now. $5 per month, which is a super-super bargain.

brockd15 

Of my 4 road bikes, 3 are being worked on/upgraded right now, so I've got no choice but to ride my Airborne Manhattan Project. I'm putting together a more dedicated commuting bike from an old steel Puch frame updated with more modern components so I can have a rack, panniers, fenders, etc. But once that bike us up I plan to use it to carry in more clothing and food to the office on one day so the next day I can ride one of the other bikes, a Quintana Roo, an Aegis Aro Svelte, or the Airborne, without carrying much of a load. I plan to mix it up to keep it interesting.

Business810

I have only used my Klein for commuting on a handful of occasions because the ride is too short (~7.5 miles each way) to justify bike shorts or to necessitate more speed. Factor in stop and go traffic, no mounts for fenders (except race blades*), and too much glass, and it is not worth it.

* - shameless plug for my "for trade" post in my sig... I'm looking for a set!

Lizzylou

Generally I carry a pair of fully loaded panniers when I'm commuting, which just wouldn't fit well on my 'for fun' bike. I can't call it a race bike since I am opposed to all things competitive... but yeah.

Anyway, on days when I only need to carry a change of clothes, I have no problem riding the 'nice' bike... (weather permitting).

Tobias Greenich

I commute on a CX bike, which I also race on. Best of both worlds, you can fly along on the pavement and handle any problems or offroading with little effort.

I am considering a new bike, though. Because one just isn't enough...

ilike3bikes

In the last year, I rode my Cervelo RS to work about 3 times. My regular commute is a Marin 29er with smooth 32cm tires. I am more comfortable riding the 32cm tires through gravel and the junk you find on the side of the road. The Cervelo is much faster. I do group rides on the weekend. I have though about getting larger tires for the Cervelo. 25cm or 27cm (if they would fit). I have an extra wheel set, so it would not take much time to make the switch on the weekend.

grolby

You mean one like this?



Road bikes are not made out of marzipan. I commute on mine when it is convenient to do so - that is, when I don't have to carry much and it's dry outside. The commuting bike has greater versatility and toughness, but when I don't need to use it, the road bike is a lot faster and a lot of fun.

I admit that my commuting bike is somewhat more robust - I definitely am willing to subject it to more abuse, more deliberately. E.g., I won't go jumping off of curbs just for laughs on my road bike, but will do so on my Surly. No matter - commuting doesn't generally call for that. And yeah, if I had to commute over lots of dirt roads and rough pavement, the Surly is better suited for that, but my road bike isn't all that bad over those kinds of surfaces, just a bit rougher and less sure-footed. Of course, I AM a weirdo roadie who deliberately seeks out dirt roads to ride on my road bike. It's fun! The point is, the limitations on the capabilities of your typical road bike has more to do with the rider than the bike.

AndrewP

A 15 mile road commute demands a road bike. If you have much to carry, decent sized saddlebags can be hard to find.

ghettocruiser

Point of clarity. You mean a 'road racing' bike.

"Race bike" can mean any bike you... race on. Personally I refer to my MTB hardtail as my 'race bike', since I rarely or never enter races on my other bikes.