i've been strictly a recreational off-road rider for the past 10 years and have decided to start commuting to work this spring. i have zero experience with road-type bikes and commuting.

i live in a small town in the northeastern u.s.a. and my commute will be 10 miles each way. my 1st and last mile will be through said small town, and the small town i work in, and the middle 8 miles will be on a rural, 55 mph 2 lane highway that has a steady flow of traffic on it; both passenger cars and trucks as well as tractor trailers, etc.

there is no bike lane, and a minimal shoulder for most of the route and the terrain is relatively flat with a few gradual upper inclines, no climbing hills.

i want to buy online and not from an lbs because quite simply, it'll be cheaper, and i have the ability (or will learn how to) do my own maintenance. i don't care what brand the bike frame is as long as it's not junk and doesn't split in half, or fail in some catastrophic manner under normal use. i do want quality name-brand components. the way i look at it, is this bike is taking the place of my car and i want parts that are dependable, ones that i can trust every day to perform.

i will not be using the bike to race professionally. i'll be using it to commute and ride leisurely on the weekend, and occasionally will take it on groomed trails. i have my mountain bike for the real rough terrain, so i've been looking for a cyclocross.

recommendations?

I get to be the first to be say:SURLY Cross Check. But, I would get it a size smaller because they are longer than most frames.

Lovely Bike! I'd have to agree if you have the cash to burn then that is the way to go. If you don't then the are other alternatives like some flavor of late '80s to early '90s hardtail MTB from e-bay or Craiglist that has been hybridized with slicks and a tigher freewheel cluster.

You're on the right track choosing a road-type bike. I have a Crosscheck and I love it. However, any road bike that has the clearance for larg(er) tires, and the ability to fit racks and fenders will do. That includes older bikes as well.

https://www.bikeforums.net/general-cycling-discussion/368115-drop-bar-discbrake-700c-off-peg.html

trek portland - https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...land/portland/

cannondale cross xr7 - https://www.cannondale.com/bikes/08/c...del-8XR7C.html

Brodie Ronin '09 - https://www.brodiebikes.com/2009/bikes/ronin.php
Brodie Ronin '08 - https://www.brodiebikes.com/2008/2008_bikes/ronin.php

rocky mountain solo cxd - https://www.bikes.com/main+en+01_102+...tml?BIKE=606#2

kona sutra - https://www.konaworld.com/08_sutra_w.htm
Kona Sutra - https://www.konaworld.com/09_sutra_en.cfm
Kona Dew Drop - https://www.konaworld.com/09_dewdrop_en.cfm

Orbea Diem Drop Disc (2009) - https://www.orbea.com/en-gb/productos...icicletas.aspx (see road bikes > fitness > diem drop disc)

focus cross disc - https://www.focusbikesuk.com/focuscyc...cross_disc.php
focus mares disc 2009 - https://www.focusbikesuk.com/focuscyc...mares_disc.php

Devinci Caribou2 (2009) - https://www.devinci.com/11628_an.html

Raleigh USA Sojourn (2009) - https://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/road/sojourn/
Rei Novara buzz road bike (2009) - https://www.rei.com/product/779985

rotwild rs1cx - https://www.rotwild.de/en/ (street bikes section)

Fixie Inc. Pureblood - https://www.cycles-for-heroes.com/bik...oss/pure-blood
fixie inc. pureblood - https://www.cycles-for-heroes.com/200...pureblood.html

Salsa la Cruz - https://www.salsacycles.com/laCruzComp08.html
Salsa Fargo - https://www.salsacycles.com/fargoComp09.html

Opus Sentiero - https://opusbike.com/site_route.php?lang=en (see 2009 bikes > road > cyclocross)

Genesis Croix de Fer - https://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/series/croix_de_fer

BikesDirect Motobecane Fantom Cross Outlaw - https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...ane/outlaw.htm

Baron bicycles - https://baronbicycles.com/spec.htm

There's nothing wrong with Bikes Direct, but you should either know how to check it over and work on it yourself or budget for having an LBS do so. This includes checking bearings, spoke tension, and so on.

With your budget you should be able to find a good bike at an LBS that can also ensure the bike fits (which we can't do over the internet), but that's your prerogative. Frankly, if you're not planning on doing longer road rides for fun, the bike you linked is probably unnecessary. With bicycles, past a certain point more money does not buy you more durability.

If I had your priorities and budget I would buy something else; otherwise the internet can't tell you what fits or what you want.

Here's another vote for the Cross-Check... The "complete" bike runs about $1100 now, before you add pedals, fenders, or a cargo rack (which is a good idea if you want to use any bike as a commuter or cruisin' 'round the town utility bike.

I put a Brooks saddle on mine, plus a Delta cargo rack. Left the 'cross tires on it, since there's some pretty rough terrain/pavement on my commuting routes. Gave up a couple of weeks ago, and added fenders, too.

Get some good lights... headlight and tail light. If you ride your MTB much after dark, those lights should make good commuter lights as well.

If you're sized for a 56 cm road bike, then you need to go 2 cm smaller (e.g., a 54) if you buy a Cross-Check or about any other cyclocross bike... that's because the bottom brackets on these bikes are higher than a regular road bike frame, so you have more clearance.

Check eBay and Craigslist in your community. Used Cross-Checks show up there from time to time, and can be a good deal.

Put some road tires and lights on your MTB and run what you got for a while before you decide.

thanks for replies everyone, all of your opinions and recommendations are much appreciated. i'll definitely check out all the bikes and links mentioned.

how's the quality of tiagra components? i always tend to gravitate towards 105 and ultegra.

i just got offered a slightly used le champion sl for 925. should i pull the trigger?

Tiagra's fine. Maybe not for pros/high level racers, but hey - it works.

+1

You can never tell what you're going to want as a commuter until you've been doing it. Most people ride a bike they don't like for a while before figuring out what they really want. You're in a position to limit the expense of that because you already have a bike.

For instance, right now you think you don't want a rack and fenders (I'm just guessing you think that on the fenders). There's a good chance that six months or so of commuting will change you mind on this count. If you get the Le Champion, your options will be painfully limited. It's not really a commuting bike.

I just upgraded my 29er from C102 front/Deore rear/Alivio shifters to full XT, and I upgraded my cyclocross bike from full Tiagra to 105 front/Ultegra SL rear/Ultegra shifters. The difference in shifting performance was much more dramatic on the 105/Ultegra upgrade.

That said, I never had any real complaints about Tiagra. It works great. It's just not as sweet.

It's like the difference between a really good sirloin steak and a ribeye. You wouldn't regret ordering the sirloin, but boy those ribeyes are good.


I wouldn't.

one of the BD cross bikes, like https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/..._cross_pro.htm , would probably be reasonable options.

the fantom cross pro is definitely a slick looking bike with full ultegra components and ritchey rims. it looks like a great deal for 1k out the door. the windsor cyclcross also looks solid with 105 and ultegra componenets for 800. the pro looks like the best bang for the buck imo, what do y'all think? doesn't the full ultegra 6600 10sp group run ~600-700 new? essentially one would be getting the frame for free.

how do cyclocross bikes fit? if i'm usually a 56 or 58 on a road bike so does that translate to 56 on a cyclo? here is the geometry of the fantom cross frames, and my measurements are in the first post.

i hadn't previously considered a cyclocross bike because i have my mtn bike but maybe a cyclo would be a better option than a straight roadie. i'm not going to be focusing on speed as much and the roads up this way aren't the best so maybe a cc is the way to go. they can also be fit with fenders, bigger tires, etc.

Salsa Casseroll or Soma Smoothie ES.

Andy Shanks and Bill K are right. Put some slicks on your Mountain Bike and commute on that before you decide. However, I know some LBS can be a bit on the expensive side, but don't discount them to much. They offer services and sometimes have more resources than you think. They may be able to get used bikes or have some in storage. They don't always put them out on the floor but you can bet they are all in "good" condition.

Based on your measurements you are somewhere around a 56 - 58cm bike. Go to a LBS and see what they have in those sizes and ride them. But they won't ride the same because they are different bikes than the one you may order. But it should give you a better idea about what size to get (also look at top tube length according to their specs). Say you do order a bike from BikesDirect, you can return it before 30 days according to the website.

People usually rave about the Surly CrossCheck. I have the Long Haul Trucker and love it too . Different strokes for different folks.

i agree; my next move will be to buy some slicks and lights for my trail bike while i sort out just exactly what i want. i'm currently running an older build, a 1996 haro extreme ex2, totally stock except for the saddle. the specs can be found here.

any recommendations for some quality puncture resistant slicks and tubes that i can buy online for a competitive price? i figure a 1.5" or 1.25" would work well? i'm not sure how small i can, or want, to go on the 26" ritchey rims.

after doing a bit of research i've decided to go with a pair of schwalbe marathon plus'.

my main concern is puncture resistance since i'm not a big fan of changing tires in the field so these look to be a good choice.

the best price i can find online is 42/piece, 84/pair @ bike tires direct. anyone know of a better price?

also, anyone have some tube recommendations?

Sooner or later you will get a flat even if you added Mr Tuffy's liners and thorn resistant tubes. But that's the best combo available for flat prevention, albeit with a slight weight penalty.

There are better prices elsewhere for the Marathon Plus tires, but you would have to compare shipping and handling charges to see if there's a real savings and if they carry the tubes and/or liners you want.

To be honest, I did not read the whole thread. I read "mtb'er w/10 yrs experience wanting to buy a road bike from an e-tailer to commute..."

1. Go to the LBS and RIDE some road bikes. Not everyone can handle the drop bars. All arguments aside, a drop bar is not for everyone.
2. Can you borrow one or rent one for an extended test ride?
3. You only have 2- miles r/t. Consider a fitness/flat-bar road bike. Put some bar ends on and you'll be set.

But whatever you do, at least test ride as many road bikes as you can, even if you do buy online.

The thing with tires Augustwest is that their are so many conditions to think of and type of riding you will be doing. I've run Michelin Transworld city's on my 99 jamis exile and now have Specialized fatboys on it.

The Michelins were faster than the stock knobbies it came with. For the summer or two I commuted on them I've had 1 maybe 2 flats which would have happened on any tire I believe (nail I remeber, and a shard of glass that worked its way through the second time I believe). The fatboys I commuted on for about 10 months straight and have had 1 flat. They have always been on urban streets littered with broken glass, potholes, occasional nails, sticks and other such things. My LHT in size 26 in. tires came with wtb slickasaurus. Of the three tires I felt the Michelins were the slowest. I felt the Fatboys were the fastest. And I feel the Slickasaurus are the most comfortable (but they are on a different bike).

I think a good idea would be to order a set of slick or semi-slick tires from Jensonusa or somewhere else. Then order a rear flashing light (I like the Planet Bike Superflash) from somewhere different. And order other odd and end parts you might want that you could tranfer over to a new bike (pump, front strobe light, reflective vest, helmet, etc. from different places). That way you can get a feel for the delivery times and services of different online bike stores before you purchase a $1k bike from them.