Um having a fixed rear wheel, gives you the exact same number of ways to brake than with a rim brake or a disc brake.

Disc brake also solves your rim wetting and subsequent braking problems.

New Orleans is flat so my 6 speed Giatex folding bike (sometimes for sale on eBay for about $200) works great; it even fits under my desk. The Giatex has a bike bell that comes in handy. You can even get an optional rear rack but I just wear a backpack. The backpack has reflective tape so it helps me be seen; I also keep my water bladder in it.

When I get to work, I fold up the bike, put it in a ripstop nylon bag and slide it under my desk. As a result, my bike's not out in the weather getting even more beat up. Also, scum bags looking for stuff to steal or trash don't have access to it. :)

i am very happy with my acquired-from-70-year-old-dad diamondback parkway, (a hybrid?), ten years old, i guess.
i feel more relaxed sitting upright, so as not to strain my 40 year old back.
i had to add some fenders, and a rack, then strap a backpack with bungeecords.
(panniers are better low ,though, so in the near future i got to have a pair)
others are left original. 700c rims, 35 or 38 will be great since the roads here in jakarta, indonesia, are not always smooth.

I really like touring bikes. I don't know if I would want to commute in the big city with one (I would use something with flat or moustache bars if I did), but for rural/suburban commuting, it seems pretty ultimate to me. The 36 spoke front/40 spoke rear wheels are bomb-proof, the ride is comfortable and lively, and I can haul most everything I could possibly need. The triple crankset makes it possible to climb any hill that I come across. Six cogs in the back is one short of what I would like to have, but any more than seven would be too many. With 126mm spacing, a new seven-speed freewheel may be an upgrade when the old one wears out. To shift my chainrings and cogs, I'm using downtube friction shifters, which are a little trickier to use while riding than indexed shifters, but are essentially maintenance-free. I was a little bit scared of friction shifters when I first got the bike (I went from indexed to friction, rather than the other way around!), but now I wouldn't trade them for indexed shifters.

Another handy item to have are tires with Kevlar under the tread to prevent punctures. I've been running my Panaracer Pasela Tourguards for around 1000 miles or a little more without a single puncture flat. That makes me happy!

Those of you dissing knobbies on the road forget the poster was talking about a winter tire. Here in the Midwest we get a thing called snow in the winter, and sometimes alot of it (Cleveland 112 inches last year). When there's snow on the road it sometimes helps to have a little more than smooth tread.
Last year I ran studded 700c tires and time the chance of snow was good. They worked well even on dry streets but were extremely slow. I was running a fixed at 42x17 and felt like I was pushing through concrete.
Craig

http://photos5.flickr.com/6506926_e3f9b2ebd0.jpg?v=0

Couple of updates I have made:

* Chaintug. Keeps the tension just so.
* Replaced the front wheel after tacoing it in a fence.

Couple of changes I'd like to make:

* Upgrade fork to carbon w/disc mounts
* Upgrade front hub to take a disc brake
* Upgrade brake
* Fit short mudguards
* Replace Armadillos with something a bit more grippy

Other than that, I highly recommend fixed/SS for commuting. It's very reliable.

I used to think that an SS hardtail mtb with disc brakes was the ultimate. That all changed when I got my fuji track. Now I'm looking around for parts to convert my ss mtb into a fixed gear. It's got vertical dropouts, but I think I'll get around that with some half-links. I stopped riding the SS because I'm undergeared at 32/16. Looking to change it to a 48 or 47/18 for a more city friendly (houston-flat) gearing. I'm running my Fuji stock, except for a cinelli stem I got for a great deal. I should have some more parts for the Fuji tomorrow. I'm thinking about getting an xtracycle to add to my SS/mtb so I can bring my mod/20" trials bike around for some after work activity. Ehh... it's so hard to spread the love around with 4 bikes! I haven't even touched my KHS Wtich Doctor in months!

The ultimate commuter bike is the one that tells you, "You reall don't need to take the car."

How do you commute with a fixed gear after a 20cm snow fall? I find myself needing to use 38/17 or so after all that snow and sand.

If i had all the money in the world...

Basic MTB front,
an Xtracycle with disk 14 speed internal rear wheel. Regular brakes on the front. Locking quick release skewers from Kryptonite front and rear. Slap a old Honda seat on the snapdeck for the ladies and some blue neon underneath. A pair of outdoor speakers under the seat wired to a mini amp stashed under the deck and wired to an I-Pod.

All the bling of a crusier, the capacity of a trailer, the reliablility of a single speed chain, the stop on a dime of a disk rear, the easy lock of most of the component $ locked with the rear wheel, and room for a passenger.

Only thing that's big $ is the 14 speed internal.

If you want cheap though, get a single speed cruiser and put a 3-5 speed internal on it. Put one of those huge double basket things on the back so you can carry lots of groceries.

It's statements like this that give fornians a bad rep in CO.

Wonder what friscoian think of that. "most cities " != SF

NO ONE IS THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX, where's your imagination?

I'm stunned at the lack of imagination in the ultimate commuter bike. First of all I don't think there can be just one simply because too many decide on bike purchases based on purchase price. What are the target markets?

Market S - college student want to commute to classes and invest little
Market T - around the town biker. Able to spend a little more than student, but wanting to keep the cost under $1,000
Market C - the commuter who commutes to work and may have additional riding opportunities. Dependability and functionality are key to this rider.


Ok, so there are at least 3 Markets for the ultimate commuter, but they all have several things in common:
#1 -- risk of theft
#2 -- risk of flats
#3 -- risk of non motor vehicle avoidance.

How might the ultimate commuter mitigate these risks?
THEFT
1. Active- Lowjack type of system installed inside the Down Tube, the tube between the pedals and handlebars, by the factory.
2. Passive- sticker identifying protected system
3. Re-active: by pooling funds a small annual fee would generate an "Immediate Cash Reward" upon recovery of stolen bikes.

Discussion
Probably only for markets C and T. Doubt parent of S would pay for it since they won't spring for a good bike.
Effectiveness would depend on:
1. speed by which owners report stolen bikes,
2. news reporting on dumb thief who was caught with hands in cookie jar,
3. cash rewards increasing number of people looking for identified Ultimate Commuter Bike.
[This woud not stop organize thief rings, but would stop drug type thiefs]

risk of flats
Let's face it, the cities simply will not keep roads clear of debris. Tire manufacturers are all over the place and not giving consistent products. They rarely provide any tire information other than price and marketing fluff.
A review of most tires can be found at: http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/tire/, BUT where is the marketing incentive.
Action needed:
1. create a user group: Ultimate Commuter
2. have user group select for each year the Tire of the Year for commuters C, T, and S.
3. Keep internal usage data so marketing clout is gathered
4. develop desired traits of tires:
My ideas would include:
4.1 kelvar, or better flat protection
4.2 reflective side walls for those times a storm rolls in
4.3 easy rolling
4.4 good cornering
4.5 smooth riding


Besides this, what are the ideal commuter characteristics?
For me they are:

1. ease of riding: level ground, uphill, downhill
2. looks good and impossible to chip or ding
3. low low maintenance
4. able to carry 10-20 lbs of important stuff without difficulty
5. wide range of gears without harsh transitions
6. fast stops in all weather conditions: sun, rain, snow.
7. able to accelerate and easily go 15-20 mph on level ground

So far, the only bikes I know that can do the above, Group C, are: SWB bents, touring bikes and cyclocross bikes.

But let the discussion continue. It's one of our chances to hear our thoughts instead of some marketing hype junkie's thoughts ................

hear hear, if there's someone out that that thinks sf is flat try riding through the city, not around it

I don't think junioroverlord has been out of la la land. He needs to try a ride from the wharf to the TV towers, or up Calaveras from Milpitas and then see if he can say single speed is all you need.

Just smoking too much down there.

I am riding my ultimate commuter.

Gunnar Streetdog singlespeed, here are the highlights (I won't bore you with a slavish recitation of every single part):

Gearing 42x16 (easy enough to race away from a stop light without standing up, it doesn't spin out at speed and I don't really have any really steep hills on my commute to worry about)

Phil high-flange track hubs laced to 700c velocity fusion rims (stiff, durable wheel, sealed bearings are a must)

Cantilever brakes (this used to be standard on the Streetdog until a few years ago when they switched to longer reach calipers)

Drop bars with Cane Creek levers (if you aren't married to STI levers, try these, they are shaped like the Campy levers so they are really comfortable)

Full fenders (during the rainy season only)

Sometimes a rack and panniers, mostly not. I like the loads I can carry with panniers but like the handling without them.

This is my favorite bike because it is simple, reliable, easy to maintain, comfortable, STEEL, takes corners like a dream and it is a blast to ride. There is lots of tire clearance on this bike so it takes knobbies and doubles as a great bike for SS cross racing or bombing down fireroads.

I think you're right. I love my slicks on the pavement, wet or dry, though frequent trips through grass, mud, snow, or dirt may change my opinion. What I heard was that car tires, for example, have groves to allow water to pass through and prevent hydroplaning. The same concept does not apply, however, on a much, much, lighter bicycle. It's the same reason you see bald tires on race cars, they offer an increased contact patch. Anyway, I'm not sure it matters if you have knobbies, baldies, or anything between. And, in light of this, I choose the tire with the lowest rolling resistance.

My idea of the ideal commuter is a bike you enjoy riding. Right now I'm on a Specialized Sirrus , which has done the job well after some mods. I have the ubiquitous Brooks B17, which I love, and a trek rack with a Wald basket zip-tied to it. Don’t let anyone dis baskets. I can carry my backpack to work, and if I need to stop on the way home, I can wear my backpack and fill my basket with books, groceries, etc. I don’t have fenders. I can get away with it usually, because I live in the desert. Fenders, however, are on the to-do list. I put bar ends on the flat bar and it serves me very well.
I wouldn't buy another Sirrus, but I do appreciate it.

I have a couple of drop bar road bikes, and a mtb with slicks for commuting - I used to use an old miyata 10 spd sport tourer which was great but the mtb w/1" slicks is great, maybe a tad better on NYC potholes. I just set up a pair of extra 26" wheels for it with knobbies for off road use on the weekends. :)

this is the best city commuter I have found yet:

Scott Sub 10

see http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ighlight=scott

http://img219.echo.cx/img219/2771/dcp028152ci.jpg

and by the way knobbies can be worse on roads- I fell off my MTB a few weeks ago in the rain when I tried to cycle up a kerb onto a bike lane. The knobbies just caught on the edge of the wet pavement and slid along the kerb and spun the bike round

I'm partial to an Xtracycle.
Been riding one for a couple months and havn't found a load that i can't handle with ease. I'm on a heavier MTB so a bit slow for the long commutes.

For faster or longer commutes, rig an old roadie with touring or tandem wheels and get a lockable box for the rack.
otivia.com
and some cheap grocery panniers folded down until you need them.

I have been looking at this bicycle. How is the performance?

Hey fellow Winnipeger...Norco is quite good, my mountain bike is a older norco...but as my commuter, I have a Devinci Amsterdam. (click here...no here...wait...here!)
Same pros and cons but I've got a carbon post (helps alot compared to the old Al post) and adding carbon handlebars would help even further on sucking up the bumps a bit. Of course a good suspension seatpost would also help.

Not only that, but knobbies wear out quickly on pavement. In the wetter months, I go with wider, groved tires (700x38). The grooves help with traction, and the wider width is more stable b/c there's more surface. A couple times, I've turned sharply on wet pavement when I still had my 700x26 slicks on, and they bike slid out from under me.

Fortunately, I wasn't hurt and there was no serious damage, but it's still pretty scary :eek:

Frame type. Cycle cross

Wheel size. 700C

Tire size/type. 25s

Drivetrain. Fixed

Brakes. Front short pull caliper.

Storage: Rack+panniers

Personal recommendation:

Order a Rob Roy from IRO and switch it to flip flop on the rear; go with Conti 4000s; add a panier/rack system that your comfortable with and enjoy the ride for what it is, a ride, not a set number of miles in a variable of gears to cheat the system.

New Trek Soho looks like the ultimate city bike to me.