Does anyone actually use a a carbon frame bike like this to commute on -
or would that be considered blasphamy ?

Are there even mounts on a carbon bike for racks etc ?

While I probably wouldn't go cf for commuting errand running my bikes get pretty scratched up on bike racks and locking to various poles don't know how well cf would take that over long periods of time, but if I was it would be this.

https://pedalforce.com/online/product...ducts_id=13565

rear rack mounts and room for wider tires and fenders.

commuting is more about utility and function than speed for me. i have a roubaix cf that i use if i want to let it out-

If you are afraid of scratching up that beautiful cf finish then you may want to look into titanium bikes for commuting.

Sounds like you have some more research to do.

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There's plenty of people riding to work on road bikes. If that's what you want to do, go for it.

I use a Madone 5.2 for my commute. It is comfortable.

There are recent posts discussing mounting racks on bikes without braze-ons. I have used clamps with rubber inserts for my old bikes without braze-ons.
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=580520
There are also seat post racks.

I use an Osprey Atmos Backpack. I have removable fenders and a mirror on my commuter.

I'll post pictures of my bike on this thread later this week.
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=579479

Ride what you got and have fun!

Some carbon bikes have eyelets for mounting racks. I'm pretty sure the Madone doesn't. It's a racing bike.

That said I have two bikes. The one I race on and the other one. I don't race much but I do use the "race" bike for commuting most of the year. It doesn't have clearance for studded tires so I don't use it in the winter.

If a Madone was my race bike, I'd commute on it too. There are people in my building that commute using Cervelos. I can keep my bike in the office though. If I had to lock it up outside all day I probably use a cheaper road bike.

I commute everyday Bike/train on my 2000 5200. It does fine. Sounds like you do not own one since you are asking it can be rack mounted. So for you scratches maybe an issue. I own several other bikes so my 5200 can be a beater bike. This bike has seen the cols of the TDF, the Dolimites of the Giro, the pave of Roubaix, the bergs of Flanders, it is one tough bike!

Of course you can. You can commute on any functioning bike. But if you make bike commuting a commitment and a regular part of a long term routine I think you'll discover a carbon fiber race bike has many shortcomings as a commuter.

For the price of one Madone you could buy a nice dedicated commuter AND a nice road bike.

edit- With that said: Ride what you like. if a Madone works for you then by all means ride the wheels off the thing.

I think the 4.5 would make a fun commuter if you don't park it in public places, ride in the rain, or mind using a backpack.

To better clarify my situation - i started back on the bike in Feb - quickly worked up to Trek 7.6 fx (with fenders/rack etc) and have been commuting (and doing weekend rides up to 40 mi) on that since April - I plan on keeping that - Keeping the bike safe here at work is not a problem -

it really is time for me to get a real road bike ... for the past few weeks I have been considering the trek 2.3 so I figured why not push it up a few bucks to the madone 4.5 for 2k - I'll be testing them properly tomorrow at the LBS - I fear that once I have a road bike I'll not want to ride the fx hybrid again - hence the question about the practicality of communting on a road bike.

I sense that I surely can and as many of you have said - 'commute on what you like'

So I don't know - ... there appears to be the issue of no eyelets to mount a rack on a road bike ... but I could just keep it lite with an under saddle bag...

thanks for your experience and your thoughts -

Here's my solution to that....

I regularly commute on a Jamis Aurora, a sport touring bike, that I purchased for weekend rides and touring. I intended to continue commuting on my Trek 7300 FX when I purchased the Aurora, but I quickly found that I like the ride of the Aurora much better, it was more comfortable, the gearing was better, basically, I wanted to ride it more! The 7300 FX went into storage.
Earlier this week, I broke a spoke on the rear wheel of the aurora. I took the 7300 FX out of storage, cleaned it up a bit, transferred the lights and necessary bits and rode it to work yesterday. To put it mildly, I did not enjoy the ride. Rather than enjoying myself on the ride home, I spent much of the ride trying to figure out how much I could get for it on Craigslist.
I suppose my point is, find a bike you enjoy riding. If you ride it to work, grocery shopping, time trialing or CX and you're enjoying yourself, then it's the right bike. I'm not an N+1 guy, but I do have more than 1, and I hope to soon decrease that number by 1.
All that said, a lot of factors can change things... distance, security, season, location etc all contribute to determining which bike may be appropriate for your commute.

The original bike you were looking at, the Trek 2.3, has eyelets on it. That can easily handle your needs. If you must have the Madone then you can what twilkins9076 suggested in his link.

Personally, I've been commuting on 2 road bikes without eyelets therefore I had to carry a backpack. That got old pretty quick and found another solution. I bought one of those 5 gallon plastic containers that can be locked and left it in my cubicle. I used that container to store 5 days worth of clothes in: shirts, undies, socks and pants. I'll ride Monday morning with a back pack full of a weeks worth of clothes. Then I ride without a backpack for the rest of the week except for the leg home on Fridays when I have to take my backpack full of dirty clothes home.

I did this for a few months until I found a locker. Now nothing stays in my cubicle but the concept is still the same.

I wouldn't, but you "could". A Madone 4.5 are race machines, not commuter bikes.

Sure, get the Madone. Commute with it in good weather, and use your 7.6 on other days. You have the perfect setup: a safe place to lock it at work, and a backup bike for less-than-perfect weather. Use a messenger bag or backpack; no sense in having racks on every bike.

It isn't blasphemy to ride a $3000 bike to work -- no more than driving a $30,000 car to work.

I have a cf roubaix that I commute on everyday, works great for me is fast and I use a backpack. I park indoors though so may not be the best idea if you have to park outside.

more good info - thanks to all - maybe I'll work a backpack/small under saddle pack on the madone 4.3 (really don't want to load it down) or 2.3 - Today I test and decide - and am very excited -

No offense guys, but doesn't it defeat the purpose of having a super-light carbon fiber frame if you're going to mount a rack? What are you saving with the CF, a pound?

What not go with a Carradice-style saddlebag if you're going to go that route?

The madone 4.5 frame will make for an excellent commuter. '09 or '10 models?

09 2.3 has carbon stays, you can probably get a decent deal on it now that the '10 model is out and very different. Parts spec isn't as good at '10 model.

10 2.3 is all aluminum, but upgraded parts spec (full 105 group). Has eyelets on fork and rear dropouts, plus there's a single water bottle type rivnut on the back of the seatpost about 7" up from the bottom bracket which appears to be a forward fender mount. Looks like it could be made into a halfway decent commuter.

4.5 would be a *****in' ride, but would be compromised as a dedicated commuter. No rack or fender eyelets, although there are certainly viable workarounds.

With either bike, if it will be your main commuter, consider a spare set of wheels right off the bat, 28 or 32h. Unless you're planning to upgrade the wheels anyway. Also, maybe think of replacing the tires with 25c Hard Case tires at time of purchase--see if you can work out a deal for them. If you're not going with a floor model and the dealer will have to order one in your size, you may have a choice regarding triple or compact double on either bike.

The LBS let me take a madone 4.5 (a 2009) for a proper test - i rode it for 10 miles around roads and bumps I know - The carbon frame felt fantastic - VERY nice feel and wicked quick -

so ... I bought the 4.5 today (2010 - will be in next week)

- thanks to the good suggestions here - I'll just use it to commute sometime and Not worry about adding fenders or a rack - .. keep it lean and fast - MY Trek 7.6 fx has been a wonderful commuter and will continue to be a work horse.

Can't wait to put some serious miles on the 4.5 - woo hoo