New To Commuting
 

I love to ride let me start with saying that, currently I ride a Fixed Gear. The commute I do is 15.7 miles one way to school with a couple steep hills. My question is to the forum about future bikes.

I am looking at getting a new bike, 99% of my riding is done on roads, some country roads but all hard surface. Being Missouri we do have snow sometimes, but I do ride year around. I enjoy riding my fixed however gears would be nice for climbing hills. Why do most riders here seem to run a CX Bikes over Road. What is the normal weight you guys/gals are seeing on your bikes. Along with having a commuter I would like to start enjoying longer fun rides and even participating in rides like the MS150 and such. Do many of you run narrower tires to reduce rolling resistance or do you not care. Thanks for the help.

Maybe the folks you see with CX bikes like to use
skinny tires from spring to fall then switch to fatter
tires in the winter. Also, most CX bikes will accept
fenders and racks, most roadbikes won't.

I haven't personally seen any, I am one of very few that would consider that commute that is why I asked what was the popular and why in here, to use the experience the forum has when I don't have the local experience to rely on.

Hi there WO513!

Your terrain explains why most of your local cyclists might ride CX. Riding CX gives you multiple riding positions for long distance cycling. Due to the occasional snow and the irrevrently steep hills, you'd want to have very good traction. CX bikes offer you greater choices in tire width. Having wider and knobbier tires ensures greater traction during the winter. However, when the season changes, you can always switch back to a thinner and much smoother tire. So I guess in a word, the CX bike gives you greater riding "versatility". Also, when alternating between paved roads and dirt roads, some dirt roads might make you appreciate that you have a CX bike, that can accept wider tires.

- Slim :)

PS.

Commuter bikes vary in weight due to the fact that they are usually accessorized with racks, fenders and/or panniers.

Without all of that stuff, I'd think the average bike would be somewhere around 24 - 29 lbs.

Question about bikes, seems lots of people are picking up older bikes for commuting, do may people utilize a commuter as a recreational long rider also. In other words a good all around bike, I don't want to have a bike that I only ride on the weekends and another for commuting.

Oops, my bad. When you said "here" I thought
you meant in your area. I didn't realize you meant
"here in BF". Anywho, same theory applies;
fat tires, fenders, rack(road vs. CX).

in my opinion,maybe the carbon road bike is also suitable for you,because most of your time is ride on the road and the good quality road bike must be ok for you and they are very stable.

I have been bouncing between a carbon road and a carbon CX.

Hmmmm, you lost me there;) I have a whole bunch of those... to each his own though.

You mean, you're considering locking your CF bike on campus, while you're inside of a building, sitting in a classroom...

Ah_Not a good idea!

You might reconsider an take a look at the following:

www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/mirage_xi_steel.htm

- Slim :)

No actually I work on campus also and can take my bike into work with me. But I have seen a few SupperSix's locked up around campus with cheep cable locks. I at least use a Kryptonite NewYork U-Lock and a chain. For my fixed when I have to lock it up.

I think either a cross or a touring bike makes sense for what you want to do with it. They may be a few pounds heavier that a racing bike, but you should be able to mount fenders and racks for your commute. Touring bikes in particular have low gears, you can get fairly low gears on the 'cross bike, to get you over the hills. You'll get pretty decent rolling resistance (compared to MTB), and you can go to the drops for wind resistance, on either. On weekends you can go for rides.

If you're want, you can get an extra set of wheels and light tires to save for the weekend rides. I don't -- I figure I ride a bike made for loaded touring, because when I get on, the bike IS loaded! IIRC, all my century rides except maybe one were on touring bikes; for some reason, I like them better after five hours than my lighter bike.

When I was searching for the perfect all-around bike, I finally settled on a cyclocross bike. It is perfect for commuting, I love the road bike nature of the ride, but also the ability to take it off roads and commute. It can take fenders and rack and wider tires. I can also take it on longer weekend rides and the like. Seemed like the perfect option and it has been. I used to have four bikes, but I'm down to two and soon to one. I have a lot more free space in my garage now.

PM me if you want my opinion on a good CX bike that comes set up with road-bike like gearing.

Hey there WO513!

Whew! You scared me there for a moment!

Anyway back to your commuter bike....

I was going to suggest these two:

www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebikes/road/satellite/12_satellitecomp.html
Jamis Satellite Comp ~ $1000 * This bike is fender and rack compatible


www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/road/cyclocross/steel_cross/lane/
Trek Lane (CX) ~ $1000 * This bike is fender and rack compatible

http://surlybikes.com/bikes/cross_check
Surly Cross Check ~ $1000 * This bike is fender and rack compatible

- Slim :)

No way I would spend a grand or more on those bikes. Both outfitted with Sora components (not to rag on Sora, I just wouldn't pay that much for it) and the first one wouldn't even take decent fenders and the second has a steel fork.

OP- what's your price range?

Don't know whether you've noticed it or not but the prices of components and Groupsets have increased all across the board...

Besides, the Satellite and the Surly are both chromoly bikes, and the components can all be upgraded later. Therefore, well worth the initial investment, hands down!

Also, both the Jamis Coda series and the Jamis Satellite Series have adequate fender clearance. I know my Jamis, guy!

What you'll pay and what you consider expensive may not necessarily be agreed upon by others...

- Slim :)

PS.

The Trek Lane is made of Hi-Tensile steel and NOT chromoly!

I'm in VA, and I've only been commuting for about 4 months, and my commute is half the length yours is. I ride an old GT Vantara (Chrome-Moly, 21-speed, no suspension) that I bought for $100. I also ride with my kids in a trailer or on a tandem on the weekends; most weekends that means I ride about 7 miles towing 60 pounds or so.

So far, I really like larger tires--I'm running 38mm Michelin City tires, which are maximum width that would fit. (I've got about 4 mm of total clearance between the tire sides and the chainstays.) They smooth out the ride a bit, and I feel like the bike maneuvers better with them. (OTOH, the tires the bike came with, for which these are the replacement, were cyclocross tires.)