That's what I thought. I was going to chime in on commuting for under $300, but under $3000? I mean that's pretty normal, higher than normal really, and anything more would be the outlier.

This.

$3000 seems pretty overkill.

Since I'm very tall, it's hard to find bikes on CL. My bike new was $550. Cargo rack, fenders, lights and my pannier were Probably another $350 all said and done. I could have gone cheaper on the pannier($130) but I opted for an Ortlieb. I've spent another $50 on wicking clothes for winter at the big box store.

Why do you abuse your bike on a daily basis?

My commuter cost $1,000 used, but they gave me $500 credit on a death trap bike I had, but didn't want to use anymore. It's a wonderful ride, and doubles as my rain bike.

I commute on nice steel alloy frame bikes that I have purchased off CL. The one pictured I paid $75 and put another $75 into it. The amount of money you apparently are talking about could buy a bike a lot nicer than what I see most folks commuting on.



http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=224821

Short answer, because I need to get to work.

Commuter bike: My commuter bike takes everything I can throw at it . . . potholes, glass, dirt, grime, ice, snow, rain, loads of miles, hauling lots of stuff . . . and never lets me down. In 5 years, it won't look so great.

Road bike: I only ride my $5k CF road bike when the weather is good, ride it unloaded and on good roads. Still looks like new after 5 years.

I have a dawes lightning sport that I bought brand new on ebay and it was about 240.00 brand new (including shipping). I used it for commuting during the non-winter months and tried to commute only on fair weather days. I found that bike to be great commuter bike whereas I also have a trek 7100 that I bought before that from a local bike shop... that wasn't such a good bike for commuting.

I guess because I am heavy and the different posture on the 7100, I would always have problems with the rear wheel... broken spokes, or bent if I hit a pothole...

never had a problem with the dawes, it was a workhorse, more comfortable and lighter to boot...

Hey there Boatrider!

NEWSFLASH!...NEWSFLASH!...NEWSFLASH!

The average American cyclist spends less than $600 for a bicycle. Therefore, I'm going to go way out on the limb and guestimate that the overwhelming majority of cycling commuters spend less than $1000 for their bicycles. Therefore, your figure for the cost of commuter bikes "under" $3000 would include everyone from the dirt poor to the super rich. I don't believe that you intended to phrase your bicycle quest for sharing in the manner in which you did.

However, I do believe that I understood what you were trying to say. Therefore, I'd like to pass along some information. I currently own four bicycles. All of them together have a total value of approximately $3000. I enjoy riding all of them immensely, including my aluminum one. My chromoly steel-frame Nishiki Sebring bicycle is quickly approaching the age of thirty. I still enjoy riding it as much as the first day I rode it out of the LBS. I commuted on my Nishiki for almost nine years, before I was forced to drive a car due to job relocation. It was simply too far away to arrive both on time and ready to work. I now ride my bike anywhere in and around my city. I also take brief excursions into San Francisco. That's one exciting place to cycle. You'd better be super alert at all times there, because people in San Francisco drive crazy!

However, I feel that overall, commuters contribute a substantial amount to the reduction of the giant carbon footprint here in the U.S. We also help the economy. We have much in which to take pride by commuting, whether we've planned to commute, or if we do it by default.

- Slim :)

PS.

Here are a few supporting websites that should make us feel more knowledgeable about ourselves, as cycling commuters:

http://nbda.com/articles/indutry-overview-2010-pg34.htm


www.bikeleague.org/programs/bikemonth/pdf/BTWW_Booklet.pdf

I need to get to work, too, but I've never thought of "I'm on my way in, and we have a department meeting in an hour" as a reason not to steer around (or bunny hop) potholes? I don't think loads of miles are abuse, they're what bikes are made for. Abuse for a bike is not riding them, like clipping a bird's wings. The rain (and grime it entails) helps wear drive trains and braking surfaces down, but the frame doesn't mind.

I wouldn't commute on my CF bike, either, but that's because they don't let me take it into the building, and I refuse to leave it locked out on a rack. That's why I got a metal road bike.

Under $3K?! You could buy several awesome commuter bikes for that.

Be honest. This isn't about the love of junk bikes. You don't hate $3000 bikes, you hate the people that buy them. Ok then.

Less than $200 here too.

This http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/a...5/IMAG0060.jpg
and this
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/a...5/IMG_0194.jpg

Both are very smooth ride.

I think most commuters spend less than $3,000 on their bike. I bought a Surly Cross Check for $1050. So far, so good. I don't feel bad about spending that money. It's almost all stock. Except for the Brooks, the Nice Rack, and some cross brake levers, and the water bottle holders, rear Knog Boomer, front Cygolite 200 MilION, and MKS King Grip pedals. All these upgrades costed about $435.

$1,050 + $435 = 1485.

I could have bought used but I like the assurance I got from buying a new bike.

Point is few commuters commute on $3000 bikes. Mine barely comes in at half that with all the upgrades.

I think the politically correct term is beater bikes, but yea...I don't see why the fuss over some people buying more expensive bikes. If we all had an extra $1000, I'm sure we'd be tempted to either buy nicer bikes or nicer components. If someone wants to ride a $3000 bike to work, why make him feel bad? It's probably not smart but it's not me, either. so forget it.

going by the results from a poll i created on the forum last year, VERY few bicycle commuters regularly commute on bikes that cost them $3,000 or more.


link to thread: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...you?highlight=


here's a screen shot of the poll:

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/4756/bikepoll.jpg

I used to work in the same building with a guy who rode a DA-equipped Pinarello road bike to work every day. Probably cost $5-6K. Never made sense to me, but if the guy could afford it, why not? Funny thing is I would blow past him on my commuter bike all the time, as our routes were the same. I never tried to make him feel bad, because I figured he spent so much on that bike, he couldn't afford another.:D

I honestly don't see it in this thread, from the original post or any responses, that someone should be ridiculed for spending more that $E (expensive) or less than $C (cheap) for a bike. Mainly I think that people are surprised that OP considers $3000 to be close to or below that C range for commuters, and some may be silently questioning his motives. I don't- I think he's just thinking out loud.

Is there a pecking order among owners of these higher end bikes? Does a $6,000 bike owner usually look down at the owner of a $4500 bike? Does the $3000 bike owner feel like he's often slighted by them, or feel like he has entry level equipment?

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net..._7410589_n.jpg

Dumpstered frame
Saddle, post, bars, stem, rack, cranks from my parts bin
$100 in parts for the wheels
$20 pedals
$50 for fenders and adapter mounts
$40 in the freewheel and tensioner

All said and done, roughly $210 into this bike.

He probably never understood why you felt the need to go so fast while you were commuting instead of saving it for the weekend club ride. ;)

Judging by how he looked after arriving in the morning, I'd say he wasn't holding back.

These days I commute on a recycling ctr. rescue. I'm into it for the grand whopping total of about $100......

Hub generators and lights are brilliant in more ways that one in that they do throw an effective amount of light, better ones have a high beam cutoff and good focus, and need no recharging.

Would agree with Dan's poll that the average commuter spends $500.00 - $1000.00 if they are serious about commuting on a daily basis and might start out with something cheaper and then upgrade to a better quality bicycle.

If you have skills you can have a very nice bike for much less but buying a used bicycle can be a daunting task for many people as they do not know what to look for and may end up having to spend considerable money bringing the great deal they got up to snuff to handle the rigours of the daily commute.

I consider commuting to be one of the most extreme uses you can subject a bicycle to.

I own one bike. It's a $300 Giant hybrid. I had to rebuild the rear wheel at about 1000 miles because it was junk and kept breaking spokes. I've replaced it again when the axle broke at about 16,000 miles. I replaced the front wheel at about 12,000 miles to get a hub that supported disc brakes. I replaced the saddle with a Brooks, and have about $200 in lights on it, plus rack, waterproof panniers (cheap Nashbar ones), an Air Zounds horn, and a Wald folding basket. Nokian studs for the winter.

I have J&G cyclewear rain gear ($200 for jacket and pants) plus a bunch of department store stuff (hunting gear for winter clothing). Some eBay cycling shorts though I don't really wear them anymore.

All told in about 27,000 miles and 6 years so far I'd guess I've probably spent about $1500 total including clothing.

$20.00 bike (run over by a car) rebuilt at home and I have about a total of around $200.00 in to it now, it's big, comfortable and believe it or not quite fast (but I like to think the motor helps a bit there). I've probably put a couple thousand miles on it this year since the rebuild.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y17...s/DSC05081.jpg

Totally agree with that. You ride in all conditions, many of which a recreational rider would not even think about riding in. Sometimes in the dark, often alone and if it breaks in a bad way you may have a very long walk.

My 2010 Scott SUB40 cost $450 new in 2010. Started commuting 3x per week back in April and never looked back. I have ~$150 in rear rack, saddlebags, handlebar bag, and blinkies. Also put a cheap (but better) pair of grips on it as well as a gel-filled seat for my soft areas ($35?).

I did splurge and spend $50 on a pair of cycling shorts but don't like riding the elevator in spandex so I stick with gym shorts and t-shirts. When I need to haul my laptop, I wear a backpack I already had.

I refused to wear a helmet (never had one when I was a kid!) but family members felt so strongly about it they bought me a pretty cool one that I never would have bought. I do wear it often since they're evidently concerned.

I'm pretty darn quick for the 8.5 mile ride to the office. Loaded with dress clothes and laptop, it only takes 34 minutes and that's with stop lights!

I get what the OP is saying. We were discussing seat posts that cost over $100 yesterday and routinely talk about lights and rain gear that costs at least that much.

Yes, you can absolutely commute on a 20 year old bike that you dug out of dumpster or got on CL for a song. I have two bikes. One cost me $125 and the other $350. So I could get all superior and tell the rest of you that have spent 1k + on your bikes that you've wasted your money.

The problem is that I'm a cycling junkie like 70% of the people on this forum. I have a budget of $100 per month for cycling expenses and I use it. So in typical year I will have spent $1200 on bike gear. After 3 years, - $3600.

So I'm not going to preach to anybody about how you don't need all that fancy gear to commute. IMHO you don't need it and much of my stuff isn't all that fancy but I do like to tweak and experiment.

If my commute was only "a few miles" then any bike would do. In fact, I'd probably just walk.

Frame - I was told it was an old Jamis. The frame has been stripped and repainted. It is steel though. $200
Through the years I have built it the way I like it so I have a $400 set of wheels and a $114 carbon fork with headset. All told I probably have about $1500 in the bike.

I have $1200-1500 in my bike, but its not a just a commuter. Its my one bike right now, and contrary to BF, n+1 logic, I dont really feel the need for anything else right now. It gets me and my stuff to work reliably and comfortably, its fast enough for fast group rides, and comfortable enough for longer rando rides.