Guys,
I am 37 year old from San Diego and my round trip commute would be 20 miles.
I have been biking on/off for long time but never biked more than 7/8 miles in one go.
Now, I have one bike: Marin Larkspur which is hybrid and is an OK bike. The seat is uncomfortable though.
I am looking for a comfortable drop bar bike likeTrek-1.2 (?).
During my commute, I'd be only carrying ,my laptop in my backpack so no pannier needed hopefully.

I don't want to buy a brand new bike from LBS since I am not sure about my commitment.

Wondering about these:
whats a good comfortable road bike ? I hate road bike positions, never rode one and hate spindly tires.

Thanks

DD

Well, I like road bikes with skinny tires and drop bars, aero position...but a favorite commuter is a converted hardtail mountain bike. Riser bars to get more upright, a more upright saddle like a Brooks B17, more slick-like tires, rigid fork, kickstand, platform pedals with toe clips (or straps). I can maintain a steady 15mph pace, great visability, very comfortable and great for emergency moves in traffic. I have my office bag/laptop on a rear rack.

I also commute on a road bike, though faster it's not as pleasureable. Each to their own but I found commuting on a road bike is a grind, and every once in a while you are going to get delayed by a road hazard. If you are going to commute by bike regularly you need to focus on the practability factor. Hybrids - they seem a little bit fragile to me.

Commuting on your go-fast bike is like car commuting in a Alfa Romeo Spider; you can do it, with the top down..but you'd kill the car and your sanity over time.

Note: My commuter MTB is a Trek 7000zx, aluminum, late '90s, not the 7000 hybrids Trek made in the last 10 years; including buying the bike used (very nice condition) and all the mods I probably have $800 in the bike.

Here's what it looked like when I got it (pic stolen from the internet):

Here is my version of what Frenchfit described above and it makes a dandy commuter bike. It’s a 1987 KHS mountain bike that I put road tires on a riser stem and bars and also a set of bar ends with grips. A different saddle, basket, rear rack, mirror and the basket lets me attach a case shown that will hold a laptop and some papers. I spent 10 bucks on the bike at a garage sale and about another $150 making it into what I wanted. Starting with a mtn bike gives you a sturdy platform to build on frame, wheels, and gearing etc.



I added old steel fenders over the summer and the basket is back on now.

If you're not sure about your commitment, then buy a new seat for the Marin instead of a new bike.

If you don't like spindly tires and road bike posititioning, then why bother looking at a road bike?

+1

I'm really confused by your saying you want a drop bar road bike but hate drop bar road bikes. Huh?

Until you know what works for you on your commute, keep it cheap and simple. Get a decent saddle and work the rest out later. If it turns out you're not really into commuting, you still have a nice saddle. If it turns out you like commuting, your current bike will help you sort out what you want and need in your next bike.

Win, win.

You'll do just fine with the Marin you have now. Just change the saddle to what you want and put slick tires and maybe Trekking bars.

New saddle, trekking/butterfly bars and some decent 700c x28mm tyres will turn the Larkspur into a very useful 2x10mile commuter.
Add a luggage rack and you will make life very easy for yourself.
You don't need to spend any more than that.

+2 That's what I'm like!

Your best advice, I think, is here!

Thanks all,
I don't like spindly tires because I don't feel like I am getting a confident grip on the bike.
I agree with all of you: Use the marin I have with some upgrades and take it from there.
I'd be coming here for more advice here. My two main grips with marin right now:
1) Painful seat ( I have bony butt )==> any advise for good saddle ?
2) Handle position not too comfortable..==> any advise for good bar ?

Thanks again!!

I wish i can get rid of my car if not altogether but to a larger extent, we have two cars in the family..

Saddles are 100% individual preference. You'll have to try some out and figure out what you like. Just saying it's "painful" is not enough to go on. There may not really be anything wrong with the saddle at all, and maybe your butt is just not used to it.

As for handlebars, again, this is largely personal preference, but you have to figure out what you don't like about the current one, in order to make some improvement. I assume you have some sort of riser bar, ala mountain bike style? Perhaps something that has a bit more bend backward (towards you), and/or a bit more rise to it will help. Again though, just saying that "It's uncomfortable" is too vague...

The big question in San Diego is what canyons will you need to climb, and will your bike and you get up them. It sounds like you feel the Marin is okay on that issue.

As far as handlebars, you may find that adjusting them just a bit will solve your problems. Mine hurt after about 3 miles, I rotated the bars just a few degrees and now they never hurt. Basically, I loosened the bolt and then fiddled with the bar until it was comfortable and tightened things back up.

Saddles are a personal issue. Mostly you'll have to try out some. Don't be deceived into thinking you need a big mattress. What you really may need are some more muscles down there. I actually prefer as hard a saddle as I can find. It may be a width issue as well. My current saddle is a woman's Avocet O2, (I'm male) and from the wear patterns on the very edges of the saddle I need all that width. Some dealers do have meters that will help you determine how wide a saddle you need.

The saddle could even just need adjusting. I've found that a minor change in the tilt of the saddle can make a surprisingly big change in comfort. I wish I know an easy fast way to get comfortable but I don't.

I agree with the others -- start with replacing the saddle on your current bike. My best advice on saddles is to find a bike shop that will let you try out different saddles or allows exchanges if you buy one that is not comfortable. They might also be able to tell if it's just a matter of adjustment. Many people find saddles uncomfortable because they have them positioned wrong -- too low or high, tilted rather than level, too far forward or back.

Bullhorns or handlebar extensions are good options if you don't want drop bars, allowing you more positions for comfort and aerodynamics than plain old flatbars. Most of the issues with commuting you will work out by just doing it. The important thing is to take the first step, or pedal stroke.

Go-fast bikes have their disadvantages, but so do go-slow bikes for long commutes. More effort to pedal, to maintain speed on a windy day, etc. I seem to enjoy the commute more on my zippiest bike...

If nothing else, though, I'm with the "just get a better saddle and start commuting" crowd.

I ride a hybrid about the same distance as you in a day and I find it to be a very nice/comfortable ride for the distance. I manage to average about 16-17 mph, so not too slow. It's nice to have a little more tire underneath you. I personally use 700x35 semi-slicks. They are much smoother than MTB tires, but can handle the occasional dirt path or rough shoulder.

Start by adjusting the seat and buy new if you need to. Save your pennies for lights/gear. You can always add a bike or upgrade once you get into the grove and start to find things lacking in your current setup.

It's possible that the saddle isn't your main problem. No matter how bony your butt, you should experience the usual cycle of initial discomfort which disappears as you put in some miles (a couple of weeks is typically enough). Granted, some saddles really are worse than others and what works for one person might not work for another. You at least should consider the possibility that you've got too much of your weight on the saddle.

I'd recommend that you go to your LBS and have them look at your position on the bike. They really need that information anyway to get you the right saddle. They should also do something to measure the width of your sit bones. If you have a dealer that sells Specialized saddles, they have a nifty little tool that does this. Then, based on the width of your sit bones and your typical riding position, they can recommend a saddle width for you.

As for handlebar positions, either trekking bars or bar ends should help give you some options. I like Profile Design Boxer bar ends. I would also say that if you end up sticking with the commute and want a new bike sometime down the road, you should revisit the idea of drop bars. I find them much more comfortable than flat bars with bar ends (never tried trekking bars). If you get a non-racing bike, you can have the bars set up fairly high to get a comfortable, relatively upright position while still using drop bars.

BTW, I also wanted to say that I also started commuting 20 miles round trip when I was 37, but unlike you I was coming from a completely sedentary lifestyle and not having biked regularly for 20 years. At first, I was only riding a couple of miles to the train station, but within a month my body adapted to the full 20 mile round trip and within a year I did my first metric century (62 miles). You can definitely do this.

About the no need for a pannier or a rack, you may find that what feels like an easy weight to deal with of a laptop in a backpack may feel like a lot different a few miles into a ride. Unless you have a Macbook Air, in which case I'm jealous!

When I ride, my backpack just has a pair of work shoes and my clothes that I'll be changing into at work. Nothing heavy at all. But I still like putting my backpack in my pannier so I don't have that on my back while riding to the office (I've found that this also makes a big difference for how much I sweat during my ride!).

I definitely prefer any load I carry to be on my bike instead of my back.

I prefer the hand position that road bikes offer: palms vertical rather than horizontal. I'm sure you can get numerous recommendations for bar ends. If you are biking less than a mile and still having issues, something is pretty wrong with your current set up. I recommend stopping by your LBS with your bike. Perhaps you could post a pic of you on the bike in a riding position? Don't waste your money on a new bike until you have conquered that 20 mile commute and find that you like it. I think a few $$$ on your existing bike should get you a ride that you like.

A comfortable saddle is one that supports your sit-bones firmly and relieves pressure on the squishy bits inbetween.
The width between sitbones and the vertical difference between bones and squishy bits varies from person to person so saddle profile will vary.
My own fav saddle is a very old Specialized that is very hard and looks normal. I prefer it to my San Marco Rolls ( a longtime fav of pro riders) and even to my Brooks B17.
Some saddles have a central cutout which some people like.

Hand comfort depends on having the correct reach to your bars in height and length, then on having a comfortable, neutral wrist angle. Any tension or torsion will soon affect you. Road drops are very good but you have a hybrid and trekking bars are sufficiently good for round the world tourists and a straight swap for you.

You need to setup the bike position for comfort and efficiency. Check out the best guide to bike fit.

If your hybrid is the right size and the gears and brakes are fine why not try some upgrades. Replace the seat < $40. New handle bars and padded tape, maybe climbing bars for extra hand position...maybe $75. Back pack sounds easy...until you work up a sweat....you'll want a rear rack.

Are you suffering from BAS? Bicycle Acquisition Syndrome is a growing epidemic! Yes, like most responders in this thread, I agree that the smartest thing for you to do is zoot up your current Marin with a better seat and handlebars. However, if you are using this commuting opportunity as an excuse to get a new bike- GO FOR IT! A true Cyclist has a collection, not just a single bike. The smart answer? Fix the Marin. The best answer? Get a new, shiny bicycle - or two! Or three!

Take a look at Universal Truth of Cycling #6!!