The Moonlander is an insane bike... can't even imagine why I would need a bike with 5 inch wide tyres.

With my 150 pounds those 4 inch Endomorphs will float me over almost anything... last night I went for a test ride in the playground across the street which is a giant sandbox and was only limited by the low gearing which I changed when I came back home.

But if it means that people will be trading up and there are more Pugs on the market... that might be appealing to many people as the folks who buy them seem to hold on to them.

You know our "luck" so well. The Commission should be scrapped or thrown to the wolves (commercial), it can't get any worse then it already is.

No, I'm going to respectfully disagree,

Fenders are required because when commuting you'd like to get there on time and with less mess as possible, getting a "road shower" on your way into work is the last thing you'd like to feel.

Panniers are typically needed to carry your stuff, such as laptops, spare clothes etc, and cost nearly the same as a typical backpack or brief case etc.

Lights are legally required in a lot of areas. Skipping them can mean a ticket at least, and if your a early morning commuter, even if you don't have a front light due to the city lighting being strong, a $5 flasher red on the back of the bike IMO is required.

All kinds of tools is true, but at bare minimum one should have a stubby 15mm (typically for the wheel nuts) wrench, 4mm & 5mm Allen Keys, and a small 4" Adjustable wrench. Along with a spare tube in the seat bag and you'll be more or less set for small adjustments, a tube change and tightening things on the road.

Jim

Oh, but it hurts so good!

Yeah baby, you're a dirrrrrty, dirty bike.

Ok you have a point, but it's highly situational. Last year I did it as you say, to a more extreme extent to be honest. I could have overhauled my bike on the road and could commute in office clothes, and sometimes did. This year it's a road bike, flat kit and (sometimes) backpack, and since we don't need lights for day riding here I leave even them off. If you shower at work and keep your clothes there you don't care about fenders and panniers.

It's a really low barrier for entry to bicycle commuting. Just get on a bike and go, that's it. Over time we refine that to our own particular inclinations.

While true for some people I'm sure, many don't get that chance, and all of us have been late rushing into work once or twice, due to getting up late, or bad weather, and our free time before the job starts sometimes disappears. Or worse you get a flat on the way in, without tools or a spare tube to get you going again.

I'm a pessimist, so I always plan for the worst and hope for the best. I'm just saying, $20 for Fenders, a $20 rear rack, $20 pannier, $5 light, and $10 worth of tools and a spare tube ain't much. A $100 covers it and it will allow someone to not only feel comfortable but confident about their commuting.

Its as much as a investment in commuting to work as the bike itself. Getting stuck all wet one day without time to change or shower the first time does indeed suck.

Jim

There are times wider tires are nicer but those times are rare. We did a ride on a frozen lake that had about 4-6in of crusty snow we were riding through, it was just soft enough I could not float on it but crunchy enough that even though the terrain was flat we were in granny granny and pushing hard. I was on a Mukluk and a friend of mine was on a moonlander and when we switched bikes for a bit you really appreciated those wider tires believe it or not.

Most people when they start out are fair weather commuters. They probably already have a backpack and they don't bike at night. It's only when they get more serious about it that they really need to think about that other stuff.

After almost a decade of commuting, I still don't use a rack and panniers so as far as I'm concerned those are optional for even experienced commuters.

And like I said before, I consider the ability to change a flat a very valuable skill for commuters but not entirely necessary. I mean think about it for a minute. That majority of Americans get to work how? By car. How many people can successfully deal with a mechanical failure with their car on the way to work? I bet very few.

What do they do?

Call their boss and tell them they'll be late. Then call a tow truck or something.

With a bike you can skip the tow truck. Just call for a ride. They're probably only a few minutes away from either home or work anyway. My wife could change a flat but I doubt she would unless she couldn't reach anybody on the phone. By the time she'd remember what she needed to do and get it done, I or somebody else could have already picked her up.

Note: Some people live in places where flats are a far more common occurrence. In those cases, I agree that you want to a carry a tube, pump, and patches.

I believe it.

Before I f'd my back I was an intense mountain biker and it has been a long time since I have gone out and enjoyed myself this much... I don't have the option to hike and ride slower so the extra stability, low speed control, and plushness of the Pug is pretty much perfect.

And we have this thing called winter, which is a dirty word now, but it will be back.