I’m looking to purchase my first bike for commuting. I live in Seattle so I’ll need something that will hold up and brake well in the rain. I’m just under 5’7 with a 29” inseam. My budget is around 1,500 dollars.

What should I look for?

In my opinion, Step #1 is to find a good local bike shop. Their after-sale service will help you learn the ropes; I didn't have any idea what I was looking for when I bought a new bike a couple months into starting to commute this summer, but tried a few bike shops and found one that was awesome. Building a relationship with them, learning more about my bike/maintenance and bikes in general, and still have 2 years of free service from them for the stuff that I can't do myself yet.

No idea what you're looking for, but I'd look at some of the Cyclocross bikes; I tried the Trek CrossRip Elite (which I believe is in your price range with an MSRP of $1,269) and loved it on my test rides, but ultimately wanted something with higher end drivetrain components than the Sora group. I ended up buying a Specialized Secteur Expert as it has a Shimano 105 drivetrain, still loved the ride, etc.

Commuting in the rain in Seattle though you'll probably want to at least consider disc brakes. May limit your options, but everyone tells me they perform better in the rain. I haven't done any head to head comparisons myself, but found once they were broken in, the discs seem to handle a lot nicer than my old rim brakes did.

Since you already know your budget, the next step would be to evaluate your terrain, in order to determine the type of bike that would best suit your needs.Your current budget can quite easily afford you a decent road bike or an awesome hybrid. Most hybrids are already rack and fender ready. They also usually have enough clearance for wider tires. Tires that can better compete with poor road conditions. For commutes less than 30 miles RT, a hybrid would be a better commuter for urban areas with dense city traffic.

Cyclocross and touring road bikes would be great too, if equipped with inline brakes, rack, and fenders.

I agree that cyclocross, touring or hybrid are the best choices. I personally like the build on Surly's Cross Check for that price range. There are enough braze-ons and eyelets for gear it up anyway you like, clearance for tires and fenders, and it is durable enough for loaded touring if you want to go there.

Marc

I ride a load of bikes my favourite for commutng is a SS Create 2013 as I live the simplicity of our and it's amazing in traffic all for £340

In the wet, there's nothing else that brakes quite as nicely as disc brakes. Presently, disc brakes pretty much restrict you to cyclocross bikes, which is fine, since many cyclocross bikes also make for decent commuters.

I'd look first at the Trek Crossrip. Two Crossrip models have both disc brakes and fall within your budget, the Crossrip Comp at $1100, and the Crossrip Elite at $1270.

The technical differences between then are mainly of the "how many angels can dance on the head of a pin" variety. The practical difference is the paint. Matte finishes such as found on the Comp, while trendy, are difficult to clean and to keep clean. In my short stint at an LBS, I learned that the only thing that really cleans matte finishes well is a Mr Clean Magic Stain Eraser. Cleaning sprays or plain soap and water doesn't work.

I own the forerunner of the Crossrip, a 2006 Trek Portland. After some initial teething problems (that are not present in either later Portlands or the Crossrip) it's been a very satisfying daily ride in all four seasons and in all weather conditions. Although I have two other bikes, (and others have come and gone in the intervening years) the Portland remains the one bike I'd keep if I could own only one.

If you prefer straight bars to drop bars, have a look at the Trek FX 7.4 disc. At $880, it'll leave a lot of your budget available for accessories. The price difference between the FX series and the Crossrip series is mainly due to the difference in price between MTB and road shifters and drivetrains. It's a personal preferance choice between them. Either will be just fine.

If you prefer MTB style bikes, you'll need recommendations from someone else. I'm also not well-versed in touring bikes with disc brakes, although there are a few from what I hear.

EDIT:
Darn it, I read your post as FAST commuting bike, not FIRST. Well, I wrote all this stuff, so I'm posting it anyway. Maybe it will help even though it answers a question you didn't ask.

You are doomed.
Here's why:
You get a nice cross bike that's fast. I did that. I got a Motobecane Fantom Cross Outlaw with disc brakes. Cool!
But then you add a rack. Gotta have a rack for the panniers you need. Right there you move out of the fast zone. It's just like adding a parachute. A heavy parachute.
But you aren't finished. You really should have fenders, which add more weight and drag. Enough that you'll notice.
You'll want lights, and even though they are amazing now, they do add weight.
Your tires should be a bit tougher then nice road tires, and that translates to slower. You'll be happy you aren't fixing flats, but still, they aren't fast.

I love my commuter bike, but on the rare days I ride my Specialized Roubaix to work I get there a heck of a lot faster.


Motobecane Fantom Outlaw commuter bike by ccorlew, on Flickr

Good post! I am following your blog now.

You make some good points about adding things and adding weight.

I personally think if someone is ONLY going to commute spending over $400 is extreme IMO.

I would say a Hybrid will be perfect for short rides.

Manny

As with all things, it depends. If you commute every day it's not unreasonable to want a bike you enjoy, and that might cost over $400. I spend about 80-90 minutes commuting every work day. I think I can justify almost anything.

aside from your height and your inseam , other items come into play. For me it was my back. Im an older commuter and have a bad back. I commute 45 minutes each direction. I needed to have a more upright riding position like a dual sport, or hybrid. ALso for me, I have trouble with vision when im in a more lay down position.
don't take me wrong, I do have a road bike too and I like its speed.
Yes riding in the rain, disc brakes are nice. If you go non disc brake, then get some kool stop salmon pads for the rain.
Budget, keep in mind you will not likely find a bike with all you need. Fenders, racks, bags, lights

As a first bike I like the late 80's to mid 90's non suspension mountain bikes. Most of the name brand ones (specialized, giant, trek, etc.) came with decent components, stable geometry, and a solid frame. Some also came with eyelets (front & rear) for both rack and fenders.

Most of the time you can pick one up pretty cheaply. As a first bike you really don't want to spend a lot of money on something you are not sure you will get into.

How far is your commute each way? Flat, minor hills, major climbs? Paved all the way? Mostly paths and cycletracks or all on the road with cars? What else do you want to be able to do? Road training? Off-road? Easily make short trips to stores and eats? Do you mind something that requires a little maintenance or want maintenance free? Plan to wear cycling shoes or street shoes? Cycling shorts w/ chamois or street clothes?

Great minds, and all that....

I'm just happy that tsl agrees with me. Means I'm probably on the right track ;-)

You probably are.

Commuting in the rain in Seattle, I can tell you how it can affect the brakes. I had to replace my V-brake pads within 600 miles. I probably rode them quite a bit on descents as I'm a newbie, and I do have a few steep downhills on my commute routes. I'd still imagine having better luck with disc brakes.

If this is your entire budget you need to plan for accessories, fenders, rain gear, and perhaps a rack and panniers to carry more than a backpack or beg and keep the weight off your back.

Also nice would be a dynamo lighting system but the minimum there for an upgrade or aftermarket system is at least $200.00.

My wife's favourite bike of all time is her Breezer Uptown 8, it is regarded as one of the best off the peg commuter bicycles and has a list that is just under $900.00 for a bike that comes with pretty much everything. It proved itself to be up to many seasons of riding in the PNW and will now be seeing it's first Canadian winter.

I don't think any company does it better for delivering a complete commuter package.

Yikes!

I missed your post entirely. Can I blame Sunday morning fogginess?

I'd have quoted those sections, though.

I'm going to give my usual response. Get something used on Craigslist. $200-300. Buy all the accessories and clothing you need, which can be moved to a later bike. Learn what you like and need, then get the perfect bike. You may find you love or hate bike commuting. You may find you want more comfort, more speed, etc. For now, just look for a solid bike that fits you and will get you there and back safely.

I think this is really good advice. Before I started commuting I had done a lot of online reading about it and just about had myself convinced that I couldn't even start until I invested in new bike. But I worried, "what if I don't even like doing this?" So, I finally went with the cheapest bike I could find -- the one already in my garage! It's an aluminum hybrid that has taken me on many, many pleasant recreational rides. I put a milk crate on back and headed out. It was great!

After a week or so, I added fenders. Then I went back for a better rack. Next I found some panniers that work well for me. Finally, I added a headlight and taillight. All of these things can be moved to a new bike if I decide that's what I want to do. In the meantime, I'm learning a lot about what I do and don't want. For instance, rim brakes are making me nervous when it drizzles. I love my lights, but it sure would be nice to have a dyno system. My ride doesn't have many hills, but there is a red light at the bottom over every single one of them, so an IGH would be nice. You get the picture. It's hard to know what you want or need until you get out there and start doing it.

Good luck!

I'm actually just as happy that you and I came to the same recommendations (mostly) independently.

I actually went the same way; started commuting in June on my aluminum hybrid. Rode it for a solid 6 weeks, by which time I knew I was going to be able to keep up the regular commuting. Being the summer, I didn't need much in the way of fenders or lights or anything yet, so decided to get my bike fitted. Realized then that my frame was too small, which was why I was getting hand numbness about 20 mins into my ride. Ended up being able to sell my 10+ year old hybrid for $350, and turned around and bought my new bike knowing more what I liked. Now the plan is to ride the new one (my first road bike) for a few years at least, then maybe invest in a higher end road bike for speedy summer rides, keeping the current one as my rainy commuter Dreams...

Great that you have a budget in mind, and good for rain means disc brakes are a likely requirement. Still lots of other questions to think about, length of commute, terrain (hills, flat, good roads or bad, etc), do you want rack and fenders (assume yes for fenders), drop bars or flat, frame material, relaxed vs aggressive geometry, etc. Then go try a number of bikes and be open to try some you didn't plan on as you may change what you want based on trying some different bikes. May need to visit a few LBSs to try different brands.

I looked for disc bikes myself, and was happy to see they now go beyond just cross bikes. Some suggestions of bikes to consider based on my research:
Specialized: tricross, Secteur, Sirrus, and AWOL - all different bikes but have configurations with discs and could make good commuters
Salsa Vaya - I think the lower end Vaya may be in range
Trek Crossrip
Marin Lombard
Surly - I can't remember the name but they now have a crosscheck like bike with discs

Have fun shopping and let us know what you like!

I would add the Marin Fairfax. I'm not sure about their low-end models, but SC3 ($699?) and above have disc brakes. With your budget, I would personally consider the Fairfax SC5. Ride Bycycles at Roosevelt and Ravenna carries Marin. I test rode an SC3 there a few months ago. It's a small shop but has very friendly and helpful staffers. I ended up not buying it, but I'd still highly recommend the shop (and the Marin bikes).

Nice setup. For the days I have to commute, I try to go as minimal as possible for the sake of speed. I have a SKS S-blade quick-release rear fender only, and in place of a rack/panniers, I wear a small backpack with only the barest essentials (thinkpad x1 carbon laptop and the lightest change clothes I might need). I keep my shoes at the office so I can go with clipless pedals, and keep other stuff there like a spare laptop charger to keep the bulk down. Seatpost bag has spare tube, levers, patch kit and a few allen wrenches. On the frame, I have one water bottle and a pump. I keep the bike inside the office so no lock either. I go through the west side of chicago so it's not like I'm going to stop and lock it up anywhere on the way.

Good recommendation - I test road a couple other Marin bikes including the Fairfax but couldn't remember exactly which ones had disks. I actually really like the Fairfax as well, but ultimately I decided I wanted drop bars. I also really like Marin Bikes, we have two (both mountain) in our household

I think it's the Straggler.