Isaiahc72

Do any of you full-time commuters just have one bike for commuting? Or do you usually have one bad weather commuter and one nice bike for commuting? I'm trying to decide if I want to take my Trek 7.1fx as a full time commuter or If it would be a bad idea for rainy and cold days. Any help would be useful

tjspiel

If I could have one bike that was good for everything I'd wanted to use it for, I'd own two

No really, I'd prefer to have to deal with only one bike but it is nice to have a spare when one is temporarily out of commission for whatever reason.

In practice it's a little different. I used to have one fair weather road bike and one winter/off road bike but on a whim I put together a fixie out of the crashed remains of another bike. Now I really like riding that bike but don't want to give up either of the other two. So now I have 3 bikes.

It's a sickness that many of us share called N+1.

Personally I don't think you need a separate bike just for cold and rainy weather. I never hesitated to take my "fair weather" bike out in the rain and have ridden it in temps well below freezing as long as the roads were clear. You might get some enjoyment out of having a 2nd bike but that's a different question.

If you bought your Trek recently and haven't done much cycling before that you might want to hold off on another purchase for a bit. The reason I say that is that after riding your Trek for awhile you might get an itch to try something a little different. So rather than just getting a beater you could get a 2nd bike that provides you with a refreshing change of pace.

no1mad 

Speaking as someone with only one bike (and who relies on LBS for most of the wrenching), it would have been nice to have had a back up.

Sirrus Rider

Two bikes that I usually rotate every 5 rides. An '07 Sirrus DBC and an '88 Apline Monitor Pass MTB that has been hybridized.

FBinNY 

I have one main commuter bike. A non-suspension mtb bike, configured as a street bike. The gearing is more than I really need for commuting, but comes in handy for off days, or when I alter the route to include a few really steep (though short) walls.

The bike has old stock Sun Tour GreaseGuard all the way around, so it's all I use regardless of weather, and I don't need to worry about special care (it gets little or no maintenance).

However I do have other bikes, and in nice weather, I'll do the commute on the road bike and enjoy a pleasant ride home.

CrankyOne

I have one. A workcycles Opa. No need or desire for anything else.

Spld cyclist

I have 3 bikes I commute on. A CX bike with fenders and heavy duty flat-resistant Schwalbe tires for wet conditions (or if I just really feel like riding it ), a CX bike without fenders and with thinner tires for dry conditions and recreational riding, and a beat up rigid fork mountain bike with fenders and studded snow tires for winter road conditions. Outside of winter, the mountain bike gets slicks and it becomes the backup to the wet condition bike, or I occasionally use it when I will need to lock it up in a sketchy area.

Probably 3 bikes is more than I really need, but if you're committed to full-time commuting it's great to have two. As someone said previously, occasionally one will be out of commission temporarily. That's especially true if you have to wait for a part to be shipped.

Ghost Ryder

I have 11 bikes, all of which have I use for certain purposes.
1 is my dedicated winter commuter, now equipped with full fenders, frame bag,saddlebag,knob CX tires,lights, & reflective tape. After winter I'll strip it back down to serve as my gravel grinder again.
When the snow makes an appearance, I'll use my stumpy/MTB.

blackhawknj

I have 4 3 speeds (and 2 more fitting out). Find them more satisfactory for commuting.

cyccommute 

I have 7 bikes that I can use for commuting. There are a couple of bikes that I hardly ever commute on but I have used them in the past. I also have a couple that I use most of the time but mostly I just ride what strikes my fancy.

I don't go the route that most people do on mountain bikes...I have 3. Each one is outfitted with knobby tires and, if I ride one to work, I look for places to use them. If I want to go fast and/or efficiently, I have road bikes for that. Or I just push harder.

WestPablo

IMO, all commuters should have at least two bikes. You never can tell when one bike will need repair. What happens when you're already running late and you look down and discover a flat, just before your morning commute?

bikemig 

Two bikes for commuting are ideal; I have three that I use on a regular basis (two with upright bars, one with drop bars). I find that when the weather gets dark and crummy in the winter, I like an upright commuter. I like sitting upright when the road conditions get dicey in the winter. When the weather is nicer, I tend to use my drop bar commuter.

FBinNY 

Most commuters have other bikes, not necessarily designated for commuting, so in a pinch can grab one of those. OTOH, commuters have to plan for or allow time for a flat repair on the road. Fixing flats at home before starting should take even less time.

DVC45

Minimum of two. But more is better.

krobinson103

Three. A road bike with a small rack for when I want to go fast. An mtb with three wheel sets (slicks, knobblies, studs) for commuting and touring, and a cargo bike for when I want to carry the kitchen sink. Also means if one is down on any given day I can just ride one of the others. All carry spare tubes, pumps, toolkits, rear lights, and light mounts for my lights.

Isaiahc72

I own 3 bikes. But I'm trying to decide if I should stay out of the rain and cold with my main commuter aka my Trek 7.1fx. I have a Trek 800 and Raleigh m50X besides that with the 800 being my foul weather commuter so far. But should I really be too scared to ride my 7.1fx in the rain and cold?

Isaiahc72

I would also like to point out that my workplace won't allow me to bring the bike inside so the best I could do is cover it with a plastic tarp.

AlTheKiller

can you find an overhang or anything to park it under? my old work had a narrow run of trees lining the back lot which actually kept the rain off my bike unless it was really windy and stormy.

IMO no bike is too nice to commute on. but the nicer it is I'd want a more secure and sheltered spot to leave it...

I commuted for two years on a bikes direct fixed gear as my only bike. pretty much maintenance free which was nice. but it would have been nice to have a back up on those mornings where I was running late only to find my tire had gone flat over night.

Sixty Fiver

I have quite a few bicycles and could conceivably commute on any one of them but tend to use a dedicated machine in the summer and a few in the winter.

My new 3 season commuter is a 1966 Moulten F with lots of modern upgrades.



In the winter I ride my Pugsley and my Extrabike with the long-bike seeing more day to day action while the Pug gets used in deeper snow and it gets me out to play in the valley. Both of these also see summer use as the long-bike is my utility bike and the Pug is a great off road bike.

Bike Gremlin

One bike is enough. Put fenders on it and that's it. For all days.

HOWEVER, in case of snow, it is much more convenient to have a bike with snow (studded) tyres already mounted. Even more convenient than switching whole wheels. So I use an old MTB as a snow commuting bike.

Then, I have a road bike for joyrides, group rides (lighter, quicker than regular commuter), so that's a third one - fair weather commuter (no fenders).


If I had limited space, I'd keep just the one commuting bike, but this way - 3 is also nice.


One more thing - like others have said, having a backup is cool.

bhtooefr

I primarily use my recumbent trike, but the folding bike is equipped for commuting in a pinch, and rain capes don't work on recumbents, so I've been known to use the folder instead in rain.

blakcloud

I have back ups and one dedicated winter bikes, which means I own too many bikes.

The question of owning one bike only is something that appeals to me on some pragmatic level but I question is this feasible? I love simplicity and minimialism, but I can't seem to put those ideas into practice when it comes to bikes.

tarwheel 

I have 5 bikes that I use for commuting, but could get by with just one. However, I would always want at least two commute-worthy bikes in case one has an overnight flat in the garage (it happens) or needs to go to the shop for repairs. I also don't like to put fenders on all of my bikes, so it's nice to have at least one with fenders for rainy days. In practice, I have one bike that ends up being my everyday commuter that I use most of the time. But I get bored riding the same bike all of the time, so I mix it up and ride my other bikes at least 1-2 days every week.

BobbyG

Besides the convenience of having a backup bike in case one goes out of commission, multiple bikes with multiple riding positions, if rotated regularly, lessens the chances of repetitive stress injuries.

modernjess

6 bikes, any of which I can commute on. But I have 1 bike (my cross check commuter) that I ride 95% of the time and I outfit it for the seasons. It can handle anything except deep snow and for that I have the fat bike.