fordmike65

I am a new member but have been into vintage bicycle collecting for a few years now. I recently rode my 1902(yes,1902) Napoleon bike to work a couple times(10miles each way) to get a feel for the ride before picking up a newer multi geared bike for daily commuting. I've noticed the streets aren't in the best shape for a road style bike with skinny tires, so that's out of the question. I've been doing some research & I'm thinking a more aggressive drop bar bike would fit the bill, similar to what I've seen called cyclocross. The 2 bikes that really catch my eye are the Charge Plug 5 & the Trek Crossrip LTD. Both are the top of the line models offered with pretty good components & hydraulic disc brakes. I'm trying to get some feedback here on either of these bikes. My first choice is actually the Charge due to it's classic looks & steel CroMo frame. Only problem is I can't seem to get it here in the states. Performance Bikes can get models 0-4, but can't seem to order the 5 for some reason. If there are other bikes in the same price range I should look at, please post it here. Thanks in advance for the help! Mike

Charge Bikes / Plug 5

CrossRip LTD - Trek Bicycle

My "commuter" for now...

savethekudzu

Wow! I can't speak for either of those bikes, but - how much of the Napoleon is original? From your Photobucket I'm guessing frame and handlebars? There can't be many people out there commuting on 114-year-old vehicles of any variety!

turky lurkey

Very cool old bike!
I also don't know anything about the new bikes you mentioned.

fordmike65

Yeah, it sure is an oldie. I have several old bikes, but this is my most recent acquisition and by far my oldest. Original to the bike is the frame, fork, crankset, skiptooth chain and seatpost. I have the original stem & bars, but decided to take them off to preserve the original cork grips. The stem and bars on it now are early teens, as well as the front hub and the somewhat rare Corbin 2 speed kickback hub. The original seat is being redone. New Velocity Blunt 35's, Wheelsmith double butted spokes and 700x42c Kenda K184 tires got it back on the road. 24" frame makes a comfy rider for me being 6'4". I figure if I can get make the 10mile trip to work on this in just under an hour, a new multi-geared bike will make the commute a breeze.

no1mad 

KONA BIKES | 2015 BIKES | FREERANGE | ROVE

TrekNerd

Very nice vintage bicycle. Have you considered checking other models of bikes for commuting. I took a Trek 3700 mountain bike and converted it to a commuter by adding a set of slick tires, a rack, and fenders. I love the 3700 for commuting and I use my road bike as well on nice days for commuting. Remember, you can commute to work n any bike but there are some bike models that are more efficient than others.

fordmike65

That Kona looks great. Only thing is I'd like to have hydraulic disc brakes if possible. I'm sure they're not necessary, but being a auto technician by trade it would be pretty cool.

Darth Lefty 

Hydraulic brakes for road bikes are fairly new. This means they have premiered on the highest cost premium level parts and will take a long time to trickle down to normal prices the way they have for mountain bikes.

no1mad 

Volpe Disc | Bianchi USA

acidfast7

I've taken a liking to these as they're well-equipped for the price.

Even with hydraulic discs.

Whitechapel, £550 | Whyte Bikes

Love the first

Jim from Boston

That bike must be quite a conversation piece. How does it ride?

Among many motivations to commute (all year round in Boston) is to ride my lightweight, ultra smooth, skinny-tire carbon fiber bike (though it goes into storage December to March). I don’t know where you live, but Boston Streets are known for being out of shape too. I find the ride to be OK, and my wheels have remained true now for two years, and no bump flats. I rise from the saddle for hard bumps, like railroad tracks and I do watch the road carefully for potholes. I wear a rearview mirror so I can comfortably evade them as I watch the upcoming traffic.

During the nice weather I even extend my 14 mile one-way commute for as far as 30 miles. Increased miles = increased weight loss.

kingston 

There are a gazillion cross bikes in that price range, but I would seriously reconsider spending that much on a commuter, especially if you have to lock it outside. You can lose just as much weight on a much less expensive bike.

old's'cool

That's awesome. Welcome to Bike Forums. If you haven't already, check out the Classic & Vintage sub-forum. Lots of interesting conversations and high-grade information sharing going on there.
I've been commuting regularly on various of my vintage road bikes (that's the only type I own) since 2009. Payload I carry with me, in handlebar bag, front panniers, and if necessary, one or more rear panniers includes office clothing, lunch, my "man-purse", and occasionally, laptop computer & accessories.
My current commute is just under 11 miles one-way; trip time when traffic lights & wind don't hinder me appreciably is about 35 min. I was doing about the same time on a 12.5 mile trip in Colorado in 2009/10, so Iguess I'm not in as good shape anymore.
In my opinion there is nothing left to be desired commuting on a vintage bike, and obviously you can outfit it with as modern equipment as you please. However, all my bikes sport period-correct hardware; the ones I commute on include a 1970's CILO and 1989 Peugeout Versailles. Both happen to have 700C wheels, which is a good feature to open up the selection of tires, as I'm sure you know.
Well, good luck and have fun!

downwinded

Very cool old bike! I have a 2014 Crossrip LTD and really like it. Some other nice bikes mentioned as well.

Darth Lefty 

What! That's new.

The local Bianchi place was blowing out their 2013-14's with the lovely slatey blue satin paint. The 55's fit me great but the canti's are not what I want, and I don't have enough money for all my enthusiasms. I like the disks much better but the color is boring... hm.

gregjones

Congrats on deciding to lose weight by riding to work. I know it works. I lost 2 pounds a week for the first six months--around 50 lbs and have kept it off since.

As a commuting tool there all sorts of recommendations that will do the job well in this forum. You can get different opinions of everything from bikes and useful accessories to staying warm as winter nears.

As a weight loss tool I would recommend the addition of a food scale to measure portion sizes. Once I started using one my weight loss was more consistent. I attribute my successful loss to the scale as much as to the bike.

English3Speed

To the OP

(1) the Napoleon is very cool - where did you find it? Was it complete, or did you have do much to make it rideable?

It will be easier to address your commuting questions if we know where you are (do you expect to deal with snow/ice etc.), and how much you plan to carry.

To reply to your original post, both of the bikes you mentioned look like fine bicycles. Personally, I'd want to test ride the plugs before spending $1,500+ to order it, but may be possible you can ride a plug 3 or 4 for fit and geometry before committing.

More importantly, the classic bike commuters tend to be cheap, and more concerned with reliability and durability than light weight or cutting edge technology. Older bikes (especially steel) tend to be available used for very competitive prices, parts are easy to find, and theft is less of an issue. All the commuters I've met would be happy with the Plug 3 or even 4, and wouldn't care about hydraulic brakes on the Plug 5. They are also not auto techs with your interests.

Commuter bikes are usually heavier than nice road bikes and often come with racks and fenders installed. The weight of commuter bikes is basically irrelevant once you add items you need to carry for work; commuting speed is typically limited more by traffic or winter clothing more than the weight of the bicycle, especially for a 10 mile ride after you've done it for a few months. You'll may just lose a little more weight with a heavier bike.


Having a new top of the line bike with new technology can be lots of fun; they're just different from typical commuter bicycles. If you want the high end bikes and have a secure place to park, definitely buy one or more. In this case I'd ask on the cyclocross and maybe road or hybrid forums - you may find more people own them for recreation than for commuting and can give you their experience.


Post more photos of your other older bikes, and let us know what you get.

fordmike65

Thanks for all the info so far guys! I am in SoCal, so the worst we get here is rain...once in a while. The commute is fairly flat with small elevation changes along the way. I tend to take the smaller residential streets that run parallel to the main road as much as possible, so traffic isn't that bad. No downtown gridlock to deal with, though drivers out here are pretty careless. I plan to use it mostly for the commute back and forth to the Ford dealer I work at, so I can keep it inside & secure. I went to a local Performance Bike to check out the Plugs, but the don't stock them. Another local shop that carries Trek doesn't have a Crossrip to check out either. I did drop by this morning & arranged to have one transferred over so I can see it for myself before committing to it. I have thought about building up something older, but I'd like to run larger 700c tires with nice components. All I ride now are 1900's-40's bikes equipped with a single speed coaster, so I thought it'd be nice to treat myself to something comfortable with all the "bells & whistles".

fordmike65

1936 Colson Motorbike & 1937 Colson Imperial



1937 Colson double bar project(I actually have 3 of these in pieces)



1937 Colson rat



1941 SamsCo badged Rollfast



1941 Elgin Twin 20



1939-40 Mercury Pacemaker



1938 Hawthorne Twin Bar



Late 20's Elgin Motorbike project



1937 Mercury beater



1916 Adlake

fordmike65

Found another possibility this weekend though a bit out of my price range. The Specialized Awol. Rode a Large yesterday. Great riding bike, roomy & soaked up the road with no issue. Really dig how that CroMo frame handles.

Specialized Bicycle Components

kingston 

That bike looks like a great commuter. Similar to the Salsa Vaya. Better than a cross bike for commuting IMO, but still a little on the pricey side for my commuting tastes.

TransitBiker

Fenders on that AWOL?

- Andy

velomoover

If you want to help yourself 'tone-up" and lose weight, remember to get plenty of protein each day. I noticed a big improvement when I remember to do so. For bodybuilding or fitness, I think its something like 180grams of protein for a 180 lb person. Thats a lot! Not many people eat that much lean meat in a day, if any at all.

I always fill my water bottle with a protein shake, then have one at night. I think you'll notice a difference.

fordmike65

Offered on the Elite
Specialized Bicycle Components

TransitBiker

Touring setup....... very nice!

- Andy