Why Expensive Commuter bikes?
#101
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My reply was more tongue in cheek. I used the
smilie in reference towards "the antipathy expressed to seemingly healthy drivers with handicapped parking placards."
Not to be critical, but you seem possessive of your solution, and quick to challenge any retort, even on a give-and-take Internet Forum.

Not to be critical, but you seem possessive of your solution, and quick to challenge any retort, even on a give-and-take Internet Forum.

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Well I no longer commute beause I just retired, but I rode my $4k Carbon gravel bike to work. I commuted 32 mi RT on crushed/ limestone/geavel/pave road, and I could park my bike in my office (and had a shower at work - sweet I know!!). It was a pleasure each day. I wouldn't have rode such an expensive bike if I couldn't have secured it.
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Well, to be fair... it is near impossible to discern tone or if one is being tongue in cheek on a forum post. Especially when posters don’t specifically indicate they are being tongue in cheek. Wouldn’t you agree? I don’t think my response under the circumstances was out of line. Nor did i attack you personally. I merely stated 3 reasons why i thought my solution wasn’t offensive to handicapped people. I could also say that you were quick to challenge my retort. Lol. Seriously. I am not upset. No worries. It’s all good. Honestly.
Any further discussion will have to wait until tomorrow.
Incidentally, regarding the initial post,
…I kid you not. It works! Better than any lock i ever bought. Of course there are no guarantees, but give it a try. Couldn’t hurt.
This sounds like a tenuous solution. Besides if too many cycle commuters latch on to it, the thieves will catch on, and may become even more active, similar to the antipathy expressed to seemingly healthy drivers with handicapped parking placards.
= tongue in cheek


Last edited by Jim from Boston; 08-25-19 at 08:29 PM. Reason: added "Incidentally regarding...
#104
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Depends on the commute, right?
I have a well-employed friend who commutes 18 miles through the NW Boston suburbs each way every day. 36 miles a day is plenty and a nice bike is a lot cheaper than a crappy car. That commute calls for a different bike than someone commuting 12 city-blocks to a downtown office building.
OTOH, my wife worked in Leiden for a year and commuted (like almost everyone else) on a bike that was about $89.
And . . . who cares if the manufacturers call something a "commuter". Everyone should still buy the bike(s) they'll ride.
I have a well-employed friend who commutes 18 miles through the NW Boston suburbs each way every day. 36 miles a day is plenty and a nice bike is a lot cheaper than a crappy car. That commute calls for a different bike than someone commuting 12 city-blocks to a downtown office building.
OTOH, my wife worked in Leiden for a year and commuted (like almost everyone else) on a bike that was about $89.
And . . . who cares if the manufacturers call something a "commuter". Everyone should still buy the bike(s) they'll ride.
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4 pages to the OP's one and only post.

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I've been wracking my brain trying to think of use cases for expensive commuter bikes ($1000+).
I live in NYC and have Cannondale Quick that I paid $750 for and that was a bit of a stretch for me. But I see these manufacturers selling $1500-$2000 bikes for commuting. To me, an ideal commuter bikes is discrete (drab colors, not flashy, etc.), capable - but without the expense of high-end/name brand components, and most of all - relatively cheap! Because there's a good chance it would get stolen.
Anyone have thoughts? Who's buying these things?
I live in NYC and have Cannondale Quick that I paid $750 for and that was a bit of a stretch for me. But I see these manufacturers selling $1500-$2000 bikes for commuting. To me, an ideal commuter bikes is discrete (drab colors, not flashy, etc.), capable - but without the expense of high-end/name brand components, and most of all - relatively cheap! Because there's a good chance it would get stolen.
Anyone have thoughts? Who's buying these things?
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I've been wracking my brain trying to think of use cases for expensive commuter bikes ($1000+).
I live in NYC and have Cannondale Quick that I paid $750 for and that was a bit of a stretch for me. But I see these manufacturers selling $1500-$2000 bikes for commuting. To me, an ideal commuter bikes is discrete (drab colors, not flashy, etc.), capable - but without the expense of high-end/name brand components, and most of all - relatively cheap! Because there's a good chance it would get stolen.
Anyone have thoughts? Who's buying these things?
I live in NYC and have Cannondale Quick that I paid $750 for and that was a bit of a stretch for me. But I see these manufacturers selling $1500-$2000 bikes for commuting. To me, an ideal commuter bikes is discrete (drab colors, not flashy, etc.), capable - but without the expense of high-end/name brand components, and most of all - relatively cheap! Because there's a good chance it would get stolen.
Anyone have thoughts? Who's buying these things?
And I used the same bike I use for everything else: a custom built Independent Fabrication bike I bought in 2007 for $3800....which seemed outrageous to me. But I've rode it constantly for 12 years, and it's going to be good for a lot more, so it now seems totally reasonable (yeah, I have to replace parts once in a while). And I am able to, at the school I teach at, to bring it into my office. If I had to park it on the street I would consider bringing another bike, but luckily, I can put somewhere safely.
#110
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#111
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Commute on quality ride: park indoors
I commute 20 mi/day on my Surly Disc Trucker—the same bike I use for international touring—then just park it in my office. Given the thousand$ I save annually on gasoline and a fitness club membership, I don't bat an eye at the cost of quality components or rain gear needed. People often pay extra to promote sustainable transportation and a clean environment anyway. I hear folks bemoaning increasing traffic all the time. Why not get fit and save money by commuting by bike all year long?
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#112
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Getting your bike stolen is almost a sure thing in some places, but not everywhere. Bike theft is pretty bad in NYC. If you lock up in the same place every day where a large number of people pass every day, it's just a matter of time. That's one reason Citi Bike is so successful. People gave up replacing their bikes.
A good bike is more than a luxury, though, if you have a place to keep it inside. It performs more efficiently and reliably with less frequent repairs, compared with cheap bikes. And I don't call your Cannondale a cheap bike.
On the other hand, I see a lot of old English 3-speeds locked up in my neighborhood in Manhattan. It seems to be a big shared secret that these bikes are durable and reliable, yet the thieves leave them alone. And it's not because the bikes have low market value. Prices for them are pretty high in this area.
Didn't NYC pass a law that says workplaces have to provide secure bike parking? I'm not clear, so I might remember this wrong. Ask your employer for some space. You might just get it.
A good bike is more than a luxury, though, if you have a place to keep it inside. It performs more efficiently and reliably with less frequent repairs, compared with cheap bikes. And I don't call your Cannondale a cheap bike.
On the other hand, I see a lot of old English 3-speeds locked up in my neighborhood in Manhattan. It seems to be a big shared secret that these bikes are durable and reliable, yet the thieves leave them alone. And it's not because the bikes have low market value. Prices for them are pretty high in this area.
Didn't NYC pass a law that says workplaces have to provide secure bike parking? I'm not clear, so I might remember this wrong. Ask your employer for some space. You might just get it.
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#113
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Just my opinion, I think it's great some people want to Commute to work on a Bike. That Said, Not sure I'd want to walk in to a Important Meeting looking like I just "rolled" out of Bed, Helmet Hair, Hot and Sticky? (or worse Smelly) but that's just Me. Then IF your Bike IS Stolen You get to walk home, but I guess that could happen even if you drive your car. Peddle on!
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#115
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Just my opinion, I think it's great some people want to Commute to work on a Bike. That Said, Not sure I'd want to walk in to a Important Meeting looking like I just "rolled" out of Bed, Helmet Hair, Hot and Sticky? (or worse Smelly) but that's just Me. Then IF your Bike IS Stolen You get to walk home, but I guess that could happen even if you drive your car. Peddle on!
It isn't super hot here which helps. My office is pretty casual, but I am dressed up for my office. I might be more casual with my shoe choice. I wear a skirt or dress about 80% of the time.
#118
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Same thing goes for people who buy private jets, islands...
Spinay70
#119
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My thoughts are if I am going to commute and park it outside then I should not have too expensive of a bike. Expensive bikes seem to attract attention of thieves also a more expensive bike would not make my commute faster.
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Just my opinion, I think it's great some people want to Commute to work on a Bike. That Said, Not sure I'd want to walk in to a Important Meeting looking like I just "rolled" out of Bed, Helmet Hair, Hot and Sticky? (or worse Smelly) but that's just Me. Then IF your Bike IS Stolen You get to walk home, but I guess that could happen even if you drive your car. Peddle on!
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Just my opinion, I think it's great some people want to Commute to work on a Bike. That Said, Not sure I'd want to walk in to a Important Meeting looking like I just "rolled" out of Bed, Helmet Hair, Hot and Sticky? (or worse Smelly) but that's just Me. Then IF your Bike IS Stolen You get to walk home, but I guess that could happen even if you drive your car. Peddle on!
#122
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Just my opinion, I think it's great some people want to Commute to work on a Bike. That Said, Not sure I'd want to walk in to a Important Meeting looking like I just "rolled" out of Bed, Helmet Hair, Hot and Sticky? (or worse Smelly) but that's just Me. Then IF your Bike IS Stolen You get to walk home, but I guess that could happen even if you drive your car. Peddle on!
I keep clothes, shoes a brush, a synthetic towel and deodorant in my office. I have been locking up bikes here in the big city for some 35 years. Only place I have had a bike stolen is from side my house, while I was home and awake. The likelihood that someone would steal my bike from outside my NJ office are extremely slim and none. Even if it were to happen I could get a ride to the train. And people don't bat an eye when I walk into work in cycling clothes. I had some surgery back in July that kept me off the bike until recently. People in my NJ office were surprised that I wasn't riding to work. When I work in Philly my commute is less than 2 miles. On bad weather days I will walk or ride the bus to and from work. Rode into town yesterday behind a woman in a nice dress. Many people in the big city don't have really long commutes and don't wear cycling clothing. I rode to work today in a bear of khaki shorts and a synthetic t-shirt. Put on some long khakis and a polo short that were here in my office. Five minutes after walking through the door you could not look at me and tell that I had ridden my bike to work.
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I've been wracking my brain trying to think of use cases for expensive commuter bikes ($1000+).
I live in NYC and have Cannondale Quick that I paid $750 for and that was a bit of a stretch for me. But I see these manufacturers selling $1500-$2000 bikes for commuting. To me, an ideal commuter bikes is discrete (drab colors, not flashy, etc.), capable - but without the expense of high-end/name brand components, and most of all - relatively cheap! Because there's a good chance it would get stolen.
Anyone have thoughts? Who's buying these things?
I live in NYC and have Cannondale Quick that I paid $750 for and that was a bit of a stretch for me. But I see these manufacturers selling $1500-$2000 bikes for commuting. To me, an ideal commuter bikes is discrete (drab colors, not flashy, etc.), capable - but without the expense of high-end/name brand components, and most of all - relatively cheap! Because there's a good chance it would get stolen.
Anyone have thoughts? Who's buying these things?
Some people don’t have to worry much about their bike being stolen. I’ve never had a commute where theft of the bike was a real concern.
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~ $1300 after selling the original wheelset.
This is about 4 years ago. And the photo doesn't count the panniers and handlebar bag that I already had. My daily commuter. Theft is a non-concern in my work situation, so why not enjoy a comfortable and trouble-free ride to work?
It now sports a Gyes GS-17A laced trimmed skirt leather saddle and Schwalbe Marathon Plus 35 tires. Plus a forward light mount above the mudguard. It's a rugged beast.
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The one thing you do need to worry about is theft from the bike. Left my slide off saddle bag on one morning. It was gone at the end of the day. These days I keep it in my messenger bag so I don't have to bother removing it and putting it back on.