aschreiner

I'm looking to get started biking to work a couple times a week. It would be about a 20 mile round trip per day. I've been trying to look at different kinds of bikes and i'm not really sure what kinds I should look at. I do live in NH so the weather is a small concern but I think i'm looking for something in between a road bike and a mountain bike if those exist. Thanks for any help you can give me!

SlimRider

Welcome To Bike Forums, Aschreiner!

That would be a hybrid that you're looking for I believe....

So what's the upper limit of your budget?

Do you have any serious hills or inclines to climb?

What's you general terrain like?...Paved roads?....Dirt trails?...Mountains? ....

Mondo734

you can go one of two routes if you want something inbetween a road and mountain bike. Option 1 is a hybrid an example would be the Gary fisher 8.4ds or a similar type of bike from another brand. These bikes are more like a mountain bike than a road bike but have 700c wheels (road) wheels, and can take road or mountain bike tires. These type of bikes typically have a front suspension.
https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...series/8_4_ds/#

Option 2 would be a cyclocross bike. A cyclocross bike is more like the road bikes because it has a road frame but is built to take more abuse and is typically heavier than a similar road bike. An example would be the Specialized crux or tricross.
https://www.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/road/crux
https://www.specialized.com/us/en/bik...tiuse/tricross

There are some other options that I'm sure people will kick around for you. Touring bikes or some others but I don't know much about them so Ill leave that to some other members. If you haven't been to a local bike store be sure to stop in and ask questions and test ride a few different styles of bikes, ultimately that will determine what kind of bike would be best for you.

Velo Dog

I like the cyclocross idea, just because the sport is cool. There are a couple of other options, though, particularly if money's tight.
One is an old (mid-80s or so) steel mountain bike, like a Hard Rock or Bridgestone. You can get them in thrift shops here, in good shape, for $50 or so. Tires and a tuneup, if you can't do it yourself, would run maybe another $100. They're decent to ride with road tires (I did several 50-60 milers on my Bridgestone) and pretty durable.
Another would be a touring bike of about the same age. They're road-ish bikes but usually with relaxed geometry and room for fat tires. Harder to find than mountain bikes and probably two or three times as expensive, but if you find a good one, it will be sweet.

aschreiner

mostly flat roads all paved. Some hills depending on which way I were to go. I'm not really sure how much i'm willing to spend yet since I haven't really done anything like this before. Not sure if I should start out with something cheap and see if I actually do continue to buy another more expensive one later.

TomCat_Ford

If your budget allows, I would try to pick a bike up from a bike shop vs picking one up at a department store--you'll be glad you did! Getting a decent hybrid at a department store is going to run you upwards of $200. The bike will not be professionally built, the components are going to be from the bottom of the barrel, etc. Spending a little more will get you a professionally built, high-quality bike that will last you for many years. That being said, if a department store bike is all you can afford, then by all means go with the department store bike. Your budget will ultimately prevail. You could always sell the bike next year and upgrade if you find that commuting is something that you want to continue doing.

With that being said, if I were to buy a bike for commuting today I'd go for the Giant Escape City. It's a decently equipped bike, it has a rear rack, fenders, etc. As mentioned other companies make similar bikes as well. I definitely agree that you're looking for a hybrid.

SlimRider

Alright then Aschreiner!

Since you're uncertain about your future commitment to cycling and you're not completely convinced that commute cycling is really for you, I'm only going to strongly recommend the following bicycle:

The Jamis Coda Sport ~ $560
www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebikes/street/coda/12_codasport_bk.html

Last year, the Jamis Coda was named hybrid of the year and was given the Editor's Choice Award for Bicycling's Magazine. That's because the Coda is easy to accelerate, it's agile, and it's one of the most comfortable hybrids found in the American market place. The Coda is made of chromoly steel. That means, that should you decide to continue cycling and you want to invest in higher quality cycling, at some later point in time, then that's just fine. Your Coda, a chromoly steel hybrid bike, will still be there, in the very same structural condition it was the last day that you parked it.

You can then upgrade the Coda. Which means that you can install better components, to make your bicycle ride better than ever before. Better components means a better ride and greater efficiency. The Coda has the capacity to take on tires up 38 mm wide. That means that should your terrain become difficult, such as in winter times rolling through slush and snow, you'll much fewer problems. The Coda can also be equipped with both rack and fenders. The rack will be good for porting such things as extra clothes, food, laptop, etc.. The fenders will better assure that you arrive in time at work with unsoiled clothing. It will safeguard you from all the puddle, mud, and slush splashes.

Of course, the Jamis Coda Sport is an eight speed hybrid bicycle and the Jamis Coda Comp is a nine speed bicycle. That means that the Coda Comp will be easier to accelerate than the Coda Sport. However if you're not that concerned about speed, that won't really matter. The only real noticeable difference between the Coda Sport and the Coda Comp, will be in the drivetrain where smoother shifting will be realized with the slighly better Deore and Alivio derailleurs, possessed by the Coda Comp. That's alright though, because the Acera deraillers possessed by the Coda Sport, are very reliable too.

The Jamis Coda Comp ~ $775
www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebikes/street/coda/12_codacomp_bk.html

If you'd like to have disc brakes, then the Jamis Coda Elite will be one step above the Coda Comp. It has the same identical drivetrain, just a different braking system. Both the Comp and Elite have a carbon fiber fork. A carbon fiber fork assists in damping out road vibrations. Therefore, a smoother ride should be expected.

The Jamis Coda Elite ~ $1050
www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebikes/street/coda/12_codaelite.html

* I personally prefer the chromoly steel fork that's on the Coda Sport!

Good Luck!

a1penguin

I grew up in NH and boy I don't miss the snow. The big question is budget and why type of additional riding do you think you might want? A mountain bike will have a lot of versatility, but won't be best on the road. A hybrid is a good all round bike, but still has an upright riding position. A cyclocross bike will have drop bars and be more like a road bike, but can take some off road use.

Perhaps trying to purchase a used bike can get you started. Once you decide what kind of riding you like, you can purchase a nice new bike. I see a good number of posts where people start out with a flat bar bike and then decide they want drop bars. If you purchase a used bike, you can probably sell it for about the same $ as you purchased it.

You don't state your budget. An Xmart bike should be avoided. There are some acceptable choices in the $400-500 range. Check out the hybrid and commuter forums for the "what bike should I buy threads". You'll find some options in many price ranges.

MichaelW

If you decide to go with a used bike, you are partly at the mercy of the marketplace and will have to buy what you find.
There are plenty of bike styles that are capable of a 2x10 mile commute. Look for:
- non suspension design
- tyre clearance for medium width rubber (28-32mm)
- threaded eyelets for rear luggage rack and fenders.
- gearing suitable for your speed, terrain, load. Race gearing may be too high.
- The correct size and fit for you
- Not worn out. Expect to spend some on tyres, cables, transmission, brakes.

Good quality tyres are essential on a commuter, they are the main cause of being late for work.


Consider a non-suspension hybrid, touring bike, some more practical styles of road bike.
Cyclo-cross bikes probably wont have made it to the used market yet, esp the really nice disc-brake ones.