Tundra_Man 

I occasionally commute on my fixie but I'm not strong enough to do it every day. A hilly route or a nasty headwind will destroy me for the next day's commute. But it's a fun alternate bike to have.

ChrisM2097

I don't have a fixie yet, but what I did a couple weeks ago was put my bike in a comparable gear ratio (48x17) and left it there, just so that I could somewhat experience it. With all the stop signs/lights, headwind, freeway overpasses, etc. I just couldn't do it - I had to start changing gears. If/When I get a fixed gear / single speed, I definitely won't be commuting on it. Besides, I need a rack & panniers to carry my change of clothes, shoes, and such - and my commuter's already setup with it.

DCB0

Touring bikes, cyclocross bikes, Road bikes, hybrid bikes, roadified/hybridized rigid or hartail mountain bikes all make good commuters, in order from best to least good, in my opinion. THe older and uglier the better as your ride home will be much longer and less pleasant if your bike is stolen while you are at work.

For a long commute like 48 mile RT you need to be concerned with fit and having miltiple hand positions, so use a bike with drop bars (road/touring bike) or install long bar ends or trekking bars. Also you should have fenders. Getting wet is not all that unpleasant or bad during a ride, but pulling cold wet clothes on after a long day at work is no fun.

Make sure you give yourself plenty of time... having to rush for 24 miles and cursing at every stop light defeats the purpose.

I find the hardest part of my morning commute is getting on the bike. Once I am in the saddle I know I will make it and I can relax.

Carry a spare tube, a set of allen keys, a pump and a CO2 inflater.

You may want to do two or three days/week to start as 5 days/week of 48 mi/day will be a tough adjustment.

ChrisM2097

+1

I have a 10 mile one-way commute. I know it takes me ~45 minutes of moving time. I leave my house 65 minutes before I need to 'punch in' for the day, and usually get there around 10-15 minutes early - which gives me enough time to lock up my bike, clean myself up, and change into my work clothes.

DCB0

Fixies (and single speeds) may be cool to ride around town, but much less so for long rides through the 'burbs.
But what you illustrated, Chris, is the difference between a single-speed bike and a multi-speed bike you don't shift. You would be surprised what type of terrain and distance you can ride on a single speed - you can make it up the hills and ride against the wind because you have to. You legs get trained to operate over a much wider range of cadences so you become equally comfortable grinding up climbs as spinning along on the flats. Ironically, the main drawback for most singlespeeds is their lack of speed going down hills - you have to select gearing that allows you to ride up every hill you encounter on a regular basis, and this gearing usually means you wind up coasting down medium and large hills that you could be pedalling down on a geared bike.

Edit: I have in the past had various 8 - 10 mile (one way) commutes for which I used a single speed bike... not a fixie, though... that makes no sense unless you are trying to prove you are more hip than all the other hpsters.

Q_10

I commute on my road bike 25 miles one-way once or twice a week when the weather is not too snotty. There is not enough time in the day for me to go both ways. This takes me 1:28-2:00 depending on traffic and headwinds (avg 1:38) but my ride is pancake flat. I plan on 2:15 for the ride. Fortunately there is a shower in the office so I can get cleaned up and change.

I have nothing special on my road bike (Giant Defy1) and carry a timbuk2 type shoulder bag with clothes in it. I switched over to gatorskins (25C's) to prevent the inevitable glass flats, used to get a flat about every 35 mi, now 1/250 miles.

DCB0

So before you changed tires you expected to get a flat every second ride to or from work? that is not a good expectation.

indyfabz

I road a Cannondale touring bike from Seattle to Philadelphia via Bar Harbor, ME carrying all my gear. I wasn't "upright" and didn't feel like I was sacirificing anything. How's that for a commute?

OP: I ride my LHT. Before that, my Bike Friday NWT. I would get a beater bike before I rode my IF road bike to work.

chasm54

A fixie is in many ways the ideal low-maintenance commuter, but obviously a lot depends on the terrain, conditions etc. I used to use mine for commuting quite often, it was fine. Just one thing, though. You'll be doing 48 miles a day, 250 miles per week. There'll be headwinds and days when you aren't feeling great. So don't listen to the guys who tell you 48-16 is the perfect gear. Gear down, (mine is a 42-16) spin your way in, and you'll be kind to your knees and your morale.

cyccommute 

I commute on any one of 5 bikes and not one of them is a 'commuter' bike in the sense that it was designed for commuting. This one is my main commuter



And this one is my foul weather winter commuter



But I also commute on these as well





I use whatever I feel like riding on any given day. And, yes, the mountain bikes all have knobbies so that I can play in the dirt if I so choose. You really don't need a 'dedicated' commuter bike. Just a bike that you can use for commuting will do.

chefisaac

cycc: Whats the yellow thing in most of the front tires? Is it just a reflector? I love the orange color.