Best bike for commuting?

[chesterdude]

Hello all,

I apologise if this is covered in the advice for newbies as is stickied.

I am looking to start cycling to work rather than take the bus.

First question is what kind of bike should I get? I assume a road bike but I dont know if there are different kinds etc.

Also any advice on brands or specific types of brakes/gears etc would be very much appreciated.

Finally the route to work is going to be 13 to 15 miles. I am a fit person in good shape. Is this feasable? And how long should I be looking for it to take?

Many thanks.

 

[chesterdude]

I guess I should state budgets.

I dont really want to go over £1000

 

[neslon]

It really doesn't matter, since you'll be buying another sort soon after. And again. And....(repeat til the missus stamps her foot)

 

[ianrauk]

Hi there and welcome to Cycle Chat.
This should give you a better idea. Click HERE
Page 13 goes through the different types of bike.

 

[fossyant]

13-15 miles you'll probably want either a road bike or a 'fast' hybrid (flat bar road bike).

Choice is yours.

I would recommend mudguards for a commuter.

 

[cyberknight]

13-15 miles you'll probably want either a road bike or a 'fast' hybrid (flat bar road bike).

Choice is yours.

I would recommend mudguards for a commuter.

And rack points if possible , you can get away with p clips or a seat post rack but "proper" rack mounting holes with a rack are sturdier.

How long will it take?
I am afraid there are too many variables from how hilly is your route, how many traffic lights , how much will you carry , how hard will you cycle etc etc .
That all said allow an hour and that should be about right ...ish

Will you be using the bike for non commuting , family rides or fast rides or even touring as that can alter your choice.

 

[rowan 46]

I'm probably going to get shot down in frames but a grand is a lot of money to drop for something you might not like. It's not unusual that as the bad weather comes in people stick them in the shed and gradually lose interest. I would look at something around the £500 mark Ifyou don't like cycling you haven't lost so much money you can lose 30% just for taking it out the shop. The really cheap brands will lose you even more so I would go good brand about £500and definately mudguards for commuting

 

[Bicycle]

Hello all,

I apologise if this is covered in the advice for newbies as is stickied.

I am looking to start cycling to work rather than take the bus.

First question is what kind of bike should I get? I assume a road bike but I dont know if there are different kinds etc.

Also any advice on brands or specific types of brakes/gears etc would be very much appreciated.

Finally the route to work is going to be 13 to 15 miles. I am a fit person in good shape. Is this feasable? And how long should I be looking for it to take?

Many thanks.

Yes, you can do that - and the more you do it, the fitter you will get. 13 miles is a lovely distance to commute and you'll miss it on days whan you can't.

As to types: I used two commuter bikes, one for Central London and one for the sticks.

For 13-15 miles, I'd favour the following (which I used for a 21-mile rural commute):

Road bike, alloy with the odd bit of carbon (to fit the price).

If not too hilly, twin chainrings. If very hilly, consider a triple - see what folk ride where you are.

No mudguards, two front lights, two rear lights (not necessary in good weather).

Tyres with Kevlar in them (Gatorskins do it for me and are not too pricey).

Two bottle cages, one for water, the other for an old bottle full of tyre stuff, tools and ties (and maybe a rain cape).

Lower-end Shimano or Campag chainset if you're just grinding out commuter miles. (I prefer Campag purely out of snobbery).

To do 13-ish miles each way, you really would benefit from being clipped in. Look maybe at SPD shoes with recessed cleats... for commuting they beat traditional 'roadie' clipless pedals. I use Eggbeaters, but any SPD-type system will be fine.

With any spare cash, the following:

A track pump (pressures are quite important and need checking regularly).
A decent set of basic tools.
Either a workshop stand or a rope loop to hang the bike from (saddle and stem).
Rags, stuff to clean and re-oil the oily bits. You cannot have enough rags...
Cycling clothes that are visible.
A computer that shows all the usual stuff plus cadence.... Commuting will inevitably be dull sometimes, so it's good to have something to think about: keeping cadence over 95 one day.... beating average speed the next.... get to top of horrible hill without going under 9.5 mph.... You will find things to work out and it will be a welcome break from just tapping on those pedals.

You will love it. And you might even work better.

I hope it all goes well!

 

[BSRU]

I'm probably going to get shot down in frames but a grand is a lot of money to drop for something you might not like. It's not unusual that as the bad weather comes in people stick them in the shed and gradually lose interest. I would look at something around the £500 mark Ifyou don't like cycling you haven't lost so much money you can lose 30% just for taking it out the shop. The really cheap brands will lose you even more so I would go good brand about £500and definately mudguards for commuting

I think that's sensible, I rode through the winter on my hybrid before deciding to buy a £1000 bike to ensure I was committed enough.

 

[cyberknight]

I'm probably going to get shot down in frames but a grand is a lot of money to drop for something you might not like. It's not unusual that as the bad weather comes in people stick them in the shed and gradually lose interest. I would look at something around the £500 mark Ifyou don't like cycling you haven't lost so much money you can lose 30% just for taking it out the shop. The really cheap brands will lose you even more so I would go good brand about £500and definately mudguards for commuting

Very sensible.

Halfords are clearing their 2010 range and you can pick up a virtuoso for £300, rack mounts and space for mudguards, mine makes a great commuter.

Not such a loss if someone steals it either, sitting next to other bikes in the shed worth lots more .Mine currently has 3 locks on it compared to the new bikes which tend to have a thin cable lock that can be cut in seconds.....

 

[Norm]

For an urban commute, the best bike is the Trek Soho. Nexus hub gears, disc brakes, belt drive, rack and mudguards installed... it's all there.

If the commute includes rural bits, you'll be wanting drop bars, though. In that case, get a cyclo-x bike to handle everything you will need for 4 season-riding and still make you want to ride at weekends. Have a look at a Specialized Tricross (I did ), Kona Jake, Fuji Cross, Cannondale CAADX... etc

(I realise there might be some Marmite on those suggestions but, hey, it'll drag some specific recommendations out - and I'm itching for the Trek Soho myself ).

 

[SportMonkey]

I do 14 miles and have an Specialized Allez Double, annoyingly now £500 at Evans. I'll be replacing it with something more aggressive next, but it is a cracking commute bike. Otherwise you can't go wrong with the Specialized Tricross...

Oh, get water bottles and holders - I've gone for cheap, cheap ones. A £15 cycle cam & £5 computer from 7DayShop

If you have a few traffic lights think about changing your pedals, my clip ins make me wobbly at lights.

Oh, and the best thing I bought was my AlpKit Gourdon 30 - http://www.alpkit.com/shop/cart.php?target=category&category_id=293 I think the 20 may be more useful though.

 

[rowan 46]

definately.. doh

 

[MacB]

I think Rowan has it right here, starting out it's easy to spend a lot on something you find doesn't actually fit in with the way your cycling progresses or you don't progress at all. I reckon comfort and versatility are the two factors for a first bike and a budget of £500 plus extras should be plenty. The type of bars needs to be decided as it's not easy, or cheap, to alter after the fact.

Regardless of urban/rural I'm not convinced by the drop bar idea for a commuter...I've tried a lot of bars and ended up with drops on all bikes but have just recently taken the drops off the commuter in favour of swept back flat bars, to which I will probably add some stubby bar ends inboard of the grips to give me a slightly more aero option. The drop part of the bars was almost unused on this bike and the tops/corners/hoods will never be as good as swept back bars with ergo style grips...IMO. I use this bike for training rides up to 30 miles as well and have noticed no reduction in speed and am generally comfier.

The problem is you'll get opinions across the board, from those who favour a full on road bike to those that like a slicked up MTB/Hybrid, with everything in between. My take, expect to end up with two bikes if you get into cycling as one only will normally involve a compromise of some sort. As commuting is your starting point then make the first purchase something that will do that well and have versatility for more general duties. So it needs to be able to take decent size tyres, rack, mudguards and have a think about whether you want front suspension or not. At the cheaper end this tends to add weight, waste energy and not do a lot else. I also favour disc brakes for a year round commuter as rims can grind away quickly in Winter conditions. If you do get disc brakes look for one where the rear caliper is on the chainstay, not the seatstay, as this makes selecting/mounting a rack much easier.

The advantage of going for versatility is, if you do get into road cycling, you'll still end up with a bike that can be used for general duties when you don't want to mess up your new shiny bling machine. I actually rate a lot of the hybrids on the market, having recently bought a Specialised Crosstrail for my eldest son I'd have no hesitation in recommending something like that, I very nearly bought another one on here for my middle son.

Finally, spend time learning, or money being shown, how to set the bike up properly to fit you, that length of commute will quickly take its toll if the position is off.

 

[gentlegreen]

My commute is only about 5 suburban / rural miles each way, I weigh 18 stone, and I use my bike for shopping, so it's an easy choice - mountain bike with road-friendly unbustable tyres, heavy duty Mavic rims, I'm finally fitting disc brakes after wasting a fortune on rims.
On a good day I have no problem doing 50 mile group rides and a lot of the roads we use almost justify a mountain bike.

If I was commuting 12 miles in London on fast, well-surfaced roads, I would almost certainly up my game to something much lighter and sportier.

I was briefly threatened with a 12 mile commute along the Bristol-Bath path, and might well have gone with a sporty hybrid.