First commuting bike advice

[SkipdiverJohn]

Also, you don't have to try hard unless you want to, pootling along is fine!

8 1/2 miles will be about 50 minutes cycling time at a nice easy pace of a 10 mph average speed. Unless you are battling against a headwind or your route is hilly, you won't really break a sweat at that sort of pace.
When I need to get somewhere in town, I estimate my likely journey time and ETA based on averaging 10mph. Sometimes, I might average over 11 mph if the conditions are favourable, but overall I find 10 mph is realistically achievable even if i have to filter through traffic and get caught at a few sets of lights. The worst thing you can do is set an unrealistic target and slog your guts out trying to make it, and arrive soaked in sweat. Just take it easy and the mileage wont wear you out before you even start work for the day..

 

[Boopop]

What sort of route are you envisaging? If it's entirely within a city or mixed terrain I can see why a hybrid might be preferable. I'm a bit prejudice towards hybrids though, they seem to me to be a jack of all trades and master of none. Unless you're doing lots of stopping and starting at lights, and weaving through traffic, I'd be inclined to get something else (second hand of course). If it's mostly on road, have you considered a road bike? I do just shy of 9 miles each way to work every weekday, I manage about 13/14mph without putting a great amount of effort in. In the winter that's on an almost 8 year old Btwin Triban 3 that weighs about 12kg.

I think what I'm getting at is if you get a hybrid it'll be okay for commuting and getting around, and that's it. If you get a road bike it'll be OK if not perfect for getting to work and getting around, but you could also try going on longer rides, joining your local club, and developing cycling as a hobby. I just think hybrids tend to be a bit dull.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I think what I'm getting at is if you get a hybrid it'll be okay for commuting and getting around, and that's it. If you get a road bike it'll be OK if not perfect for getting to work and getting around, but you could also try going on longer rides, joining your local club, and developing cycling as a hobby. I just think hybrids tend to be a bit dull.

For me cycling is a mixture of hobby and utility, as I haven't ridden to work by bike for years. I have no problem riding 30 miles on either a drop bar sports bike, flat bar hybrid, 26" rigid MTB, or a 47 year old 3-speed roadster for that matter. I'm not going to break any speed records doing it, and 30 miles on knobbly tyres is much harder work than anything on road tyres, but it's nonsense to suggest that you need a "road bike" to do anything more than a few local miles on.

 

[12boy]

I second the Marathons and suggest you fill your tubes with some tubeless tire sealant as well, which has proven better for me than slime. Mudgaurds are a good idea as well. Do your route a few times on non work days before you first ride to work so as to know how long it takes and how sweaty you will get. You will need to have the tools and know how to fix tires, change a wheel and do basic maintenance on your bike.

 

[Boopop]

For me cycling is a mixture of hobby and utility, as I haven't ridden to work by bike for years. I have no problem riding 30 miles on either a drop bar sports bike, flat bar hybrid, 26" rigid MTB, or a 47 year old 3-speed roadster for that matter. I'm not going to break any speed records doing it, and 30 miles on knobbly tyres is much harder work than anything on road tyres, but it's nonsense to suggest that you need a "road bike" to do anything more than a few local miles on.

I don't recall suggesting anyone needed a road bike. It's certainly not in what you quoted. Cycling's a utility for me too, otherwise I wouldn't have bought this:

It was simply a suggestion 😊

 

[confusedcyclist]

What bike? questions are always tricky, everyone has an opinion, and people's needs change with time. What's great about buying a bike used and outright rather than new and on credit is, if you look after it, and pay a fair price, you can usually expect to sell it and recoup most of what you spent, if you buy really well, you might even turn a profit. If the bikes not right for you, sell it on. The only chink in the chain is that any spending on accessories or upgrades might be wasted if they are not compatible with the next bike.

IF I was purely after a short distance commuter, I might buy a traditional town bike/roadster. Those things are bomb proof and cheap as chips to maintain. If however, I wanted to climb mountains, leisure ride, or keep up with my bros on a sporting ride, I might want something more nippy. I have the luxury of being able to afford and store multiple bikes, so I don't need a one size fits all job, I have an ebike for commuting. I have a steel CX bike currently setup with flat bars, but I've a set of drops bars too for when I fancy a change, and a folder for when I'm taking train/bus to meetings for work, or if I need to pick up the car from a far off location, plopping it in the boot. I did have a dedicated road bike, but I was only getting out on it once or twice a year, so the steel CX is my fall in now.

If I could only have one bike, it would probably be the CX bike, as it takes a rack and mudguards, and is fine with either flat bars or drop bars, the only problem being needing new inner cables when you switch, but you're talking £1.50 each for inners. I'd be sad to see the folder go, but it doesn't carry a load very well as I'm a 6'2" bloke and am not slender by any stretch.

 

[12boy]

What kind of folder? My Brompton can carry a lot, at least on paved roads, and the weight if loaded on the front actually improves handling. If I could only have
2 it would probably be my Surly Steamroller and the Brompton.

 

[confusedcyclist]

What kind of folder? My Brompton can carry a lot, at least on paved roads, and the weight if loaded on the front actually improves handling. If I could only have
2 it would probably be my Surly Steamroller and the Brompton.

I've got a Brompton, user manual says rider and load should be no more than 100kg. Considering at my last weigh in I hit 99.3 kg, I'm not sure it will be up to carrying much more. My brompton front bag weighs like 1kg on it's own.

I could do with losing 5kg, but still, not much breathing room for me!

I'm sure that there are many burly riders who are riding blissfully unaware of this, but I guess that's why things go bang!

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

@Cerveza

- Keep your wits about you

- Don't forget you have every right to be on the roads

- Try to look over shoulder before altering course (parked cars, etc...), like the old 'Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre' phrase (no need for arm signal to pass parked vehicles

- Be vary at width restrictions - traffic-islands, etc...

- Look at insurance, British Cycling & CTC both offer it (it gives 3rd party liability & equally helps you to claim, if you're the victim)
I have 'Ride' https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/membership

- Don't even think about headphones, why remove one of your senses?

Stay-safe, & report back on how you do

 

[byegad]

On the dreaded 'P' word. The place to find out how to remove the wheel and tyre and replacing the tube is at home, not on a wet night by the side of a busy road.
Also....
After a puncture by the side of the road on a dark, wet night when removing the Marathon Plus proved impossible, three broken tyre levers and bloodied knuckles on both hands, followed by motorised rescue. I'd steer clear of Marathon Plus.
They are very puncture resistant, but no tyre is puncture proof. Mine had glass through both the tread and sidewall after my having been forced over a shattered bottle near the edge of the road by an inconsiderate bus driver.
I changed to a protected tyre from Pasela after removing the pair of M+ tyres with the aid of a pair of motorcycle tyre levers, a wire cutter and hobby drill complete with cutting disc. The Paselas did 5000 miles in a combination of commuting and leisure rides with only one deflation incident between them. That deflation, due to me picking up one of several deliberately placed tacks, the tyre duly came off with ease (and 2 plastic levers).