Getting into commuting...

[jhawk]

Hi all,

Over the next few months, I'm hoping to save up enough money to buy myself a brand new bike. I have a tourer already, but I'll need something to get to and from work. Since I do odd-jobs during my summers, I'll be cycling anywhere from 5KM, to 15KM for work, all depending on where the job is.

Note that I've used an MTB in past for my cycling to and from work, as well as using my tourer for the last few months of the summer since I picked it up in August.

Does anyone have any recommendations for first road/commuter bikes? Note that I probably won't need to carry anything too special or too large for my jobs. But, I would like a rack-and-pannier-capability to be able to do the shopping on.

Any recommendations/suggestions?

Cheers,

Jack.

 

[Moodyman]

Both touring and MTBs make excellent commuters. Just change the tyres to something slicker with puncture resistance.

 

[bikingdad90]

The Decathlon Triban 3/5 are pretty good pack horses for commuting and reasonably well species for £300-£499? There is also the Scott roadsters range which is pretty good too but is a little on the heavy side.

If your budget stretches a bit further than a cyclocross bike maybe good as it can take bigger wheels, mudguards and possibly panniers more comfortably than a road bike. For example the giant tdx or one from the Edinburgh cycles range?

Dawes are also good brand for commuters.

If your budget is nearer a £1000, what about Chris Hoys range of bikes or a Boardman both are quite versatile for commuting.

 

[jhawk]

Perhaps I'll purchase another MTB, or an used Road/CX bike, I did find one earlier in the year (A Giant TCR Three with braze-ons for rack-mounting), while I was looking for something I could tour on - but, now that I have my touring-specific bicycle, that Giant was sold before I could buy it.

 

[BSRU]

I commute on a steel tourer and it's fine, I also commute on a CX bike and in the summer a road bike, all of them great fun

 

[Supersuperleeds]

I would stick with your tourer and save yourself some cash. Unless this is a case of N+1, in which case my commuter is a Sirrus Elite, it can take a rear rack

 

[biggs682]

i normally use retro steel bikes for all my riding which is 80% commuting

 

[musa]

Trek 1.2 or a steel bike like an easy come easy go