Good Flat-bar road bike for commuting?

[LLB]

Hi Matt,

Welcome and congrats on your decision to commute - you'll have lots of fun in the summer, and a sense of, er, achievment in the winter!

All I can say is that I chopped my road bike in for a Levante about a year ago and it was the best thing I ever did! The Levante is an excellent bike with a great range of gears.

I can't speak for the others cause I've never ridden them but I take my Levante on a long route to work three times a week, see the Pleasure / Pain link at the bottom of my post for a route map - it's about 55 miles a day.

That is a lot of hours in the saddle each week

 

[skwerl]

You get a quicker steering response for less effort with flat bars as the leverage is greater.
.

Not sure about that. You're right about effort and leverage but the response on narrower bars is quicker. Short bars=quick repsonse/twitchier handling. Long bars= slower response/more stable handling

 

[LLB]

Not sure about that. You're right about effort and leverage but the response on narrower bars is quicker. Short bars=quick repsonse/twitchier handling. Long bars= slower response/more stable handling

Riding on anything but marble smooth tarmac, and the extra leverage is nice.

I found my old road bike would track very easily on uneven roads.

 

[Absinthe Minded]

That is a lot of hours in the saddle each week

Yeah, I've got an arse like the flag of Japan at times...

 

[Perry]

Yeah, I've got an arse like the flag of Japan at times...

a bit too much info

 

[BentMikey]

He's got a mouth (well keyboard) like one too.

 

[Absinthe Minded]

He's got a mouth (well keyboard) like one too.

Well, feel free to let me know if I've offended you.

 

[MattG]

Well, thanks for the advice everyone. After trying both flat and drop bars, I decided to go with flat. The roads around here aren't in the best condition, and I haven't cycled on a regular basis before, and a flat-bar just felt safer to me. Who knows, maybe in a year or so I'll be ready for a change, but for now, I went with the Merida Speeder T2.

First day of cycling to work tomorrow.

 

[BentMikey]

Good for you, I hope you have many thousands of happy miles on that bike!

 

[Absinthe Minded]

Well, thanks for the advice everyone. After trying both flat and drop bars, I decided to go with flat. The roads around here aren't in the best condition, and I haven't cycled on a regular basis before, and a flat-bar just felt safer to me. Who knows, maybe in a year or so I'll be ready for a change, but for now, I went with the Merida Speeder T2.

First day of cycling to work tomorrow.

Good luck and all the best, Matt. And remember, there's nothing wrong with flat bars - it's just what you feel better about, so you've made the right choice.

 

[Willow]

I've just bought a mongoose 450 for the same distance. Did 5 miles easily at weekend, 7 to work though unfortunately got to do the busy A246 into Guildford such a shame there isn't a more countrified route. I'm hoping to start commute Sept when son can cycle to school.

 

[snapper_37]

Good choice Matt. Have fun.

I changed from flat to drop and back to flat. Really couldn't get on with the drops at all. Just personal choice I suppose.

At least you've taken the plunge to start commuting by bike