Recommendations sought for all season commuter bike

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Soltydog

Legendary Member
Location
near Hornsea
I had a hybrid with belt drive & hub gears, with dynamo. It was a corratec from CRC but I sold it earlier this year. One major flaw was that the crank length was too short. I guess with them not being mass produced they only make one size & in the largest size frame I found the cranks too short & was really noticeable & spoilt the ride for me :sad:
I now have a Genesis day one, which is a much better ride & I'm considering fitting dynamo hub & mudguards for winter, if I ever get it back. Its gone back to supplier after issues with breaking spokes, excessive play between hub & axle, & gears constantly needing adjustment. I expect a little cable stretch on a new bike, but in 300-400 miles I've had to adjust gears half a dozen times :blush: Last ride I'd not even managed 20 miles before gears were slipping :sad: But apart from all that its a lovely bike :thumbsup:

ps I live in a very flat area & would not consider a single speed for a regular commute. Some of the winds can be worse than hills & you might appreciate a lower gear sometimes
 
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John_S

Über Member
Hi Tynan,

Thanks for your message and I appreciate that there are tonnes of absolutely fantastic rechargeable battery powered LED lights out there which are absolutely great in terms of their light output and power etc.. I appreciate that everyone will have their own preference and for most people battery powered rechargeable lights will probably be their preference and be the ideal solution as for example you can switch them between bikes, you can take them with you when parked so they hopefully don't get stolen and I'm sure that there are many other reasons that other people could add.

For me because I'm going to be getting a new bike and given that it will be an everyday commuter I'd like to try something different having only used battery lights in the past. I know that in the past there were lots of negative opinions about dynamo lights and view on the old halogen bulbs and some bottles dynamos that stubbled in certain weather conditions. However as far as I can tell from reading some reviews LED lights (whether battery powered or dynamo powered) LED lights are getting better all of the time as LED technology improves. So as well as improvements to battery lights LED technology seems to have brought significant gains to dynamo lighting options as well.

Given that some of my commuting route is on unlit rural roads meaning that I need lights to see with, not just to be seen as can be the case in well lit urban areas, I don't want to run the risk of the rechargeable battery running out at the wrong time. I appreciate that there are arguments about drag with dynamo lighting but I'm not going to be racing anyone or trying to set any speed records whilst on my way to work. I just want a reliable practical bike to commute on. To me there seems a certain element of conveneinec in respect of dynamo lights what with not having to constantly having to take them off the bike to charge them and remember to put them back on before setting off.

There are literally thousands of websites and reviews etc. when it comes to lights but for me I found some of the advice on this website really useful and I thought that I'd post a link just in case anyone else wanted to read some thoughts of dynamo lighting solutions.

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/lightingsystems.htm
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/plight.asp
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/headlights.asp
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/lightingsystems.htm
I completely appreciate that dynamo lighting solutions won't be for everyone but I would like to give it a chance on my next bike.


Thanks to Profpointy because that's really useful feedback on the features that I'd mentioned I'd want on a bike! I guess I need to have a careful think before diving in and getting a bike with disc brakes and here I guess there could also be an element of sticking to what you know because of the three bikes that I've owned so far the first two had cantilever brakes whilst my current bike has V-brakes. Whilst I'm by know means an expert on maintenance/ adjustments etc. I've been comfortable adjusting the brakes that I've had before and carrying out maintenance such as chaining brake pads and cables. The off road that I'd do would only be a small percentage of my riding and it would only be light country trail stuff and so I'd definitely avoid suspension forks. On the subject of gears the Rohloff certainly gets good reviews but unfortunately will be way over budget but it's nice to dream. I won't rule out a single speed and ideally what I'd like to do is speak to a local bike shop to see if I could get hold of one to try of some of my commuting route and ideally try pulling my son in a trailer to see what it's like.

Thanks to Crankarm for the tip of a bike from Shand and they look absolutely fantastic and if my lottery number come up I know where I'll be heading to source my next bike and there Rohloff geared bike looks lovely as well ( http://www.shandcycles.com/frames/allroad-plus/stoater-plus-overview/ ).

Thanks to Beebo and I don't think that the Cotic Road Rat looks left field at all and I will add it to the shortlist.

Also thanks to Soltydog because that's really useful feedback given the experience that you've had with a similar bike to the one I originally described. I'll also be taking a look at the Genesis Day One and adding that to the shortlist for consideration as well and on first glance it certainly looks like an attractive bike.

I'm going to be getting to as many bikes shops as I can to take a look at as many of the suggestions as I can and see how I get on. Following Pale Riders recommendation I'm going to contact Cube bikes to as when the Travel SL RF will be released because it looks like a 2015 model and I also want to ask them how much the optional extra of the Carbon Belt Drive costs.

Thanks again to everyone for their advice and hope that you all have a good weekend!

John
 
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John_S

Über Member
Thanks Pale Rider for spotting the new Canyon. Spec wise it appeals and it's an interesting bike looking at where the top tube goes into the headset, stem.

I'll have to see if I can find a dealer for Canyon and ask them when they think that they'll have this bike available because I'd like to take a look at it in a shop however I'll not hold my breath as I'm guessing that finding something like this in a shop might be asking too much.

Thanks again for the tip!

John
 
Location
Gatley
I've just specced a very similar bike to yourself... 20km daily commute including towing a child filled trailer for part of it.

I eventually dismissed the alfine and the like, mainly because if anything were to go wrong I'd be unable to fix it myself and unlikely to get anyone local to do it. Whereas, although derailleur gears aren't (reportedly) as reliable and need tweaking more regularly, at least I can fix most issues within a day or so myself (usually!).

I have Promax Render-R disk brakes and they are comparable with my MTB's V-brakes in the dry, but in the wet they out-brake any rim brake I've ever tried by a big margin.

I run a SP PD-8 dynamo hub (one of the few disk compatible options) and have run hub dynamos for years due to the fit and forget nature - I do always carry cheap LED back-up lights just in case, but have only had to use them a couple of times in many years.

The bike I went with was the Whyte Dorset which I got Edinburgh Bicycle Co-Op to supply with mudguards fitted, then fitted the lights, rack etc. myself as I already had those. The other close contender was the Focus Mares AX 5.0. The thing which set both apart for me was that I wanted something I would enjoy riding at the weekends (with a young family I can't afford a 'best bike' to take out and 'play' on) and most of the options I test rode were sluggish and dull to ride.
 

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
Thanks Pale Rider for spotting the new Canyon. Spec wise it appeals and it's an interesting bike looking at where the top tube goes into the headset, stem.

I'll have to see if I can find a dealer for Canyon and ask them when they think that they'll have this bike available because I'd like to take a look at it in a shop however I'll not hold my breath as I'm guessing that finding something like this in a shop might be asking too much.

Thanks again for the tip!

John

Looks like it has an integrated headlight, so at least there's a bit of style about it.

I note the dynamo doesn't have an external wire connection at the hub - another good feature because the little plugs are a fiddle when you want to remove the wheel.

Excellent value with a Gates drive.

I think the snag will be that Canyon - like Rose - are direct online sales from Germany only.

No probs with that, lots of satisfied customers on here.

But not much good if you want a test ride or want to use the cycle scheme.
 
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John_S

Über Member
I was just taking a look at the Canyon website and there's certainly some nice looking bikes.

They've also got a model called the Commuter 7.0 which comes with mudguards.

http://www.canyon.com/_en/roadbikes/bike.html?b=3635

It has some pretty well spec'd kit included such as the SON hub dynamo and the Supernova dynamo lights which don't come cheap.

One strange thing that caught my attention is that on the Canyon website it says the following, "mudguards that double up as luggage racks", on the page link below.

http://www.canyon.com/_en/urban/series/urban.html

Now I'm pretty tired at the moment so I might be getting the wrong idea in my head which is confusing me so apologies if this sounds like a stupid question but how does a mudguard function as a luggage rack?
 
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John_S

Über Member
Also thanks to amasidlover and I'll take a look at both Whyte and Focus bikes that you've recommended. I know that there's a bike shop not too far away from me who do sell Focus bikes so I'll ask them if they have the Mares bikes in store.

Thanks,

John
 
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John_S

Über Member
Hi BrumJim, thanks for the tip and I'd not heard of Avanti bikes before and so your tip and link is much appreciated! If I find the right bike but it doesn't have everything that I want it's been said that I can always add things if the bike itself is right in the first place.

Also hi to Douggie954 and thanks for your message as it's really helpful to hear from someone who has one of the bikes mentioned above and the fact that you've got a Cube Travel bike and both like it and find it easy to run is really useful feedback.

Thanks,

John
 

LordGrover

Regular
Location
Bristol
Maybe a bit of a curve ball, but has OP considered Dutch bikes?
They typically offer all of your requirements, often well within budget. You could look at olde-stylee traditional bikes like WorkCycles or Sparta, Gazelle or any number of others. There are a few specialists sites in the UK for sales and advice, maybe Be Dutch is a place to start?

PS. First post so apologies if out of order.
 
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John_S

Über Member
Hello LordGrover,

Thanks for the tip and I will take a look at Dutch bikes to see if they might suit my commute.

On the subject of continental bikes does anyone have any experiece of owning bikes by &/or any thoughts on bikes from the following companies who I think are German.

Fahrrad Manufaktur
http://www.fahrradmanufaktur.de/de/index.phphttp://www.fahrradmanufaktur.de/de/index.php

Tout Terrain:-
http://www.en.tout-terrain.de/bicycles/

Both of the web links above take you to German websites but there's also some info on both manufacturers bikes on the following UK website:-

http://bikefix.co.uk/bikes
http://bikefix.co.uk/fahrradmanufaktur
http://bikefix.co.uk/toutterrain

Thanks,

John
 

LordGrover

Regular
Location
Bristol
I should say, plenty will look at the weight of a typical Dutch bicycle and laugh, or get a hernia.

I found this quite helpful, although he's talking about a few kgs extra, where a Dutch bike may be rather more:

The Weight Ruse

Let’s compare a typical modern, superlight racer’s bike, costing between $ 2,500 and $ 8,000, to a more useful, and more all-around durable steel bike costing between $ 2,500 and $ 4,500. These prices are typical, early-twenty-first-century prices for what the bike industry calls “enthusiast level” bicycles. The light bike’s frame and fork weigh about 3.7 pounds and have about 13.8 pounds of parts, for a total bike weight of 17.5 pounds, plus or minus. Sixteen pounds is no longer rare. The more useful steel frame and fork weigh 6.5 pounds and have roughly 16.5 pounds of parts, for a twenty-three-pound total. The weight difference is 5.5 pounds. It still sounds like a lot, but the arithmetic doesn’t stop until we add the engine, and that’s you. Let’s say ride-ready you— with shoes, helmet, wallet, sunglasses, cell phone, and clothing—weighs 171 pounds. That’s engine weight that must be added to the 17.5 pounds (to total 188.5 pounds) and to the 23 pounds (to total 194 pounds). Now those 5.5 pounds make less than a 3 percent difference. Let’s look what that 5.5 pounds and less than 3 percent buy you. The lighter bike is good for maybe five years before it breaks or you just don’t trust it anymore, because maybe it has been in an accident or has a deep scratch on it. The heavier one may easily last twenty or thirty years, at 6,000 to 10,000 miles a year, and be safer the whole time, because it can withstand scratches and minor gouges. The lighter, racy bike won’t let you ride a tire bigger than twenty-five millimeters, so it’s lousy on rough roads. It doesn’t fit fenders, so it’s miserable to ride on wet roads. You and the bike get junky from road grime.
The more useful steel bike lets you ride tires up to thirty-eight millimeters wide, so you can ride it over any paved surface with remarkable comfort, because you can lower the pressure in the wide tires . It fits fenders, so it’s a year-round, all-weather bike, not a part-of-the-year, good-weather one. The lighter bike has high gearing, which is no good for trails, long hills, steep hills, or even moderate hills when you’re tired. The heavier bike has go-anywhere gears. You may not use the lowest ones much, but you’ll have them when you need them. The light bike requires special shoes, because it comes with special pedals; the more useful bike will have pedals that work with any shoes in your closet.

HOW LITTLE WEIGHT SLOWS YOU DOWN
In the ’70s, the Schwinn Bicycle Company hired the Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory to figure out how weight translated to speed. (If it were easy to tell the difference, Schwinn wouldn’t have had to hire the high-tech lab.) The Cornellians concluded that for every twelve pounds gained or lost, there was a 1 mile per hour difference in speed. I used to time almost all of my rides, and I have point-to-point times for dozens of rides in my neck of the woods, and my experiences match up shockingly well with the ’70s Schwinn study . But Schwinn study or no, if you don’t race, does a 1 mile per hour difference for every twelve pounds of weight even mean anything? I’d say no. Consider:
On a stop-and-go commute, a red light at the wrong time instantly wipes out even a hundred-pound weight difference.
On a descent, the heavier bike rider is faster. Light wheels accelerate faster than heavy ones, which helps when you’re taking off from a stop, but heavy wheels maintain more of their momentum than light wheels, which helps you keep your speed on rolling roads and trails.
On a twenty-five-mile club ride, a flat tire negates any advantage that may have accrued from riding superlight tires, which may be slightly faster but are more prone to flats.
On social-but-brisk club rides, when you and your club mates are close to the same fitness level, the pack sets the pace, and since you’re riding in a partial vacuum (not fighting the wind), it’s easy to keep up, even with a heavier bike and body.

LIFTING WEIGHT VERSUS PUSHING IT VERSUS ROLLING IT VERSUS ROLLING IT DOWNHILL
Going back to the 5.5-pound-weight difference between the two bikes we’ve been talking about: Of course you know what 5.5 pounds feels like when you lift a 5.5-pound object with your arms, but that’s not relevant here. In the lift-the-object example, you mentally compare lifting 5.5 pounds to lifting nothing, so the difference is huge. But when you ride a bike, many other factors combine to diminish the differences. First, you’re moving the bicycle horizontally. (Even up steep hills, the direction is way more horizontal than it is vertical.) Second, the bike is on wheels, so it’s easy to break inertia. And once the bike is moving, the wheels do much of the work. Third, you use the strong muscles in your legs to move the weight, not the relatively weak muscles in your arms. The stronger the muscles, the less sensitive they are to weight differences. A weight difference of a few pounds or a few percent in a rolling bicycle is hard to get worked up over, especially when the “extra” weight makes the bike better. An Unracer will not notice a few, or even several, pounds. Ideally, every ounce on your steel-frame bike will pay for itself by making the bike safer, more useful, more comfortable, more fun, less expensive, and even prettier. When you’re dealing with decent bikes made with the best modern materials— as opposed to a true overweight relic that was made in the ’50s with absolutely no regard for any of the details that make a bike pleasant to own and ride— then some extra, well-placed weight makes the bike better. It’s the same way with the engine . You want to add muscle in your legs, because it’s useful for riding, and reduce fat, because it’s not. Don’t give up on reducing body fat and try to make up for it with a superlight, high-geared, skinny-tired, low-handlebarred, short-lived, carbon -fiber, razor blade of a bike that works in a racer’s fantasy world but not in the real one. My everyday bike weighs about thirty-one pounds, with a small rack, two bags with stuff in ’em, fenders, and a kickstand. And it is no clunker.​

Petersen, Grant; Petersen, Grant (2012-05-08). Just Ride: A Radically Practical Guide to Riding Your Bike (Kindle Locations 1434-1435). Workman Publishing Company. Kindle Edition.
 
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