Recommended Commuting Bike - Any Good?

[Pedro]

Hi All,

I'm after a bit of advice. After 5 years of getting the tube to work I have started cycling and I am definitely gonna keep it up. I'm currently using a 12 year old Carrera mountain bike that is pretty much dead (it has 4 useable gears) and I have got recommendations for three bikes to upgrade to. My commute is a 6 mile journey each way and I plan to do it in all weather, but the most important thing is weight (first floor flat, no garden). I have been recommended the following and any pointers would be greatly appreciated.

• Trek 7.3
• Giant CRS 2.5
• Marin Larkspur

Thanks

Ped

 

[Tynan]

my LBS once recommended the LarkSpur to me as a £300 commuter

I'd seriously recommend you consider a proper road bike with drops, it'll be quicker, less effort and lighter than a cost for cost hybrid

 

[swee'pea99]

Also, who in their right mind would nick (and security's a real concern unless you have a really secure place at work), say, this.

 

[marinyork]

The larkspur is similar to what I have in terms of parts on it. It's fine as a commuter along the potholed streets of sheffield. I don't think the marins weight that much but obviously you'll get even bigger benefits from a full roadie.

 

[dodgy]

Depends on budget I suppose. But stairs, flat, no garden, 6 miles = some kind of folder perhaps?

Dave.

 

[PrettyboyTim]

my LBS once recommended the LarkSpur to me as a £300 commuter

I'd seriously recommend you consider a proper road bike with drops, it'll be quicker, less effort and lighter than a cost for cost hybrid

The type of handlbars won't affect the weight of the bike, as you can get hybrids that are effectively road bikes with flat bars. Go with whatever you feel most comfortable riding.

To be honest as long as you get a bike that is the right size for you and you find comfortable to ride, you can't really go wrong. If you want something really fast, make sure you get fairly thin tyres, but if you're used to a mountain bike you may find very skinny tyres a bit of a rough ride at first.

Try a few out at a shop and buy whichever one fits your budget, is suitably light and that you like the look of. I don't think you need to worry too much about making the wrong decision - anything at that budget is likely to be a decent bike and you'll enjoy riding it

 

[HJ]

Having just lugged my wife's Trek 7300FX up to the third floor (she had the panniers full of shopping) I would say that the weight of a hybrid isn't a great problem. Hybrids are ideal for commuting, ignore the rubbish about getting a "proper road bike" it is just snobbery. Slick skinny tyres, something like Conti GatorSkins or Schwalbe Marathons are a highly recommended up grade for commuting, too many bikes come with cheep nasty tyres which let you down.

What ever you buy, make sure you take it out for a test ride round the block first, you will know if it is the bike for you within the first 10 minutes of riding it.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Depends on budget I suppose. But stairs, flat, no garden, 6 miles = some kind of folder perhaps?

Though avoid cheap rubbish - some of them are dreadful to ride. You can pick up a secondhand Brompton from £350-ish.

Ben

 

[Tynan]

snobbery?

a 'proper road bike' is quicker, less effort and lighter than a same cost hybrid, yes or no?

that's all I said, jeez

 

[GrahamG]

I think a hybrid or a road-bike are both very practical and sensible options (provided the road bike takes full mudguards, rack is bonus too and not many do!) - it'll likely just come down to what you like the feel of when you test ride a few at the shop.

 

[Pedro]

Thanks everyone.

Just waiting for a few different bikes to come in. Definitely not going with a folder and I'm not too sure on a roadie as if I ever want to take it on paths, cut through parks etc it going to make it more tricky. But then the hybrids I've seen so far look like they are made for old women! Going to have a look at a Marin Muriwood 2008 as if I need it off road it shouldn't be too much of a problem and personally I like the look of it

 

[Plax]

Have you looked at the Dawes Discovery range?
I'm obsessed with Dawes at the moment. Was going to get a Dawes Discovery 601, but after playing on a bike with drops, I'm impatiently waiting for my Dawes Ultra Galaxy to arrive. 7-10 day delay apparently!!!!