What type of bike am I looking for...?

[SkipdiverJohn]

You should be looking for something like this if you want a reliable commuter:-

Raleigh Pioneer 700c Hybrid. Made in England 23 years ago, no crappy "improved" modern road bike engineering like press-fit/sealed BB's to fail, no threadless headsets needing spacers for bar height adjustment. A comfortable-geometry steel frame (Reynolds 501 double-butted chro-moly on this particular one), plenty of room for proper mudguards and mounts for a rear rack. You can pretty much fit what width tyres you want - the ones here are 700 x 35c Schwalbe Delta Cruiser+, which are easy-rolling yet very tough and can cope with potholes, urban road debris and glass fragments.
I've done 27 miles on that bike today, so an 8-mile commute is not going to trouble it at all.
So long as knobbly tyres and energy-sapping suspension are not fitted, any bike is only as "slow" or "fast" as the rider has the power to make it be. Road bikes are not inherently "fast" and flat-bar bikes are not inherently "slow" A weak, very overweight rider will be slow on the most fancy road bike, and a strong muscular rider can bomb along on an old 3-speed roadster if they choose to. Excess weight carried by the rider makes far more difference to cycling performance than buying some flimsy piece of junk just for the sake of shaving a couple of pounds off the weight of the bike. Above all else, any bike used for commuting needs to be robust and reliable, especially the wheels & tyres.

 

[hoppym27]

I got the Pinnacle Lithium 2 from Evans (in my avatar) last summer and I use it for everything..commuting..touring and even for an Adventure Cross Sportive last weekend and she coped with all the technical bits the MTB's did...I run Delta Cruiser Plus 38's on her....Ive found it a really solid all rounder and bulletproof on any terrain!.....I reserve my road bike for Sunday club runs and any road sportives I might do....Im a big lad too..6ft1 and 15 stone and this bike is mega comfy and easy to ride and didnt break the bank

 

[Salar]

You should be looking for something like this if you want a reliable commuter:-

View attachment 410211

Ditto,

Here's mine.

 

[DCBassman]

Out of interest, what does a bike like that weigh?

 

[Salar]

Looking at the old catalogues probably about 15-16Kg (32lbs or so)

Very smooth nice ride.

 

[DCBassman]

Same as my Trek 800 then. That's a smooth rider too.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

y

Out of interest, what does a bike like that weigh?

Don't make the mistake of assuming a Pioneer is just a Pioneer, there were several different models/specs within the range at different price points, and the most expensive Trail, Quest, and Jaguar variants had brazed Reynolds 501 cro-moly tubing (later 4130 welded cro-moly) rather than the bog standard 18-23 hi-tensile steel tubing. The geometry is all the same but the cro-moly framed bikes weigh about a pound less than the 18-23 bikes. Any Pioneer found at the right money is always worth having, but if you come across one of the models with the high quality frames (and better components as well), it's a nice bonus.

 

[Salar]

/\ Mine is just the standard 18-23 tubing, defintely not "gas pipe" standard though and still a very nice bike and easy to upgrade .

 

[Tin Pot]

Hi,
I (hope to) cycle to work 8 miles each way. 6 miles are on a quiet, flat country road. The remaining 2 miles are through a busy town centre.
I purchased a good quality mountain. It had shock forks which I always had locked out. I placed some smooth tyres on it to make the ride more comfortable. I found the bike to provide confidence, especially when travelling through the town stretch. Being rugged it could handle my 17 stone well. The problem was it was so heavy. I saw people of retirement age whizzing pass me. They weren't peddling faster or in a faster gear. They may have been fitter than me but not by that much. I saw it clearly as my bike was too heavy. I sold it.

I then purchased a Giant road bike. It was much lighter and quicker than the mountain bike. One problem, I had no confidence using the drop-down handle and brakes, especially when going through the town stretch. I just stopped riding it. I could've persevered to become confident but I just didn't feel comfortable riding it. I also wondered how long the bike could last with my 17 stone on it before the wheels/spokes caved in. All in all, I sold it.

I feel I need a bike that is light enough to be fast. Robust enough to handle my weight. With flat-bar handle and brakes for confidence, but preferably with some special handles where I could have my palms facing inwards for more aerodynamics (like a road bike).

What type of bike should I get?
A hybrid bike with special handles?
A cyclocross bike seems to have quickness and flat-bar braking?

I do not race but I do wish the bike to be quick, and certainly quicker than my mountain bike was (road and hybrid have 700c wheels too). I also need to have confidence braking and weaving between vehicles/people in built-up areas.

What do you suggest?
Thanks.

What bike are you looking for?

You’re looking for a Cinelli.

Pick one you like the look of and let it inspire you to ride more frequently and have more fun when you’re doing so.

http://cinelli.it/en/bikes-frame/

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

/\ Mine is just the standard 18-23 tubing,definitely not "gas pipe" standard though and still a very nice bike and easy to upgrade.

You're right, the 18-23 steel tubing is not just some nasty rubbish. Its a decent frame, just plain gauge tube with no weight-saving double-butting made possible by the high strength cro-moly.