Commuting bike advice please
Discussion
I've been commuting by bike in Norway for a couple of years now, on a mountain bike with roadish tyres on it. I've had a bit of a layoff of late, but am keen to get back into it.
Usual route is about 25 miles round trip, and involves some bumpyish bits, some cobbles, some smooth, occasional kerbs, probably the usual sort of thing.
I am 6'2" and just under 15st.
Any recommendations for a decent commuting bike? I'd like something a bit quicker than the mountain bike!
I know a few people with Canondale bad boys and I also quite like the look of the Cannondale Road Warrior 800
That sort of thing or an entry level road bike I spose?
Cheers,
FT.
Usual route is about 25 miles round trip, and involves some bumpyish bits, some cobbles, some smooth, occasional kerbs, probably the usual sort of thing.
I am 6'2" and just under 15st.
Any recommendations for a decent commuting bike? I'd like something a bit quicker than the mountain bike!
I know a few people with Canondale bad boys and I also quite like the look of the Cannondale Road Warrior 800
That sort of thing or an entry level road bike I spose?
Cheers,
FT.
Kerbs on a road bike will get expensive after a while, and cobbles aren't especially comfortable either.
For my money you'd be looking at something in the catagory of the Bad Boy you mention, some kind of hybrid, or if the mountainbike you have is still in good nick, some tinkering with the tyre choice and gearing...
Hope that's helpful...
For my money you'd be looking at something in the catagory of the Bad Boy you mention, some kind of hybrid, or if the mountainbike you have is still in good nick, some tinkering with the tyre choice and gearing...
Hope that's helpful...
This caught my eye the other day:
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cannondale/bad...
Cannondale Bad Boy with an 8 speed hub and disk brakes. Should give you enough gears for whatever you need to do, plus be pretty much maintenance free which would be a consideration if you are going to be racking up about 500 miles per month.
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cannondale/bad...
Cannondale Bad Boy with an 8 speed hub and disk brakes. Should give you enough gears for whatever you need to do, plus be pretty much maintenance free which would be a consideration if you are going to be racking up about 500 miles per month.
probably
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Looks very good for the money, are you sure I wouldn't bend it? I'd pay up to £1000 or so for the right bike I guess, but if I can get what I need for less I will!
I do like the bad boy, for the full gimmick tick there is a similar one where the chain cover is part of the frame, and is fully enclosed! Edited to add: This thing
Cheers,
FT.
Edited by Fume troll on Wednesday 4th August 11:47
Where are the mudguards? If you are doing decent distance, drops offer more hand positions too. Something like a Surly LHT or a Ridgeback Voyager (ie a tourer with clearance for big tires with mudguards) is the way I'd go. Indeed, it's the way I've gone. My tourer can fit 700x42 with mudguards if I so desired, and the well built 36h rims have never gone out of true. Mines shrugs off a 60km a day commute with only a change of chain, new brake blocks and a new pair of tires (no punctures) in the last year. Got a 300km audax coming up this month, and I am trusting it'll shrug that off as well.
BTW - look at the service intervals on Nexus/Alfine. I am waiting to see if the 11speed model is any better.
BTW - look at the service intervals on Nexus/Alfine. I am waiting to see if the 11speed model is any better.
If you'd prefer drops and need something capable of a bit of rough stuff and kerbs, then a cyclocross bike is definately the way forward. Most of them have clearance for full-length guards, i.e. SKS Chromoplastics, and they're built to take more abuse than a road bike. Usually wider tyres too - my 'cross bike came with 700x35c semi-knobbly tyres. Not quite as quick as a proper road bike but far better suited to commuting on the roads and paths where I live.
One thing I'd say is I'd prefer disc brakes on my 'cross bike. The UCI have recently changed their regs and have lifted the ban on discs on 'cross bikes, so hopefully there'll be more 'cross bikes for sale with discs soon. I know a lot of people see them as pointless on a 'cross/road bike (and I don't want this to go into a for/against them), but for commuting they'd be great: less hassle, more effective in the wet, and cleaner.
I currently commute on a Genesis Vapour CX bike with SKS chromoplastics and geared down with an MTB cassette and rear mech to cope with the hills around where I stay. Ideal apart from the lack of discs.
One thing I'd say is I'd prefer disc brakes on my 'cross bike. The UCI have recently changed their regs and have lifted the ban on discs on 'cross bikes, so hopefully there'll be more 'cross bikes for sale with discs soon. I know a lot of people see them as pointless on a 'cross/road bike (and I don't want this to go into a for/against them), but for commuting they'd be great: less hassle, more effective in the wet, and cleaner.
I currently commute on a Genesis Vapour CX bike with SKS chromoplastics and geared down with an MTB cassette and rear mech to cope with the hills around where I stay. Ideal apart from the lack of discs.
Fume troll said:
Yeah, discs would be nice. My current commuter doesn't have them and I miss the one-finger braking the 205mm rotors on my mountain bike give me!
Cheers,
FT.
There were a couple of CX bikes with discs a couple of years ago (Focus bikes did one in 2008 I think but dropped it for 2009/10). There's the Genesis Croix De Fer at just under £1k with a steel frame, mudguard clearance, and discs, but apart from that there's not much choice. Hopefully more manufacturers will have them for 2011.Cheers,
FT.
I'm actually going the other way: I HATE toe-overlap on my 'cross bike (when your toes hit the front wheel when steering around tighter corners) so I'm looking to change from drop-bars to a flat-barred commuter with discs, decently quick on tarmac but still capable of light off-roading. The Cotic Roadrat flat-barred is winning for me at the moment, but they also do a drop-barred version.
Well I've got one of these: http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/tr...
I found one second hand that's been ridden for about 10 miles and is completely immaculate. I suspect someone got it through the bike to work scheme and didn't want to keep it... saved me £250.
No discs, but I'm not too fussed.
Cheers,
FT.
I found one second hand that's been ridden for about 10 miles and is completely immaculate. I suspect someone got it through the bike to work scheme and didn't want to keep it... saved me £250.
No discs, but I'm not too fussed.
Cheers,
FT.
Great choice and sounds like you got a bargain as well. 
Kit it out with a rack, mudguards and lights and it'll be great for the winter commute.
I took my Tricross for its first bit of decent off-roading this weekend and it was great, requires a very different to riding a mountain bike but good fun nonetheless!
Kit it out with a rack, mudguards and lights and it'll be great for the winter commute.
I took my Tricross for its first bit of decent off-roading this weekend and it was great, requires a very different to riding a mountain bike but good fun nonetheless!
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