IGX

The place I'm moving to is 10 miles from work, with bike lanes 90% of the way. I'm going to commute by bike a few days a week, but apart from "have fenders" I don't know what to look for in a bike.

Completely flat, lots of traffic lights. What should I looke for?

Training wheels.

Do you have a place to park it that will be safe? Will you ride it for anything else?

Terry B. wrote:Do you have a place to park it that will be safe? Will you ride it for anything else?

I'll keep it indoors at both locations. Recreational rides with my wife. I wouldn't use it for MTB since there are no mountains.

http://www.bianchiusa.com/archives/10-b ... /san-jose/

Put on road tires and buy the smallest free hub.

Then go gluten free for a while.

what's your budget?

Blaidd Drwg wrote:what's your budget?

I'm value conscious and not opposed to a used bike. I also have a 90s Schwinn High Plains as a loaner if theres value to waiting for a season to change. under $500 would be nice.

I'd look for a used road bike that will take fenders and fatter tires-32c or so. You can get a shitload of bike for your money these days and I wouldn't rule out SS bikes at all.

If I were in your boots, with a flat commute I'd be looking at a single speed or internally geared bike, preferably a touring set up or even a 29inch wheel MTB with road tires.


if you carry minimal gear,this is probably about what I'd do.



It's a matter of taste but do yourself a favor and go down the rabbit hole of sheldon brown dot com.

I trust Alfred's opinions on this subject more than my own. I have tolerated all sorts of weird set ups for commuting.

My commuter bike is a road bike with a flip flop hub. My commute is fairly flat and when I was looking for a bike for this purpose, you got a lot more bang for your buck for a single speed/fixie. I shower in my office so didn't even worry about fenders, etc - far more thought went into deciding what bag to use, what to bring, etc.

I have a colleague who commutes as well and he does fenders and fat tires - far better for dealing with sidewalks and potholes than what I have. I know a lot of people who use folding bikes which are better than they used to be and a possible option that you could consider.

I have been searching for pictures but they are all essentially similar to what BD posted.

And, like BD said, Al knows more about this than anybody else so listen to him.

Fat tires are probably a necessity in your area.

Folding bikes are bit of a different animal. You have to consider storage at work (if space is limited), public transportation rules (if you're using that at all), ability to accept a rack and panniers and still fold, and the distance you're riding and road conditions. They bring the park and ride option into play though.

My current commute is split between the bike and a commuter train, part of it on crappy roads. A Montague folding bike works great for me. It will accept a bike rack, but the options are limited.

Comfort trumps coolness. Many bikeshop employees will steer you towards whatever they think is cool. Any slight deviation from comfort will keep you from riding that much more.
And lights. Get lights. The most important safety issue IMO is being seen. I like hub dynamos; they're clean energy, you never have to change batteries, and the drag is minimal. I leave mine on all the time. Check out peter white cycles for all the info.

When I was shopping for a commuter a couple of years ago, I ended up going with the Breezer Uptown 8: http://www.commuterbikestore.com/breeze ... -2013.html

It's a little over your price range, but it's one of the top-rated commuter bikes around and has been a joy to ride.

Grandpa's Spells wrote:

Blaidd Drwg wrote:what's your budget?

I'm value conscious and not opposed to a used bike. I also have a 90s Schwinn High Plains as a loaner if theres value to waiting for a season to change. under $500 would be nice.

I don't claim any expertise, but as long as the bike's in good shape, there's probably nothing wrong with riding it for a few hundred miles before making any decisions. With a few basic tools, you should be fine. If your employer is willing to participate in a bike commuter tax credit program you can pick up quite a bit of things you'll need on the cheap.

Turdacious wrote:Fat tires are probably a necessity in your area.

Folding bikes are bit of a different animal. You have to consider storage at work (if space is limited), public transportation rules (if you're using that at all), ability to accept a rack and panniers and still fold, and the distance you're riding and road conditions. They bring the park and ride option into play though.

My current commute is split between the bike and a commuter train, part of it on crappy roads. A Montague folding bike works great for me. It will accept a bike rack, but the options are limited.

Frankly, since the MTB suspension wars, folders, cruisers, and all manner of oddball bikes I would have never considered have gotten ridiculously well made. The tolerances are sick, the build quality is excellent and even low end components do their job quite famously. I still am a huge fan of ultra simple bikes, not for the hipster value but the worry free factor and the ease of maintenance. No one should have to pay to have a bicycle worked on.

Blaidd Drwg wrote:Frankly, since the MTB suspension wars, folders, cruisers, and all manner of oddball bikes I would have never considered have gotten ridiculously well made. The tolerances are sick, the build quality is excellent and even low end components do their job quite famously. I still am a huge fan of ultra simple bikes, not for the hipster value but the worry free factor and the ease of maintenance. No one should have to pay to have a bicycle worked on.

Being too ignorant, I would not have agreed with this a few months ago. Simply pushing myself intelligently on a regular basis has made a far bigger difference to me than a higher end bike, components, or gear would have. Most of the commuters I see out there have far more bike than they need.

Go to a police auction. Lots of good bikes there for $2 to $10 bucks. I have around 15 in my hangar you can have for $20 apiece.

A few months ago I was all set to buy a single speed Kona Paddywagon for about $700. I talked it over with Blaidd and he suggested that for my size (205lbs), and with the crappy pavement I'll encounter in Brooklyn, the tires are too small.
I just got back from the bike shop.
It looks like I'll be getting a Globe Work-1 for $510. Seven speed, aluminum frame, and non-descript enough to be ignored by thieves (I hope).
http://www.specialized.com/gb/gb/bikes/globe/work/work
Unless Blaidd or Alfred talk me out of this, I'm picking it up Saturday, after I sell my Honda.

Nice. I'm picking up a trailer for my old Giant mtb for grocery shopping, since I'm no more than 2.5-3 miles of suburban community roads and paved trails...no reason to hop in the car for,that distance.

I've sampled the bob trailer and done extensive mileage with a baby trailer and I much preferred the old baby trailer. Little cumbersome splitting lanes and other cityfolk driving but in the burbs they are awesome. Dogs that can be made to sit still love them as well.

Gonna get this:

I, too, had a baby trailer that worked well...I kinda wanted a more flat bed with a cover, but I might just end up getting on with rails and no fabric

I'm with BD on the simpler-the-better philosophy. For a bike that's going to have the shit beat out of it on a daily basis on city streets, comfort and simplicity trump just about everything else.

A good 80's steel bike can be had for cheap off Craigslist and would make a great platform for a bullet proof commuter. I'm partial to single speeds just because there's that much less to go wrong. My daily ride is a Surly CrossCheck I'm running with a 36 tooth ring on the front and a 16 tooth cog on the back. 32mm tires give a bit of cushion and help keep the potholes from banging up my rims.

You could single speed that 80's Craigslist bike for next to nothing and never have to worry about a derailleur going wacko on you. May take some dicking around with the gear to get the perfect one for your ride, but the reliability is worth it IMO.

Polo's spot on with the lights. Be seen or be hit. I like hub dynos and have one on my touring bike. For my commuter I have a Light In Motion Vis180 for the tail light, which is supposedly the brightest you can get. I have a 700 lumen Serfas handlebar mounted headlight. Both are USB rechargeable. I sometimes use my mountain biking helmet mounted light in the darkest parts of winter because I KNOW I'm seen if I shine a thousand lumens straight at someone thinking of pulling out in front of me.

I've experimented with tons of different ways to carry my stuff and settled on a Chrome waterproof cycling backpack for daily use. If I need to carry a bunch of stuff in I'll use the touring bike with rack/paniers, but just a change of clothes and lunch easily fits in the backpack. I think the best way to get started commuting is to drive in one day and take the clothes and other heavy items you'll need for the week. That leaves you with just the basics of lunch and emergency repair kit to lug around on the bike. Then drive in one other day and take it all home to wash.

Shafpocalypse Now wrote:I, too, had a baby trailer that worked well...I kinda wanted a more flat bed with a cover, but I might just end up getting on with rails and no fabric

If you're just looking for a load hauler, check out the Surly trailers:
http://surlybikes.com/bikes/bill_trailer
http://surlybikes.com/bikes/ted_trailer
Really sturdy and don't limit your load with a bunch of fabric.

We use a trailer very similar to the one you posted above to get groceries. It's basically the same trailer but with a larger covered area made to haul a dog. Our dog hated the trailer but it works perfectly for putting grocery bags in it.

Alfred_E._Neuman wrote:I'm with BD on the simpler-the-better philosophy. For a bike that's going to have the shit beat out of it on a daily basis on city streets, comfort and simplicity trump just about everything else.

A good 80's steel bike can be had for cheap off Craigslist and would make a great platform for a bullet proof commuter. I'm partial to single speeds just because there's that much less to go wrong. My daily ride is a Surly CrossCheck I'm running with a 36 tooth ring on the front and a 16 tooth cog on the back. 32mm tires give a bit of cushion and help keep the potholes from banging up my rims.

You could single speed that 80's Craigslist bike for next to nothing and never have to worry about a derailleur going wacko on you. May take some dicking around with the gear to get the perfect one for your ride, but the reliability is worth it IMO.

Polo's spot on with the lights. Be seen or be hit. I like hub dynos and have one on my touring bike. For my commuter I have a Light In Motion Vis180 for the tail light, which is supposedly the brightest you can get. I have a 700 lumen Serfas handlebar mounted headlight. Both are USB rechargeable. I sometimes use my mountain biking helmet mounted light in the darkest parts of winter because I KNOW I'm seen if I shine a thousand lumens straight at someone thinking of pulling out in front of me.

I've experimented with tons of different ways to carry my stuff and settled on a Chrome waterproof cycling backpack for daily use. If I need to carry a bunch of stuff in I'll use the touring bike with rack/paniers, but just a change of clothes and lunch easily fits in the backpack. I think the best way to get started commuting is to drive in one day and take the clothes and other heavy items you'll need for the week. That leaves you with just the basics of lunch and emergency repair kit to lug around on the bike. Then drive in one other day and take it all home to wash.

Good stuff, especially with shorter days coming.

Spells, you can probably get something of good quality off craigslist from a northwestern student who just figured out that living in the birthplace of Prohibition is expensive.