What Bike - Country Commute?

Tester46

I'm looking for suggestions please. I am hoping to get a bike under the bike to work scheme. I'll be commuting about 15km each way from my house in the countryside to the town I work in. The road is all tarmac roads, but some parts are country lanes and most of it is a busy national route. There's one steep hill on the route - up and down.

I have an old (2002) Specialized Expedition. It is grand and is a decent mix of comfort and ruggedness, but it is not really great for a long commute even with slicks and the seating position isn't upright enough.

Friends of mine have a Trek Soho and a Giant CRS 2.5 for city use. They seem like good bikes, and the seating position is good and upright. Downside is they might be a bit too fragile - whatever I get needs to be able to take an occasional pothole without breaking me or the bike.

Any suggestions? Price in the €500 range ideally.

tomasrojo

A touring bike maybe? They're quite fast, but sturdier than a racing road bike, can carry loads very stably (if you need that) and you can fit quite wide tyres on them, which is good for less than ideal roads. The seating position is more upright than a racing road bike, but not as upright as a mountain bike. Not sure why you want a more upright position than a Specialized Expedition for longer distances. Long-distance cyclists usually use drops.

I think 800-1000 would be as cheap as touring bikes get though.

cdaly_

I started back commuting on a Giant FCR3. I got an adjustable stem to raise the bar height. Over time, the bar height has migrated downwards and I've converted to drops since.

The upright seating position adds serious drag (and hence effort). Well worth considering drops instead. The stock wheels on the Giant coped well with about 15,000km (including occasional potholes / kerb jumps (downwards)) before I wore the rims out.

I also added aerobars which would be very handy on the long stretches. Good for resting the wrists and back and reduces drag even further.

Anyway, the gist of my message is you'll probably end up moving to dropped bars in the end. Might as well get used to them from the start.

Tester46

Thanks for your replies. I might eventually go for dropped bars, but at the moment I think I want the more upright position. I have found that the more bent over position is sorer on my back than sitting upright. Plus, when you are bent over, you need to stretch your neck to look straight ahead - that's a recipe for disaster with my back and neck. I prefer to sit up straight, even with the extra drag.

I don't want to go for a racing bike/road bike. More thinking of a good hybrid or commuter bike like the Giant CRSW 2.5 my mate has. I just think that the country roads part of my commute might wreck that bike - should I get front shocks or am I being too cautious i.e. are these bikes tougher than I think?

My mate had a Specialized Sirrus before and found that Irish country roads just did not suit that California designed bike!

petethedrummer

Tester46 wrote: »

I don't want to go for a racing bike/road bike. More thinking of a good hybrid or commuter bike like the Giant CRSW 2.5 my mate has. I just think that the country roads part of my commute might wreck that bike - should I get front shocks or am I being too cautious i.e. are these bikes tougher than I think?

Road bikes are fine for Irish country roads. Sure that's where most road biking gets done. You just have to not go crashing into potholes. For a 30km daily commute I'd be looking to get the fastest bike possible. I would go for a Rapid before a CRS. http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/rapid.3/4866/38972/

You don't need suspension.

blorg

Tester46 wrote: »

My mate had a Specialized Sirrus before and found that Irish country roads just did not suit that California designed bike!

If there were problems I suspect they were more to do with your mate than the bike. Depends what exactly went wrong but think about it, many riders would be doing far greater distances on lighter skinnier-tyred road bikes without any issues. Have a Sirrus myself incidentally that I have even used for light OFF-road loaded touring which it stood up to.

Tester46

blorg wrote: »

If there were problems I suspect they were more to do with your mate than the bike. Depends what exactly went wrong but think about it, many riders would be doing far greater distances on lighter skinnier-tyred road bikes without any issues. Have a Sirrus myself incidentally that I have even used for light OFF-road loaded touring which it stood up to.

Fair enough. His problem was that he kept breaking spokes and buckling the wheel. Maybe that was him rather than the bike though. It looked like a lovely bike to be honest.

Tester46

petethedrummer wrote: »

Road bikes are fine for Irish country roads. Sure that's where most road biking gets done. You just have to not go crashing into potholes. For a 30km daily commute I'd be looking to get the fastest bike possible. I would go for a Rapid before a CRS. http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/rapid.3/4866/38972/

You don't need suspension.

OK thanks. So, based on all the emails here, I'm probably looking at one of the following:

Specialized Sirrus
Giant Rapid
Giant CRS
Trek Soho

If ya had to pick one, what would you go for, given a 30km round trip, some country lanes, a bit of a steep hill and I'll need to attach mud guards in winter?

P.S. When you say I don't need suspension (on the front forks), would it help with the wear and tear (on my arms!) or is it totally over the top and unnecessary for a road commute? I am not a hardcore cyclist, if you haven't guessed already.

az2wp0sye65487

petethedrummer wrote: »

Road bikes are fine for Irish country roads. Sure that's where most road biking gets done. You just have to not go crashing into potholes. For a 30km daily commute I'd be looking to get the fastest bike possible. I would go for a Rapid before a CRS. http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/rapid.3/4866/38972/

You don't need suspension.

I've got a Rapid 4 - picked it up at the end of January this year. Before that I'd never done any cycling before (except as a kid - doesn't count!) and I have to admit, it took some convincing from the guy in the store that the wheels would be fine for my commute.

I was initially hell bent on getting a mountain bike or a hybrid/commuter as I didn't trust the 'skinny wheels'.

Anyway, long story short; I'm glad I listened to him and went for the Rapid. Granted, my commute is only 5K each way, and all on city/urban roads; but it does the job without any problems.

Tester46

I'm pretty much set on a Giant Rapid (3 or 4). The only question I have is the riding position. Other threads on boards.ie say that the Rapid is the same frame geometry as the Giant Defy, which is a dropped bar road bike.

I want to be sitting up straight and looking ahead while I cycle, commuter-style. I don't want to be hunched over like on a road bike and straining my neck to look up i.e. to look straight ahead. I have to get off the bike and sit at a computer when I get to work.

Any thoughts?

Lumen

Tester46 wrote: »

I want to be sitting up straight and looking ahead while I cycle, commuter-style. I don't want to be hunched over like on a road bike and straining my neck to look up i.e. to look straight ahead. I have to get off the bike and sit at a computer when I get to work.

Any thoughts?

Many people doing 30km round trip commutes to geeky jobs would value speed/efficiency over uprightness, but you have to decide what right for you.

If you want an upright bike, buy an upright bike.

BostonB

I had a FCR 3 and FCR 1 for a while last year. The FCR 1 had the same frame as the Rapid. Both felt very upright compared to my MTB I commute on currently. My MTB is set up with a high saddle low handlebar.

Rapid Rider

I have a Giant Rapid 1 I commute 7miles each way everyday. I find the positoning very good. Previously I commuted on a slick tyred mountain bike. The positoning is similar but its lighter and faster I have done 20mile commutes from the inlaws on it with no problems at all.

Tester46

Lumen wrote: »

Many people doing 30km round trip commutes to geeky jobs would value speed/efficiency over uprightness, but you have to decide what right for you.

If you want an upright bike, buy an upright bike.

Noted, that's why I'm asking do you know is the Giant Rapid a seated-upright bike or a bent-over-double bike?

I live in countryside and so my local bike shop will have to do a special order for me I guess.

P.S. How do you know my job is geeky just because I use a computer? Maybe I'm doing something really cool with the computer (note: I'm not).

P.P.S. Am I making too much of a deal about the sitting upright business? I haven't cycled with dropped bars since I was a kid (a Raleigh Flyer!) and my memory is that it is sore on the lower back and on the neck from constantly looking up in order to look forward. One advantage of getting a dropped bar bike now is that itopens upthe possibility of doing triathalons later on?

BostonB

As far as I know. The rapid is the same frame as the defy. So if your hands are on the top bar you are in the same position on both bikes. The drops give you the option of going lower if you want, either just to the hoods, or down on the lowest part. On any bike you can raise saddle/handlebar and completely change your position.

I think you just need to go try a few.

Lumen

Tester46 wrote: »

How do you know my job is geeky just because I use a computer? Maybe I'm doing something really cool with the computer (note: I'm not).

You're posting on Boards. It's a given.

Tester46 wrote: »

Am I making too much of a deal about the sitting upright business?

Possibly. It does take a while to get used to, and you might want to start out with a more "relaxed geometry" drop bar bike until your structural fitness improves, but if you are patient and don't overreach yourself you will likely end up happier. It also opens up a world of club cycling and racing, which in my limited experience is the bestest thing in the world, ever. Even better than chips.

Suggest you find a bike shop which will let you take some test rides and see how it feels.

Tester46

Lumen wrote: »

You're posting on Boards. It's a given.



Possibly. It does take a while to get used to, and you might want to start out with a more "relaxed geometry" drop bar bike until your structural fitness improves, but if you are patient and don't overreach yourself you will likely end up happier. It also opens up a world of club cycling and racing, which in my limited experience is the bestest thing in the world, ever. Even better than chips.

Suggest you find a bike shop which will let you take some test rides and see how it feels.

The fact you would suggest a mere push bike is better than chips means that frankly, you don't know your arse from your elbow. However, I will allow you to redeem yourself by answering the following question:

I have a secret hankering to go triathaloning - are dropped bars the only job for this or would I just be laughed right off the road if I showed up with a flat bar bike (noting that whatever bike I buy now is the one I'd use for the triathalon also - no way I can afford to buy two bikes right now)?


P.S. I really have to remind you I am not a hardcore cyclist, I will never go full-on road racing or join a club and I don't wear lycra around the house. That's just the way it is.

Lumen

Tester46 wrote: »

I have a secret hankering to go triathaloning - are dropped bars the only job for this or would I just be laughed right off the road if I showed up with a flat bar bike (noting that whatever bike I buy now is the one I'd use for the triathalon also - no way I can afford to buy two bikes right now)?

People do *-athlons on mountain bikes. Not very fast though. Most people are just competing against themselves, so in a sense it doesn't matter, besides which triathletes are in no position to laugh at anybody.

Tester46 wrote: »

I really have to remind you I am not a hardcore cyclist, I will never go full-on road racing or join a club and I don't wear lycra around the house. That's just the way it is.

Sure, for now.

blorg

If you want to do triathlons and actually are concerned about doing a good time, no question, get a road bike.

cdaly_

And then if you don't like the drops, you can do a straight-bar conversion.

There's always spares to be had 'cos most people convert from straight to drops...

In fact, I think I might have a spare set...

Tester46

blorg wrote: »

If you want to do triathlons and actually are concerned about doing a good time, no question, get a road bike.

Thanks. I am primarily concerned about being comfortable in the saddle for my work commute. If the bike I commute with works for a triathalon, great. If not, I'll just have a slower triathalon time and look a bit silly

BostonB

Some told me they're cycling club doesn't allow flat bar bikes on its training rides. They had to change to a road bike for that reason. Dunno if thats common or not. Maybe it was just an excuse to change the bike!

blorg

BostonB wrote: »

Some told me they're cycling club doesn't allow flat bar bikes on its training rides. They had to change to a road bike for that reason. Dunno if thats common or not. Maybe it was just an excuse to change the bike!

It is common enough. They are not ideal for group riding.

BostonB

I guess if you you lose a lot of the advantages of drafting, if you're sitting up like a sail. Which makes it harder in a group situation.

For commuting, one guy at work went back to a flat bar because his commute is though a lot of traffic and via lots of turns/juntions and he felt a sitting up position suited that better. For me my route is very straight, canal/phoenix park and both are bit of a wind tunnel on a windy day. So on those days I wish I could drop down further than I can on the MTB. I'd also like to start doing longer rides when I can. So I hope to get drops on my next bike. Assuming I win the lotto.

blorg

BostonB wrote: »

I guess if you you lose a lot of the advantages of drafting, if you're sitting up like a sail. Which makes it harder in a group situation.

It's also unfair on the group if you can't keep up/do your turn at the front and you will be slower on a flat bar bike than you would be on drops. Group rides are also relatively close-run affairs and flat bars tend to be a lot wider than drops (MTB bars around 580-600mm, drops around 380-440mm.) In addition the standard position on drops you would be on in a bunch (the hoods) situates your arms in such a way so that they will tend to brush off other riders before the actual bars do. My 2c anyway.

Lumen

Also, flat bars tend to have sticky out bits perpendicular to the direction of motion, which are perfect for catching in stuff, like the crook of an elbow or a drop handlebar.

I've kissed bars with people a few times in races and it's not a big deal (although they never call me afterwards). Being jabbed with the end of a flat bar would more likely cause a crash.

Tester46

Lumen wrote: »

Being jabbed with the end of a flat bar would more likely cause a crash.

Or a fight.

Right, back to the drawing board for me in deciding what type of bike to get

cdaly_

Tester46 wrote: »

most of it is a busy national route.

Just a thought, is there an alternative route using quieter smaller roads? Might turn out to be a nicer commute.