Advice on purchase of commuting bike

1jcdub

I'll be starting to commute to a new job in the near future which is only 7-8km from my home and I'm looking at purchasing a second bike through bike to work for that purpose. I've got a Ridley Orion full carbon that's just too good to use for this purpose. So I need a second bike. I've been considering the Cube SL Road Race https://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=92157, but now I'm having doubts, should I consider buying a mountain bike or trekking bike with straight bars and front suspension? I'm thinking that the Cube SL is too similar to my race bike and I have an opportunity to buy a more versatile bike. As I said already, I've got a full race bike.
Any advice would be appreciated.

smacl

Any reasonable bike will be fine for a 7-8km commute, so the question then becomes what else do you want to use the bike for? If you want to try mountain biking get a mountain bike, if you want to try cyclocross get a cross bike. Personally, I've a cross bike that I use for most of my leisure cycling which I find great, a hybrid that I'm not to precious about for nipping down to the shops, and an older road bike that is sitting on the turbo. The cross bike is great for light off road and on poorer l-roads, and the hybrid is my go to bike for short hops to anywhere it is going to be locked outside.

Wishbone Ash

For a short commute like that I'd get a drop bar single speed/fixie (fitted with with solid Tannus tyres).

They look great and are very low maintenance with no need to carry tubes/pump/spares etc.

mr spuckler

will you need to carry a laptop or decent weight? if so i'd personally get something that can take a rear rack and pannier.

i have 2 bikes which i use for my commute, a single speed with drop bars which as another poster said will be very low maintenance. rather than solid tyres i run schwalbe marathon plus on it, haven't punctured them in over 6 years on the same set. i use this one when i've very little weight to carry on my back - i'm getting to the age where i'm more conscious of putting strain on it!

second one is a cyclocross with a rack which i use if carrying the laptop, soccer gear and/or a full change of clothes. i typically leave trousers & shoes in work so usually only need to carry a small bag with shirt, socks & jocks! i've also used this bike for adventure races and might use it as a light touring option at some point.

i by far prefer riding the single speed, they really are great fun and i don't mind the hills as long as they're not too long / steep. however if i could only have 1 i'd keep the cyclocross as i couldn't really do without the rack for those days it's required!

OleRodrigo

A 10/11 speed road bike for city cycling doesn't make sense, especially on a short commute. A single speed is ideal, and there's no reason not to ride it fixed.

RainyDay

I'm loving my Scott Sub Sport for commuting, with rear rack, integrated dynamo/lights, mudguards - even a stand, which I didn't think I'd use, but now I use it all the time.

If you're using it for commuting, get a bike designed for commuting.

1jcdub

Thanks for the replies everyone. Very helpful. The only other thing I'd like from the bike would be the ability to fit a child seat on the back. Not a permanent fixture though

struggling1

I'm commuting for over two years on similar distance over flat terrain. I use a old MTB with no suspension and with slicks fitted for better rolling and increased speed. I can easily hit and sustain 35+ kph on the flat. I put a pannier on back 6months ago as i tend to bring my laptop home from work a good bit, and i wanted to have no bag on my back for the summer.

Fixing punctures is a balls. It happens when u need to be somewhere or its bucketing down - get a set of schwalbe marathons or equivalent if they can fit your bike, you wont be sorry.

I know someone who has a pannier that he can fit his child seat to. Worth looking into.

If i was changing up, i would get a flat bar sports hybrid bike to have something lighter. I have an expensive road bike for weekends and just prefer the flatbars in city traffic. Also hybrids have greater tyre to frame clearance so u could fit 28mm or larger tyres. Road bikes tend to have 19/23/25mm which i find dont provide confidence in urban roads with uneven surface/holes etc, at least that is my hard earned experience.

I would not advise any mtb with shocks, your front bars sit up high and the bikes are just too heavy.

Lastly some mentioned fixies. Less mechanical issues, fun yes....but u mightnt enjoy if u have lots of hills or if u are starting out and not particularly fit.

The above is just my opinion based on my experience. Others give their side. All are valid it just depends on your circumstances, terrain and fitness.

Good luck!

manwithaplan

Another vote for single speed. Stick puncture resistant tyres and a full set of mudguards on (and a rack if you want) and you won't need to do anything more than an occasional lubing of the chain. The single speed chain lasts forever too, as does the chainring and cog.

Of course smacl is right too - if what you really want is a winter bike/mountain bike/cross bike that will work as a commuter too, knock yourself out. It's not going to make much odds over 8k.

mr spuckler

manwithaplan wrote: »

Another vote for single speed. Stick puncture resistant tyres and a full set of mudguards on (and a rack if you want) and you won't need to do anything more than an occasional lubing of the chain. The single speed chain lasts forever too, as does the chainring and cog.

Of course smacl is right too - if what you really want is a winter bike/mountain bike/cross bike that will work as a commuter too, knock yourself out. It's not going to make much odds over 8k.

mine broke a couple of months ago :eek: though tbf it was a long time since i had last replaced it.

it's amazing how few bike shops on my commute are open at 9:30am!

Fian

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

For a short commute like that I'd get a drop bar single speed/fixie (fitted with with solid Tannus tyres).

They look great and are very low maintenance with no need to carry tubes/pump/spares etc.

Never heard of those tyres before. Sounds like a good idea for a commuter - if they are reasonable in terms of performance. How comfortable/heavy are they? I imagine you are bound to notice some difference from a traditional tube and tyre, but I am curious how significant. Anyone who has any experience of them care to enlighten me and possibly influence the next time I purchase a tyre for commuter?

I have never used a single speed either. My commute is flat so there is no real reason why I couldn't use it, though I do change rear gears occasionally I would manage without doing so if i wanted to. But I have never understood what the actual advantage of a fixie is, other than it being "hipster" and being easier to trackstand, both of which are stylistic/cosmetic "advantages" and really of no interest whatsoever to me. OK also marginally lighter, but when I plonk my 90kg on top not in a way that will make any difference to me. Beside flat commute so a few 100 grams are really not going to matter. I am genuinely curious whether there are other benefits.

Alanstrainor

Single speed is not the same as a fixie. A fixie has no freewheel, so you cannot coast and stop pedalling, however a single speed would have a freewheel.

I find that singlespeeds are different to riding a normal geared bike, even if you keep the geared bike in one gear at all times. They feel more direct when putting the power down, and are nice in their simplicity. There's no rubbing derailier, or clicking gears. I've been riding a single speed for years, and would say it is the best commuter option for those without much hills. That being said, even if there were a couple of hills I wouldn't worry too much.

OleRodrigo

In the Ops case, a fixed gear won't be suitable if carrying a child.

There are a lot of advantages riding fixed over single speed. There's no good reason once you've decided to ride a single gear to choose freewheel over fixed. Its like asking for a glass of Guinness with a dollop of blackcurrant instead of a pint.

I dont know how ' hipster ' became associated with fixed gears but they have a much longer history in cycling culture than the fashion item a hipster association suggests. The first TourDeFrance was contested on fixies. But definitely, hipsterism has done the humble fixie a disservice ( but mostly, it seems, to those who have never ridden one ).

Don't take my word for it - Sheldon is the man :

http://sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html

Wishbone Ash

Fian wrote: »

Never heard of those tyres before. Sounds like a good idea for a commuter - if they are reasonable in terms of performance. How comfortable/heavy are they? I imagine you are bound to notice some difference from a traditional tube and tyre, but I am curious how significant. Anyone who has any experience of them care to enlighten me and possibly influence the next time I purchase a tyre for commuter?.....

I got a set for my commuting ss/fixie a few weeks ago. I've about 1,000k done on them and I'm very impressed with them to date. They are 23mm and aren't as harsh as I expected - probably like a standard tyre at 130/140psi.

Regarding weight, they are a bit heavier than a standard tyre but I'd say lighter than Schwalbe Marathon Plus. (The 25/28mm would be a bit heavier again). Any weight difference is offset by not having to take spare tubes/pump/tools etc. Rolling resistance is a bit more - probably about 1km/h less average speed. I've done several rides of around 100k with them with no problems. I'm going to try them soon on a long ride to see how I get on.

Their main disadvantage of them is that they generally require specialist fitting/removal as they are excessively tight.

My only concerns are that, as they are not as 'absorbent' as standard tyres, the wheels may be taking more abuse and, if a spoke breaks, it will involve a trip back to the specialist fitter to get the tyre removed for access.

R1_Pete

I commute by bike 3/4 days per week and it varies from 20k each way to 30k depending on time and weather.

I started off on a hybrid with front suspension but found it too heavy and slow after a while and switched to a road bike. More recently I bought a CX bike and in my opinion it's the perfect commuter and all rounder.

It's comfortable, fast and versatile. It has 32mm gator skin slicks, rear pannier rack, mudguards, in line brakes on the flat of the bars and discs. I love commuting on it and it's so comfortable that I take it most of time over my carbon road bike.

I highly recommend a CX as a commuter bike

machiavellianme

Have one of these:
http://www.cube.eu/en/products/trekking/hyde/cube-hyde-race-black-blue-2016/

It's relatively light, fast and low maintenance. With the hub gears and belt drive you'll have 8 gears and virtually nothing to maintain. Disc brakes are great for stopping in the rain and the upright cycling position is great for visibility on a city commute.

Considering getting those solid tyres now and I'd have nothing to worry about.

1jcdub

machiavellianme wrote: »

Have one of these:
http://www.cube.eu/en/products/trekking/hyde/cube-hyde-race-black-blue-2016/

It's relatively light, fast and low maintenance. With the hub gears and belt drive you'll have 8 gears and virtually nothing to maintain. Disc brakes are great for stopping in the rain and the upright cycling position is great for visibility on a city commute.

Considering getting those solid tyres now and I'd have nothing to worry about.

I did see a Hyde race in cycle superstore. I like the idea of it, but I had concerns regarding the reliability of the hub gears? The gates belt, does it have a decent life cycle, what about stretching. What's the range of the gears, equivalent cassette?
I think it would a bike is consider if it was available in xl. I find Cube bikes are hard to find in the right size..

RainyDay

1jcdub wrote: »

I think it would a bike is consider if it was available in xl. I find Cube bikes are hard to find in the right size..

I found it really hard to find bikes in XL sizes to try out. I ended up having to order one on a promise that if it didn't fit, I could send it back.

Wishbone Ash

RainyDay wrote: »

I found it really hard to find bikes in XL sizes to try out. I ended up having to order one on a promise that if it didn't fit, I could send it back.

Friend of mine has a similar problem. He takes a 62/64 frame and no shop stocks them.

1jcdub

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Friend of mine has a similar problem. He takes a 62/64 frame and no shop stocks them.

I think cycle superstore had a couple of decent xxl hybrid bikes in stock if your friend would like to follow up