Bike for commuting

I've recently just passed the threshold in my job to qualify for the bike to work scheme. So I thought why not get a new bike and try commuting while we still have decent daylight in the mornings and evenings.

The only negative is I think with my current employer I'm only limited to one bike shop so if I do decide to get a new bike it will have to be one that they stock.

I would appreciate any suggestions. At the moment I'm leaning towards the Trek marlin 5 and swapping the tires for a pair of marathon plus tires to give lower rolling resistance.

According to Komoot the distance is around 19 km each way.

https://westportbikeshop.ie/

CramCycle

Are you going off road? If not stay away from the Marlin, the suspension will suck the life out of a spin that long if you are only getting back into cycling IMO. Get a road bike and bring someone with you who knows about bike sizing if you know anyone who is into bikes. If you might be bringing it on gravel paths or off road, make sure you can lock out the suspension for your commute.

Pawwed Rig

That is a long commute for someone who doesn't cycle regularly. Can you get a loan of a bike for 2 weeks and do it to see if you're still interested before spending the cash?

I realise in my post I forgot to mention I plan on converting it into any bike. I already have a kit on a bike I own however it doesn't have disc brakes. Plus I fancy an upgrade.

CramCycle

Did you mean E bike? If so your only issue is getting a decent conversion kit. Might get lucky and the shop sell them, in which case you could buy it under the bike to work and save some coin on it.

JMcL

Unless you're intending swapping over the kit you already have, would it not make some degree of sense to just buy an e-bike from the get go? There's a higher allowance on BTW (€1500 vs €1250), so if I can assume you're on the higher tax rate, that's worth €750 give or take. If you were to buy a fairly high spec hybrid (let's say €800), you'll pay about €400 of that plus say €500 for a reasonable conversion kit. On that basis you're looking at a personal outlay of €900, which would equate to a €1650 e-bike. Admittedly at that point you're probably still looking at hub motors but it's on the threshold of decent specs and you'll have the benefit that all the cables should be neatly tucked away, enough clearance for motor etc.

Anyway, not saying you should go that route, just my 2c!

Risoc

Started back cycling with a Giant Escape City Disc. Great bike for commuting.

AndrewJRenko

If your main purpose is commuting, get a commuting bike - dynamo lights, mudguard, rack, kickstand. If you want an eBike, I'd suggest buying an eBike, unless you're very happy with your mechanical skills and indeed electrical skills, and spending lots of time tinkering.