Ideas for a commuter setup?

[Boomer28]

Finally living close enough to work to be able to ride but my Stumpy is not the most practical pavement punisher so looking for a good road setup but don't want to go full geek with a carbon Cervelo or anything like that.

At the same time, I'm a strong rider and want a decent rig where I can take the long way home and get a sweat going.

So get one of these urban fixie rigs or just stop being silly and grab a good used road bike?

[::: :::]

I had a fixie for my commuter
No significant hills on my route
I loved being actively involved in the ride (if that makes any sense [sounds douchey but that's how it felt])
It's not for everyone, but you can def train on it

[Boomer28]

I had a fixie for my commuter
No significant hills on my route
I loved being actively involved in the ride (if that makes any sense [sounds douchey but that's how it felt])
It's not for everyone, but you can def train on it

Did it have real brakes? That is another thing that has be iffy about the fixie/city bike setup, I'm just so hard wired to reach for the brake levers at this point....

[::: :::]

Did it have real brakes? That is another thing that has be iffy about the fixie/city bike setup, I'm just so hard wired to reach for the brake levers at this point....

One front brake
You get used to it
I also had a road bike at the time & didn't have trouble going back &forth

The whole connected-to-the-drivetrain thing keeps you honest

[Tech Tonics]

My wife and I both commute to work (I'm about 4 miles each way and she is about half that).

We both have actual commuter bikes...panniers, fenders, cup holders, and lights. We have some hills, and we both have 7spd drive trains.

I had a modified road bike that was fun, but...hot coffee in the cup holder, rain gear in the panniers with room for a six pack or groceries on the way home, fenders on the rainy rides, it makes getting to and from work the highlight of my day (sometimes).

If it matters, I have a Felt Cafe and my wife has a kona dr good.

Both found used and cheap.

[xyz]

I like the purpose built commuter bikes such as Kona Dr Dew. 700c wheels with skinny tires, fenders and disc brakes. It Is designed with 'heads up' geometry, which keeps your head up in traffic, as opposed to drop bars. Price point is sweet and it's fun little ripper around town. I converted mine to 1 x10.

[Rip'nStick]

used to commute in portland and having something other than a backpack to carry groceries is pretty fun. you'll start to use the bike for everything, it becomes second nature to rip out the door on the bike. but in portland everything was close, if you're doing long road runs, maybe you want a road bike. not sure about cup holders...

agree with heads up handlebars and real brakes. i like gears too. fixies may "keep you honest" but they also make you a metrosexual hipster who will inevitably grow a mustache. I'd stick with gears and brakes

[Arno]

I use a single speed (not fixed) for commuting. My commute is pretty much dead flat - I'd want gears if there were significant hills. Nice thing is that it's pretty much maintenance free. Pump up the tyres and lube the chain once a week or so, give the drivetrain a proper clean every now and then. Gives me more time to fiddle with my nice bike . Thinking about getting a small front basket but I usually go with a small backpack
For context. I'm in London so weather can be er mixed and my commute right now is about 10 miles each way

[dtown]

Definitely invest in some panniers, significantly better IMO than a backpack. I have a fixie but my ride is flat and somehow have remained mustache free and don't own any skinny jeans or tight black t shirts...yet.

[ill-advised strategy]

I make panniers from small trash cans inside of tote bags. You can find cordura-ish tote bags at thrift stores for next to nothing. Little trash cans at the hardware store for $3. I cut the trash can as needed to provide some structure for the back and bottom of the bag. Big flat washers, little nut and bolt, small hook and some shoe goo around where the washer contacts the fabric to hang it. Hockey tape the hook so it isn't clinking around metal-to-metal. Little attachment at the bottom to keep it from flopping. Bingo. pannier for $10 at most. I've been surprised at how decent they've been in the rain and whatnot.

edit 1: this may cause you to have a mustache. I'm not sure.

edit 2: for mustache pic

[GoBig1776]

I just rebuilt my 1992ish Giant Iguana into a commuter. Two new brakes, upright stem and mustache bars, 1x7 drive, skinny 80psi 26" tires, fenders, platform pedals, lights, rack and panniers. All the parts I already had or came from the Bike Kitchen in Bozeman.
It is perfect for errands around town, much easier than taking the car for most missions. Old mtb is durable enough for gravel, but wicked fast on pavement. Upright posture is easy on the back, it has plenty of gears for hills and storage for a grocery run. Old mountain bikes are easy to find, cheap, lots of parts available and you can build easily build them to your liking.
Mostly I like the fact that I'm still riding a bike I've had for 23 years or so.

[Sirshredalot]

Steel frame. Fenders. Rack and or panniers. Cup holder. If your commute is flat find a single speed with a flip flop hub.

[alfajores]

I ride a cyclocross bike to work and love the geometry and perfect balance of road bike nimble handling while lane splitting, quick gearing to jack rabbit the end of a red light into cross traffic, and eyelets for a rack and panniers. It is like a touring bike that shifts from the brifters instead of bar end.

Ideal set up would be a cyclocross steel frame with disc brakes, 35mm tires on 700c rims, a gear set up with ratios appropriate to your conditions (I used 1 speed in New Orleans, 18 of my 27 in the Bay Area, 3 of the 27 in Austin) and the ability to put a solid rack on the back. Go for a good saddle and the best lock you beed based on the theft risk. Maybe two locks just to scare folks away.

[dcpnz]

I just rebuilt my 1992ish Giant Iguana into a commuter. Two new brakes, upright stem and mustache bars, 1x7 drive, skinny 80psi 26" tires, fenders, platform pedals, lights, rack and panniers. All the parts I already had or came from the Bike Kitchen in Bozeman.
It is perfect for errands around town, much easier than taking the car for most missions. Old mtb is durable enough for gravel, but wicked fast on pavement. Upright posture is easy on the back, it has plenty of gears for hills and storage for a grocery run. Old mountain bikes are easy to find, cheap, lots of parts available and you can build easily build them to your liking.
Mostly I like the fact that I'm still riding a bike I've had for 23 years or so.

^^^. This
I've been using my circa 1991 MTB for townie/commuter duties for awhile now. About 2 miles each way for me. Skinny tires makes it plenty quick enough on pavement, the geometry is nice for urban duty and the extra beef over a true roadie is welcome and ability to run fenders, a rack or panniers is great. Its a 1x drivetrain by default cos the front shifter doesn't work anymore.

But whats right for you depends on now far you'll be riding and whether grocery store runs are part of the program in which case rack and panniers is real nice.

[moose pit]

Go cheap(ish) it is nice to have a commuter that you don't have to worry about. The wife has a Kona Dew and I have a Smoke, picked them up new for around 500 each and over the last 7 years they have been great. I always catch myself wanting a shinny new ride with nice rims etc, but then I ride it to the pub, or it stays out in the rain/snow, or it gets parked somewhere a little sketchy.

[gregL]

I have the fixie and the carbon Cervelo but don't ride either to work (well, once in a while the Cervelo). My idea of a good commuter bike is steel frame, fenders all the time, disc brakes, relaxed postition (whatever that means to you, not necessary flat bars), and enough gears to get up the hills you ride over without getting out of the saddle.

[concretejungle]

If your not going to be using it to run errands and just ride to and from work I'd get a singlespeed with a flip flop hub. I've got a Schwinn Madison and it was great for a relatively flat commute. It had front and rear brakes so even if you're running the fixie you still have control.

Edit to ask how long is your commute going to be?

[Bronco]

Lots of hills, lots of rain = disk brakes for me. Still riding a Scott Sub 20 I picked up in 2009 for $395, probably close to 10k on it by now. Full fenders, solid rear rack and one of those bags that the sides unzip and fold down into panniers.

Had good luck with flats by running Specialized Armadillo tires. I'd rather spend more on tires and not worry much about flats. Seems like they only happen when I'm hustling to a meeting or something. Probably need to replace these this fall. Any suggestions on good flat resistant tires? Weight is not a concern for me.

[char]

Do you all have secure storage where you park these bikes?

[XXX-er]

I don't commute any further than from the bedroom to the espresso m/c but another vote for the old steel framed mtn bike , I re-configured the kona hahana I bought junior 15 yrs ago built for touring which would work great for commuting, get some racks and the water proof ortlieb style pannier. I've descended the 5 major cols of the TDF fully loaded with V-brakes, the GF was running cantilevers they have plenty of stoppin power IME, if its wet ... drag them a bit. I took the suspension fork OFF so I could attach front racks, the LBS had a takeoff fork in their parts bin for 20$. Choice of tire determines stability & how fast the bike will be, if everywhere on your commute is nicely paved a 1" tioga city slicker is very fast, if there is gravel or trail a 1.9" close block I use the WTB all-tyrannosaurus which is light & fast with pretty good traction

Old steel HT's are often available cheap because old fucks need to buy that full suspension MTB

[bsavery]

I like the purpose built commuter bikes such as Kona Dr Dew. 700c wheels with skinny tires, fenders and disc brakes. It Is designed with 'heads up' geometry, which keeps your head up in traffic, as opposed to drop bars. Price point is sweet and it's fun little ripper around town. I converted mine to 1 x10.

This. An old steel road frame works ok too. Throw a flat bar on there.

[nwslider]

I have a fixie and a road bike. If you have any hills avoid commuting on a fixed gear. Steep downhills on a fixed gear are annoying. As for lack of brakes, I found after my first crash I wasn't reaching for them anymore. I always found it weird that people run a front brake as a backup though. It seems that if you were going fast enough and needed to stop in an emergency you could throw yourself over the handlebars smashing on a single front brake.

Depending on the condition of the roads in your area you may want to go for a fatter tire. I'm in Seattle and with they way some of the streets are it's nice to have a beefier wheel set. Adding on to the bit about location, in Seattle there is a lot of bike theft, either the nice components or the entire bike. Something to consider before splurging on a bike

[nickwm21]

I have a Masi especial commuter. Single speed steel frame road bike with mtb bars, panniers, fatty road tires.

[plugboots]

Consider a gates belt drive single speed, or with internal hub and avoid chain lube or any maintenance.
http://www.rei.com/product/857591/no...cm_mmc:cse_PLA

I would use an old mtn bike, and get slicks and cut the seat stay and put in a belt.

[::: :::]

I always found it weird that people run a front brake as a backup though.

the front brake is responsible for a majority of the braking power, even in a two brake setup