Commuter bike help
Discussion
After a bit of advice.
I commute 12 miles to work and back, my route means I ride on roads, rural country lanes and dirt tracks. In the summer when it is dry I normally just use road bike which is great. However when it's the winter or its wet I leave this at home as I constantly need to maintain it and it eats through brake blocks. Changing my route isn't really an option as it would add an awful lot more mileage.
Over the last few years I've been through a fair few bikes trying to find the best commuter. I've ended up with a Genesis Day One Alfine 11 which whilst being great due to the practically zero maintenance due to the hub gears and the disc brakes meaning you don't need to constantly clean it, the thing is it is just so heavy!
Combined with carrying a rucksack and a rather big hill on the way home the thing is killing me. It isn't so much the overall weight, it is where all that extra weight is, in the back wheel.
I'm just wondering what everyone else is using or could recommend? Is anyone else using a bike with the Alfine setup?
Criteria is light, relaxed geometry, mudguard eyelets (I cannot get along with race blades), I like the idea of discs but it isn't a necessity.
Any help appreciated.
I commute 12 miles to work and back, my route means I ride on roads, rural country lanes and dirt tracks. In the summer when it is dry I normally just use road bike which is great. However when it's the winter or its wet I leave this at home as I constantly need to maintain it and it eats through brake blocks. Changing my route isn't really an option as it would add an awful lot more mileage.
Over the last few years I've been through a fair few bikes trying to find the best commuter. I've ended up with a Genesis Day One Alfine 11 which whilst being great due to the practically zero maintenance due to the hub gears and the disc brakes meaning you don't need to constantly clean it, the thing is it is just so heavy!
Combined with carrying a rucksack and a rather big hill on the way home the thing is killing me. It isn't so much the overall weight, it is where all that extra weight is, in the back wheel.
I'm just wondering what everyone else is using or could recommend? Is anyone else using a bike with the Alfine setup?
Criteria is light, relaxed geometry, mudguard eyelets (I cannot get along with race blades), I like the idea of discs but it isn't a necessity.
Any help appreciated.
what size tyres are you running?
i have a genesis vapour with a standard 9 speed derailleur set up. this bike is heavy becasue the rims are heavy and the tyres are 32mm schwalbe marathons which are heavy in themselves. i ride to work on road, country lane and bridle way.
i also then ride in on my steel framed 1976 holdsworth which i built up using an 8 speed alfine hub gear. whilst there is weight at the back asa result of the hub gear, this is offset by better wheels (mavic open pro) and 25 mm conti gatorskins. this means i cannot go on the bridle paths so alter my route slightly and stick to roads / lanes. this bike is much faster and easier to ride even up the 10% gradient i do every morning that takes 4 minutes to get to the top of.
my point i suppose is you might want to consider better wheels and thinner tyres if your route will let you get away with it. if your genesis is anything like my genesis, then the wheels will be pretty rubbish and heavy.
i have a genesis vapour with a standard 9 speed derailleur set up. this bike is heavy becasue the rims are heavy and the tyres are 32mm schwalbe marathons which are heavy in themselves. i ride to work on road, country lane and bridle way.
i also then ride in on my steel framed 1976 holdsworth which i built up using an 8 speed alfine hub gear. whilst there is weight at the back asa result of the hub gear, this is offset by better wheels (mavic open pro) and 25 mm conti gatorskins. this means i cannot go on the bridle paths so alter my route slightly and stick to roads / lanes. this bike is much faster and easier to ride even up the 10% gradient i do every morning that takes 4 minutes to get to the top of.
my point i suppose is you might want to consider better wheels and thinner tyres if your route will let you get away with it. if your genesis is anything like my genesis, then the wheels will be pretty rubbish and heavy.
Hmmm, is the bike still in good nick, do you have much invested in it?
Looks like it was pricey new, are you sure you cant ditch some of the kit you have to carry
How steep is the hill?
I have a 10 mile rural commute (each way), with a 16% climb on it. Sometimes I ride my 15 yr old Kona MTB on slicks sometimes my Will=ier roadie. TBH there isnt a great deal in it on the climb I found the weight didnt make too much difference, but then I love climbing and hate long flat bits!. I found the road bike a lot less tiring on the flat though. Trouble is that the roads are such a piss poor state here I can feel them wrecking the Willier, where as the MTB laps it up better.
How well do you find the gears, apart from the weight, do they require much fettling and do they change well?
Looks like it was pricey new, are you sure you cant ditch some of the kit you have to carry
How steep is the hill?
I have a 10 mile rural commute (each way), with a 16% climb on it. Sometimes I ride my 15 yr old Kona MTB on slicks sometimes my Will=ier roadie. TBH there isnt a great deal in it on the climb I found the weight didnt make too much difference, but then I love climbing and hate long flat bits!. I found the road bike a lot less tiring on the flat though. Trouble is that the roads are such a piss poor state here I can feel them wrecking the Willier, where as the MTB laps it up better.
How well do you find the gears, apart from the weight, do they require much fettling and do they change well?
Sorry, I've not been able to reply to this till now.
The hill is basicaly a climb from Oxford town centre to the highest point. It isn't just one hill, it is a couple really but there is always a constant gradient with a really steep bit at the end.
I really am carrying the bare minimum with regards to gear. I leave a lot of stuff at work and don't need to carry in a laptop.
The hub gears work brillianly and require very little adjusting. It really is a case of just making sure 2 dots are lined up then you're away.
One bike I'm considering is this - a Ribble Sportive 365 Carbon Road bike. Anyone have any experience with these? My reasons for choosing this are, it isn't going to break the bank, proper mudguards, lightweight, comfortable geometry. I appreciate it doesn't have discs and will need more frequent maintainance (especially in the winter) but think it is a better option than the Genesis.
Rolls said:
Just a boggo disc equiped cross brike would be ideal?
The Cannondale Ultegra Disc and Specialized Crux disc look interesting but really hard to find anywhere now.shouldbworking said:
Fit a rack rather than carrying everything in a rucksack.
A standard cross bike might save you some weight. I'll swap you my boardman team cx
much lighter
Not really a massive fan of racks and a pannier, prefer to carry a carefully packed rucksack. I have considered the Boardman bikes but think they only go up to a 56cm and I need a 58.A standard cross bike might save you some weight. I'll swap you my boardman team cx
much lighterRob_T said:
what size tyres are you running?.
I'm running 23C Continental tyres. I have thought about upgrading to lighter rims/front wheel, but really don't think there is much point as the problem seems to be the rear hub weight. The front end of the bike is actually really light.donfisher said:
Apart from it being too heavy what you've got seems like the perfect year round commuter to me.
That is what I thought and why I bought it. However the reality is it really is too heavy. On the flat it is great, but the smallest inclibne it just has you grinding to a halt. I know I'm spoilt as I'm used to a carbon road bike, but this thing is just so heavy. It must weigh over 30lb's.TwistingMyMelon said:
Hmmm, is the bike still in good nick, do you have much invested in it?
Looks like it was pricey new, are you sure you cant ditch some of the kit you have to carry
How steep is the hill?
I have a 10 mile rural commute (each way), with a 16% climb on it. Sometimes I ride my 15 yr old Kona MTB on slicks sometimes my Will=ier roadie. TBH there isnt a great deal in it on the climb I found the weight didnt make too much difference, but then I love climbing and hate long flat bits!. I found the road bike a lot less tiring on the flat though. Trouble is that the roads are such a piss poor state here I can feel them wrecking the Willier, where as the MTB laps it up better.
How well do you find the gears, apart from the weight, do they require much fettling and do they change well?
It is in brilliant condition I've hardly used it. Yes it was quite pricey but I bought it on the C2W scheme.Looks like it was pricey new, are you sure you cant ditch some of the kit you have to carry
How steep is the hill?
I have a 10 mile rural commute (each way), with a 16% climb on it. Sometimes I ride my 15 yr old Kona MTB on slicks sometimes my Will=ier roadie. TBH there isnt a great deal in it on the climb I found the weight didnt make too much difference, but then I love climbing and hate long flat bits!. I found the road bike a lot less tiring on the flat though. Trouble is that the roads are such a piss poor state here I can feel them wrecking the Willier, where as the MTB laps it up better.
How well do you find the gears, apart from the weight, do they require much fettling and do they change well?
The hill is basicaly a climb from Oxford town centre to the highest point. It isn't just one hill, it is a couple really but there is always a constant gradient with a really steep bit at the end.
I really am carrying the bare minimum with regards to gear. I leave a lot of stuff at work and don't need to carry in a laptop.
The hub gears work brillianly and require very little adjusting. It really is a case of just making sure 2 dots are lined up then you're away.
One bike I'm considering is this - a Ribble Sportive 365 Carbon Road bike. Anyone have any experience with these? My reasons for choosing this are, it isn't going to break the bank, proper mudguards, lightweight, comfortable geometry. I appreciate it doesn't have discs and will need more frequent maintainance (especially in the winter) but think it is a better option than the Genesis.
Ribble looks a good bike , I'm in a similar position and tempted by the winter Audax bike Ribble do, that is very similar
For me it would all come down to maintenance, derailer gears need so much more cleaning and setting up and unless you buy tougher 700 x wheel , standard road wheels wouldn't be tough enough on my commute. Even though it is all road the relentless poor surface would ruin them if I rode my commute 5 days a week on them. I prefer riding than cleaning and if I ride in 5 days a week, I dont want to spend 1 hour sunday cleaning and lubeing up all the gears.
If it was me I'd ensure the current Genesis fits well and carry on riding it using the weight as a training mechanism to push my fitness up a bit, surely it can't be that heavy: #Rule5!
For me it would all come down to maintenance, derailer gears need so much more cleaning and setting up and unless you buy tougher 700 x wheel , standard road wheels wouldn't be tough enough on my commute. Even though it is all road the relentless poor surface would ruin them if I rode my commute 5 days a week on them. I prefer riding than cleaning and if I ride in 5 days a week, I dont want to spend 1 hour sunday cleaning and lubeing up all the gears.
If it was me I'd ensure the current Genesis fits well and carry on riding it using the weight as a training mechanism to push my fitness up a bit, surely it can't be that heavy: #Rule5!
Jimbo. said:
The hill is basicaly a climb from Oxford town centre to the highest point. It isn't just one hill, it is a couple really but there is always a constant gradient with a really steep bit at the end.
Headington? Cumnor? Don't change your bike for that!
Yes up through Headington and on to Shotover. That is a small part, not the whole ride.Headington? Cumnor? Don't change your bike for that!
I've now 100% decided the Genesis is going, it is now just to decide what to get instead.
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