What commuter bike/accessories?
Discussion
Sorry for yet another what bike thread but here it is...
I’m looking to start cycling to work again and am looking for a new bike to do so. I’ve got a Planet X pro carbon road bike but I’ve conveniently got a canal path at the back of my house that takes me right to the office so I’m looking for a bike that can handle a bit of light off road work with no issues.
I did consider whether the road bike would do this and I have seen some road bikes on the canal path but I’d rather get a more fit for purpose bike and keep the pro carbon for what it was meant for.
That leaves me with a few choices – I can get a second hand hybrid/MTB with a good spec or better still I can get a new hybrid/MTB along with whatever gear I might need on our cycle to work scheme.
The journey is approx 6 miles round trip, all light gravel canal path. I’d like flat bars, a relaxed riding position and tyres that aren’t likely to pick up punctures every few days.
The budget can be up to about £800 for the bike, £200 for clothing/accessories although I’d prefer it to be less than that if possible.
There’s an Evans just down the road from my work and they are part of the cycle to work scheme so one from there would be even better.
Any experienced commuters got any suggestions as to what I should get with that criteria?
I’m looking to start cycling to work again and am looking for a new bike to do so. I’ve got a Planet X pro carbon road bike but I’ve conveniently got a canal path at the back of my house that takes me right to the office so I’m looking for a bike that can handle a bit of light off road work with no issues.
I did consider whether the road bike would do this and I have seen some road bikes on the canal path but I’d rather get a more fit for purpose bike and keep the pro carbon for what it was meant for.
That leaves me with a few choices – I can get a second hand hybrid/MTB with a good spec or better still I can get a new hybrid/MTB along with whatever gear I might need on our cycle to work scheme.
The journey is approx 6 miles round trip, all light gravel canal path. I’d like flat bars, a relaxed riding position and tyres that aren’t likely to pick up punctures every few days.
The budget can be up to about £800 for the bike, £200 for clothing/accessories although I’d prefer it to be less than that if possible.
There’s an Evans just down the road from my work and they are part of the cycle to work scheme so one from there would be even better.
Any experienced commuters got any suggestions as to what I should get with that criteria?
You are correct in your assumption about the type of bike you need. As you have said, the road bike will do the job just fine, but you'll be better served by a MTB or off-road biased hybrid, in my opinion. I've a lot of experience of using road bikes away from proper roads, up to and including MTB race laps. Road bikes manage just fine, if ridden properly, but they are hard work and need greater care to ride on trails and off-road paths.
If the commute is all 'light gravel canal path' then a slicker, less 'knobbly' tyre will do the trick. A 38mm section upwards would be my recommendation. But be aware of what happens to the path in winter and after rain. If it gets muddy, and the surface deteriorates, then full-on grippy MTB tyres (and mudguards!) are the answer.
In your position, provided I wasn't considering expanding the use of the bike to trails and more 'proper' MTB exploits, then I'd snap up a cheap old MTB with a rigid fork, cantilever or 'vee' brakes,and throw a few quid at it for decent tyres (Continental Tour Ride have been good on family commute bikes), brake blocks, and an overhaul of the drive train (new cassette and chain really). Then you've got a "so what if it gets knicked" commute bike that you can happily lock up wherever/whenever. A shiny new big-brand MTB will attract a lot of the 'wrong' kind of attention, sadly, and a predictable commute only aids the potential thief to home in on the target.
Good call on the deteriorating roads in the winter. It was a nice dry day when i walked the canal path for a look so i suppose i seen it at its best.
I’m not worried about it getting stolen as the only places it will be is either in the house or at work which is a secure card entry underground car park. The only other way they could get it is to clothes line me off it on the way to/from work and in which case i suppose i’d have bigger worries than an insured bike getting stolen
I’d probably prefer a new bike thinking about it as the cycle to work scheme brings the price down to pretty much second hand prices (42% saving checking the online calculator).
A quick look at the evans website and i’m wondering whether i’d be best to go with something like this -
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/hoy/shizuoka-0...
or to go full MTB and get something like this –
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/jamis/nemesis-...
I’m not worried about it getting stolen as the only places it will be is either in the house or at work which is a secure card entry underground car park. The only other way they could get it is to clothes line me off it on the way to/from work and in which case i suppose i’d have bigger worries than an insured bike getting stolen
I’d probably prefer a new bike thinking about it as the cycle to work scheme brings the price down to pretty much second hand prices (42% saving checking the online calculator).
A quick look at the evans website and i’m wondering whether i’d be best to go with something like this -
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/hoy/shizuoka-0...
or to go full MTB and get something like this –
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/jamis/nemesis-...
Hmmm?
Hoy? Bigger 700c wheels, but lacking in the transmission dept a little? (2 x 9 Sora). I'd also worry about comfort based on the aluminium front fork. No idea about the Tektro brakes, other than they are mineral oil operated, rather than unpleasant DOT fluid. I've not ridden a bike with Tektro hydraulics but I love my Shimano brakes. At 10.2kg (claimed) it's no lard-arse neither. Definitely a more 'road-biased' bike than the other one you linked to...
...the Jamis? Slightly smaller 650c wheels, and, on paper at least, a better (2 x 10 SRAM) transmission. The air fork would seem to be a bit of a bonus, but it is the narrower (leg diameter) XC30 type, so perhaps a little less 'glossy' than it first seems. I'm fairly confident that this bike'll weigh more than the Hoy,and I'd be budgeting for a brake upgrade in short order, as I've no faith at all in Avid hydraulic brakes and their hateful 'DOT4' fluid.
The thing is, if you are only going to commute on it, the Hoy looks a good bet. If you're going to get tempted into doing a bit of gentle woodland trail riding, you'd probably enjoy the Jamis more.I'd guess that the Jamis will be the heavier bike, but will likely be easier on your arms/wrists for an off-tarmac commute with the air fork.
Point taken about secure storage etc. I'd still look at an old school rigid MTB myself, but that's just a personal preference. Sounds like 'Cycle to Work' is a good bet for you.
Hoy? Bigger 700c wheels, but lacking in the transmission dept a little? (2 x 9 Sora). I'd also worry about comfort based on the aluminium front fork. No idea about the Tektro brakes, other than they are mineral oil operated, rather than unpleasant DOT fluid. I've not ridden a bike with Tektro hydraulics but I love my Shimano brakes. At 10.2kg (claimed) it's no lard-arse neither. Definitely a more 'road-biased' bike than the other one you linked to...
...the Jamis? Slightly smaller 650c wheels, and, on paper at least, a better (2 x 10 SRAM) transmission. The air fork would seem to be a bit of a bonus, but it is the narrower (leg diameter) XC30 type, so perhaps a little less 'glossy' than it first seems. I'm fairly confident that this bike'll weigh more than the Hoy,and I'd be budgeting for a brake upgrade in short order, as I've no faith at all in Avid hydraulic brakes and their hateful 'DOT4' fluid.
The thing is, if you are only going to commute on it, the Hoy looks a good bet. If you're going to get tempted into doing a bit of gentle woodland trail riding, you'd probably enjoy the Jamis more.I'd guess that the Jamis will be the heavier bike, but will likely be easier on your arms/wrists for an off-tarmac commute with the air fork.
Point taken about secure storage etc. I'd still look at an old school rigid MTB myself, but that's just a personal preference. Sounds like 'Cycle to Work' is a good bet for you.
R8Steve said:
Good call on the deteriorating roads in the winter. It was a nice dry day when i walked the canal path for a look so i suppose i seen it at its best.
I’m not worried about it getting stolen as the only places it will be is either in the house or at work which is a secure card entry underground car park. The only other way they could get it is to clothes line me off it on the way to/from work and in which case i suppose i’d have bigger worries than an insured bike getting stolen
I’d probably prefer a new bike thinking about it as the cycle to work scheme brings the price down to pretty much second hand prices (42% saving checking the online calculator).
A quick look at the evans website and i’m wondering whether i’d be best to go with something like this -
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/hoy/shizuoka-0...
or to go full MTB and get something like this –
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/jamis/nemesis-...
My OH has a 2014 Jamis Allegro Elite disc hybrid with carbon forks. It's a good bike for that sort of thing. Light and fast, the forks take some of the harshness away and I stuck a seat post on with suspension off her old Specialised. Tektro brakes are not nearly as powerful as the Avid Elixirs on my Trek MTB but still worth itI’m not worried about it getting stolen as the only places it will be is either in the house or at work which is a secure card entry underground car park. The only other way they could get it is to clothes line me off it on the way to/from work and in which case i suppose i’d have bigger worries than an insured bike getting stolen
I’d probably prefer a new bike thinking about it as the cycle to work scheme brings the price down to pretty much second hand prices (42% saving checking the online calculator).
A quick look at the evans website and i’m wondering whether i’d be best to go with something like this -
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/hoy/shizuoka-0...
or to go full MTB and get something like this –
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/jamis/nemesis-...
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/jamis/allegro-...
I tried some Hoys but couldn't get on with them - the set up is more like a roadbike with very low bars.
Evans seem a bit pricey for Genesis, so I think I'd go for one of these two.
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/gt/grade-tiagr...
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/gt/grade-105-2...
http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/category/bikes/...
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/gt/grade-tiagr...
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/gt/grade-105-2...
http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/category/bikes/...
Maybe you should think about some commuting camera. I have one attached to the helmet - just in case of any accident. When you commute you should be prepared for everything. Meeting bad drivers is not so difficult. I use Drift Stealth 2, mostly because it's relatively cheap and at the same time decent. And it's small and doesn't look stupid on the helmet. Its batteries endure about 3 hours, which is also important.
Thanks for all the suggestions, i'm going to go down to evans and see what they have. Part of me thinks i should get a MTB style bike to complement my road bike giving me options to do any kind of riding at all. If i go for the cyclocross bike then i am limited to road/canal paths whereas with the road/MTB combo i have a bike for every eventuality. The overall consensus seems to be a cyclocross bike is the way to go so i have a bit of thinking to do!
MaxWill said:
Maybe you should think about some commuting camera. I have one attached to the helmet - just in case of any accident. When you commute you should be prepared for everything. Meeting bad drivers is not so difficult. I use Drift Stealth 2, mostly because it's relatively cheap and at the same time decent. And it's small and doesn't look stupid on the helmet. Its batteries endure about 3 hours, which is also important.
I'd rather not go down this route to be honest, seeing all the you tube videos they seem like a magnet for trouble and confrontation. I have no problem with anyone that does have one but the full idea of it is not for me. If i have an accident it'll be just that, i'll pick myself up and get on with it without uploading it for the entire internet to scrutinise my every movement in hindsight MaxWill said:
Maybe you should think about some commuting camera. I have one attached to the helmet - just in case of any accident. When you commute you should be prepared for everything. Meeting bad drivers is not so difficult. I use Drift Stealth 2, mostly because it's relatively cheap and at the same time decent. And it's small and doesn't look stupid on the helmet. Its batteries endure about 3 hours, which is also important.
Ignore this salesman unless you really think you're going to meet a car driving down the canal towpath, in which case I'd like to see it.TheInternet said:
MaxWill said:
Maybe you should think about some commuting camera. I have one attached to the helmet - just in case of any accident. When you commute you should be prepared for everything. Meeting bad drivers is not so difficult. I use Drift Stealth 2, mostly because it's relatively cheap and at the same time decent. And it's small and doesn't look stupid on the helmet. Its batteries endure about 3 hours, which is also important.
Ignore this salesman unless you really think you're going to meet a car driving down the canal towpath, in which case I'd like to see it.Not just me then! Forum member for one day, two posts, both plugging the same camera, one of which has a website link. I may be wrong, but I strongly suspect an undeclared commercial interest in this 'Drift Stealth 2' camera he's so fond of.
yellowjack said:
TheInternet said:
MaxWill said:
Maybe you should think about some commuting camera. I have one attached to the helmet - just in case of any accident. When you commute you should be prepared for everything. Meeting bad drivers is not so difficult. I use Drift Stealth 2, mostly because it's relatively cheap and at the same time decent. And it's small and doesn't look stupid on the helmet. Its batteries endure about 3 hours, which is also important.
Ignore this salesman unless you really think you're going to meet a car driving down the canal towpath, in which case I'd like to see it.Not just me then! Forum member for one day, two posts, both plugging the same camera, one of which has a website link. I may be wrong, but I strongly suspect an undeclared commercial interest in this 'Drift Stealth 2' camera he's so fond of.
R8Steve said:
Part of me thinks i should get a MTB style bike to complement my road bike giving me options to do any kind of riding at all. If i go for the cyclocross bike then i am limited to road/canal paths
In that case get a proper MTB, put the knobblies in the shed and stick some narrower semi-slicks. Then you'll have a tough bike for the mixed commute but with reasonably easy-rolling tyres which are still puncture proof.Then you can have a road bike for long road rides.
And when you want to do the swampy thing just stick the knobblies back on the MTB.
Three bikes for the price of two.
TheInternet said:
Ignore this salesman unless you really think you're going to meet a car driving down the canal towpath, in which case I'd like to see it.
Hehehe, I came back from vacation and what I see? You gave me a new job! 
I appreciate that and wish it were truth. If I got paid for every comment I write on the internet - I would be a really rich man. Whatever, think what you are capable of. In my opinion having a commuting camera is important and this drift I mentioned is a decent device. I use it and I can't complaint. And you maybe should recommend something else to the thread's author instead of criticizing posts of others.Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff