Should I take my hybrid or my new road bike to work?

[teawoman]

I am thinking of commuting a couple of times a week. I have about a 12 mile (round trip) route to my work that is mostly bicycle paths and some road (except one bit where the path is rocky and not well maintained). I have ridden my hybrid there in the summers when I am just working in my office (not having to be dressed up for teaching), but the hills are horrible on my hybrid (river valley) and I'd love to try my road bike. I can change and shower at work (if I leave early enough ;) ).

Questions: Will a short ride a couple of times a week get my road bike too beat up? Is it weird to get a rack for my road bike? I don't plan to ride in all weathers--just until the snow (maybe end of October)--so it may involve a bit of rain. Do I need a fender if it's mostly paths? In the summers, I want to use my bike for tris (we have a short four-month tri season here--May-August), so I'd be commuting Sep Oct and March April (depending).

[coyote]

I have a rack on my bike. It comes off with 4 screws when I don't want it on there. I do not use fenders. It really does not rain here much. Even during the rainy season I rarely get caught in a down pour. Make sure you have a safe place to keep it since you do use it for tris.

I do not know about wear and tear. I'm sure one of the racing women can answer that.

[Zen]

There are racks like this one (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=19328&subcategory_ID=2325) that can be easily removed but have a weight limit of 25 pounds. The only caveat is that you shouldn't use them if you have a carbon seatpost. You'd need either an aluminum reinforced or all aluminum seat post.

[kelownagirl]

I ride my road bike to work, not worried about the wear and tear. I just love riding it so much more than my MT bike. Not sure what I'd do it I had a hybrid. I rode one in France and really liked it for touring so it might be great for commuting too. I don't have a rack and it doesn't rain enough here to have fenders so can't help you there. Guess I'm not help at all... :)

[lph]

I'm no help, but I'm wondering about the same thing.

For years I've commuted the same 8 or 9 miles to work on my mtb, sometimes stripped down with skinny tires, no fenders and no rack, sometimes with all the doodads, in winter with studded tires. I'm just trying out a new route to work which is almost twice as long, but a lot smoother pavement and with hardly any intersections, to use my road bike on. I don't think I'd want to ride there in rainy weather though, then I'll be back on the mtb and the "fast track". I'm worried about messing up my pretty new road bike ;)

Mainly because all the parts still look weird to me and I haven't figured out yet where to lube and tighten and adjust and stuff... :p

[Torrilin]

On a road bike, the only components I'd worry about to start are the wheels. Everything else should be sturdy enough to handle around 20 miles a day. If you have very light or low spoke count wheels (say, for 23mm tires, or less than 32 spokes per wheel), they might not hold up to being a daily ride with a load. Fatter tires and more spokes help the wheel carry a load better.

The super-light top of the line components might start to wear out within a year, judging by what I'm seeing from experienced commuters. Midlevel stuff should hold up for years and years with good maintenance. A component that gets used a lot will wear faster than one that doesn't.

If the real issue is hills, poke at the gearing on both bikes. A lot of otherwise sensible bikes have gearing for TdF winners, not normal humans. It's kind of horrifying how many bikes don't have enough low gears. On a cassette, a range of 11-32 or something similar should give you Enough Low with a triple in front. Sheldon Brown's gear calculator is a lot of fun for this.

[mimitabby]

I'd say depends on the road bike. I had Peter white build my wheels, they are sensible no frills wheels, I am using my road bike as a commuter for all the reasons there could be. Including: I have fenders!

[tjf9]

I ride my road bike to work because it's so much more fun than my old mtb/hybrid. You should ride whichever makes you happier and gets you on your bike to work instead of your car. Enjoy!

[kfergos]

I ride my road bike to work because it's so much more fun than my old mtb/hybrid. You should ride whichever makes you happier and gets you on your bike to work instead of your car. Enjoy!
I second TJF9. I commute on my road bike 22 miles a day (11 miles each way), but that's only in the last month. Before that I rode it 14 miles roundtrip for about four months. It's holding up really well, although I will say I'm being extra-careful to take good care of it. Also it's summer, which is easier on bikes than winter. I'm just starting to think about putting fenders on for the wetter weather.

All winter last year I rode my MTB, and I can tell you that regardless of what surface you're on, when it's raining you'll want fenders. The harsh New England road treatment actually corroded my *aluminum* frame and I ended up having to buy new brake cables and a new chain in the spring as well. The winter was very, very harsh on my MTB, so I'm planning on riding it rather than my nice road bike in the worst conditions.

I have also tried out the rack on my MTB, and the whole time I used it, I felt like I was dragging a dead elephant behind me. I guess if you wanted extra strength training, that would be good, but when I switched to a Timbuk2 bag (waterproof! reflective bits! cool looking!) I vowed never to use a rack again. If I was you I'd look into getting a good bag of the right size - the messenger bag option (http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=16181) and the backpack option (http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=17849) have both been discussed quite thoroughly. I think that really ends up just being a personal choice.

[teawoman]

Thanks for the feedback, all!

It's a giant ocr1, and the wheels don't have a lot of spokes (22 ish?). Seatpost and fork composite. Shimano 105 components mostly.

Now I'ma skeered. :p I may just bite the bullet and take my hybrid, elephant or no. Strength training is a good thing. I have made it up the big hills in my granny gear on my road bike, but can't do it on the 40lb hybrid (even though it has a triple chainring too :()

Since I won't be biking every day (not on club ride days), I could always take stuff in on non-riding days.



(specs

http://www.giant-bicycle.com/en-CA/bikes/women/447/26954/)

[onimity]

maybe ride both?

I commuted mostly on my (recently stolen :( ) MTB but still took my road bike occasionally, especially on days when I had to get somewhere in a hurry or was taking a long way in/home. They're both great for different reasons.

Personally, I figure that since the roads I ride to work are similar to the roads I ride for fun, if I wear out parts on my bikes replacing them is money well spent and a lot cheaper than the gas to drive in the long run...

Anne

[TexanCzexican]

:D My thought is that I'll ride my road bike (OCR3) to commute, so if something gets damaged, it'll give me an excuse to need to buy another road bike:D

[crumpincommuter]

I agree with with everyone who recommends that you ride what makes you happy. But I'll add the caveat, happy....and keeps you safe!

I ride between 40-50 round trip, 50 if weather is super nice, and have found that more urban areas are more prone to heavy glass deposits. For that and other reasons I keep my road bike for weekends and toddle along to work on my "commuter bike", a gussied up, hybrid. I've found commuter bike more durable to withstand the added weight of gear required to commute.

Also sometimes, I've had such a "lounge chair" like ride on the way home that I want to jump on my road bike for a quick fix of ----FASSSSSSSSSSSSSSTTTTT!!!

Ride what makes you feel good and keeps you safe!Which ever you decide- remember REFLECTORS, REFLECTORS, REFLECTORS!

[glamgurl36]

maybe ride both?

I commuted mostly on my (recently stolen :( ) MTB but still took my road bike occasionally, especially on days when I had to get somewhere in a hurry or was taking a long way in/home. They're both great for different reasons.

Personally, I figure that since the roads I ride to work are similar to the roads I ride for fun, if I wear out parts on my bikes replacing them is money well spent and a lot cheaper than the gas to drive in the long run...

Anne

sorry to hear about your bike

let us know, what you decided