I Need a Commuter!

[Aggie_Ama]

I need some suggestions on commuter bikes. A lot of the bikes marketed as commuters don't appeal to me because of the length of my commute. We plan on parking half way and an alternating who picks up the vehicle in the afternoon. My commute will be 12-14 miles to work and sometimes as far as 25-30 miles home. On the ride home there is one hill that is a piece of work, but it is more long than steep. To work there is one hill long gradual hill, but it is a low grade. I do not need my little ring for this route.

I was thinking a Cyclocross bike but here is the problem, I am short! The Kona Jake standover is 3cm taller than my bike, top tube is 2 cm longer than mine and I am already a little stretched. I would still like one if it is entry level and small.

I was also considering the new Novara Fly By folding bike. I have to admit the price ($599) is very favorable and would give me the option of taking the bus in the winter (the bus that picks up near my work lacks a bike rack).

Comments? Suggestions?

[GLC1968]

I had a similar length commute when I lived in NC (with plenty of hills that I needed gears for, though not a small ring)...and I'm also short.

I ended up with a Terry Classic (steel, used) on which I put gatorskins, fenders, a light and a rack. All loaded up, it was about 29 lbs...but still capable of longer distances and hills (and it was comfy and a good workout!). I put 32cm tires on it in the winter and 25's on it for the summer (when I could better see the road). It worked out really well (and the bike was less than $500 when I bought it). Of course, you could not take this bike on a bus...but I didnt' have that option anyway.

Now my commute is so short (1.5 miles!) that I'm also shopping for a new 'commuter' and I'm saving the Terry for light touring or bad weather rides. :)

And since pictures are always more fun...here it is set up for 'summer' commuting:
http://www.tranquilitysystems.com/gallery/files/4-IMG_0618.JPG

[KnottedYet]

Do you want an upright bike (like a Kona Dew or Kona Smoke) or a drop bar critter? (like a Surly Cross Check or Jamis Aurora)?

[Aggie_Ama]

GLC- Would the SusanB be equivalent? How hard (time and money) was it to convert to drop?

Knott- I would prefer drop bars or something I can convert like GLC did. I don't care about being more upright, just would prefer not to have flat bars. I also would prefer it accomodate wider than road tires.

My Cannodale is a 47 cm, I think it is the smallest road frame they made last year. I was really sold on the Kona Jake until I compared it to my road bike and saw I would be stretched out and probably not able to get my leg over. I have a really short torso and long legs (if you can call a 5'2" woman's legs long). :rolleyes:

[KnottedYet]

Trek420 is 5 foot and a whisper, she was happily toodling around on a 42 cm Surly Long Haul Trucker. It had 26 inch wheels, she really liked it. She wants to get one for the next ALC. http://www.surlybikes.com/lht_comp.html

The Surly Cross Check goes down to a 42 cm, too. http://www.surlybikes.com/crosscheck_comp.html

Both do wider-than-road tires and are super comfy steel. (and have very lovely lugged forks)

[tulip]

I vote for taking a look at the Surly LHT. My next bike will either be a Jamis x-bike or a LHT.

[Pax]

I went with a Trek 7.5 (http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/2008/road/fx/75fx/), it rides really similarly to my road bike but the seating position is better for traffic. It also comes in WSD that fits my 5' tall SO nicely.

[GLC1968]

GLC- Would the SusanB be equivalent? How hard (time and money) was it to convert to drop?



I think the SusanB is the *replacement* for the Classic...or as close as you'll get. It doesn't appear to have front rack mounts, but other that that, I think it's similar. Make sure you check out the buy/sell section on the Terry site...that's where I found my Classic.

The conversion wasn't too hard or expensive at all. BUT, I did kind of create a 'frankenbike'. I exchanged a few emails with Georgena about the conversion and based on what she said, I opted to go with bar end friction shifters for the front deraileur and STI for the rear. I don't know if the SusanB gearing would present a similiar need or not. Luckily, this made the conversion inexpensive. To accomodate a big mirror on the left, I put my front gear bar ends on the right...so it's a little weird. I like it though! ;)

I'd say all told, the conversion was less than $150 with my stem being the most expensive item at like $70. All I needed were the bars, the stem, one STI shifter, one brake lever, cables (I had to replace both brake and shifting cables, but that may not always be necessary), the bar end and tape. I did it in less than a week working in the evenings for a hour or so and I had no prior bike maintenance experience. I did have DH looking over my shoulder to make sure I didn't really screw up!

I really disliked the flat bars and upright stance for that commute (which is funny, since that's the type of bike I now want for my current commute!), and I was VERY pleased with the bike after the conversion. :)

[Zen]

I second Queen's Trek.
having just bought one myself :p

[7rider]

I have a flat bar road bike for my 7.5 mile commute. I love it. Speedy like a roadbike, but with a heads-up riding position for in the city. I put bar ends on it and I've got multiple had positions. Some options I can think of would be the Jamis Coda, the Novara Big Buzz. My bike is unfortunately no longer being made (a Felt SR81).

If you like drop bars, a Trek Portland is pretty sweet. Compare to a Jamis Aurora, I believe.

[Aggie_Ama]

Regina- Can you use a slightly wider tire? I am concerned about the amount of road debris.

I should have mentioned earlier I will only be riding about 2 miles of city and of that 1 mile is just a HUGE shoulder but there is a hairy intersection. Otherwise it is a huge shoulder I frequently ride on the weekends. I also work 7-4 and would be in moderate traffic. I will be at the office before traffic really picks up and the afternoon I will mostly be ahead of the traffic again. I have never commuted by bike so I am not sure what I want. :confused: I am liking the options so far!

[7rider]

Regina- Can you use a slightly wider tire? I am concerned about the amount of road debris.

I should have mentioned earlier I will only be riding about 2 miles of city and of that 1 mile is just a HUGE shoulder but there is a hairy intersection. Otherwise it is a huge shoulder I frequently ride on the weekends. I also work 7-4 and would be in moderate traffic. I will be at the office before traffic really picks up and the afternoon I will mostly be ahead of the traffic again. I have never commuted by bike so I am not sure what I want. :confused: I am liking the options so far!

My Felt can't really handle more than a 28 and that's my "winter" tire. It works fine for my needs. During the summer, I run 25's.
My DH has the Big Buzz....that bike is pretty slick. We're about to put some cyclocross tires on it...it has plenty of clearance. We'll put, likely, 32's on it. We also have a seatpost mounted rack for it and the disc brakes are da bomb! MDHillSlug has a Coda for her commuter. I think she also runs 32's on it, but can also put 28s (or maybe even 25's) on it.

[Crankin]

I got the Jamis Coda, with the intent of using it to commute (14-15 miles each way). I bought it because it has low gears and I live on a very big hill and an even steeper driveway. And, I am short. It makes it up both of these fine, but there is no way I could ride it to work and get there in decent time because it is SO heavy compared to my road bike, by the time i have the pannier on, even heavier. I love riding it into town and for short errand commutes, but I can't get my average over 12.5 on this bike. Maybe I am weak compared to some of you, but this is like 2.5-4 mph slower than on my road bike.
If I lived in a flatter area, this would be fine. I don't mind the flat bars, either.
But, it will be back to wearing the empty Camelbak as a backpack on my road bike.

[Zen]

I can't get my average over 12.5 on this bike. Maybe I am weak compared to some of you, but this is like 2.5-4 mph slower than on my road bike.


Sheesh. 12.5 is my top speed carrying nothing but water on my road bike :o
Just leave earlier :)

[NbyNW]

I actually just ordered my new commuter from Dahon, who makes the Fly By for Novara. I went with the Speed Pro which has a few more gears than the Fly By, which should be handy for Seattle's hills.

In my case I'm very concerned about storage and security since my last bike was stolen, and the idea of a folding bike that is multi-modal and can be stored under my desk is attractive . . . and a friend of mine has actually been at Dahon for a number of years so on a personal level I feel that it's a very good company that is always trying to improve their products and still keep them affordable.

I'll post when my bike arrives and I've had a chance to ride it a bit. Maybe that will provide some useful information for you.

[uforgot]

I have a Downtube (http://www.downtube.com/ss-index.html) folding bike. I really like it and it's an easy fold. It seems to be a good deal for the price!

If you are thinking about a folder, here (http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php?f=221) is a forum which helped me decide.

[7rider]

I got the Jamis Coda, with the intent of using it to commute (14-15 miles each way). I bought it because it has low gears and I live on a very big hill and an even steeper driveway. And, I am short. It makes it up both of these fine, but there is no way I could ride it to work and get there in decent time because it is SO heavy compared to my road bike, by the time i have the pannier on, even heavier. I love riding it into town and for short errand commutes, but I can't get my average over 12.5 on this bike. Maybe I am weak compared to some of you, but this is like 2.5-4 mph slower than on my road bike.

My commuter is also a whole lot heavier than my road bike. My average speed is also a whole lot slower than on my road bike (around where yours is). I don't think I would expect any different...it's a stouter bike...it carries a load...it has bigger tires run at lower pressure...it has lower end (i.e., heavier) components...it's an apple to my road bike's orange. I don't view that as a problem...I just make an account for it in planning. Plus...a week of lugging my heavy commuter around makes my weekend rides on my road bike that much faster! :D

[Crankin]

Ah, Zen I already leave at 5:45...
I am a middle school teacher. It takes me about 56 min.- 1 hr 1 min to ride my commute to school on my road bike. I like getting there at the same time I usually get there when I drive, because I want to be there well before others arrive (to change, wash up, and make myself look presentable) and definitely before kids start showing up. I need this time to do work before my day starts. In fact, I was thinking of waiting until 6, so I could start riding in a little earlier in the year. Right now it's still quite dark and I can't put lights on my road bike.
I might *try* to ride the Jamis in after a couple of commutes, when I am in better shape. We'll see.

[Jolt]

I got the Jamis Coda, with the intent of using it to commute (14-15 miles each way). I bought it because it has low gears and I live on a very big hill and an even steeper driveway. And, I am short. It makes it up both of these fine, but there is no way I could ride it to work and get there in decent time because it is SO heavy compared to my road bike, by the time i have the pannier on, even heavier. I love riding it into town and for short errand commutes, but I can't get my average over 12.5 on this bike. Maybe I am weak compared to some of you, but this is like 2.5-4 mph slower than on my road bike.


Wow. That makes me feel a little better about my speed (or lack thereof) if the heavier bike makes such a huge difference, given that mine isn't exactly light (and I have fat tires on it)!!

[Aggie_Ama]

Today I went to the LBS and looked at a Long Haul Trucker, more than I want to spend but a beauty. Surly Cross Check, the end shifters seem a little much for uncoordinated me. :o

We then went to REI, I really like the flat bar road bikes. We are trying another bike shop tomorrow who sells Jamis, Kona and some others I cannot think of. I may actually be thinking a flat bar roadie. The quest continues.....

[Zen]

Trek FX (http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/2008/road/fx/72fxwsd/)...

[Tri Girl]

That TrekFX is very nice! I LOVE the color.
I have a Giant OCR1 that I'm slowly turning into a commuter/touring bike. I don't want to buy another bike, seeing as how this one has been oh so good to me and we have a long history. I'm really thinking about changing the drops to a flat bar. I'll bet a flat bar would be great for commuting.

Let us know what you decide so we can drool over your purchase. :p

[Aggie_Ama]

So right now I want to test the Kona Dew Plus (http://www.konaworld.com/08_dewplus_w.htm) and the Trek 7.3FX WSD (http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/2008/road/fx/73fxwsd/). I am not keen on the gold bikes on the screen but they make look better in person. I really shouldn't worry about my commuter being easy on the eyes but it will be sitting in my cubicle all day, I want it to be nice "art". :D

[KnottedYet]

I had a Kona Dew.

Kitsune06 has a Kona Dew Plus.

Fabulous commuter bikes! And you don't need to worry about the aluminum as much as steel for corrosion. My LBS calls the Dew "bombproof." And the geometry on them is sweeeeet. Tough sweet bikes.

I rode Kit's a bit on Saturday, and it made me really miss mine. (I traded mine in on a Surly Cross Check. Adore my CC, but there's something about that Kona Dew... )

Another one to look at is the Kona Smoke 2-9. http://www.konaworld.com/08_smoke29.htm (I have an older Smoke with 26 inch wheels.) Comes with fenders already. Steel. I like steel, and am able to keep my bikes inside so I don't have to worry about damp and rust and such. If you worry about the weather and the bike, maybe aluminum is the way to go.

(Edit to add link)

[Geonz]

My 7500 FX rocks, tho' I put skinny tires on it so it's my fast bike. (Now they call it 7.5)

I also have a Dahon Speed p8 (I needed that 8th speed, too) which I commuted with today and I luv. Had three honkings on my way home... all friendly sounding, especially the second and third which were followed by "ooh, baby baby!" and "Sexy!" respectively. (They were both women's voices... and possibly - though not likely - the same :cool: ) It was ferociously windy and it had been stormy, and it's WARM today so I know people were gettin gweird :)

[ndwarzski]

Hi! I recently purchased my bike (January) and I love it. I bike about 16 mi/day and a little on the weekends (the longest was an apprx. 30 mi. organized ride one weekend). I really think this bike is great. Some people have written that the bike is a little heavy and that is probably pretty accurate, but by the time you put the fenders, rack, lights and your bag (which will weigh a ton) on the bike it does not matter. I mean, do you really want to race to work? I am very comfortable and would recommend this bike as a commuter to anyone.

[HillSlugger]

I've got a Jamis Coda Comp. Without the panniers it is 28 pounds. I just weighed my locks and they are 5.5 pounds! Anyhow, last commute I averaged 14+mph to work and 13+ back home (more uphill). If nothing else, it makes me feel that much faster when I ride the road bike ;)

[anakiwa]

I can't comment on the specific bikes, but I will say this. I commute on my old touring bike and love it- if I were looking for a new one I would get something designed as a cross bike or a touring bike. The longer wheelbase makes it a very stable ride, but I still like the drop bars and really wouldn't want to go to a straight bar (riding my mountain bike on the road feels ridiculous). My bike has bar-end shifters and that works perfectly fine (the gearing is such that the gears are spread out a little more so I'm not shifting constantly anyway the way I would be on my road bike). My tires are a little wider (700x30) and that probably helps with the stability.

Good luck!

[KnottedYet]

My commuter tires are 700x32, and fairly low pressure (75 lbs) Love them. Narrow enough to be juicy-fast when I want, wide enough that they handle road conditions nicely.

[Crankin]

Well, MD, you are a better woman than me, with that speed on the Jamis. Of course, I do have a bag, a rack, and my lock in the bag. It feels like I am dragging a load on the rear, even on a flat. I can up to speeds of 16-18 on a flat, but I guess there's not a whole lot of flats around here.
I guess I have come to terms with the fact that I will be using this bike for "fun" rides around town and errands. I still love the way it looks.

[Harley]

I test rode a Kona Dr Dew today, for a replacement for my Marin Palasades Trail that I have been commuting on. Love the 700c wheels, and the flat bar, upright position, good gearing for hills, Disc brakes. It's a sweet bike.
Now I just need to sell my Marin... sigh, too many bikes, too little money.:o

[Aggie_Ama]

Ugh the only shop in town with the Konas doesn't have any of the Dews in a small size. They would order it but seemed kind of weird about what to do if the fit didn't work or I didn't like it. My quest continues......

I am thinking maybe a road bike with a more upright geometry might work? Being short torsoed (is that a word?) is really frustrating because many bikes don't work for me. :rolleyes:

[NbyNW]

I'm also short-waisted/short-torsoed, or whatever the correct term is. Bikes with short top tubes seem to be a WSD or custom feature, which hasn't always been available and is not affordable to everyone. I've always compensated for this by building up my core strength to take the strain off of my neck and shoulders.

I think it really comes down to trying out a lot of bikes and figuring out what feels comfortable to you.

If your LBS has to order your frame size -- are they trying to commit you to this bike before you've really tried it out? That seems strange. I'm sure they'd still be able to sell it even if you decided it wasn't right for you. Don't let them pressure you into a decision you're not fully comfortable with.