New Commuting Bike Suggestions?

[alice]

Hello,

It's time for me to get a new bike. And while I'm not entirely new at riding, I'm very new at purchasing. So I need advice.

The primary purpose for a new bike would be "general transportation" a.k.a. I share a car with someone who uses it 8-9 hours a day and need an alterantive form of transportation. However, I would like a bike that I could occasionally do longer rides with on the weekends (in the 20-50 mile range).

My budget is somewhere in the ballpark of preferably around $600 but possibly up to $750 range.

I've ridden the Giant Escape City W; I loved how fast it was, but I know I'm going to be pretty enchanted by any bike I try. I've been eyeing the Specialized Sirrus for six or so years, so I definitely want to try it before I make a decision (and I noticed the Vita, which I think is new since I fell in love with the Sirrus).

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Tri Girl]

Surly and Soma make great bikes that will be heavy duty enough for daily commuting, yet comfortable enough for longer(ish) rides. They are both steel.

I honestly don't know how much they are, tho. I'm guessing on the upper end of your budget (or more). They can accommodate racks, fenders, wider tires, etc. which would be nice if it's primarily your transportation bike.

[Kitsune06]

Some people are pretty fond of Kona Dews, as well.

[Tri Girl]

I forgot about Kona's. Those are some sweet rides, too!!! I'm a big fan of steel for commuting. I rode an aluminum bike for a year, then built up a 90's steel Bianchi and wow- what a difference!

[Catrin]

I love my Surly Long Haul Trucker and it will eventually become my commuter bike if'en I ever get comfortable enough with urban/downtown riding to do it. A new one would be over your budget, but you CAN find used ones that would likely fall in your price range. As others have said, it is steel and very solid. I do see quite a few Kona bikes used as commuters around here.

[zoom-zoom]

I rode a Surly Crosscheck this weekend...I could totally see using that as a commuter bike. A friend of mine had that as her first bike...she used it for road and cyclocross races (how, I do not know...the thing is like a freaking tank!). She now uses it as her "Winter beater" with studded tires and is planning to put fenders on it and maybe a rack.

For a heavy bike it was very comfortable and not hard to keep moving pretty fast. It convinced me that I no longer want a cyclocross bike...I NEED one! I need more bike surface options than dry, well-maintained asphalt. :cool:

[tulip]

If you like the look of the Sirrus, you might really like the look and feel of a Jamis Coda. The Jamis is steel, Sirrus is aluminum. Many folks, myself among them, find aluminum bikes to be uncomfortable and jarring. My Coda is my commuter bike and I really like it.

One thing to consider is whether you want drop bars or flat bars. The Coda (and Sirrus) have flat bars. I would like to have a commuting bike with drop bars, like a Surly. But there are no more bikes in my foreseeable future.

[alice]

Thanks for all of the good advice so far!

I've thought a little bit about the whole steel v. alumninum thing. My hesitancy with steel is that bike transportation in my area necessarily involves a lot of carrying the bike up and down stairs (and lifting it onto vertical racks on the train). I'm not out of shape, but I'm definitley not considered a strong person, so the added weight concerns me.

That being said, I took a look at the Jamis Coda on their website- I'm a little smitten with it (especially in the red ;)). I definitley want to find one and try it out.

As for drop handlebars... eh. I don't like them enough that I feel like I would get the functionality out of them that they deserve. I always feel guilty for not liking them more though, so maybe I should look at some of those bikes too.

[Melalvai]

I'm very happy with the Trek 7.2 FX WSD, and I think it is within your price range. However I'd actually recommend you consider a used bike. You can get it so much cheaper, and then have some to spend on accessories. The main thing is to get one that fits you and is comfortable. If you aren't in a rush, if you can take some time to find it, you can get something that will work well for you.

Accessories I consider indispensable are fenders, lights, and something to put things in (rack/panniers, basket).

[Velocivixen]

I have a 2011 Trek FX 7.3 that is a hybrid with flat handlebars. Their FX is their most popular platform and it can be used as a commuter bike, fitness bike, leisure bike, etc. I put on fenders, a kickstand and a rear rack, along with lights, a loud bell and a computer. It has 700 x 32 tires, so thin but not as thin as a formal road bike. I am in a bent over position, but not nearly as much as I would be on a true road bike. It cost around $750 without all the accessories. If you want disc brakes you can get those for $100 more.
Good luck and let us know what you decide.
Have you thought about 2010 close out models?

[alice]

I'm glad to be hearing good things about the Trek FX series. I rode the 7.3 yesterday, and I liked it quite a bit; a surprising number of people at the shop I was at have one and love it, so that sounds like good sign.

As to the future of my research, I have a LBS building a Jamis Coda for me that I'll be able to try next week, and I'm going out this weekend to look for a Specialized Sirrus or a Vita.

I mentioned in my first post the Giant Escape City W; it seems like it's a little bit out of the league of some of the bikes I'm trying out now, but does anyone have any experience with it?

I consider fenders/rack indispensable accessories as well (and not related to my price range). Everything else I already have.

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! It's nice to find a community of people so willing to be nice/constructively helpful.

[muddysmudge]

I use my WS Scott hardtail mtb for commuting. I put road tyres and mudguards (fenders?) on it, and locked the front suspension 'off'. And spd pedals too. A set of good lights and I was ready to go. I don't like the idea of panniers as I'd only fill them with junk and make the bike even heavier, so I use a backpack.

I love it as it's bulletproof and as such ideally suited for commuting in London, as the roads aren't great and I can bump it up and down kerbs if I need to to get out of the traffic :) And...the brakes work!! You cant beat hydraulic brakes for commuting in traffic! I'm much happier on my mtb, thats my favourite type of bike.

I can't imagine using drop bars on a commute (although there are plenty that do, I'm in the minority on my mtb!) as I prefer the upright position with greater visibility and control of the bike. I'm pretty convinced that I'd ruin my road bike very quickly if I used it for commuting, and I simply don't have the confidence to use it in lots of traffic.

The specialized sirrus is a very popular commuter bike over here. A lot of people also use 'fixies', single speed gear bikes (low maintenance!), which are also pretty trendy too. I'd just hang one on the wall and stare at it all day...things of beauty for sure :D

Anyway, I'm rambling a bit here...flat bars for me for commuting, definately. Skinny tyres yes, but not too skinny and ones that have a small amount of tread for grip in the wet and are designed to resist punctures, it all helps! And as much as I love my hardtail, I am seriously considering getting a specific commuter bike, if only because the mtb is heavy!! Great for training purposes but I do get fedup with all the 'roadies' wizzing past me all the time :rolleyes:

Hope some of that helps......!

[girlsubobscura]

I fell in love with the sirrus, and so I went in to have them order a vita in my size with the idea that I would purchase one of the two. While I was there, i rode the sirrus and a Raleigh alysa FT2, which felt almost identical to the sirrus except on steep hills, where it was just a little better for me. Since my commute is peppered with steep hills, I went with the alysa, which I have been riding in pretty much every weather since last october, and carried through my tiny townhouse and down to the basement every night all winter long.
Last weekend I went to the LBS for gear, and a woman who I recognize from a sister department in grad school came in with her Alysa which is identical to mine, except one size smaller, and when I started talking to her it turned out she bought it at the same time, after special ordering a vita, actually having it come in to test ride, and then deciding she liked the Alysa better. It was kind of funny that our stories were so similar.

[moderncyclista]

The Jamis Satellite Sport is worth a test-ride. Beautiful, inexpensive steel bike:

http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebikes/road/satellite/11_satellitesportf.html

Steel isn't necessarily heavy. The Jamis is fairly light. Don't know if it would accomodate racks, but I believe it would. Ask anyway. For frequent transport, a road bike is nice just because the cover ground so easily. (To me, anyway).

I'd ride both the men's and women's versions and see which fits best. The difference is in proportion, could go either way. (Don't let a shop talk you into women-specific just because you are female, you may or may not need that.

My friend just fell in love with a Specialized Ariel, which is a hybrid. Not as good for longer rides, but such a pretty, comfortable bike! The good thing about a lot of hybrids with front suspension forks is that you can set them to remain ridgid for road, and suspended for off-road or rough terrain.

The Ariel we saw isn't pictured on the website, but it's the 'sport' version, retails for 610 dollars, and was a beautiful metallic red with scroll-work on the front end. Freakin georgous!

I have a Surly LHT that I was lucky to get, but the Jamis isn't a bad option. I like their bikes and they're steel which is so much better than aluminum, in my opinion. :D

[blackhillsbiker]

I thought I didn't care for the aluminum in my Dew, but I love everything else. It fits me like a glove. Then I got new tires, and it smoothed everything out wonderfully. I have really appreciated the disk brakes on my winter commute. I have a rack, fenders, lights, bell...

Deb