road bike for commuting?

[trailrunner]

Hello...I am obviously having some trouble deciding on a bike. I posted a question earlier re hybrid vs. cyclocross. I was all set to go 'cross when a friend of mine (bless her) gave me an old hybrid for free to use for commuting and on smooth "trails" (think dirt paths).

SO...I was thinking why not sell my road bike and buy a new one. Then I saw this:

http://www.lunacycles.com/36cmPrebuilt.html

She's beautiful! Thoughts?

Here's a really dumb question, but do road tires come in anything wider than 1"? Could wider tires fit on this bike I wonder? Also, do any of you commute on road bikes?

If this bike doesn't end up being a good fit for me, I think I may still go back to my original idea of getting a 'cross. I'll save that for another post...I have a few manufacturers in mind...

[tulip]

First, as you know, I love my Luna.

The bike you are considering has 26" wheels. Larger road/cross bikes have what are known as 700c wheels (700c is the diameter? radius? (someone fill me in here) and the x23/25/28/32/35 refers to the rim and tire width). Mountain bikes have smaller wheels, but they come in different widths, up to 2.5" (and wider). However, the rims have to be able to handle the wider rims, so that might be something to consider. 1" tires are pretty wide for road riding, though. If you want wider, you might want to consider a mountain bike...it all depends on the type of riding you do.

Fit is the most important thing. If you are really interested in the Luna, call Margo and ask her about it. She will likely have you fill out the sizing questionnaire to see if the bike is reasonably suitable. With that information, you can move forward one way or another.


How far is your commute? Do you have a safe place to lock up your bike at work and at home? I would not leave a Luna outside, even locked.

Good luck and keep us posted.

tulip

[Fredwina]

Be glad you don't have a bike with 20" wheels! There are two different and incompatible 20" sizes
Sheldon Brown (www.sheldonbrown.com), has, as usual, a good article on tires/Tryes

[trailrunner]

Thanks for the input, tulip - I ended up sending Margo my measurements and the bike was deemed to small. :-( Oh well...BUT...it makes my decision a bit easier.

Since the hybrid I got for free needs some work before I feel safe on it, I may just use it for short jaunts and stick to my original plan - getting a 'cross bike.

Fredwina -- 20" wheels!!! Oh my!

[Fredwina]

I only ride that bike on Fridays........ think www.bikefriday.com, unless I made a typo and had 20 foot wheels!