I Need a Commuter!

[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. 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. 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
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 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 is a forum which helped me decide.

[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.

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.....

[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!

[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

[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!

[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)!!