On this weeks “Comment Friday” I’d like to hear about what bikes you guys use to commute.
My bike is a Marin Hybrid. I bought it second hand a few years ago and whilst it’s on its last legs now it still serves me well until I have enough money for the next bike purchase. I like it because it rarely requires any maintenance and if needs be it can take on a bit of off-road action.
What bike do you ride around on your commute and where did you get it from?
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As seen on The Guardian, BBC and The Independent.
The trusty steed:
http://bilder.giant-community.de/bikes_1999/X-1800.jpg
an aluminium-framed Giant cross bike, now after 10 years on its umpteenth chainset replacement, and with a bust (minimal) suspension fork replaced with a steel fixed fork. At one point I noticed you could simply pull off the entire fork + wheel by lifting up the handlebars and holding the front wheel with your feet – thought I better get that seen to. Replaced with 700c x 32 rear tyre inflated to max pressure (95 psi) for speed, front tyre is original 700c x 42 @ 80 psi (to cushion shitty British roads). Headset now uncontrollably loosens itself, spend a few moments each ride when I’m bored tightening by hand. Suspension seatpost has play and rattles when not sat on. Nonethelss still reliably speeds me all over town.
Planning on getting a touring-capable bike with Shimano’s new 11-speed Alfine hub gear, disc brakes and for goodness sake a chainguard – no more oily clothes. Frame geometry / material undecided (aluminium’s nice and light, steel = bad memories of rust and weight but that may have been simply a cheap bike).
Wow – Ive learnt somethign today, if nothing more that i am a “unsophisticated cyclists” – cheers Peter and daev the rave.
Giant Boulder mountain bike fitting with slicks, and crud guard/crud catcher and bar ends in clashing colours.
Bought almost 10 years ago and had a few bits replaced, but it has seen me through a few thousand miles. I have a BEONE road bike for weekend rides.
I would still keep the Giant even if I got a better commute bike, as I don;t mind leaving this one locked outside the supermarket to go shopping.
I ride an old Ridgeback mountain bike I bought for £24 from a charity shop. I got rid of a few small spots of surface rust, degunked the running gear and put on a new chain and tyres. It rides better than many brand new bikes i’ve owned in the past.
I’ve been toying with the idea of getting a newer bike but really can’t decide which type to get, hybrid, road or more traditional. Everytime I reach the conclusion that if it (the Ridgeback) ain’t broke don’t fix it.
Brompton… obviously. An M6R (SWB), S6L (BWR) or S2L-X depending on what I’m doing or the weather.
I recently got a Pashley Roadster 26 Sovereign for using in the winter because I can wear out a Brompton chain in a few weeks in bad weather. I’m OK with most of it but I think they could have used a generator light on the back and the Brooks B72 isn’t as good as a my various B17s and Colts however I think that might be because I’m leaning forward too much. I’m trying to be more upright.
Its a GT Transeo Ulra City cross for me, aluminium frame 27 speed with front suspension and disc brakes.
I wanted it to be a commute bike so had it fitted out with Marathon plus tyres, mudguards and a rack.
Superb bike, like a sports car to anything else I have owned and although dics brakes do have their little niggles no and again it was only when a work colleague pointed out to me how smooth hydraulic brakes are that I remembered myself how good they are and dont they keep your bike so much cleaner!
Hello, I’m new here – been lurking for a bit, though.
I’ve just bought a Pashley Princess Sovereign (who rejoices in the name of Zephirine) for cycling to work on – eight miles each way, not quite up to doing it every day yet, but am getting there.
A Marin Inverness single speed. Love it. 20 mile round trip.
Have a Ridgeback Tempest as well, but its like cycling through soup in comparison now. Even Did the Dunwich Dynamo on the Marin.
Downside – I’ve ruined my left 165mm crank arm (Tip: if you ever feel your crank arm is loose DO NOT ride – even to the bike shop. It ruins the arm and you’ll need a new one!) and finding one has been a nightmare.
20 year old Marin Pine Mountain. Bought with my first pay from my first job for £569.
Wonderful bike.
Marin Point Reyes. Love that bike. Or my Brompton if I have to do the school run first.
Much loved Bianchi Milano. A really nice bike, not too pricey at around £300 and sturdy enough for my slightly mental cycling
With the added bonus of being a Bianchi, so their customer support is great by email when i’ve had to ask a stupid question…
“Dr. Lechter” is my 2009 Kona Hoss with Schwalbe Marathon tires. I bought it because I needed a really strong frame, hydraulic disc brakes, overbuilt components and gearing that would drag me over ski jump steep hills, not for speed.
Too bad more manufacturers don’t make bikes for bigger riders…
Second-hand Ribble Audax – Ultegra gearset, mudguards, rack and SPD/flat pedals. Only bike due to lack of space. Picked it up cheap and after a bit of work now great for whatever I want to do – whether a 5 mile blast to work, a ride round the park with the kids or something more interesting and longer.
Up to six weeks ago, a Specialized Crossroads Elite – trusty steed for 6 years until I found cracks in the head post. Sent her back to Specialized under the lifetime warrantee and she came back as a Sirrus Limited carbon frame – albeit with all the old bits attached. Liking carbon, can barely feel the potholes
I ride a Ridgeback Speed – she’s 3 years old now and I love her! Not the speediest bike on the road, but she’s pretty steady, and I do a ten mile round trip a day.
A 10 year old Kona Nunu mtb with big nobblies. Not had a puncture yet while commuting. Straight over potholes, kerbs etc….. and I can go off road and cut through parks, woods, estates without having to worry about slipping or buckled wheels. Much more fun than sticking to the road!
Speed isn’t everything
I ride a Dahon Speed TR. Has some quirks of its own but surprisingly robust and can cope with the rural bit and the urban bit
Marin Larkspur 2010 acquired via Cyclescheme at work. Absolutely love it.
G’day
My daily commute is a 2007 Giant CRX 1 flatbar, my first bike which is now fitted with aero bars. The longest leg of my regular commute is 45 km and during summer that is typically into 40 km/h winds coming directly off the ocean, i.e., no protection. I ride down the coast … good training apparently
Regards
Andrew
My commute ride is a Fuji Feather. I ride it fixed on 46×17 with front and rear brakes and have recently replaced the drops (as I never use them) with bullhorns. Heading into autumn, I’ve put on Specialized Armadillo 23/25c tyres, which are nearly bullet proof but unfortunately don’t seem to leave room for me to fit my clip-on mudguards under the brakes. My commute is Richmond to Waterloo – very flat.
A Specialized Allez Sport – I love it so much. Great balance, really nippy and fast. Great for a 22 mile round daily commute. I’ve had 3 bikes over the years for commuting and this road bike is my fave!
For the days I can’t cycle (eg. when I have to carry things / need to go somewhere after work / going drinking etc) I have solved this problem by ordering a customised 6 speed Brompton.
People think I’m obsessed. I am!
Decathlon Riverside Hybrid bike.Not fancy but does the job I can’t really complain and I have done some long ride with it (>100 miles)
Trek 1.5 Triple.
Glides on the roads, have a 100-200 metre strech on Grand Union Canal path for which I usually hop off and jump back on when Im back on the road. Otherwise no complaints, bike is light fast and rigid!
A rather heavy, creaky Montague Paratrooper mtb. Slowly pimping it out to make my 24 mile round trip commute more bearable. Best purchases yet have been the Joe Blow track pump recommended here and Continental Travel Contact tires. Basically shaves off around 7-10 minutes on each journey! Get rid of your knobbly tires folks!
A Brompton M6R+
Decided to go for the 6+ after my M3R was stolen
Glad I did because I did the BHF London to Hastings on it over the bank holiday and god it would have been damn near impossible with only 3 gears
I didn’t realise the UK had hills
I suppose not compared to Australia
But I think a lot of people were surprised about how hilly it was, especially in comparison to the BHF’s big cycling event (London to Brighton)
Specialized Cirrus Comp 2007 – would like something faster but have to carry 2 panniers filled with gym kit and office clothes every day. Anyway my lock seems to weigh more than the bike!
1990ish Dawes Super Galaxy – paid a £10 for it and an expensive bottle of wine (when my conscience kicked in)
It’s a giant 25″ frame, so it keeps small robbers at bay and who would be seen on such an old fart’s bike?
I do lock it, but the previous few lines do the ‘added value’ bit of bike security.
A Brick Lane Bikes custom build, single speed freewheel. Love it.
I ride my yellow and black Brompton and have done for just about every day now for 4 years. I’m never going back to the underground – I love riding through London
At the moment my Mundo is my only roadworthy bike, until I have finished saving up for a Sturmey-Archer 8 speed IGH wheel for my ongoing Marin MTB-to-upright commuter conversion. £130 to go for the wheel and a new chainset, and I should be able to chop 10-15 minutes off my commute time simply through hauling 35lbs lower weight of bike up 1 1/2 miles of hill every morning *grin*
Dahon Cadenza 8 – full size mtb that folds up if it needs to. I love it, but it’s rubbish on muddy tracks. Fat tyres iron out the bumpy roads and the hub gears and disc brakes are great. It’s got mudguards and a rack, and I carry tons of gear round on it. When it gets going it’s like a juggernaut, but it’s quick enough away at the lights too.
Also an ancient Marin Hawk hill that I keep for old times sake and which may get a bit of tlc soon to make it a proper second bike for longer trips.
I’d love a really sturdy road bike for touring .. not enough room tho.
Ohh, I’ve got a Red (from the very fires of hell in which it was forged) Brompton M3L. I have a 7.2 mile commute to work, from Mortlake to Oxford Circus, and it pretty much rules.
I did have a Balance 350 mountain bike with slicks and a nicer saddle, but I didn’t trust the parking outside the office at my new job, so I got the Brompton on whim. My wife went mental when I went in on my first day *just to test*, and came back with an £800 bike. She likes it now though…
When i was commuting (recently, made redundant), i rode a Specialized crosstrail sport hybrid. It has been a great bike for me, i did get a few punctures early on but switched to schwalbe tyres and (touch wood) have not had a puncture since! As someone who was coming back to cycling after around 10 years and not a big cyclist then, i was unsure about which bike to choose from the work scheme and chose the Specialized mainly because i remember an old friend of mine having one so assumed it was a decent brand. Not sure what to go for next time as i do mainly use the road, but sometimes cycle around the track at Richmond park and also the Thames path, so want something that can deal with both.
Which Schwalbe did you switch to and how do they compare for speed? The standard Borough types on my Crosstrail Elite pick up glass fragments and hide them so I can do 2 or 3 flats in close succession if not very careful in the refitting. Agree fully on the choice of the Crosstrail – I do road out and canal towpath back so need to handle both. A fast downhill stretch by Hanwell locks was a bit hairy on my old road tyre converted MTB, the Crosstrail just laps it up.
30 miles a day on a bottom of the range Trek commuter, the 2010 FX.
£250.
The local pikeys have tried to steal it already, and bent the frame a bit.
I have only started to cycle this week from the New Southgate/Arnos Grove Area to the City(9 miles each way).
The bike I chose is the Ridgeback Meteor, it’s a hybrid, and was recommended by a few places. With no previous experience I can’t compare to anything else, but I’ve found it to be a good ride.