What to look for buying a Road Bike for commuting?

[[email protected]]

I have been commuting into London for a number of years currently
doing about 40 - 50 miles per week. My current bike is a Trek hybrid
with slick 1.25in wheels, shock, disk brakes etc.

I am looking for a change (and some more speed :-) ) so was looking at
purchasing a "proper" Road Bike but wanted to balance the speed and
weight of a road bike with the day to day reliability that I get from
my current bike (London roads can be brutal on a bike)

Should I be looking at specific types of road bikes to commute around
London (would also like to use it for the odd Sunday race as well
though)

e.g. Robust wheels, triple butted frames?

Are some brands more robust for commuting....? My budget is about £700
to £1000

Thanks
SJM

[Pete Biggs]

wrote:
> I have been commuting into London for a number of years currently
> doing about 40 - 50 miles per week. My current bike is a Trek hybrid
> with slick 1.25in wheels, shock, disk brakes etc.
>
> I am looking for a change (and some more speed :-) ) so was looking at
> purchasing a "proper" Road Bike but wanted to balance the speed and
> weight of a road bike with the day to day reliability that I get from
> my current bike (London roads can be brutal on a bike)
>
> Should I be looking at specific types of road bikes to commute around
> London (would also like to use it for the odd Sunday race as well
> though)
>
> e.g. Robust wheels, triple butted frames?

You don't actually need all that strong a bike for riding in London because
with harder skinnier tyres you will naturally avoid more bumps and potholes
than you otherwise would. The alternative is sprained wrists as well as
buckled wheels.

The issues with a full-on road race bike are more to do with risk of theft
(if it will be left out in the street), being without proper mudguards (if
you don't like getting a wet arse and don't like cleaning your bike), and
lack of a proper rack (if you want to carry much luggage).

Have a look at audax bikes like the Tifosi CK7 if you want something a bit
more practical, yet still pretty light and fast.

~PB

[[email protected]]

On 16 Sep, 22:28, wrote:
> I have been commuting into London for a number of years currently
> doing about 40 - 50 miles per week. My current bike is a Trek hybrid
> with slick 1.25in wheels, shock, disk brakes etc.
>
> I am looking for a change (and some more speed :-) ) so was looking at
> purchasing a "proper" Road Bike but wanted to balance the speed and
> weight of a road bike with the day to day reliability that I get from
> my current bike (London roads can be brutal on a bike)
>
> Should I be looking at specific types of road bikes to commute around
> London (would also like to use it for the odd Sunday race as well
> though)
>
> e.g. Robust wheels, triple butted frames?
>
> Are some brands more robust for commuting....? My budget is about £700
> to £1000
>
> Thanks
> SJM

I commute 12 miles each day into a city on a Trek 1200. It's great to
zoom past people on 2 ton mountain bikes putting all their energy into
just getting so much metal going. My only issue was that the wheels
originally supplied popped their spokes all the time, lost their
straightness so there was about 5mm of wobble and then the rims
failed. Have upgraded to a more substantial type and not had any
problems since.

David

[Coyoteboy]

wrote:
> I commute 12 miles each day into a city on a Trek 1200. It's great to
> zoom past people on 2 ton mountain bikes putting all their energy into
> just getting so much metal going. My only issue was that the wheels
> originally supplied popped their spokes all the time, lost their
> straightness so there was about 5mm of wobble and then the rims
> failed. Have upgraded to a more substantial type and not had any
> problems since.
>
> David
>

:) Depends on your MTB - a friend and I ride MTBs (XC hardtails) and
have yet to be passed by a roadie over the 18 miles each way :) Before
that I did it on my full sus with slicks, although harder it was still
the same situation. IMO its all about tyres and their pressure, after
that you're talking a couple of mph on your average at most being on a
hybrid/mtb.

[[email protected]]

On 16 Sep, 22:28, wrote:
> Should I be looking at specific types of road bikes to commute around
> London (would also like to use it for the odd Sunday race as well
> though)

Road bike and Race bike are not the same thing, though they are often
closer than other types.

> e.g. Robust wheels, triple butted frames?

I'd be looking for robust wheels and enough clearance to run medium
sized tyres (I like a 28c rear and a 25c front) and mudguards.

> Are some brands more robust for commuting....? My budget is about £700
> to £1000

That strikes me as a generous budget (but then, I'm a cheapskate :-).
I wouldn't worry too much about brands, more about overall quality and
suitability for your purpose.

The recommendation for "audax" bikes is sound- this sort of light
touring bike is pretty good for commuting as it has the clearances and
braze-ons for utility cycling without the over-engineering needed to
carry camping gear.

You should get most of your gain by having a more aerodynamic riding
position and saving some weight- If you can travel light (ie avoid
having to carry work clothes, tools, waterproofs, laptop, briefcase,
newspaper, packed lunch....) then there's potential to gain by doing
without mudguards, racks, big lights, gears etc. whereas if you're
going to have to carry fifteen kilos of gubbins around with you
anyway, you might as well bite the bullet and get a solid bike set up
for maximum convenience.

I keep trying to get to the lightweight end of the scale- fixie,
raceblades, small backpack and minimal puncture kit, LED lights. Most
of my commuting colleagues seem to opt for multi-speed hybrid,
panniers, big lights, full-guards, helmet, rainsuit and so on. I'm
sure I've been on multi-day tours toting less weight than some of
these guys ride into work with!!

Cheers,
W.

PS- Panniers are more comfortable than a backpack but I find it much
easier to maneuvre a bike (dodging road debris, holes and traffic)
with no load on it.

[spokes[_2_]]

Any quality bike will do fine on London roads. Kevlar tyres are the only
real must.

This one's gone:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320158073007&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=011

This one hasn't:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=190152289831&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=009

You can get some really fine machinery for a song if you keep your eyes
peeled for less well-known names (google to research) and crappy listings.
Make sure you know your frame size (google if you're not sure to find out
how to measure), keep your eyes open, be patient.
> wrote in message
ups.com...
I have been commuting into London for a number of years currently
doing about 40 - 50 miles per week. My current bike is a Trek hybrid
with slick 1.25in wheels, shock, disk brakes etc.

I am looking for a change (and some more speed :-) ) so was looking at
purchasing a "proper" Road Bike but wanted to balance the speed and
weight of a road bike with the day to day reliability that I get from
my current bike (London roads can be brutal on a bike)

Should I be looking at specific types of road bikes to commute around
London (would also like to use it for the odd Sunday race as well
though)

e.g. Robust wheels, triple butted frames?

Are some brands more robust for commuting....? My budget is about £700
to £1000

Thanks
SJM

[nafuk]

On 18 Sep, 00:31, "spokes" > wrote:
> Any quality bike will do fine on London roads. Kevlar tyres are the only
> real must.
>
> This one's gone:
>
> http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=32015807300....
>
> This one hasn't:
>
> http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=19015228983....
>
> You can get some really fine machinery for a song if you keep your eyes
> peeled for less well-known names (google to research) and crappy listings.
> Make sure you know your frame size (google if you're not sure to find out
> how to measure), keep your eyes open, be > wrote in message
>
> ups.com...
> I have been commuting into London for a number of years currently
> doing about 40 - 50 miles per week. My current bike is a Trek hybrid
> with slick 1.25in wheels, shock, disk brakes etc.
>
> I am looking for a change (and some more speed :-) ) so was looking at
> purchasing a "proper" Road Bike but wanted to balance the speed and
> weight of a road bike with the day to day reliability that I get from
> my current bike (London roads can be brutal on a bike)
>
> Should I be looking at specific types of road bikes to commute around
> London (would also like to use it for the odd Sunday race as well
> though)
>
> e.g. Robust wheels, triple butted frames?
>
> Are some brands more robust for commuting....? My budget is about £700
> to £1000
>
> Thanks
> SJM

I do 40 miles per week including some steep hills: not in London but
it is urban with plenty of pot holes etc.
I have a Raleigh Venture - bought from eBay 2 years ago for around
£280. No problems, and is quite light and fast (aluminium frame).
Came with what I needed: mudguards, rack, gear chage on the brake
levers.
I have bought:
Cateye LED lights forget the names but the largest rear flashing and
the brightests front - about £70) + rechargable batteries - great and
last about 4 weeks between charges.
Cleat pedals - shimano
Shimano mountain bike shoes MW02- can click in but can still walk fine
in them (the similar road shoes RW02 have the cleats sticking out so
you can't easily walk)
Cheap rear paniers - I use plastic bags and padded envelopes inside
for my laptop etc
Total cost about £500

[Ed_Zep]

On Sep 16, 10:28 pm, wrote:
> I have been commuting into London for a number of years currently
> doing about 40 - 50 miles per week. My current bike is a Trek hybrid
> with slick 1.25in wheels, shock, disk brakes etc.
>
> I am looking for a change (and some more speed :-) ) so was looking at
> purchasing a "proper" Road Bike but wanted to balance the speed and
> weight of a road bike with the day to day reliability that I get from
> my current bike (London roads can be brutal on a bike)
>
> Should I be looking at specific types of road bikes to commute around
> London (would also like to use it for the odd Sunday race as well
> though)
>
> e.g. Robust wheels, triple butted frames?
>
> Are some brands more robust for commuting....? My budget is about £700
> to £1000
>
> Thanks
> SJM

And there's always Freecycle on Yahoo Groups.

I got an old Reynolds 531 80s steel framed racer for nowt and I don't
particularly want to go back to my hybrid bike now.

[Patter]

On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 04:19:44 -0700, Ed_Zep wrote:
> And there's always Freecycle on Yahoo Groups.
>
> I got an old Reynolds 531 80s steel framed racer for nowt and I don't
> particularly want to go back to my hybrid bike now.

You are me, and I don't really have room to store 2 bikes, just need a
new rear cluster? on the racer then the clunker's going to be disposed
of.

--
Stephen Patterson :: :: http://patter.mine.nu/
GPG: B416F0DE :: Jabber:
"Don't be silly, Minnie. Who'd be walking round these cliffs with a gas oven?"

[Andrew Price]

On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:05:43 GMT, Patter > wrote:

>"Don't be silly, Minnie. Who'd be walking round these cliffs with a gas oven?"

The Batter Pudding Hurler?

[Mark[_3_]]

On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 00:31:08 +0100, "spokes"
> wrote:

>Any quality bike will do fine on London roads. Kevlar tyres are the only
>real must.
>
>This one hasn't:
>
>http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=190152289831&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=009

26" wheels?????

M

[Patter]

On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 19:29:23 +0200, Andrew Price wrote:
> On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:05:43 GMT, Patter > wrote:
>
>>"Don't be silly, Minnie. Who'd be walking round these cliffs with a gas oven?"
>
> The Batter Pudding Hurler?

Yes ... can I borrow a match? :P

--
Stephen Patterson :: :: http://patter.mine.nu/
GPG: B416F0DE :: Jabber:
"Don't be silly, Minnie. Who'd be walking round these cliffs with a gas oven?"

[Rob Morley]

In article >, Mark
says...
> On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 00:31:08 +0100, "spokes"
> > wrote:
>
> >Any quality bike will do fine on London roads. Kevlar tyres are the only
> >real must.
> >
> >This one hasn't:
> >
> >http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=190152289831&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=009
>
> 26" wheels?????
>
700c - a bit smaller than 27" wheels, so they must be 26". :-)

[Dave Larrington]

In t,
Rob Morley > tweaked the Babbage-Engine to tell us:
> In article >, Mark
> says...
>> On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 00:31:08 +0100, "spokes"
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> Any quality bike will do fine on London roads. Kevlar tyres are the
>>> only real must.
>>>
>>> This one hasn't:
>>>
>>> http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=190152289831&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=009
>>
>> 26" wheels?????
>>
> 700c - a bit smaller than 27" wheels, so they must be 26". :-)

Like those 18" wheels which are smaller than 17" wheels?

Errr, hang on...

--
Dave Larrington
<http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk>
If you want a bicycle, buy a bicycle. If you want something
that folds, buy a deckchair.

[Roger Merriman]

Patter > wrote:

> On Tue, 18 Sep 2007 04:19:44 -0700, Ed_Zep wrote:
> > And there's always Freecycle on Yahoo Groups.
> >
> > I got an old Reynolds 531 80s steel framed racer for nowt and I don't
> > particularly want to go back to my hybrid bike now.
>
> You are me, and I don't really have room to store 2 bikes, just need a
> new rear cluster? on the racer then the clunker's going to be disposed
> of.

heh i have built up a wee fleet which is fairly impressive considering
the size of the shed. one cheap commutor, with paniers etc for popping
into town etc, one old rigid mountain bike with marthons that is used
for zipping around on road, and a newer mountain bike for the odd trip
off road.

roger
--
www.rogermerriman.com

[Roger Merriman]

Coyoteboy > wrote:

> wrote:
> > I commute 12 miles each day into a city on a Trek 1200. It's great to
> > zoom past people on 2 ton mountain bikes putting all their energy into
> > just getting so much metal going. My only issue was that the wheels
> > originally supplied popped their spokes all the time, lost their
> > straightness so there was about 5mm of wobble and then the rims
> > failed. Have upgraded to a more substantial type and not had any
> > problems since.
> >
> > David
> >
>
> :) Depends on your MTB - a friend and I ride MTBs (XC hardtails) and
> have yet to be passed by a roadie over the 18 miles each way :) Before
> that I did it on my full sus with slicks, although harder it was still
> the same situation. IMO its all about tyres and their pressure, after
> that you're talking a couple of mph on your average at most being on a
> hybrid/mtb.

yup, and slighlty wider tires can take out lumps and bumps better.

roger
--
www.rogermerriman.com