Commuting/Road Bikes

PontiusPirate · 10-10-2007, 08:29 PM

Does anyone here commute to work, or ride a road bike? (Single speed, fixie, etc.)
Joel has been commuting to work for the past few months and recently got a Raleigh Rush Hour. I plan on commuting as soon as I get my bike...which is as soon as we sell our vanagon.
Joel's bike is right here, and my future lovely is right here.

**jump5fan** · 10-10-2007, 09:00 PM

i have a 10-speed shwinn world sport that i ride. we also have a bunch of old three speed bikes that are fun to ride.

PontiusPirate · 10-11-2007, 12:25 PM

Awesome. We have an old '67 Raleigh Sports 3 speed that we plan on fixing up. I haven't ridden it yet. We need to get some new tires.

**jump5fan** · 10-11-2007, 12:33 PM

we got a old Raleigh Grand Prix not to long ago. i forget how many speeds it has but it is a nice bike

magical spatula · 11-17-2007, 01:50 PM

Reviving this thread a bit, I've more recently started getting into the commuting thing. I'd like to do more of it - my school and work are only about 5 or 6 miles from where I live; but I have an old (11 years) Magna mountain bike.

Which works, but my roommate recently got a Windsor The Hour fixed-gear road bike (upon the advice of a classmate/friend who is into the whole biking "scene", if you will; although my friend knows nothing about bikes and just bought the bike because he told her to, basically) and when we go out to ride together, she's usually about a quarter-mile ahead of me, no matter what speed I'm in or how fast I pedal.

So while I like my bike and appreciate it enough that I have it, I'm realizing that maybe getting an updated bike wouldn't be so bad, if I could find one that's affordable. However, I don't necessarily want a road bike or a fixed gear; I think if I had a true road bike, I'd be replacing the tires pretty often, so I've been looking into "hybrid bikes", I suppose.

So I guess, if anyone has any information or suggestions, please offer it. I'm pretty clueless as to what is good quality and what's worth spending my money on. I want something fairly light, but sturdy and can take bumps and things like a mountain bike, but will give me better speed than what I have.

PontiusPirate · 11-17-2007, 02:41 PM

"Hybrid Bikes" are not nearly as fast as Road bikes, if you're looking for speed and ease.

For commuting, unless you have rocky paths, a single-speed road bike would probably be your best bet. They are faster and, although many think it is harder to pedal, you are using the same amount of energy as you would be riding a mtn. bike. The extra gears/derailer on a geared bike don't allow all your energy to directly move the bike... which is why, no matter how much you pedal, your friend is still ahead. You just don't get much speed on a geared bike.
The frames (on good bikes) are lighter with less resistance.
Most newer singles will have a "flip-flop" hub, meaning you don't have to ride fixed, you can ride free-wheel. You just have to....flip it.

As far as the tires go, you can put some armadillo road tires on your bike and you shouldn't have to replace them very often. They are very tough tires, and very good for commuting. Get a patch kit, and you'll be good to go for quite a long time. (Unless, as I said before, you ride on dirt/rocks.)

I don't know what your price range is, but here are some good road bikes to take a look at:
*Joel has this Raleigh Rush Hour. It's a lovely commuter with a chromoly frame. It is a little heavier (not much ) than aluminum, and to be honest, it absorbs road bumps much better than my mountain bike.
*The Raleigh One Way, and the Specialized Langster. I have been looking at these two bikes for myself. They both have a smaller crankset than the Rush Hour. I am a wuss, and I don't want to do as much work.

I am pretty positive I am going for the Langster though, as I don't need the fenders all that much. Langster also has some City Series bikes (on that same page) that are quite fun. Same crankset. Different paint/handlebars.
*Cannondale. Quite a nice bike. Larger crank. Hub is a flip-flop...but in a different way. You have to purchase a seperate conversion set. Meh.
*The Giant Bowery.

I honestly find Cannondale and Giant to be overpriced.
There are other singles that are quite wonderful, but probably past your price limit (they are past mine..haha.) such as Bianchi, Campagnolo, Cinelli, Fuji, etc. Meh.

I know both Raleigh and Specialized make a hybrid....you can also have one built at a local bike shop.
I suggest you go to some bike shops and do some test-riding.

magical spatula · 11-17-2007, 07:00 PM

Wow!

Thanks for all the information. Much to consider...

Honestly, I'd rather not spend more than $200 - $300 on a bike, but I know that won't get me anywhere. That's just my own budget, though, so maybe I can ask for a reasonably priced bike for Christmas (and my birthday, which is in a few weeks as well)...so we'll see what happens.

I'm hoping maybe I'll find a good deal on Black Friday...but I'm not sure if anyone selling bikes will a] have them discounted (like the local sports/bike shops) and/or b] they will be worth buying.

Soooooo....I'll keep looking? Haha.

What's the difference between fixed and free wheel?

PontiusPirate · 11-17-2007, 10:02 PM

Free wheel is like most bikes these days. You can coast and your pedals dont need to be moving. They can even go backwards while you are moving forward. They only engage when you pedal forward.
Fixed gear is just what it says. Your pedals are directly related to the movement of the back wheel. You pedal forward- you move forward. You pedal backward- you move backward. There is no coasting. Basically, if you are moving your pedals are moving.

You can check out Bikes Direct as well. They have a Windsor (no brakes/only fixed) for $299 right now, and a Motobecane (w/brakes and flipflop) for $349. Single Speeds from that site usually aren't that bad, but if you get into geared stuff, the components are pretty cheap.
For a Raleigh or Specialized you're looking at $5-700. You might be able to find a deal at a local shop though....don't be afraid to bargain.

Also, you might want to just ask for donations to your bike fund for Christmas (which is what Joel did for his birthday) or look on Craigslist or Ebay for used ones.

tht00 · 11-17-2007, 10:44 PM

Well, I cycle a bit. Not so much recently (especially now that winter is setting in), but several years ago, I got a Trek 7200FX, which I've been quite happy with. It's certainly no road bike or fixed gear bike, but it made for an excellent campus/general purpose bike.

It's a hybrid -- mountain bike-like setup with thinner tires, but without the front suspension or twist shifters that are common to hybrids. This was a huge upgrade to my old Huffy.

I've gone on several rides over 20 miles and I lost track of the mileage a while ago (my Cateye died), but I'm sure it's well over 500 miles. Everything is still working fine.

I'm not very knowledgeable on single/fixed gear bikes. However, it seems that any bike is a compromise. Mountain bikes can handle all sorts of terrain, but mostly suck for efficiency. Fixed gear bikes may be efficient, but you're going to limit yourself on where you can ride (hills of any significance would suck). So first, you've got to find what you want in a bike. Then you've got to find a decent one in your price range.

magical spatula · 11-18-2007, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PontiusPirate

Free wheel is like most bikes these days. You can coast and your pedals dont need to be moving. They can even go backwards while you are moving forward. They only engage when you pedal forward.
Fixed gear is just what it says. Your pedals are directly related to the movement of the back wheel. You pedal forward- you move forward. You pedal backward- you move backward. There is no coasting. Basically, if you are moving your pedals are moving.

You can check out Bikes Direct as well. They have a Windsor (no brakes/only fixed) for $299 right now, and a Motobecane (w/brakes and flipflop) for $349. Single Speeds from that site usually aren't that bad, but if you get into geared stuff, the components are pretty cheap.
For a Raleigh or Specialized you're looking at $5-700. You might be able to find a deal at a local shop though....don't be afraid to bargain.

Also, you might want to just ask for donations to your bike fund for Christmas (which is what Joel did for his birthday) or look on Craigslist or Ebay for used ones.

Oohhhhhhkay. Makes sense now. Well, I'm definitely going to look around this week; my only disadvantage is I'll be at home where the selection is pretty limited versus if I buy here. Although I could always buy online...

I have looked at Craigslist pretty religiously and nothing good (or if it is, affordable) comes up; I've tried eBay, but of course, then you have to pay for shipping.

Yikes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tht00

I'm not very knowledgeable on single/fixed gear bikes. However, it seems that any bike is a compromise. Mountain bikes can handle all sorts of terrain, but mostly suck for efficiency. Fixed gear bikes may be efficient, but you're going to limit yourself on where you can ride (hills of any significance would suck). So first, you've got to find what you want in a bike. Then you've got to find a decent one in your price range.

My problem exactly. We don't have hills, but we do have bridges and slight uphills and such that I think I'd want to be able to allow myself to rest a bit on harder parts of my commute.

PontiusPirate · 11-18-2007, 08:04 PM

Start riding your mtn. bike in the highest gear and single speed will be a piece of cake.

For real, though, Joel's ridden his bike on some pretty monstrous hills....his old commute (16 miles roundtrip) had quite awful ones toward the end (both ways).

You can get different gearing for your comfort level (the crank size) which will make it easier to ride. The 2008 Specialized has a 42/16 crank which is quite a bit easier. Joel's crank on his bike is 48/16 (quite a bit harder) and it's easier for him to ride than his mtn. bike.
Once again, the only difference with down-shifting is the power. You put the same amount of energy into it, as you are pedaling much more (but with less force).

magical spatula · 11-19-2007, 08:20 AM

You should be a personal trainer. :]

Haha.

But really, I do appreciate all the advice! I'll keep looking around and let you guys know if I find anything...

anamorphosis · 11-20-2007, 08:23 PM

More or less on or off topic, I 've noticed that old retro racing bikes seem to be in.

magical spatula · 11-27-2007, 09:53 PM

Well, I went bike shopping when I was home. I found a bike I really liked after some discussion with the shop owner - the Giant Sedona. It's not a road bike (a hybrid, rather), but I really like it, and I think it'll get me to where I need to go.

The one thing I really like about it is that the handlebars are pretty high, so I can sit more upright than I normally could on my "old" bike.

**jump5fan** · 12-04-2007, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PontiusPirate

Free wheel is like most bikes these days. You can coast and your pedals dont need to be moving. They can even go backwards while you are moving forward. They only engage when you pedal forward.

there is a special type of freewheel called the Shimano Front Freewheel System. insted of the freewheel being on the rear wheel like it is on most bikes, it is on the crankset. one advantege of this system is that as long as the bike is moving you can shift gears even if you aren't pedaling. My brother has a Ross Eurotour with FFS and it is pretty cool. the only thing is that the bike is heavy, but then again it is a cruser type bicycle.