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?
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.
I mix riding with walking to work as I get the train to Kings Cross from South London, but I ride a Dahon Jetstream P8 with Magura brakes. The full suspension and 20″ wheels take care of the bumps plus it folds well to get on the train and take into the office with me.
self built Bob Jackson fixed, Campag Record chainset, chris king headset, Nitto stem and bars, thomson seat post, brooks saddle, 105 front brake, goldtec hubs with open pro rims, orange in homage to Eddy Merckx hour bike. Unique to me and I love it!
Banana Raleigh 531c. Only 3 miles each way. Love every minute.
A Gazelle Toer Populair, with a step-through frame (commonly mistaken for a “girl’s bike” – pfft!). It gets a lot of looks and is surprisingly fast! I love it.
I ride a Trek 4300 Mountain Bike. Very reliable for the everyday commute.
Condor Fratello. Makes the heart sing.
A Dahon Mu Uno. Simple and nippy.
http://flic.kr/p/7fUcrX
The TUBE! Although I live in a flat hat has 2 electronic secruity gates, and my bike was locked on my balcony I still came out this morning to find it gone.
The 24 Hr concierge just shrugged his shoulders, doubted the CCTV will show anything but did admit to seeing a few “teenagers” hanging around yesterday.
Ive only had the bike since march, been knocked off and now stolen – I’m turning into a cliche statistic.
Now to take on the insurers but I think I am going to opt for a bike around the 200 price mark next time. SIngle speed too.
Surly Steamroller for quick in-n-outs, and a Surly Cross Check with panniers if I’ve got to lug stuff. Steel: I like steel frames, very forgiving on London streets.
Boris’s bikes from Liverpool Street to Chancery Lane.
I ride my self-built Cove Stiffee mountain bike. I’d like to have a lighter, more road friendly bike for my ride to work, but I don’t have room at home for two bikes.
Dawes XC-1.0 with modified handlebars and Fat Frank tyres on it. Looks and feels like a dutch bike, but at a fraction of the cost (all in all about £300). Love riding it!
I use a Bigfish folding bike, cos it rides really well, it looks great, you can roll the folded bike along with you as you walk (brilliant for that last schlep along the railway platform after the ticket barrier!)
Oh, and I work for them….! Sorry for the blatant plug (please don’t be cross), here’s our blog if you’re interested http://bigfishbike.wordpress.com
I commute on a Ribble 7005 Horizontal road bike with Tiagra group. It rides very well!
16 mile round-trip in N. London on an old Holdsworth with a 531 steel frame. Widened the back frame and moved from 5 to 7 speed…late 1980’s luxury refinement! Added a Brooks saddle – now that is a worthy upgrade IMHO.
Trek Soho for a 10 mile commute. Wide handle bars give good control and posture. Disk brakes – invaluable around town.
I have been communting to work on a black Brompton 6 speed for the last 7 months.
10 miles round trip rain or shine up hill or down. Loving it!
Recently had to have the back spockets replaced so had no bike for 3 days Next time
(April I reckon), im doing it myself. Give me the mad, bad roads of London any day over the mad bad, inane chatter of the morning London bus commuters I had to tolerate.
Thorn Touring bike with big tyres for the rough bits and fewer punctures,Panniers for work clothes,shopping and holidays Best quality replacement parts for durability Hope i never have to buy another bike
Crosstrail Elite in the XXL framesize – what a difference from my old roadified MTB. The frame fit to my long legs and a much better gearset took a load off my time for the 7 mile trip. Added a rack with a pair of Ortleib backroller panniers in the bright yellow colour (not proud, but visible) and a proper old style load bell instead of the ping-ping thumb flick thing – a bit of canal towpath involved and waking up pedestrians is very important. Just need to get some puncture resistant inserts for Specialized’s standard Borough XC Sport as they suck up glass fragments in the wet (three flats in one day last week, ouch).
Giant FCR 2 (they renamed this the rapide this year i think ) road-bkie frame with flat bars.. I love it, fast light and manoeverable… as the spotty teenager in the shop said…”this one is shit fast”
Specialized s-works 2007 Tricross (CycloX), fitted with road wheels, but otherwise with the low gear ratio that’s perfect in traffic.
Gorgeous tough full carbon monocoque bike with Dura Ace/Ultegra that I bought in San Francisco for just £750 (via eBay) last year.
The frame was cracked, hence the price, but I had it fixed. That’s why I commute on it, rather than throw it down tree rooted hills with my 15 stone body, but it’s way way better than a £2500 new bike.
I ride a Kona Dew Deluxe hybrid, I really love it and I dig the Kona brand (it is my second Kona bike).
I have a Kona Dew Drop, basically the same as the Dew but with drop bars. It has a strong solid frame, compact geometry and disk brakes.
I used to commute on a bike that had v-brakes. In terms of maintenance and stopping power the disk brakes are far better. I adjust them every couple of months and so far the pads have lasted over a year.
I have added a rack and panniers, full length mudguards and thinner 28mm continental gatorskin tyres For me, it is the perfect commuting steed!
Cube Agree GTC Race – Light and fast… Need it doing 17miles each way to work. Buut must improve my hill climbing……. Turbo trainer for winter use particularly in this snowy weather!!!
I’m a fast approaching 50 something that has taken advantage of the Cycle To Work Scheme retuning to cycling after about 20 years.
I recently purchased a Scuderro Red coloured ‘Ferrari’ Hybrid 26in Small framed bike with Shimano Nexus gearing & drum brakes for my round trip of about 7 miles from Fenchurch Street to Westminster & back & from the railway station to home. Recently succumbed to the ‘lycra clad’ image simply because I find it is that much more comfortable to ride in.
I am shamelessly a ‘leisure cyclist’ & it worries me not about the amount of other cyclists that whizz past me 🙂
I don’t commute because I’m retired! But I quite frequently ride the 2 whole miles (out and back!), pre-retirement route on a stock Trek 1200, but with mudguards, rear pannier rack, shorter ahead stem, multi-position hybrid bars and touring-spd pedals.
Over longer distances I often tow a trailer heavily laden with firewood too, sometimes on tarmac-free but level tracks. It’s a massively useful bike.
Pearson Touche single speed. Absolutely lovely, makes me actually look forward to going to work in the morning. I work between 2 different sites so anywhere between 6-15 miles a day riding.
Dahon Speed D7, bought second hand of gumtree. It’s light, a joy to ride and doesn’t take a lot of space when folded. It took me a while to get used to it but love it now 🙂
thinking of buying a probike. dont know much about bikes, any help guys ?
is probikes any good for my 18 mile round commute?
Condor Fratello – from the Condor bike porn shop
Ive got a Peugeot road bike that I’ve gone fixed with. It’s quick and light and with some deep silver rims looks pretty retro. Kinda fun. I’ve slapped on some brown tape and a b17 and it’s a pretty good looking ride.
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I ride a trek 3700 everyday to work. Live in Mexico City, by far not the most bike friendly city, but I love my bike. Suspension helps with every pothole and bump, glide through traffic. I bought 26 x 1.5 inch tires to improve speed.