# Best commuter bike for nyc



## ninom (Jul 18, 2015)

Hello everyone! I would like to hear some opinions/recommendations on best commuter bicycle for NYC roads. I now have a TREK 6000 that I bought in 2008 i believe and its still going but i feel I need a change and here is why. 

I commute from astoria to battery park 5 days a week rain or shine which is about 10 miles one way. My trek is a mountain bike and the riding position isnt as comfortable as i do have to rest my arms every now and then. 

Also my trek spokes keep breaking every couple of months right now i have to repair two of them and its always the back rim and here is my guess why that happens. First potholes in NyC are all over and i m a heavy rider. I am 6'3 and 260 lbs.

So my next bike i m looking to buy would have to be comfortable enough but even more sturdy enough. I do want speeds as when i cross the queensboro bridge i can switch speeds.

So please help me decide whats gonna be the bike out there for the price and ofcourse sturdiness and comfort.

Thank you
Nino


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

Get a new rear wheel built with 36 spokes instead of (likely 32)

Get fitted to the MTB (pay for it)

Keep riding

When you make a target weight, reward yourself with a new bike


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## ninom (Jul 18, 2015)

I dont think I m loosing anymore weight as I used to be 326 lbs and i m now 260. I m not ur average looking person, anyway u wouldnt get it till u saw me in person. So you think i m better off just sticking to my trek6000 now and getting whole new rear wheel?


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## NJBiker72 (Jul 9, 2011)

Unless you are a body builder or former NFL lineman, you could probably lose a bit. That said, I agree with Ted that your biggest concern is a sturdier rear wheel. Sure you could get a road bike which may be more comfortable. Maybe a Specialized Secteur would be a good fit. But even then get a tough wheel built up.


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## Trek_5200 (Apr 21, 2013)

Plus 1 on losing weight and upgrading wheels.


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## ninom (Jul 18, 2015)

I was under impression this is a bike forum and not weight loss forum. But thank you all


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## NJBiker72 (Jul 9, 2011)

If you don't want honest advice don't ask.


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

ninom said:


> I was under impression this is a bike forum and not weight loss forum. But thank you all


In order to get to the "lighter and faster" bikes, you need to drop more weight.


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## ninom (Jul 18, 2015)

With all due respect that wasnt my question and reason why i posted. I dont need a lighter or faster bike i need a commuter bike thats sturdy and comfortable


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## Trek_5200 (Apr 21, 2013)

Brompton


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## ninom (Jul 18, 2015)

you didnt answer my question nor did u give me any advice about type of bicycle thats sturdy and comfy. So i dont know why u replied?


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## ninom (Jul 18, 2015)

Thank you Trek5200


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## GlobalGuy (Jun 9, 2015)

ninom said:


> Hello everyone! I would like to hear some opinions/recommendations on best commuter bicycle for NYC roads.
> 
> I commute from astoria to battery park 5 days a week rain or shine which is about 10 miles one way. My trek is a mountain bike and the riding position isnt as comfortable as i do have to rest my arms every now and then.
> 
> ...


Hey, Nino, sorry that you got so many"non-responsive" replies and no replies that answered your question. 

First off here are the maximum recommend weight for Trek bikes:






> Max rider weight of *275lbs*: Road bikes, triathlon bikes, and cruisers. Max rider weight of *300lbs*: All other bikes, including hybrids, urban, commuter, fitness, Ride+ electric assist, cyclocross, and all mountain bikes.


So being a heavy and tall guy is going to play a big factor into what type of bike you want given your goal as well as what if any special modifications might be. 

You didn't specifically say that you wanted a flat bar bike like a mountain bike or commuter bike but since you are riding a mountain bike I'm assuming that you don't want any type of road bike with drop bars. 

That said you want something that is more comfortable and presumably a bit faster than what you have now. 

It's impossible to give a comprehensible reply as more information would be needed, (which you might get if you visited a good bike shop with your bike and asked some questions.)

Nevertheless, it sounds like you want new mountain bike or commuter/urban fitness bike like a Trek 7.5 or Cannondale Quick Speed. 

In choosing your bike you might want to inquire about getting a larger sized tire and find out if the wheel on whatever production bike you decide on is sufficient strength for the combination of your weight and those potholes. 

Since you have had your current bike since 2008 and presumably have been using it continuously since then but only recently have started breaking spokes the age of the wheel combined with your weight and the potholes could be a factor. 

You can check out the bikes I mentioned as well as others such as mountain bikes at:

The Official Site of Cannondale Bicycles

Trek Bicycle: the world's greatest bikes for road, mountain, city, and kids

Good luck.


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## ninom (Jul 18, 2015)

That was a very nice reply and I truly appreciate the effort it took to type it and your knowledge. I think flat bars are what kills me for 10 mile rides its not big of a deal but when i go riding for 40 to 60 miles my palms start hurting. So i would def need bars that are curved so i can be in more of a straight position then being bent down if you know what i mean. I m now replacing my trek 6000 wheel with 36 spoke as recommended by tednugent.

I m def gonna look into the bikes you mentioned thank you very much!!!


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## Mcfarton (May 23, 2014)

i would check all the local bike shops and find one that you like. Then look at what they offer. With your body I would want a steel frame with wheels that have a higher spoke count. Test ride as many bikes as you can. 

Enjoy the experience. New bike day is great!


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

ninom said:


> That was a very nice reply and I truly appreciate the effort it took to type it and your knowledge. I think flat bars are what kills me for 10 mile rides its not big of a deal but when i go riding for 40 to 60 miles my palms start hurting. So i would def need bars that are curved so i can be in more of a straight position then being bent down if you know what i mean. I m now replacing my trek 6000 wheel with 36 spoke as recommended by tednugent.
> 
> I m def gonna look into the bikes you mentioned thank you very much!!!


YOu can buy flat bars with a higher rise than what you currently have and/or a new stem that can go higher.

Buying a new Trek 7.5 or Cannondale Quickspeed will put you back at square one. The frame may be able to support your weight, but you'll be breaking spokes in the rear wheels anyway. That means you still need to buy a new rear wheel as well as another handle bar, with the rise you may need and/or a new stem.

Tires, you can get smoother tread ones.
H5 26" - | Bontrager

Handlebars (this may work, just guessing, without seeing you and the bike, but you may need to recable, as the existing cables/housings would probably be too short)
Hi-Rise - | Bontrager

Maybe you just need a stem?
Mountain Bike, Road Bike & Carbon Bike Stems | Bontrager

Maybe a new grip will help? (the ergon copies are nice, once they are set up to a comfy position)
inForm Satellite - | Bontrager

There's lots you can do, before throwing the money to buy a new bike that may not even work for you in the first place.

So, if you want to be cost conscious, then get the parts you need to fit to the bike. Continue to ride and trim down, then reward yourself with a new bike, so you can have some fun doing laps around central park.

Wheels?
26








Some on RBR can vouch for their quality and reliability (see Wheel & Tire forum)


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## NJBiker72 (Jul 9, 2011)

tednugent said:


> YOu can buy flat bars with a higher rise than what you currently have and/or a new stem that can go higher.
> 
> Buying a new Trek 7.5 or Cannondale Quickspeed will put you back at square one. The frame may be able to support your weight, but you'll be breaking spokes in the rear wheels anyway. That means you still need to buy a new rear wheel as well as another handle bar, with the rise you may need and/or a new stem.
> 
> ...


I thought he wanted drop bars from the last post? I am sure you could get a set of alloy drop bars for his bike. 

Still, though, if it is for 60+ miles as he mentioned in his recent post, I would go with something along the lines of a Specialized Secteur, as I mentioned before or a Giant Defy. 

The Secteur I believe has an easier time handling wider tires. I could get 28s on mine whereas my daughter's Giant could not. 

Which if going to a road bike would be a strong consideration.


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## ninom (Jul 18, 2015)

those handlebars look exactly what i meant. They are just enough height so my palms dont hurt and this way i dont rest my hands on the back of my knuckles (if that makes sense at all)

I took my bike to the shop and i m
Waiting for a call of an estimate.
I m def gonna let th change my wheel but i think i can do handlebars myself

Thank you everyone 👍😄


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

NJBiker72 said:


> I thought he wanted drop bars from the last post? I am sure you could get a set of alloy drop bars for his bike.


Drop bars isn't going to make him more upright.



ninom said:


> That was a very nice reply and I truly appreciate the effort it took to type it and your knowledge. I think flat bars are what kills me for 10 mile rides its not big of a deal but when i go riding for 40 to 60 miles my palms start hurting. So i would def need bars that are curved so i can be in more of a *straight position then being bent down if you know what i mean*. I m now replacing my trek 6000 wheel with 36 spoke as recommended by tednugent.
> 
> I m def gonna look into the bikes you mentioned thank you very much!!!


the Bontrager bars I linked, has 76mm rise (vs 15mm that came on his bike). 61mm (or 2.4") additional rise.


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## NJBiker72 (Jul 9, 2011)

tednugent said:


> Drop bars isn't going to make him more upright.
> 
> 
> 
> the Bontrager bars I linked, has 76mm rise (vs 15mm that came on his bike). 61mm (or 2.4") additional rise.


I misunderstood. Since he mentioned his palms hurting I was thinking to add hand positions.


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

NJBiker72 said:


> I misunderstood. Since he mentioned his palms hurting I was thinking to add hand positions.


It can be too tight of a grip on the grips, along with the angle of the brake levers & shifters that can be the issue.

Once you get the body positioning to something more comfortable (OP's using a lot of arms to support his torso currently), then with a more ergonomic grip dialed in, then OP can also adjust his shifter & brake levers to a more comfy position that still allows to him to get 1 or 2 fingers on the lever.

Not sure if the fork has a lock-out or not. Probably does, since the 6000 is a higher model than say, 4300. But, the fork, after 7 years... probably needs service.

locking out the fork will help with minimizing energy loss.


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## 9W9W (Apr 5, 2012)

Admittedly, I didn't read everything.

In my past life, when I pushed a Cannondale hybrid switching to slick (no knob or less knob tires) made a huge difference in maintaining speed and getting up to speed. Big change for the better, if you're riding those knobby tires your bike is going to fly after the change. 

Lockout fork would really help in not losing all that energy to bobbing up and down, but with a rigid fork you gotta look for potholes and unweighted the bike (by standing up) at point of impact, or avoiding altogether.


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