# Type of Commuter?



## MTT (Oct 14, 2005)

What type of bike do you commute on?


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

I added some options.


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## MTT (Oct 14, 2005)

MB1 said:


> I added some options.


Ok, you know I forgot Touring type road bike- can you add that one as well?


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

I ride a road bike(s) but wish I had a touring bike. Been keeping my eyes peeled looking for a nice used Miyata or similar, but they've to have become very popular. Prices have been out the roof on eBay whenever a decent touring frame is auctioned.


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## wooglin (Feb 22, 2002)

Fixed gear cross bike with fenders.


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## MTT (Oct 14, 2005)

wooglin said:


> Fixed gear cross bike with fenders.


That would go under Cross I imagine. I just wanted to get an idea what people where riding, my only regret is I didn't get disc brakes, but now that I have new calipers on my cross, it holds well enough..............MTT


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## thinkcooper (Jan 5, 2005)

Mine's an oddball.

- 1986 Specialized Team Stumpjumper frame> mountain bike 
- converted to run 700C with rebrazed brake bosses> cyclocross
- added fenders, lights, rack and panniers> touring bike / hybrid
- with 80's vintage Scott LT2 bullhorn MTB bars and barend shifters> time-trialer
- running late 80's vintage Mavic "Velo Tous Terrain" components> retro-vintage


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

Cross bikes rule for commuters. Mine has Campy 9, fenders, and a rack.


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## Fredrico (Jun 15, 2002)

*Cross bikes are perfect.*

They've got room for 28-35C tires and/or fenders, and usually have eyelets for racks. Put a set of nice 32 or better yet, 36 spokes wheels on, and you have an urban warrior that will get you there in style.

Still riding a custom frame made expressly for commuting about 25 years ago. A mix of SLX and SP tubing, its got long chainstays for rear rack and drilled out fork for front bags. I've run fenders on it for upwards of 60,000 miles, and the Campy Record headset seatpost, brakes, bb, cranks and hubs are still working fine.

It is an example of the "fast touring" roadbikes of the 70s, designed for transportation after OPEC raised the price of oil and eveyone panicked. Everyone, Trek, Cannondale, Raleigh, Miyata, Puch (Austro-Daimler), Schwinn, made these bikes with 73 degree angles and 39 or 40 inch wheelbases, and they all had enough clearance for bigger tires and eyelets for fenders. What happened was mountain bikes and then hybrids took over the transportaion market, and drop bar roadbikes went over to purely racing breeds. That's a shame, with all the interest in commuting coming up these days.

Cross bikes are the answer, though. They have all the qualities of those old fast touring bikes of the late 70s and early 80s, plus light weight and canti brakes. That's what I'd be riding, if my old one weren't still on the road.


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## Hollywood (Jan 16, 2003)

MB1 said:


> I added some options.


whew! my first reaction was 'How'd he get 15 options?!?!"


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## JohnnyTooBad (Apr 5, 2004)

You lumped cruiser and SS? I ride a SS, but it's far from a cruiser. It's closer to a fixie and has a flip-flop hub and bullhorns.


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## Sledgehammer03 (Mar 7, 2006)

Modified Crosser.

Rear rack mounted with rubber coated P-clips (best addition).

37 mm tire on front, winter snow tire.
28mm tire on back.

I haven't added fenders, tho I think that at least a front fender will be the next addition. the only water that we get is melting snow. 

Custom made mud flap, of course.


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## Fredrico (Jun 15, 2002)

*Interesting results.*

The most respondents ride cyclocross bikes (because they are just the ticket) or road (because they are widely available). The hybrids that came in third had to be modified.

This is a sensible group, underserved by the industry still making hybrid style bikes for the commuter market.


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## khill (Mar 4, 2004)

I ride:

50% fixed 
40% cyclocross
10% singlespeed MTB

Depends on the weather and what route I feel like taking.


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## Zero Signal (Feb 8, 2008)

Modified mountain bike here, at least until I can afford a CX bike!


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## nachomc (Aug 31, 2006)

I ride on my Specialized Allez.


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## vanjr (Sep 15, 2005)

Mine is hybrid with cyclocross tires and candy pedals. I put it under hybrid, but its essentially a flat bar cyclocross bike. I think


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## PdxMark (Feb 3, 2004)

*Where are City Bikes?*

The poll is missing a category - city bike. It's not a hybrid, which is usually an unfortunate mix of design features resulting in something like an upright road bike, it's not a cruiser, which a kicked-back play bike for a trip down the block or along the Prom. Dutch bikes are city bikes, Breezers are city bikes. They're not hybrids and they're not cruisers... I ride a city bike.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

PdxMark said:


> The poll is missing a category - city bike......



Well until somebody votes for "Drunk" I ain't adding any more options. :idea:


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## dumbaSS (Mar 18, 2007)

I selected fixte with track ends, but it's a 26" mountain bike frame (Surly 1 x 1) so I wasn't sure where to post it. Also ride my road bike or fixed road bike to work, but the Surly is less prone to flat and indestructible so I usually roll that.


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## Henry Chinaski (Feb 3, 2004)

Surly Cross Check with 700 x 32s, fenders, flat bars and a 2 x 8 drivetrain.


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## bkranich (May 7, 2004)

Modified older Cannondale MTB with full fenders, rack, 2x9 drivetrain, Conti Town& Country tires. Oh, and lots of 3M black reflective tape. No complaints. My commute's only a mile.


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## MTT (Oct 14, 2005)

For some reason I thought more people would be on touring type bikes, but I guess those are pricey? I think the cyclocross bikes with disc brakes are perfect, especially if you can toss in some single track in the summer. Thanks MTT :14:


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## m_s (Nov 20, 2007)

I've ben riding a cross bike but it isn't really "modified." It does have dinky clip-on rear mud flap, but that's been coming in handy this winter for long road/dirt road rides. All I'd have to do to race the bike is take off the frame pump, bottle cage, and mud flap.

I alos sometimes ride my touring bike, but I don't want to abuse it as it's for sale. For what it's worth, the touring bike is much more versatile and only slightly less fun to ride. My cross bike doesn't have seatstay rack mounts. It has front and rear fender eyelets, but that's about it. My touring bike can clear 35mm tires, and of course has all neded eyelets. My cross bike can clear 38mm or so tires. I've taken them both off road quite a bit. The only thing the touring bike is bad at is racing (though I have done it). So what exactly is the obsession with 'cross bikes? They're nice and I love them, but I just see touring bikes as so much more useful.


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

what's a "modified cyclo-cross bike"?


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## averen (Jan 1, 2008)

Um, I put modified cyclocross...but I guess it's really just a cyclocross bike with non-knobby tires...










This is what happens when the gear from a Fuji Roubaix collides with a Soma Double Cross frame and fork. Anyone need a Fuji Roubaix frame and fork  

Still some what of a work in progress. I just got back from her "shake down" ride...thankfully nothing shook off! Just need to stop the front brake from squeeling and she'll be ready to go! Commuting with her starts tomorrow (well, errands, thankfully not work!) I'm amazed how strong the wheels are. I was headed down hill, into the sun, going way too fast when I hit something large in the bike lane...probably a big rock or something...I for sure thought I had a pinch flat at the least, and probably a bent rim...thankfully I had neither! If felt like whatever it was was about 4" tall, or a little smaller than curb sized, scared the jebus out of me!

This is replacing an OLD Trek 820 that served me very very well, and my Fuji Roubaix that I probably shouldn't have bought...although I did enjoy it a lot.

Jared


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

Sledgehammer03 said:


> Modified Crosser.
> 
> Rear rack mounted with rubber coated P-clips (best addition).
> 
> ...


Is that the South Platte River trail in Denver? I might be in that neigborhood for good next year.


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

I mix it up between my fixie, my road bike, and my 29er.


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## Sledgehammer03 (Mar 7, 2006)

Pablo said:


> Is that the South Platte River trail in Denver? I might be in that neigborhood for good next year.


Yep, just downstream from the 15th Street bridge. I don't get to commute enough, so I bring my bike to work and ride up through downtown for an hour or so at lunch.

Where you thinking of moving to?


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## Zero Signal (Feb 8, 2008)

Interesting question regarding the touring bikes. I think 90% of commutes are less than an hour and a half and you don't really need a touring bike for that unless you commute with a heavy load. At least in my opinion. I looked at touring bikes for the longest time to replace my mountain bike with road tires. I realized since my commute is only an hour, I just want something fast with fender and rack mounts that can take 700Cx28 tires. I'll stick with using the mountain bike as a backup commuter and touring bike.


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## averen (Jan 1, 2008)

Zero Signal said:


> I realized since my commute is only an hour, I just want something fast with fender and rack mounts that can take 700Cx28 tires. I'll stick with using the mountain bike as a backup commuter and touring bike.


That's why cyclocross bikes make such awesome commuters! They can take tire sizes of all sorts...and a lot of the steel frames have fender and rack eyelets. I too started looked at touring bikes, but I wanted something nimble like my road bike...but could take some abuse like my mountain bike. Cyclocross bike was the answer! 

I run 700x32. I'll probably try some 28s just to see how they are...I like the "plushness" of the 32s, but they don't seem to stick in the corners like the 23s on my road bike did! The 23s were pretty rough though, and not good for wet weather.

Jared


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## meat tooth paste (Oct 6, 2004)

*cyclocross for my*

Used to commute on a fixie, crit road bike then a rigid 29er mtn bike.

Finally decided that a cyclocross bike was best for commuting.

Specialized Tricross built up for trail and commuting duties.


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## Zero Signal (Feb 8, 2008)

Sweet! Rockin the bar end shifters, I love it.


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## Squidward (Dec 18, 2005)

I ride an '89 Specialized Stumpjumper Comp that has been fitted with 700C wheels. I got the brakes to work by installing a set of FMF (BMX!) V-brakes to the cantilever bosses. The FMF brakes allowed me to mount the brake pads much higher than normal much like the Paul's MotoBMX V-brakes do but at half the price. The 28mm rear tire just clears the chainstay bridge and with the rear fender in place it rubs it a little bit.

Components list:
Specialized Stumpjumper Comp frame, fork, and original handlebar
Original Shimano Deore XT derailleurs
Original Strong seatpost
SRAM 8-speed GripShift shifters
Shimano WH-R500 wheels
FMF V-brakes with Tektro levers
12-25 8-speed cassette
Shimano FC-M475 cranks
Forte 28mm rear tire and Forte 25mm front (bought a mis-matched set by accident)
Full fenders from my nephew's old Specialized Crossroads
Rear rack

To keep the weight down I only run the fenders and rack as needed, which is only when it rains or I need to lug anything, which is rarely. I have to carry my bike up and down four or five flights of stairs on my commute so less weight means it's easier for me to do this. This is my do-everything bike when I don't want to use a race bike or my mountain bike.


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## lawndart (Oct 4, 2004)

i've got a 06 Cannondale r5000 road bike


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## wayneanneli (Jul 8, 2004)

I work from home, otherwise I would ride my faithful 20-year old Fisher Montare. Geez, do I miss commuting.


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