# CX Bike - Perfect for commuting?



## azalia1 (Jun 27, 2007)

Hello,
I interested in having a part time commuter bike that is not my mountain bike. Right now, I am thinking that a CX bike with flat bars and smooth, wider tires is close to ideal. I know the basics of bikes, but I don't know much. Does anyone have any opinions as to what the ideal commuter bike would be?

Here is my reasoning, and please correct me if I am wrong,

A road bike with dropdowns has a couple disadvatages. For commuting I am not racing, I would prefer flat bars for comfort and control. I also dislike thin road bike tires. I have one bike right now, a dual suspension mt. bike which is heavier than I'd like for a commute bike, and the double suspension is ridiculous overkill. But I like the tire width, which is another reason a commute-modified CX bike sounds ideal to me.

My question to you fine folks is what would you say the perfect commute bike would be?

Stable (wider tires than a typical road bike)

light (no suspension, minimalist design)

cheap (I know it's hard to do light and cheap, but I don't want a bike that will be targeted by theives. Plus I'm poor)

If anyone can offer any input I would appreciate it, thank you!


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## Gripped (Nov 27, 2002)

To be honest, the perfect commuting bike is a mid to late 90's steel road bike with "sport" geometry (as opposed to race). It will most likely have room in the fork and frame for wider road tires and fenders.

If you are buying new, a cross bike isn't a bad choice. I would suggest the Bianchi Volpe with slick tires and fenders. It's got drop bars but it'll give you a pretty upright riding position. And you can mount top mount brake levers for added security while riding the tops in traffic.


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## knucklesandwich (Feb 23, 2007)

If you want flat bars, then I'd say a CX bike might not be your best bet. Granted you can ride on the bar tops of a CX bike with the inline levers, but you do have to hit the hoods/drops to shift. There's a lot of flat bar road bikes out there nowadays, as hybrids have evolved away a bit from the cushy bikes of 10 years ago. 

Trek F series, Kona Dew, Marin Fairfax, etc. 

That said, my Kona Jake is my first bike with drops, and I would never go back to a hybrid/flat bars for the road again.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*love commuting on a cx*

higher position and top mount levers great for traffic
sturdier frame makes you less nervy bunny hopping stuff
switch 48 ring for a 50 and hang with the roadies and piss them off


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## JonnyCleve (Aug 29, 2006)

I commute on my CX everyday - watch everyone squirm when you jump the curb and keep chugging. My Conquest Pro chews up everything the road throws at it. You can't go wrong. I agree with atpjunkie - I didn't really know the meaning of life until I bought my CX.


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## Crank-a-Roo (Mar 21, 2003)

It is pointless to buy a 'cross bike with a flat bar because the shorter top tube may require to fit the bike with a long stem. If upright position is what you want, why don't you look at the urban fitness bikes that various brands are offering? These bikes are like the hybrid of the 90's. They have geometry like a mountain bike but with 700cc wheels and flat bars.


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## MShaw (Jun 7, 2003)

azalia1 said:


> Hello,
> I interested in having a part time commuter bike that is not my mountain bike. Right now, I am thinking that a CX bike with flat bars and smooth, wider tires is close to ideal. I know the basics of bikes, but I don't know much. Does anyone have any opinions as to what the ideal commuter bike would be?
> 
> Here is my reasoning, and please correct me if I am wrong,
> ...


You runnin disc brakes on the mtn bike?

If you are, see if you can't find a pair of disc-specific road wheels for yer mtn bike first. That'll give you an approximation of what a flat-bar cross bike is gonna feel like. Cheeper too!

If yer not, well, Surly makes some decent frames for not much. Most cross bikes I've seen are conglomerations of lots of different parts, so start looking on ebay, craigslist, etc for compact cranks, etc.

HTH

M


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## Mosovich (Feb 3, 2004)

*My commuter....*

bike rocks. Flat bar and a single up front make this perfect for commuting...


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## ghostzapper2007 (May 22, 2007)

azalia1 said:


> Hello,
> I interested in having a part time commuter bike that is not my mountain bike. Right now, I am thinking that a CX bike with flat bars and smooth, wider tires is close to ideal. I know the basics of bikes, but I don't know much. Does anyone have any opinions as to what the ideal commuter bike would be?
> 
> Here is my reasoning, and please correct me if I am wrong,
> ...



If I were gonna buy what I would call a perfect commuting bike this would be it: 

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/bianchi-sanjos8/index.html

It is basically a single speed Bianchi San Jose (nice double butted steel frame bike) which Sheldon Brown then soups up into an 8 speed using a Shimano Nexus Red Label internel hub gear system. The wheels are also handbuilt by him with 36 DT double butted spokes front and back on Sun CR18rims (this means you'll be getting a dependable wheelset) with Panaracer Pacela tires. This souped up rig will be reasonably light, very easy to shift, dependable, and looks good. Total cost is about $1,070 but IMO it is worth every penny of it. This bike could even easily be used for light touring or riding on fireroads or decent singletrack. I have seen the 2007 dark green Bianchi San Jose in a local bike shop, and it is a very sharp looking paint scheme. My opinion on dropdown bars versus flat bars is that dropdown bars actually give you greater control of the bike and more hand positions than flatbars do, you can ride on the tops, hoods or drops (if the headwinds are nasty). The frame also has braze ons for rack mounting and can handle fenders. Check it out.


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## jpmac55 (Feb 14, 2007)

Would the Shimano Nexus internal hub be an advantage or disadvantage for a winter/snow bike?


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## hikerdave (Sep 3, 2006)

jpmac55 said:


> Would the Shimano Nexus internal hub be an advantage or disadvantage for a winter/snow bike?


I had a Nexus 4 hub on a commuter bike for a while when I lived in Idaho. Many days during the winter the shifter would freeze up solid after just a few minutes outside.


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## TrekJeff (Mar 14, 2007)

Surly Cross Check http://www.surlybikes.com/crosscheck_comp.html


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## jroden (Jun 15, 2004)

I bought a Surly Long Haul Trucker frame for a winter training bike--I think that would be a prefect commuter bike, it has the clearance and lugs to mount feners, has canti studs and has old touring bike geometry, it's a great riding bike and cheap.


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## SleeveleSS (Jun 3, 2007)

Mosovich said:


> bike rocks. Flat bar and a single up front make this perfect for commuting...


My girl commutes on a Fantom Cross Pro w/ drop bars and loves it. I don't know how much experience you (OP) have with drops, but don't rule them out. 

I just spent about 4 days in DC where she lives for the summer exploring the city. I was on my road bike and her on her CX and it was a blast. I never wished I had flat bars. 

-B


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## reklar (Mar 15, 2003)

hikerdave said:


> I had a Nexus 4 hub on a commuter bike for a while when I lived in Idaho. Many days during the winter the shifter would freeze up solid after just a few minutes outside.


You could do it with a Rohloff speedhub though. There are guys on MTBR who have them on MTBs in parts like Alaska. I think they use a different type of oil to avoid freezing, but am not 100% on that. In general the Rohloff's are *much* more durable than the Nexus hubs ...


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