15 mile commuting bike

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ash_dac said:
Any recommendations for a 15 mile commuting bike ? (UK)

I've been looking at the Specialized Sirrus (recommended in the shop) but I think the geometry might be a little too aggressive.

Would it be better to get a single speed bike for commuting ?

Looks like the Sirrus would be a good choice, the write-ups emphasize that's what this line was designed for. They come with fender and rack braze-ons and 28C tires.
All you need are fenders and a good light, and maybe some decent clipless pedals.

A single speed bike would be fine for a FLAT commute.

Jeff
 
Check that the Sirrus has clearance for fenders (mudguards to you) I've serviced a few from previous years that had major interference issues at the front derailleur due to short chainstays.

Personally, I would opt for (and do myself ride) an internally geared bike with a Shimano Nexus 7 or 8 speed or the new Alfine 8 speed drivetrain. Low maintenance, shift while stopped or underway, plenty of gears for commuting. Like the good old Raleigh Sports, but modernised.


rdf said:
Oh, you're one of those guys. Just kidding, mighty impressive work right down to the homemade biopace. The thought of riding one in the city traffic I once frequented scares the willies out me.

I don't see any Biopace in the pic. :confused:
 
lousymusician said:
We need more info - what's your terrain? Are you riding rain or shine? What's your budget?

Me, for a dedicated commuter I'd go for something rather 'touristy', that would accept racks and fenders and pretty much any width tires. Like one of these..

Bill

Terrain - pretty flat. Maybe one hill not sure of the incline.
Distance - about 15 miles
Roads- decent tarmac
Traffic- Heavy town traffic part of the way
Weather- probably rain or shine.
Fitness- ?

At the moment I walk to the train station and get a bus to work (about two miles) the other side when I get off the train . My biggest annoyance is that the train companies in the UK have changed their cycle policy to only allowing folding bikes at peak times. I struggling to locate second hand 'hack' bikes for the shuttle runs. Anything decent locked up for a day would be risky!
 
commuting bicycle:)

ah..the fun of it all.

Maxro and vinylkid make good points. The sealed gearing (internal types) are excellent in rainy "pacific southwest" of "our home an native land".

however....there could be others too. Recumbents are more energy efficient, partially due the reduced frontal area. I guess it depends on your budget. Kid's bikes can be converted to a 'bent pretty easily. Add a fairing.

Do a search for IHPVA. many links

if folding bikes are permitted, as per Maxro's suggestion.
 
recumbent might be good depending on the drivers and traffic conditions, i might build one myself now i seen that :)

specialized and treck are like dell. you get the "right components" but they are OEM versions which are sometimes not as nice as the retail versions. you spend a bit for the name, and attractive package.

also they cheap out in areas that you can not see like the bottom bracket.

Sirrus is also an aluminum frame, if you are riding that far every day it might be a bit too stiff and harsh. it does have that rubber thingy in the forks and seatpost, it might help a bit.

steel is a bit heavier but rides nicer it can rust if you dont look after it.

titanium is great if you can get a used frame and build it up.
even more comfy than steel, and wont corrode or fatigue. expensive
if you get a used Ti frame it can be made to look like new very easily. (as long as it is not "painted titanium abomination"

i have a first generation merlin titanium which i was lucky enough to get in exchange for some work i did and a bottle of scotch. it still rides great !

super light
carbon is very nice but it is a throwaway item. all it takes is one good knock, even from being dropped on something sharp and it is finished.
beefier (heavier) carbon can be very durable

aluminium with carbon stays, not a bad idea, the stays do not seem to be very vulnerable. still aluminum :)

:D

i have worked as a bike mechanic off and on over the years, thats what i do when i cant find a real job :)
 
neutron7 said:



the store i am at part time these days has those, they sell like hotcakes in Toronto.
i wonder if they would allow this


ritchey breakaway

Thanks for posting the Break-Away link. Looks like a pretty cool line of frames, and very convenient for people who travel a lot, but still want to ride their bike.

I was surfing for pricing and found a triathlete site with a travel bike comparison. More really cool bikes.

Humble Triathlete

Jeff
 
You could build an E-assisted bicycle like this one I am currently putting together. It started life as a Honda 360 twin motorcycle. Wheelbase is stretched 12 inches to accomodate four 105 AH 12 volt AGM batteries.
 

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I_Forgot said:
So your legs are there to assist the motor?

Why does it even have pedals? I can't imagine trying to pedal that thing anywhere with the weight of batteries and even just the frame.

I_F


The human pedals are there merely to fulfil a legal requirement. I have pedalled the empty frame a few hundred feet and that was a workout. With batteries and motor it weighs about 800 lbs with me on it. That is fully half what many small cars weigh. Now I know what Fred Flinstone must have felt like after driving somewhere. I can pedal that about 30 feet on smooth level pavement. This thing has to fit the legal description of a pedal bicycle in order to be allowed on the road under the bicycle rules which allow no registration, no operator`s liscense, no insurance. The top legal speed limit is 20 MPH and there is a low HP restriction. Mine even has a bicycle bell, another requirement. Ring-ring. Excuse me! Powerful dual electric air horns to be added as backup! Hey You!!!! :smash:

Some guys deal with male menopause with a shiny new red sports car. I am doing it with a shiny new red bicycle. :D It will have a large carrier basket behind the seat and I will be able to use it to go to town and get groceries in the event my car is broken or the world`s greed has priced gas out of my reach.
 
ash_dac said:
Any recommendations for a 15 mile commuting bike ? (UK)

I've been looking at the Specialized Sirrus (recommended in the shop) but I think the geometry might be a little too aggressive.

Would it be better to get a single speed bike for commuting ?


Go get yourself a nice single speed bike. I live in a place with about the same type of landscape as yours.

The cons and pros of single speeds:

Cons-

Long steep hills are not funny!

Limited frame choice (you need rear facing dropouts)

Pros-

Lighter bike.

Less loss than both derraillure and internal type gears...a lot less!

Cheaper.

Hardly any maintainanve besides oiling the chain now and then.


If you want the real deal, go for a fixed gear bike...that will offer you even more fun and can under the right conditions be ridden at very high speed.


Magura :)
 
Something else I want to mention about my 800 pound bicycle. If I hit a pebble at the side of the road I`m not gonna wipe out. Also if some jerk automobile driver decides to ram me he is going to end up with my imprint deep in his grille and that is gonna cost him big bucks to fix, heck he might even be disabled. :D If you ride a ten pound bicycle and get hit by a car you are launched fifty feet into the bushes and the driver doesn`t even know what that little bump noise was. I don`t see any satisfaction in that ! :xeye:

With this much moving mass and smooth ride I can also have a nice large saddle which I have now made and which does not appear in the above pictures. That will be comfortable for my fat old tired a$$, unlike those painful tiny hard bicycle seats. You can keep those thank you so much!

With an electrical system that stores more electricity than a Toyota Prius I can as mentioned have a LOUD air horn that will command attention. Ditto for a lighting system. Rules for lighting on bicycles do not specify pattern or lumens. I can come up with any bright idea I like there.

This isn`t just a crazy impractical idea, no siree. :smash:
 
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