Author Topic: What type of bike for a 26-mile round trip commute?  (Read 22232 times)

$200k

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What type of bike for a 26-mile round trip commute?
« on: October 10, 2013, 10:54:17 AM »
I want to start biking to work in the San Diego area.  The distance is 13 miles each way.  I am fortunate to live near the coast, so the commute is along the pacific ocean for nearly the whole ride (it is gorgeous by the way).  There are adequate showers and facilities at work, so that is not a concern. 

I am not sure what type of bike to purchase though.  A road bike?  A hybrid bike?  I don't want to make a beginner mistake.  I initially gravitated towards a road bike since I believe that will make the ride faster, but it seems most road bikes on craigs are $500 and more.  There are a few that cost less, but they are older (1970s-1990s), and I don't know enough about bikes to determine what is a good value.

I like the idea of a hybrid bike for durability, and cost, but I'm not sure if I will get sick of riding a slower bike, since I will riding it for 2 hrs a day.

Any recommendations on what to look for in a road bike? Should I avoid road bikes from the 1980s, 1970s?  Should I jump up to the $500 range for a road bike?

Does anyone definitely recommend AVOIDING a hybrid bike for a 26-mile RT?

grantmeaname

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Re: What type of bike for a 26-mile round trip commute?
« Reply #1 on: October 10, 2013, 11:11:46 AM »
Does anyone definitely recommend AVOIDING a hybrid bike for a 26-mile RT?
Yeah, I'll go on the record as saying that's likely to be a bad idea. Road bikes are incredibly efficient, and if you sit up straight, get inefficient wide tires, get a crappy saddle, and push your whole torso through the wind the hard way you'll notice the additional effort.

Here is a good guide for finding a bike on Craigslist.

Are you fit enough to put in that much physical effort five days a week? That can really take its toll...

Russ

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Re: What type of bike for a 26-mile round trip commute?
« Reply #2 on: October 10, 2013, 11:22:39 AM »
but I'm not sure if I will get sick of riding a slower bike, since I will riding it for 2 hrs a day.

you will

Quote
Should I avoid road bikes from the 1980s, 1970s?  Should I jump up to the $500 range for a road bike?

no, and probably not

CheckEngineLight

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Re: What type of bike for a 26-mile round trip commute?
« Reply #3 on: October 10, 2013, 11:26:20 AM »
Get a road bike, modern road bikes have come down in price a lot.  Old ones are just that, old, heavy, inefficient compared to what's out there.  That commute is fairly long (relatively speaking) and if you are going to commit to riding it 5 days/week then get a decent bike.  If that means going over your $500 budget then do it.  We are talking a couple of hundred dollars, not thousands for something that will be a big part of your life with a very high utilization rate.

GuitarStv

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Re: What type of bike for a 26-mile round trip commute?
« Reply #4 on: October 10, 2013, 11:31:21 AM »
It might even be worth looking into recumbent bicycles if you're going that distance daily.  The recumbent bike is a more efficient position (lower/less wind resistance) so would make the ride a bit faster/less tiring.

EDIT - whoops . . . I misread the OP.  I thought you were doing 26 mile each way.

My commute is a 22 mile round trip.  I use a steel touring bike in the spring/summer/fall and a hybrid in the winter.  It takes about 40 minutes on the road bike under ideal conditions, and about 45 on the hybrid (although, usually snow/cold/wind makes the hybrid trips longer).  If you decide to go the hybrid route, get bar ends so you have some other places to put your hands.  Having another spot to put your hands makes the trip much more comfortable.
« Last Edit: October 10, 2013, 11:48:39 AM by GuitarStv »

$200k

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Re: What type of bike for a 26-mile round trip commute?
« Reply #5 on: October 10, 2013, 11:32:22 AM »
Thanks to all for the advice.  Sounds like the hybrid is out of the picture.  I will look for a decent road bike.

Initially, I want to bike for 3 days out of the week.  I am a long-distance runner, but I'm not sure of the physical toll having never seriously biked in my life.

dfrei

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Re: What type of bike for a 26-mile round trip commute?
« Reply #6 on: October 10, 2013, 11:36:37 AM »
I have a slightly shorter round-trip commute every day (18 miles round trip normally, but sometimes I have night classes or an alternate work site that make the commute about as long as yours). I used to have on of the sweet road bikes that MMM preaches against (Trek Madone 4.5) and would ride that to work when the weather was nice. I have a lot of hills on my route, and with the sweet road bike it would take between 32 and 35 minutes for 9 miles each way.

I ditched the fancy bike after converting to Mustachianism this year and got a beefier bike that is more practical for all-weather Pacific Northwest riding. Here is what I went with:

http://www.redlinebicycles.com/archives/2012-metro-classic

I think they have a cheaper model with an aluminum frame too. This thing is my all-purpose, all-weather beast for groceries, commuting, errands, you name it. The commute takes about 5 minutes longer on this bike since it isn't as optimized for speed.

As for the length of the trip taking its toll on your body, it will probably make you tired for the first few weeks, but after that it probably won't even phase you.

« Last Edit: October 10, 2013, 11:45:36 AM by dfrei »

lackofstache

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Re: What type of bike for a 26-mile round trip commute?
« Reply #7 on: October 10, 2013, 11:42:37 AM »
I'm going to differ from 75% of people, but please listen. Riding 13 miles quickly is a good thing. Riding 13 miles in comfort is the only way you'll do it after the first coupla weeks. Get a decent bike. That to me means: No shocks. Room for fat(tish) tires. The ability to get the handlebars at least as high as the saddle. Provisions for racks & fenders. The ability to haul weight w/o completely changing the ride quality.

All the shock absorbtion you should need should be in the tires; if you get a road-biased bike, may sure it'll fit 700x32 tires w/ fenders. If you get the reach to the h'bars right & they're even or above saddle level YOU WILL BE MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE. Racks will allow you to take the weight off your back and put it onto the bike. This will allow you to not get as sweaty. Often times people think it's important to keep the bike as light as possible, but in reality, you need to take into account the weight of the engine (you!) as well. If you can stand to lose a few pounds, don't worry about a 25 lb bike vs. a 20 lb bike. Fenders will allow you to ride year round w/o getting as wet and gross. A bike designed to carry weight or at least stiff enough to do so is great. You don't want to put 20 lbs of cargo onto a 15 lb. bike w/ 700x23c tires. It will ride horribly.

I think a hybrid can be a great way to get started, if by hybrid you mean something similar to a Trek FX series bike. They are cheap, made well, can do all of the above and you'll still have the ability to recoup most of your cost if you decide to sell it.

CheckEngineLight

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Re: What type of bike for a 26-mile round trip commute?
« Reply #8 on: October 10, 2013, 12:03:03 PM »
I'm going to differ from 75% of people, but please listen. Riding 13 miles quickly is a good thing. Riding 13 miles in comfort is the only way you'll do it after the first coupla weeks. Get a decent bike. That to me means: No shocks. Room for fat(tish) tires. The ability to get the handlebars at least as high as the saddle. Provisions for racks & fenders. The ability to haul weight w/o completely changing the ride quality.

All the shock absorbtion you should need should be in the tires; if you get a road-biased bike, may sure it'll fit 700x32 tires w/ fenders. If you get the reach to the h'bars right & they're even or above saddle level YOU WILL BE MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE. Racks will allow you to take the weight off your back and put it onto the bike. This will allow you to not get as sweaty. Often times people think it's important to keep the bike as light as possible, but in reality, you need to take into account the weight of the engine (you!) as well. If you can stand to lose a few pounds, don't worry about a 25 lb bike vs. a 20 lb bike. Fenders will allow you to ride year round w/o getting as wet and gross. A bike designed to carry weight or at least stiff enough to do so is great. You don't want to put 20 lbs of cargo onto a 15 lb. bike w/ 700x23c tires. It will ride horribly.

I think a hybrid can be a great way to get started, if by hybrid you mean something similar to a Trek FX series bike. They are cheap, made well, can do all of the above and you'll still have the ability to recoup most of your cost if you decide to sell it.

You make a very good point and I will agree with you, I think it comes down to age/preferance/type of road, etc.

For example, to do 13 miles at a time on a road bike isn't really uncomfortable, that is a short distance for one sitting (45 mins).  Once you get into 30 miles plus in one sitting, that's when I find comfort to really come into play.  The same can be said about motorcycles.  I used to ride crotch rockets and an hour or two of riding won't hurt you (provided no prior injuries, etc).  Anything longer than and you are starting to feel it in your knees/back/wrists - while being in your mid 20's.  Get's worse as you age.

I personally HATE hauling anything around when riding my bicycle to work.  The only thing I pack now is my lunch and a shirt.  I've left a couple of pairs of dress shoes and slacks at work and just bring a fresh shirt/socks and my lunch, that's it.  No point to haul around shoes, belts, pants, etc. 

Anyway, this is a great discussion.

OP here are some examples:

For comfort:
http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/bik/4112109503.html

For speed:
http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/bik/4103480047.html

Both are entry level bikes, but good for what they are...

$200k

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Re: What type of bike for a 26-mile round trip commute?
« Reply #9 on: October 10, 2013, 12:05:40 PM »
lackofstache,

Thanks for the tips on bike comfort. I definitely plan on using racks to hold my gear. I'm not too worried about having fenders since it doesn't rain much in San Diego.  I guess fenders could block dust, or other dirt, but I plan on showering once I pull into work.

Yeah, the TREK bike you mentioned and Metro bike dfrei mentioned are what I understand to be hybrid bikes.  I guess I should not entirely rule them out, as I like the idea of their durability.

Left

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Re: What type of bike for a 26-mile round trip commute?
« Reply #10 on: October 10, 2013, 12:12:09 PM »
hm, good link @grant it has something about making a reciept, I've never done that for craigslist, but i should start doing that :S. off topic but wanted to mention that

I'm not sure why you are picking hybrid for durability/cost, seems road bikes would be just as good for those as well. But I've only been riding about 2 weeks >.> so I can't say my experience is very good with bikes. Previously, I asked question on here, and I went with a mixte frame bike. I wanted to ride long distance (10-11 miles, but changed my mind after considering dangers of where I work). But I got the mixte since it's a bit more comfortable (for me) than a diamond road bike. So far my experience with it is that I like it, aside from my lack of muscles, I'm thinking that it'll do well to be a commuting bike once I get into shape to commute. Anyways, if you haven't looked at them, maybe give them a shot? From what I've read online, mixte bikes could be made comfortable like a hybrid, but still do well on the road.

While not knowing the difference between old 1980s bike vs modern bikes, I choose an old bike for the $50 price tag :S. Anyways aside from the different tire size and it not looking as shiny, I don't think there's any difference that's that big. Sure I have less "speeds" but I'm not sure I need 18 (or 21) speeds vs my 12 speeds. From everything that's said, it might be nice to have more but not essential. And I could always at a later time switch the front 2 gears to a 3 gear piece (i think, I'm not sure on this myself). I also did some reading at work last night on bike weight to speed comparison. I think the article said for every 1 pound added, the bike is 6 seconds slower (at 230+ pounds, I'm the thing slowing my ride down) so I didn't mind the "heavier" chrome steel bike frame of old bikes.

edit: wanted to mention no one has said anything about me riding a "women's bike" so far... haven't ridden it anywhere with lots of people though, but I wouldn't mind it either, it's how I'm losing weight which is my goal now that I'm not riding to work as my goal.
« Last Edit: October 10, 2013, 12:20:40 PM by eyem »

PindyStache

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Re: What type of bike for a 26-mile round trip commute?
« Reply #11 on: October 10, 2013, 12:52:43 PM »
Just do it, sounds like a beautiful and all-around life-enhancing decision! What an amazing opportunity you have to bike by the ocean every day. You're researching options well and will probably be OK with either road bike or hybrid. Can you just go to a bike shop and take a couple different styles out for a spin? Are you comfortable with a road bike position, or do you prefer to be more upright?

I went with the latter, a Trek, for more versatility and handling more weather conditions (Minneapolis), commute is 20-30 mi. round trip (20 direct, 30 if also doing day care drop-off/pick-up which is more than half the time), 5 days/wk. 20 mi takes 35-45 min, and 30 mi takes more because also hauling DS part way. I've never really ridden a road bike so can't directly compare, but I pass far more road bikes than pass me. Other options like tires (smoother) and gearing (individual preference) will let you shape the hybrid to fit your needs. I'm very happy with my choice.

With your conditions you can probably skip the fenders. Be sure to get good sun protection on the bike though! I find that I need to pay much better attention to getting enough sleep than I used to driving to work. Before I could roll out after 4-6 hours and make it through the day OK, but now anything less than 7 makes it quite a slog (though a toddler is also part of my situation...).

lackofstache

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Re: What type of bike for a 26-mile round trip commute?
« Reply #12 on: October 10, 2013, 01:16:18 PM »
I should've also stated;
I ride everywhere, not just to work. That means for groceries I have to have bags, racks, etc. If you're just commuting to work & home, you may not need as much, but I found after 6 months of commuting, I wanted to ride bikes EVERYWHERE. ALL. THE. TIME. I prefer to have a bike that can haul groceries and get me to work in a reasonable amount of time.

I started w/ a Trek FX, went to an old lugged road bike (both too small) & eventually was giventhe 1974 Raleigh International I now have. I've also had several old mountain bikes (from the early 80's) which make great city bikes and are great for hualing things, even w/ a 20 mile commute. I have an old Schwinn High Sierra for the upcoming winter.

Basically, you'll develop your own preferences based on the bike you get and the way you ride. Start out w/ something versatile enough to last through a few phases & don't spend too much on any idea. A hybrid is no better than an old road bike for clearance or beefiness. A newer road bike is usually a 1 trick pony, though, there's not much room to change w/ them. You could always split the difference and buy a cyclocross bike if you wanted...They offer the clearance and usually rack mounts, but also have geometry more suited to speed.

amicableskeptic

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Re: What type of bike for a 26-mile round trip commute?
« Reply #13 on: October 10, 2013, 03:07:40 PM »
I've ridden to work for years, different routes (16, 3, 9, and 12 miles).  The 16 mile route was mostly on a bike path, the others involved much more stop signs and red lights.  With lots of stops the speed of your bike barely matters as the stops will make up a big percent of your commute (unless you run stop lights like a jerk, in which case you should stop acting like a jerk).  Even without many stops you won't shave that much time with a fast bike.  My 16 mile commute took around 70 minutes with a nearly 40 lb Fuji 10 speed from the 70s, but only went down to 60 minutes when I got a sweet 20 lb titanium bike from the 2000s.  It was fun to pass people, but not life changing.

I've ridden lots of other bikes commuting over the years, a very new all carbon fiber bike an aluminum touring bike from the 80s, a fat tired mountain bike with rack, etc.  After having done all that I think there are only 3 things that matter for a commuting bike.

1.  Make sure you are comfortable riding the bike.
2.  Make sure it can mount a rack.
3.  Get the best value possible

For comfort try and find your size in CM and use that to base your CL search.  Don't be afraid to search +/-3 cm from your size though as the size isn't always exact and different bodies.  When looking for a bike I put "58cm", "58 cm", up through "64 cm" in the box find decent values and then actually ride a decent seaming bike for at least 10 minutes maybe even 20 to make sure it feels good before I buy it.  The "size" of a bike is just a starting point, the real truth is in how it feels when you personally ride it.

You already seem set on a rack, but I'll re-emphasize for others reading: a commuting bike should have a rack.  Riding with no rack and nothing to carry feels wonderful, but the reality is that your commute will eventually force you to carry things.  Once you get a flat tire you'll realize you really want a pump and tire fixing tools; when you get frugal you'll realize that you want to bring your lunch to the office with you each day; some days you'll need to bring something home from the office with you.  You could put these things in a backpack, but that's super uncomfortable in so many ways (hurt back, sweaty body, sweat touching stuff in your bag itself if it isn't waterproof).  Putting stuff in a nice pannier on your rack is so much more comfortable (it is one of the reasons I sold my fancy carbon bike, cause it didn't have a rack mount).

Getting the best value bike definitely means getting it used on Craigslist.  Since bikes hold their value well the true cost of a bike (that doesn't get stolen or destroyed) is really the missed investment of the purchase price and the price differential between when you bought it and when you sell it.  This means that the absolute cheapest bike isn't always the best value bike to buy.  I once bought a 4 year old $1600 bike, rode it for a year then resold it for $1800.  I felt confident that I could resell it because it would have been around $3000 new and I saw similar bikes reselling for more in other parts of the country.  I would not have spent so much up front if I had worries of theft though, but luckily I was able to keep the bike inside both my house and work and never have to leave it locked up outside.  For bikes that I want to be able to lock up outside I generally keep the price under $400, but even at that price I still look for value and not total cheapness.  At low prices value can be found more in things like newly replaced tires, chains that are in great condition, and shifters that work well.  Also, don't use this advice to convince yourself that new is a good deal, bikes hold value well but still lose at least a hundred in value the moment the become used so you should always start used.  Buying a $400 used bike that is currently in perfect working order and can be resold for $350 after a couple years of use is a better deal than a $200 bike that needs $100 put in to fix such things or a $600 brand new bike that you will only be able to resell for $400 in a couple years.

grantmeaname

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Re: What type of bike for a 26-mile round trip commute?
« Reply #14 on: October 10, 2013, 04:26:47 PM »
Even without many stops you won't shave that much time with a fast bike.  My 16 mile commute took around 70 minutes with a nearly 40 lb Fuji 10 speed from the 70s, but only went down to 60 minutes when I got a sweet 20 lb titanium bike from the 2000s.  It was fun to pass people, but not life changing.
I wasn't really focusing on time when I recommended the skinny-tires road bike. I rode to work for like a week on the stereotypical craigslist mountain bike before I gave up, and that was like a mile and change. It's just so much more effort to go a reasonable speed with fat tires and extra wind resistance. Not worth it. Squishy 32 or 28mm tires are one thing (and they're great), but at the point where they're mountain tires, even if they're slicks, the effort seems to jump substantially.

For comfort:
http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/bik/4112109503.html
Bleh. Why do flat bar bikes exist? Maybe other riders' wrists are better than mine, but if I didn't have drop bars and five or six different good wrist positions to choose from I don't know if I could ride half as far as I do. (That aside, that bike is very good, and lots of craigslist bikes are good. But I can't understand why anyone would want to lose options. Get drop bars and set them higher up...)

ThatGuyFromCanada

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Re: What type of bike for a 26-mile round trip commute?
« Reply #15 on: October 10, 2013, 09:08:46 PM »
I went from a mountain bike with slicks to a speedy road bike and it easily dropped my commute of 50km round trip by 25%. I paid $1500 for the bike and after two summers of riding (4600km+) I've paid for it in gas saved. Completely worth the investment for me.

GuitarStv

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Re: What type of bike for a 26-mile round trip commute?
« Reply #16 on: October 11, 2013, 06:58:33 AM »
For comfort:
http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/bik/4112109503.html
Bleh. Why do flat bar bikes exist? Maybe other riders' wrists are better than mine, but if I didn't have drop bars and five or six different good wrist positions to choose from I don't know if I could ride half as far as I do. (That aside, that bike is very good, and lots of craigslist bikes are good. But I can't understand why anyone would want to lose options. Get drop bars and set them higher up...)

Some 10$ bar ends make a world of difference when using flat bars.  With bar ends I'm about as comfortable on flat bars as drop bars.

This_Is_My_Username

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« Reply #17 on: October 13, 2013, 08:53:59 PM »
You want a road bike with shoes that clip in to the pedals, and drop handlebars.  Any other bike is too slow for 42km/day.

use lycra bike-shorts with a padded insert for comfort.

Components: You want shimano Tiagra (or maybe 105), or Sram Rival (or maybe Force).  Campagnolo is not ideal for newbies or the frugal.

make sure you get a frame that fits you.  An excellent price on a frame that is the wrong size, is actually a shitty price.  because you will get back/knee/hip problems.

You want a bike that is less than 5 years old.  because it can be hard to find parts for older bikes.

from your entry-level perspective, all frames/wheels/tyres/saddles/seatposts/cranks/chainrings/handlebars/forks/helmets are the same.  In reality, there is 3% difference, that you will never notice.  Don't get sucked in to marketing hype of lightweight sleek curves and aero profiles.

ask your friend that knows the most about road bikes to help you find a good price. second hand is the way to go for a frugal person.  If it is shit, just re-sell it on CL.

buy all your components/clothes/accessories online.  they are 50% cheaper than a real-live store, but you have to wait 2 weeks.

================================

In descending order of quality, shimano components are labelled:

Dura-Ace Di2 [9070] (11 speed electronic)
Dura-Ace [9000] (11 speed)
Ultegra Di2 [6770] (10 speed electronic)
Ultegra [6700] (10 speed)
105 [5700] (10 speed)
Tiagra [4600] (10 speed, 9 speed on older models)
Sora [3500] (9 speed, 8 speed on older models)
Claris [2400] (8 speed)


In descending order of quality, sram components are labelled:
SRAM Red22
SRAM Red 2012
SRAM Black Red (Introduced 2011)
SRAM Force22
SRAM Force
SRAM Rival
SRAM Apex (Introduced for 2010)

I was in your exact position several years ago!  good luck.

This_Is_My_Username

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Re: What type of bike for a 26-mile round trip commute?
« Reply #18 on: October 13, 2013, 08:57:47 PM »
  I am a long-distance runner, but I'm not sure of the physical toll having never seriously biked in my life.

It is super-easy for a person of your background. 

The best thing is that you can choose how easy or hard you want it to be!

If you want an easy day, 1 hour at 60% heartrate is easy. If you want a hard day, 50 mins at 90% heartrate is hard.

Russ

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Re: .
« Reply #19 on: October 13, 2013, 09:40:47 PM »
it can be hard to find parts for older bikes.

without addressing the rest of your post I just want to point out that this is wildly inaccurate, especially only going back five years.
www.ebay.com
and if you don't want to do the legwork yourself, any LBS will find whatever you want in exchange for some cookies

This_Is_My_Username

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Re: What type of bike for a 26-mile round trip commute?
« Reply #20 on: October 13, 2013, 10:52:47 PM »
you're right - I meant to say that is can be harder to find older parts.

e.g. you would have to order online and wait 2 weeks, or have your local bike shop order it in especially, or ring all the bike shops and drive 50km to find one.


as opposed to going to your closest bike shop and there being 8 in stock.

TrulyStashin

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Re: What type of bike for a 26-mile round trip commute?
« Reply #21 on: October 14, 2013, 11:08:09 AM »
I just found this great video on bike fit.  I'm toying with the idea of getting a hybrid bike for a 15 mile (one way) commute and this is part of my education.  I thought it might be helpful to everyone here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAl_5e7bIHk

Does anyone have an opinion on either the Raleigh Route 1 or the Giant LX?   There are ads on CL in my area for these two bikes and the size is right.

mpbaker22

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Re: What type of bike for a 26-mile round trip commute?
« Reply #22 on: October 14, 2013, 01:09:54 PM »
I once thought road bikes were the best bike for over 15 miles.  I'm not so sure anymore.  I just visited my brother and did a 15 mile ride on his hybrid.  It was perfectly fine, and I only average 1-2 mph less than my road bike.  Also, hybrids usually have more options for connecting a trailer or rack.

GuitarStv

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Re: What type of bike for a 26-mile round trip commute?
« Reply #23 on: October 15, 2013, 07:30:55 AM »
I just found this great video on bike fit.  I'm toying with the idea of getting a hybrid bike for a 15 mile (one way) commute and this is part of my education.  I thought it might be helpful to everyone here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAl_5e7bIHk

Does anyone have an opinion on either the Raleigh Route 1 or the Giant LX?   There are ads on CL in my area for these two bikes and the size is right.

You're talking about a Cypress LX?  I find that these bikes are too upright for that kind of distance.  For a commute of that distance you really want to be in a more aerodynamic position so that wind doesn't slow you down as much.  Also, the front shocks just add weight for little real benefit if you're cycling on city streets mostly.  I use a Giant Escape as my winter commuting bike (Just over 20 miles round trip), and it works pretty well for that purpose.

TreeWeezel

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Re: What type of bike for a 26-mile round trip commute?
« Reply #24 on: October 15, 2013, 08:51:46 AM »
On comfort vs speed...at 26 miles, speed IS comfort.  You want something that's comfortable while pedaling with some effort, not just comfortable to sit on.  And you're gonna sweat anyways at that distance, so might as well make good time.

Road bike frames last forever.  Every garage in America has some neglected road bike so no reason to spend much.  Usually good to go with new chain and cables.  Just add fenders and 28-32mm tires...so maybe Touring bikes are optimal.

However, by MMM logic you save SO much riding a bike it doesn't even matter how much you spent on it.


amicableskeptic

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Re: What type of bike for a 26-mile round trip commute?
« Reply #25 on: October 17, 2013, 09:48:01 AM »
Agree that bikes last forever.  Totally disagree with the 5 year or newer post.  You'll mostly just be replacing tires, chains and bar tape and new versions of those fit on super old bikes.  Even if you end up replacing more exotic things like shifter cables replacements aren't that hard to find no matter how old your bike is.  An old bike can be just fine, just check that it isn't rusted or cracked and still has good tension in it's springs.