Cycling UK Forum

Q:- Is there a perfect bike for commuting
A:- Yes,but the commute dictates what that perfect bike is.

reohn2 wrote:Q:- Is there a perfect bike for commuting
A:- Yes,but the commute dictates what that perfect bike is.

You might want a different bike according to the weather, even....

thelawnet wrote:

reohn2 wrote:Q:- Is there a perfect bike for commuting
A:- Yes,but the commute dictates what that perfect bike is.

You might want a different bike according to the weather, even....

Why?
The perfect bike covers all eventualities within reason,normal weather is a reasonable consideration.

reohn2 wrote:

thelawnet wrote:

reohn2 wrote:Q:- Is there a perfect bike for commuting
A:- Yes,but the commute dictates what that perfect bike is.

You might want a different bike according to the weather, even....

Why?
The perfect bike covers all eventualities within reason,normal weather is a reasonable consideration.

I find my Team usually have the correct bike ready when I need to change mid-commute, but even they can make the odd mistake, like the time they gave me my downhill bike at the start of the climb. Heads rolled, I can tell you, but that sticky bottle saved my Strava sector, fortunately. Heads rolled after that, I can tell you.

Why yes, there is! My 84 Trek 830:

http://rjl.us/velo/trek830-1.htm


It even cycled through the 'polar vortex' hype of earlier this week.

(keywords: ~1984-85 mtb geometry, butterfly bars, 26" wheels, etc.)

Thanks for asking!

I'm in the no camp if being fussy. And perfect means fussy. My rough stuff bike is nicer if I take the FC gravel but my road bike nicer if I go the hilly road way. The best way has a smooth long tarmac hill climb followed but a barely tarmacrd descent and climb of nearly a mile each with 300 ft of descent/climb. Most of my bikes work well but none are optimum for the entire trip.
I guess the OP needs a compromise involving the length of string.

hujev wrote:Why yes, there is! My 84 Trek 830:

http://rjl.us/velo/trek830-1.htm

It even cycled through the 'polar vortex' hype of earlier this week.

(keywords: ~1984-85 mtb geometry, butterfly bars, 26" wheels, etc.)

Thanks for asking!

Nice ride that

perfect camouflage for passing chameleons



cheers

thelawnet wrote:

reohn2 wrote:Q:- Is there a perfect bike for commuting
A:- Yes,but the commute dictates what that perfect bike is.

You might want a different bike according to the weather, even....

Not really, the best bikes are the most versatile in terms of width of available tyres and being able to fit guards and carrying stuff readily. Rarely in the UK will you need anything more than standard road tyres for a commute, I can and do ride on soggy/muddy/gravel strewn trails and even snowy roads on slicks, because I can.
It's not ideal sometimes but I don't have to go off road at all, just sometimes I choose too, but for a commute of any length that I knew really needed a change of tyres to suit conditions then I'd simply spend 10 mins swapping the tyres and maybe tubes out if I didn't already have a set of wheels already set up knowing full well I'd need them more than the once or twice a year.

The utility cyclist wrote:

thelawnet wrote:

reohn2 wrote:Q:- Is there a perfect bike for commuting
A:- Yes,but the commute dictates what that perfect bike is.

You might want a different bike according to the weather, even....

Not really, the best bikes are the most versatile in terms of width of available tyres and being able to fit guards and carrying stuff readily. Rarely in the UK will you need anything more than standard road tyres for a commute, I can and do ride on soggy/muddy/gravel strewn trails and even snowy roads on slicks, because I can.

It's not ideal sometimes but I don't have to go off road at all, just sometimes I choose too, but for a commute of any length that I knew really needed a change of tyres to suit conditions then I'd simply spend 10 mins swapping the tyres and maybe tubes out if I didn't already have a set of wheels already set up knowing full well I'd need them more than the once or twice a year.

Well yes but my point was that if you have good weather you might sometimes feel like something more 'racey', whereas if you are going to cycle through mud & water then probably not. You could use the mud-ready bike all year round, but sometimes you just might want something 'fast'.

No way am I riding on studded tyres year round.

I really like having a mountain bike fit up with semi or fully slick tires. I much prefer the position and the handling of mountain bike handlebars over road and feel it's much more stable and each to ride with one hand. Plus, you can pump up the tires to 45-60 and it rolls decent.

No such thing as a perfect commuter bike as everyone's trips are different, but needs to tick the following boxes
Hub gears for reliability, lot less likely to get crudded up like derailleurs, and you can change gear when stationary at traffic lights etc
Full size mudguards and preferably flaps front and rear
Racks and or baskets to carry stuff from lunch to work clothes and even laptops etc
dynamo lights, cos unless you work part time or only cycle in summer, for a good chunk of the year some of the riding will be in the dark

Commuters need to be reliable non fussy workhorses.

My choice is Moulton spaceframes - an APB with Alfine 11 and an TSR2 with a SRAM 5 speed and coaster.

Currently mulling options around changing the SRAM, but the dropouts are 120mm and no V brake or even sidepull brake fittings as bike was designed for a coaster

I'm loving the juxtaposition of non-fussy with a Moulton spaceframe

reohn2 wrote:Q:- Is there a perfect bike for commuting
A:- Yes,but the commute dictates what that perfect bike is.

Indeed. A long hilly commute in all weathers demands a different bike to a short hop to the other side of town.