Help- what bike should i use for a Daily 10 mile commute

[AshleyClements]

Don't they think they take ways the aesthetics of the bike though?

[RickH]

Watch out gentlegreen, the Horwich Church of the Holy Mudguard are onto you!

Rats we've been sussed! (just need to figure out if that is full sussed or not )

Seriously - I've been cycling for getting on for 40 years & ridden 10s of thousands of miles, mostly with full length mudguards on the bike - I even have full length guards on my old MTB, and I can't recall experiencing a dangerous incident caused by a mudguard. I know a few folk here can cite instances but I think any risk, compared to all the others out there, is miniscule especially with the safety releases on fronts these days. Balanced against the ability to get somewhere in non-ideal conditions without looking like you've just been wrestling an alligator in a swamp means mudguards have advantages at times. Maybe we just appreciate it more up in the North West where we sometimes get a bit of rain.

Rick.

[mrjemm]

I live in Lancs too, and don't use mudguards... But I know it's daft. Bit of a fair weather cyclist though myself, and certainly no commuting (I wish). While touring though, I've regretted it and bought plastic clip-on ones for the trip.

Of course, when commuting, there's a lot nastier stuff than rain water and mud that can get flung up from the paths...

[eileithyia]

Watch out gentlegreen, the Horwich Church of the Holy Mudguard are onto you!

Actually it wasn't aimed at Gentlegreen but at the OP who said he would not be bothering with mudguards....

I spend a lot of money on my cycle kit and clothes and prefer to not have it ruined by the <moderated> on our road, nor my bike any more covered in muck than I can avoid.


Wait until I get on to single panniers

[mrjemm]

Wait until I get on to single panniers

Uh-oh... That's something I do very often!

[RickH]

Wait until I get on to single panniers

Is that pro or anti? Will there be schism in the church?

edited to confess to being a single pannierite at times!

[gentlegreen]

I'm not only a strictly dual pannierist who religiously splits the load - however light, I even keep my £15 SJS panniers permanently attached "just in case" .

[Brucey]

I sold a friend a nice vintage claud butler frameset to use as a commuting/training bike. When I saw him routinely using one pannier, I suggested that it might be a good idea to not do this, because the frame might break. He ignored me. The frame broke; it was years later, but it did break.

I helped him fix it, and stuck a load more braze-ons on it. That is the kind of mate's rates deal that happens.... he uses the bike for touring on these days, and commutes on something more, er, disposable.

I think he no longer rides with just one pannier.

BTW for commuting, something with a hub gear and mudguards is the thing IMHO. It needn't be heavy, but finding a lightweight one is tricky.Many people wind up building their own.

cheers

[helidoc]

I think for a 10 mile round trip, it doesn't matter very much what you ride. An inexpensive hybrid would be fine over this distance, and is equipped for rack and mudguards.

I commute on a road bike when I can when family needs don't dictate I take the car. My commute is 29 miles round trip, is my main form of exercise, and I have no need to carry anything but clean pants and socks. The hybrid adds about an extra minute a mile to me. If you want to ride for fitness then a higher end bike has some merit, but if my commute was that short I would be doing it on my low end Ridgeback.

[AshleyClements]

Right I get it mudguards should be considered ,I think the risk of death is quite low lol

[AshleyClements]

But I'm still not going to be using racks on the back, my rucksack will weight approx 3kg so really isn't worth it

[Vorpal]

Yeh valid point made, my opinion is that the hybrid bikes are more safe with better brakes and you are always in the 'upright position' with better field of view etc.

And the length of my ride only being on average only 5 mile with only one trip being hilly it would make sense for a hybrid.

Is it true that the hybrids are more comfortable ? I may not use mud guards as I don't care about getting too wet either and I still probably won't use racks on the bike, so in that instance should I just get a road bike?

I would never consider a regular commute without any mudguards. Never. I don't care about getting wet (keeping dry is *nearly* impossible commuting on a wet day), but I do care about getting a skunk stripe of all the horrible stuff off the road up my back

I don't think there is any difference in safety just between the type of bikes. If you need a more upright position, you can put your hands on the tops of the drop handlebars (often referred to as 'on the hoods') and get the same perspective. A hybrid may be a little easier for someone who is new /returnign to cycling to control. But drop handle bars give more hand positions, which is better ergonomically, especially if you take to riding some longer distances. I can't advise on brakes, as I don't have any bikes with disc brakes. There are a number of threads on this forum comparing different types of brakes.

I don't think that hybrids are more comfortable. I *do* think that hybrids are more forgiving and easier to get used to.

[AshleyClements]

I would never consider a regular commute without any mudguards. Never. I don't care about getting wet (keeping dry is *nearly* impossible commuting on a wet day), but I do care about getting a skunk stripe of all the horrible stuff off the road up my back

I don't think there is any difference in safety just between the type of bikes. If you need a more upright position, you can put your hands on the tops of the drop handlebars (often referred to as 'on the hoods') and get the same perspective. A hybrid may be a little easier for someone who is new /returnign to cycling to control. But drop handle bars give more hand positions, which is better ergonomically, especially if you take to riding some longer distances. I can't advise on brakes, as I don't have any bikes with disc brakes. There are a number of threads on this forum comparing different types of brakes.

I don't think that hybrids are more comfortable. I *do* think that hybrids are more forgiving and easier to get used to.

Ok this sounds like a good bit of advice to me, it seems that a road bike offers everything that a hybrid does apart from the brakes but if thousands of other people get on we'll without disk brakes then I'm sure I will.

Luckily I'm pretty good at adapting to a new thing and fairly sporty regardless of my weight lol

Thanks

[AshleyClements]

Can you get mudguards for full road bikes?

[Merry_Wanderer]

Speaking as one who has made several expensive mistakes buying shiny new bikes, I'd start with a bike that fits you and then worry about whether it's a road / hybrid / mountain / touring bike

I alternate my commutes to work (5-6 miles each way) on a Brompton 6 speed folding bike (with pretty ordinary non-disc brakes), a 24 speed Mountain Bike (mechanical discs) and a Touring Bike. All three are nice and upright and I made the mistake of thinking that a drop handlebar bike would force me into a lower position. I've since found out that it ain't necessarily so! It depends on the geometry of the frame and the length of the top tube etc.

My new touring bike has dropped bars, mudguards, pannier racks (and mechanical disc brakes) and the distance between the end of the saddle and the brakes (the hoods) is pretty much the same as the distance between saddle and the bar-ends on my mountain bike. This gives me quite an upright (and comfy) position on the touring bike too.

What I am suggesting is what others on here have suggested, try out as many bikes as you can before you spends yer money. You might want to have a think whether hydraulic brakes are what you need or whether might be a possible maintenance issue?

Whatever you choose, enjoy your commute and happy cycling