Any Commuter Bikers? Need Advice

I think it would work for your situation. You should test ride it for as long as you can get away with + test some other bikes in the same general class. REI will let you test ride their bikes and most good bike shops will also if you leave some collateral (like your drivers license).

 

Yes, that's better. It's got the gear range you need for hills, but I can't tell if it has any braze-on attachments for racks and fenders. Disc brakes would be best, but you may not find them at this price level. Have you looked at Trek yet? The FX series are good all around bikes, and the 520 is great for touring.

 

I went to a local bike shop. There are quite a few sales on now and they're getting in their new 2009 models. So I guess now is a good time to purchase. I found the guy at the local bike shop much more helpful and knowledgeable than at REI. REI took over 5 minutes to find anyone to help answer my questions. Then they didn't have what I was looking for (mostly higher end more serious bikes) She recommended a few bike shops that carried the Electra Townies. I'll probably be going to several more bike shops and collecting a little more information.

I'll also know more of what my job situation is in the next few weeks. I'm applied for a resource staff developer job today. I'd be working out of the district office and going to different low performing schools to provide staff instruction. No bicycle commuting there. Or I might be assigned to a school. Or I'll be at our Instructional Media Center until I'm assigned a school. So I still have time to shop and decide to buy or not.

 

Sorry, I didn't remember what your budget was, or know the 520's price. Yeah, it's probably more than you need.

There's a fair difference in price between new and used, and many 'pre-owned' bikes aren't much used at all. Do you have any sporting goods consignment shops around? If you know what size you need, and what features you're looking for, you may well find something that works for you, even if it's only for a couple of years. A local bike shop would tune it up for you and adjust the fit, even if you didn't buy it from them.

 

i've never had a good experience at a big store for bikes. my current bike was purchased from a little local shop after a bunch of test rides, a special order, another test ride, and once i had the bike picked out i tried a few new seats on it too. they were so, so awesome.

 

I think finding the right local bike store is the key. They seem much more knowledgeable and customer oriented. And they can do fit and custom adjustments much easier; they're set up for it.

The bikes I looked at at the local bike shop I went to were less than $400. Alum frame, shocks on front fork, crank forward and hand brakes. He said he could put fenders on it, a rack for panniers, front basket. Anything I needed it could be modified to accommodate. And he'd be able to fit it for me. The seat was a little high and the tube would need to be cut to accommodate.

I don't think the prices are that different. But the level of expertise and service is higher in the bike shops. The trick is finding the right shop that fits you and your needs.

The REI site is great for looking at bikes, reading specs and getting a feel for prices. But I'd still go to a local shop.

 

I agree... there's nothing like having a good relationship with a local store where you can get to know the owner and the people working on your bike.

If you're just looking for an all around practical bike, may I suggest this comfort bike by Raleigh.
My partner needed a bike to drive 3 miles/day each way to the bus shuttle and when I saw a friend riding this, I knew it would be a good choice. The position is nicely upright and comfortable, the seat is already padded (for those of us that appreciate that), it comes in 7 or 21 speed with spring/shock on the seat (21 speed has it on the front wheel, too). It's easy to accessorize... in fact, I think ours came outfitted with a removable front basket and mud guards for around $400. The bike rides nice, too... very smooth and even though they are not the thinnest of tires, they are practical.

On the trailer, the Wike is nice. We have a similar one but got it at CostCo a few years ago. I don't see it being carried by CostCo now (it's not the Schwinn on their website), but it sits two kids side by side, has side windows, a netting closure as well as a see-through plastic closing. It included the swivel wheel for when you want to use it as a stroller, and easily converts to the trailer arm for towing. Very practical. I think it was like $120 a couple of years ago, and yeah, we have towed two of our dogs in it. You may be able to find a used one on Craigslist, but around here they're swooped up quick (lots of bikers and bike trailers here in Davis).

 

I had been commuting a 24mi roundtrip M-F until a year ago on an upgraded Trek 1000 road bike (which I bought specifically as a commuter) though downtown Chicago.

The way I see it, there's three ways to look at the situation:

1. The road bike approach - you want to/are able to travel relatively light, and speed/efficiency is paramount during your trip. Although I ride both mountain and road, I chose this route because I (was) able to carry very little to work, and I wanted my total trip time to be minimized. In the end the difference door-to-door was 3 minutes in favor of the bike (of course this will vary with traffic conditions and your adherence to traffic signals/laws ). Without a doubt, this will be the fastest way from point A to point B as well as the lightest.

2. The hybrid bike - this is basically the Raleigh and the Cannondale Quick 4. You sacrifice ultimate speed for what is hopefully more comfortable in terms of your position. Since you don't have any steep hills, you should be find on one of these, but going up whatever hills are there you'll probably be creeping up. A friend of mine who was looking at riding recreationally ended up picking up one of these (A Giant Sedona for $279). These are typically about 35lbs. These typically come with mount locations for (if not include totally) panniers and racks. This might be a good option for you if you absolutely have to carry stuff with you between home and work - you will quickly learn that you want to carry as little as possible. This option will still be faster than a knobby-tied road bike (as Fibb222 is finding out).

3. The Mountain bike. This will probably be the heaviest option, though some people prefer them for their durability (although you might be surprised how quickly things actually break/come out of alignment though). This will likely require the most effort to go fast, and will be the most difficult to get up a paved hill. Yes you will have lower gearing, but that just means pedaling more at less speed and for a longer time. This might be a good option if you're a heavier rider, but it's not something that I'd (personally) really want to commute on to/from work.

I should note that I'm biased against buying a bike from REI - maybe they're great for camping supplies, but for the money I'd rater have a Trek or Specialized as opposed to a Novara.

 

Oops, I was thinking a different kind of biker! Look down to see what I mean.

 

Ding ding ............... we have a winner!

Full suspension for a commuter? That's plain silly. It's not that it's necessarily overkill, but why would you add that complexity to a commuter? You want your commuter to be bullet-proof, and that means a VERY simple set-up. Get a nice hardtail (go used if you can), and gear it low to pull your trailer. Pretty simply really.

I own a f/s, 2 geared hardtails, a single speed hardtail, a cyclocross bike, a single speed/fixie road bike, and a geared road bike. Of those, I prefer the cyclocross (Avid mech disc brakes) bike for commuting. I don't pull a trailer, but I do run a rear rack and bag. I use the single speed (metal studded tires, and hydro disc brakes) for my winter riding in the snow/ice.

Good luck!

... Brad

 

I have a Trek Hybrid that I bought for $450 about 10 years ago. I've been commuting on it since then, many thousands of miles in that time and it's been fantastic. In terms of maintenance I do a lot myself and would recommend that to any bike commuter because it's nice to feel like you're in touch with your bike and can fix most problems. I have had the drive chain overhauled once and replaced once.

Linear-pull brakes are definitely better than caliper, so if you can't get disc brakes, at least get linear-pull.

I'd also definitely recommend clipless peddles. I have shimano SPD pedals and a nice pair of shoes with recessed cleats that look/function like nice sneakers when I'm not on my bike. Those help for hill climbing and for long term comfort as well. I admit that I fell down once or twice when I first got them, but in the only situation where I really needed my foot out of the pedal FAST, I didn't even think about it and my foot was off the pedal. With a toe clip, I'd have been mincemeat, and I'm not exaggerating!

I also just recently got Ortlieb waterproof panniers and I can't believe I ever got along without them. They have a very nice attach/release mechanism, and they're very durable. Highly recommended to the all-weather commuter or touring cyclist!

I also have a Trek road bike (2100ZR, aluminum-zirconium alloy frame w/ carbon fork and seat stays). It's much lighter than my hybrid, and on a 5 mile one way commute with about 3 miles of steady uphill I could decrease my time by about 20%. Partly that's due to the weight of the bike, but also road bikes are geared for speed, while the hybrid is geared a little less aggressively. I also tend to *race* when I'm on my road bike. Trying to beat other cyclists, cars, my own best times... On my hybrid I chill out a little more and sort of jog uphill instead of sprinting.