How To Choose The PERFECT Bike For Your Commute
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- Опубликовано: 16 июл 2024
- We all know that cycling is the best way to get to work, but which is the best bike for commuting? From road bikes, gravel bikes, e-bikes, to folding bikes, there are so many choices that it can sometimes feel hard to pick one! Join Si to find out what to consider to find the perfect type of commuter bike for you!
00:00 What is the perfect bike to commute on?
01:08 Long Haul Bikes (Road and Gravel Bikes)
03:44 Short Haul Bikes
03:46 Town Bike
04:16 E Bike
06:05 Cargo Bike
07:20 Traditional Bikes (Fixie and Vintage MTB)
08:27 Folding Bike
09:09 Other Considerations
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Which bike do you use on your commutes? 🚴♂️🏙️
Let us know in the comments why you chose your specific bike! 💬
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What bike do you commute on? Let us know why 🚴
Brodie Dynamo - a Canadian brand! I got Betty in 2020 ($1100 CAD) when I joined the pandemic-pedallers and didn't stop when the world opened. Realizing now how lucky I was with her (I didn't know what I was doing when I got her), because she's perfect for commuting. Flat bars, aluminum, very stable, 2x9 speed, 35mm tires, and I put pannier racks on her and fenders. She can do generic hills very well, and she takes me out rain or shine, super comfy. If I need to ride through a little gentle gravel, she can do it. Never needed padded shorts with her, not even on super long rides. When my mom visits me, I am confident she'll be comfy with Betty and I'll hop on my road bike so I can take mom out to some nice breweries and cafes by 2-wheels. :)
A fixie is the best, unless your place has hills... I love my fixie.
My commuter bike of choice is the Vanmoof s5 ebike. Reasons for ordering one of those was .. pretty much its looks. I dont care too much (or at all) about technical specifications. I just wanted a bike that looks good (and has a motor). And no .. on my commutes or even groceries .. there are no climbs. Its Reykjavík .. not known for being hilly. .. also my commute is only 3 kilomters long.
Objectively, i cannot (not at all..) recommend this bike for commuting. I mean, i love it .. and it is great - but very impractical. Many parts are none standard, local bike shopw laugh in your face when you ask them to to a routine maintenance check .. and every spare part i need has to be imported from central Europe.
But at least it looks much better (matter of taste .. ) than all the other mundane bikes.
I commute around 26 hilly Km each way (sometimes more if I'm in the mood!) through the Forest of Dean. My main bike is a 1973 Mercian kitted out as an Audax bike with mudguards and dynamo lighting, but I also sometimes use a singlespeed or fixed wheel bike, especially in winter. If I fancy using forest trails to get to work, or need to carry lots of stuff, it's another elderly Mercian kitted out as a gravel bike with a pannier rack, and if I really want to shake things up I'll use my fixed wheel racing shopper bike, which is a 1960s Dawes Kingpin shopper modded with fixed gearing and drop bars. I could also use my recumbent, but I confess to not being quite at ease with that yet!
Bianchi Specialissima. Because it makes me want to ride to work. Also commute has 1400 ft of hills.
I’m a teacher and commute to class on my entry level drop bar road bike every single day. My students think it’s a really cool looking bike and that’s all that matters. 😆
For real though, it's all about the looks😆
We love that! 🙌
And you're being a good example by doing it 👏🏻
Don't tell them about fixes
"Cool Is The Rule". 😁🚴
Trek FX 3 hybrid, with flat pedals, puncture resistant tyres, mudguards and a pannier rack. My commute is about 50 minutes each way, at a reasonable pace, and pretty flat. This bike absolutely does the business.
I have that bike and love it but changed to a drop bar bike it’s entry level €1500 and I would highly advise it putting it in simple terms I used to do 8.5kms in 23mins and now I’m doing 15.5kns in 30mins that’s the difference I bought an endurance drop bar bike so it’s a lot more upright but is still light and I’m not the lightest of riders either
Snap. FX3, mudguards, pannier rack, Marathon plus tyres. Rain, hail or shine.
What more could you want 🙌
@@patrickorourke152 "Drop bar bike". I think you mean "road bike".
@@shannontrainer5857yes
I work in a hospital, I do 12 hours shifts, so I have a Pure City ebike. I have had it for a year and half and it is wonderful. I travel 45 minutes a day, No sweating and a joy to ride to and fro. Its good when you control your own travelling, hate the traffic so I bypass them. It's so fun.
Awesome! It's great that the bike can offer some fun into your busy life 🙌
I am just leaving some brompton love in the comments. You only implicitly said it, but to me its great that a folding bike is also something one doesn‘t need to worry about theft. Just chug it under the desk and you are golden
I agree, I often carry my folding bike around with me as I don't trust the bike loops at my uni because of the number of bike thefts in the area.
Or cycle in a safe place and park it outside, as I do in Tokyo.
An other advantage I haven't seen mentioned yet in the comments is the small wheels that allow to ride with long skirts.
I have rides of 20km with my brompton. And except the speed because it isn't the fastes of my bikes it's comfy and does the job really well! I love my brompton and it's easy to go somewhere amd then ride somewhere with somebody with a car, put it in the back. It's small folded and big when unfolded
That's a really good point! Being able to take your bike into shops is a real plus 🙌
A Brompton is waaaay overpriced for its kind of bike in my opinion
Best commuter for me is a rigid fork hybrid with rear rack and crate.
My bike has 3x8 drivetrain with grip shifters and v-brakes.
Very cheap to own, whole drivetrain can be replaced for 35€.
Very practical, can haul quite a bit with a rack and bungee cords.
When there is not ice and snow on the roads I use 23-25 mm road tires and aerobars so it might be even faster than a road bike.
That's a good choice. I own something similar and it is cheap to own and is a real workhorse with the rack and pannier bags attached.
I ride an old hand-me-down steel hybrid bike on my 10km slightly hilly commute. For me it's perfect because it works and it's free.
At this distance I think it's more important how you ride than what you ride; if your starting fitness level is 4/10 or less, like me, no matter what you ride, your speed will upgrade by itself as you ride more (and eat less pizza).
The other important commuting tip: practice becoming good at getting back up to speed from a stop so that you become comfortable stopping frequently if you have to; once you get going it gets tempting to avoid stopping when you should, but blowing through red lights and stop signs and cutting off pedestrians is not how you should optimize your commute time.
Commuter bike features in order of importance: 1.) lights 2.) fenders 3.) wide tyres 4.) pannier racks/lowiders 5.) dropbars. The ideal bike combines them all - and would look like a randonneur or a gravel bike with fenders, racks and a hub dynamo.
A gravel bike for me
Why's that?
@gcn where I live, we have much sand,& I like down handle bars.
The do it all bike.
Vintage mountainbike! hands down!
What brand? We want the details 👀
@@gcn I have several but the ones I use the most are Corratec husky bow 205 and a Merida Yankees, both 26" Shimano LX
Vintage MTBs for the win! Practical, robust, cheap, flexible. They're great for pedalling decent distances, they don't look valuable (so not too nickable), and they have all the mounts for mudguards and racks. Plus you can mount whatever bars you want to get the riding position right for you.
@@user-cl9uo1eq6q agree 💯 exactly my opinion
they look cool but slow af. I ride Kona Dr Dew Hybrid on 35mm tyres. This thing is really do it all type of bike.
I ride a fixed gear 48/20. I don’t commute and use it for Deliveroo. 6 thousand miles in the last twelve months including a supported Peak Tours Dover to Durness end to end. I feel as smooth as a wart hogs knacker on it and ride it like I’d only just stolen it. Did Portugal end to end on it as well but swopped out the rear cog for a 22t. By the way I’m 67 but would consider an electric bike when I’m an octogenarian.
Nice. You adhere to the big rings for the marginal gains! 2.2 to 2.4 ratio is pretty relaxed on the flat. That's the way to go in the city and for commuting in general. There is no point in sprinting to keep up with cars. A tour through Portugal seems fun.
I commute 4-7 miles each way on my Brompton. It is great.
Love this 🙌Brompton's are great... what about an off road Brompton?
@@gcn Brompton bikes also are anti theft because they fold up at your destination and go inside with you.
I am using my roughly 26 year Mountain Bike and it's great for my needs and the dreadful roads I am commuting! Couldn't be happier!
Sounds like a great bike! Have you updated it in any way?
@@gcn Recently I added mudguards a good set of bike lights and also a new set of tires, tubes and brake pads!
The tires especially has improved my bike drastically on the road!
I use a Riese & Müller Supercharger for my 20 mile mixed road commute. Some in town roads as well as dirt/gravel roads. Been riding to work, I’m a teacher, for the past two years and it is by far the best decision I’ve ever made
39 km round trip commute with a giant gravel drop bar when I want a pump and I have my orbea vibe e-bike on those lazier days 😅
Thank you Si for this video. I like your approach to this video: Here are the options, now you decide. If someone decides to use an old mountain bike, I would suggest getting lower rolling resistance tires than what would typically come on a mountain bike. The bike will still be comfortable and will require less energy for a given speed. I commute on my titanium road bike and I love it!
Low rolling resistance tyres can be a game changer for faster commutes 💨
I had a buddy who dreamed of riding a Merlin mountain on slicks. One day I found the exact bike & equipped it with slicks. Oh my gosh, what a nice ride in town! I long ago wore them out, replaced them with Continental Gatorskins 😄
@@Grunchy005 I bought a mountain bike in 1991 that I still have. I put some 40mm tires on it today. I think it is going to be a lot of fun.
I've been commuting on a Decathlon BTWIN Tilt 120 for the past 2 years in all weather conditions (sun / rain / light snow) and its been flawless and pretty comfy I might add but there is one bike that I think is the perfect commuter and that Brown Canyon that Si rode in one of the city based videos which I have said to myself, when its time to get a new commuter, that is the bike Im getting.
Just got my first e-bike used. It’ll be here soon and I’m looking forward to it. The videos here about e-bike commutes and riding them in general have really played a huge part in my desire to try one
I have a couple of 80s vintage bikes I use for commuting. Primary is a road bike converted to flat bars running and running cyclocross tires because potholes and unpaved trails. The backup bike is an MTB without the granny gear. Steel is real!
Sounds like a great setup! 🙌 Having a mountain bike up your sleeve has got to be fun 👀
Short Commute (15-20 minutes round trip) to work for years, only had a old mountain bike, so did that for years. Now i do most Errands around town on a folding bike, 15 minutes out, 15 back usually at the most. Town is only about 2 miles long, (4 stop lights) but have put over 200 miles in on errands/commute on the folding bike. Drew.
My current commuter is an old hardtail that i slapped dropped bars on, before that it was a full rigid 80s MTB for an hour long commute each way.
(Grabbed myself a 70s road bike for fun rides though)
I commute on my fixed gear it's fast, light and low maintenance I also feel cool riding it lol.
There is something so cool about fixie's 😎
You cannot get the experience of riding fixed gear in any other way.
I just bought a hybrid bike with a flat handlebar. I commute at least 3 days/week. The total distance of each journey is about 21 km. What I love about my bike is the rear rack and my pannier bag. Cycling is so fun!
In the morning to work, I cycle a foldie from home to the train station (200m) and alight at the train station closest to the workplace then cycle to office (800m). This is to prevent getting too sweaty at the start of the day. After work I cycle the foldie all the way home (19km).
I own a few different bikes and ride to work, often get asked what someone should commute on and the answer is whatever you want really, the bike you're most likely to feel comfortable with and enjoy riding the most.
Great video Si. I love my commute into work - for the past 13 years a good 20km from SE to central London. My go to bike is my old 1990s Raleigh Dynatech. Great fun and the narrow bars help get through London gridlock. Can be a bit bumpy on our crap roads though. In the winter I'll often use my Marin Nail Trail with road tyres which makes the ride a tiny bit slower but is way more comfy when hitting potholes in the dark and wet.
Love the video, thank you Si! I currently commute on my 29" hardtail trail mtb and it's lots of fun but I should get myself a gravel bike hopefully soon!
My commuter bike is a Trek 520 Touring bike. This bike can be outfitted with pannier bags, fenders, and lights. If weather gets bad, it has wide tires and disk brakes. This was the bike that I got during my 9,500 mile bike tour around the USA 🇺🇸. Great video as always and keep up the great work.
I recently got a drop bar gravel ebike with road tires just to get me to commute more and it was the best thing I've done. The pedal assist helps me with the load, hills, winds, and it's like you're always in the right gear for less work. It cut my 10 mile commute time down 8-12 minutes from my analog bike and doesn't make commuting for me as much of a chore.
I've been commuting 11.5km each way, 260m ascent on the way in, on my old Raleigh Airlight road bike for all of my shifts over the past 2 months. I love it - it feels like a free win before the day has even begun. I've just fitted some Gatorskin hardshells because my Turbo Pros weren't coping too well with the dodgy tarmac and short gravel section.
2 votes for the Brompton! his and hers... 10 and 6km commutes, the 6 speeds handle the hills well.
I commute by bike occasionally; 12 years ago, when I had a shorter commute, I rode in every day. Back then, a drop bar single speed. I added a three speed hub a couple of years later. It’s perfect for urban riding; the IGH is key.
When I started cycling on my 50th birthday I got an ebike, it was perfect for the time as I hadn't even sat on a bike for 35 years so the motor got me motivated. My ebike made hilly Auckland fun to ride so it got me out on the bike a few times a week and then that turned into a few more times and now 3 years later I have a nice carbon road bike that is powered by myself that I do all my weekend and recreational riding on. My ebike has become my commuter as it has comfy mountain bike width commuter tyres, front suspension, and flat bar which is perfect for a short commute. I have added mudguards so I can ride in bad weather, and lights, and other accessories that I would never put on my nice light road bike but the ebike doesn't even notice it, it's all about comfort. Still having issues getting out there when it's a downpour though.
I've a real mishmash of a bike for commuting. On one hand you might think it's exotic as it has a titanium frame, carbon forks and ultegra groupset. The reality is that the frame's been pretty brutally welded over a cracked chainstay, the whole thing is now 20 years old (including the ultegra) and it cost me £400, which isn't a huge figure really. It's running 29er mtb wheels and marathon plus tyres which makes the whole thing slower than it should really be, but I've had 1 puncture in 8 years of commuting through Manchester, which more than makes up for any time lost from rolling resistance. The single most important thing though for a commuter in my opinion, and it's not fashionable, is that it takes full length mudguards. This is essential for about 70% of the year, it transforms your ride.
My commute can be anywhere from 5 miles to 30 miles each way. I converted a gravel bike into my commuter. Added a pannier rack, 35c road tires, and clip on aero bars because the headwind can be relentless here on The Jersey Shore. I’m a tile contractor and can be at one job for weeks or even months. After tools and materials are onsite, I can commute by bike. And also started using this bike for 200-400k randonnuering brevet events. Not as fast as the Trek Emonda I usually ride, but so versatile and can carry everything I’ll ever need.
i train with a town bike . yesterday did 89 km with an average of 25 km/u not to bad for e newbie with less than a month experience . i love it when i catch up a group of riders like i did yesterday after 70 km XD the looks on their faces makes me happy xD
That is some going! Sounds like you're smashing it 💥
I would add "beach cruiser" for short commutes, although I don't care for the name lol. I love riding my 1949 Monark for short trips and tooling around town. Hmm...maybe GCN can do a cruiser bike challenge.
Did you see the team that took beach cruisers to Unbound? 👀 Pretty impressive riding 🙌
@gcn no but holy guacamole!
great episode! nice advices
10:03 so, so true. The main reason I got my, slightly nerdy looking, Ridgeback hybrid bike a few years ago (greatly reduced in the sales) is because I feel more confident leaving it locked up outside in the city. Plus it’s also fun to ride.
Ridgebacks make for great commuters 🙌 Having a bike you don't need to worry about is great!
Gazelle dutch bike user here, with the 8 speed gear box.
When I bought it I mostly cared about the looks and missed the fact that I live in a hilly area, which wasn't ideal. But I got used to it and really like that it keeps my clothes clean in any weather. Spikes in winter
I purchased the Volt Pulse Hybrid commuter e-bike just over 2 years ago. I needed a good, solid bike for country road commutes that I was forced into after an accident and not being able to drive for up to a year. It had been over 30 years since I rode a bike and have continued since I got back into it. I still commute during spring, summer and Autumn. I do about a 20 mile round trip, unless I decided to extend the ride home where I can go from the standard 9 miles to around 20 miles (an extra 10ish miles) So glad I got back into cycling and now looking at replacing my ebike for a non ebike.
Recently was given a specialized langster and ive been riding that to work , great fun learning fixed
I ride a fixed-gear bike every day, regardless of the weather. Simplicity is a plus for me, i don’t need to check the gears or brakes before going to bed or waking up to go to work. It’s a bike that simplifies my life in that sense, requiring basically two types of maintenance: oiling the chain and checking tire pressure. However, i can say that last winter i didn’t oil the chain at all due to laziness, and yet nothing changed. These bikes are like tanks.
It’s true that we have to put in a bit more effort, especially where i live, which has a lot of hills, but I always see it from a positive perspective, as a way to get more exercise. Maybe because I'm so used to the fixed-gear bike, whenever I try to ride a conventional bike with gears, I feel lazy.
Just to finish, sometimes things don’t need to make sense, we just need to like them.
I have a pretty simple old hybrid bike that I bought 20 years ago. It occasionally needs a big repair (like a new bottom bracket recently) but mostly it is pretty reliable and cheap to keep running.
And it is something that I am not afraid to ride around and occasionally beat up a little bit.
Sounds like a great bike! 🙌 Perfect for smashing around town 💨
Cheap is the best. I paid 10EUR for a rusty vintage soviet single speed bike, after 3000km only needs a new chain and some grease.
Low maintenance for the win 🙌
I ride year round in the Canuck prairies so it's relic mountain bike for me. Swap to a studded front once the ice comes, and a rear too if it gets bad enough. It's still very often the best part of my day.
I do a daily 24 mile round trips commute on a oxylane folding bike. Saddle hurt for a bit then got an upgrade , felt better after . Health has improved
When I commuted, I rode a Whyte Somerset ( lady's entry level roadrace bike ) although I'm a bloke, the geometry was perfect with a 10mm longer stem extension.
I installed a front hub dyno and B&M lamps. Headlamp 25 lux. Full mudguards, Whyte's own brand.
Cable pull Disk brakes. Put a cable gaiter on with plenty of grease to stop water getting in.
Tip for commute bikes. Mr Sheen silicone furniture polish. Everywhere except brake tracks.
My perfect commuting bike is an e-bike which can be as fast as a road bike, allows me to carry the occasional shopping (or a friend), not taking too much space when I get on the train, and that I don't worry about if I have to leave it on the street for a few days.
Because I haven't found it yet, I use a cheap 26" wheel mountain bike which is not too bad, ugly enough nobody will bother to steal, and doubles as a sort of cargo bike (I've given rides to adults on it).
Love these videos about bicycles beyond the sport
I have a 17km commute (about 40 min) that is urban, almost all paved roads and paved bike paths (about 100ft of a little dirt/grass path up a small hill at one ppint to get from a path to a road) with some gradient the whole way but only one steep-ish hill. I ride my 2010 cyclocross bile that I'm still running a set of 23 road tires on (I have another set of 32. I actually love it as an all-round bike. I've got some bolt on fenders and a rack attached to the seat posts and rear stays that I can use with a pannier, but if I take all the commuter equipment off it is pretty fun to do weekend road or limited offroad rides with. It's aluminum with a carbon fork and drop bars and I find it super comfortable. The only issue I really have with it is that it is so old that it has v-brakes and they suck in the rain and I don't always feel confident of stopping as quickly as I would like.
the best bike is the separated protected bike line, nothing else matters
I use folding bikes which I find comfortable. They're easier to store at home and convenient if I ever have to change to train travel or even a bus or taxi. I haven't got a Brompton so the fold isn't as compact but it works for me. For hilly commutes most times it's a folding e-bike since I have more than a 10% gradient in many directions to deal with. For casual rides, shopping and odd errands no need for the extra e-boost unless I'm hauling something big with my trailer attached.
I’ve done all of them. Anything off road is the slowest (but fun). Honestly they are all the same. Ride the one that excites you to ride. That’ll make it much easier to do it all the time. Since my ride is 30 miles both ways, sometimes with climbs, I use a road bike and sometimes a gravel bike to take a different route. If I lived in the middle of the city and had a short commute, I’d buy a fixed gear and a cargo bike (also).
Brodie Credo 4130 steel hybrid style frame similar shape to a Marin Kentfield with a high top tube. But this has skinny tubes including, head tube, seat tube and BB tube and looks classic.
Altus 175mm FC-311 3x crank
Altus M315 shifters
Altus M310 RD
Sunrace 11-34 7spd cassette
Tourney TX800 FD (stock)
Tourney TX500 hubs (stock)
Tektro brake levers
Alhonga V-brakes (stock)
Unknown swept riser bars
Shimano EF-202 pedals
WTB 650x47b Horizons
This is my daily banger for the city. It is the comfiest bike I’ve ever ridden. Like gliding on a cloud. That is why I ride it. I look forward to riding it. Just a fun experience. And I can get a workout on it if I so choose the way I have it fitted. I rest my forearms on the swept bars when I need to get under the wind.
I’ll take my Scott Speedster Gravel (105) to explore the county.
The perfect commuter bike for me is the one that is most suitable for my commute, which consists of pathways, grass, mud, a couple of steep slopes, large stone steps and a canal footpath (shared) Mountain bike all the way, non stop.
I used to ride the trek fx3 to work but now as I am an GCN addict I splashed and bought a cube attain with 105 mechanical and what a game changer its a drop bar bike but its an endurance drop bar and people need little bits of advice like this when buying an entry level bike what to look for my couple of things would be
1. Carbon fork
2. Hydronic disc brakes
3. Endurance drop bar if it’s your first road bike gets you used to the drop bar position and very easy to get used to
4. Stretchy jeans if your doing a commute game changer 😂 padded shorts if your doing a long ride
5. And if you really want to treat yourself a bike fit so so so worth it and I’m just an average bloke and I’m not the lightest either like the boys and girls on GCN but it makes such a difference it’s unreal
6. It helps if it looks the part to and I’m on mine now about 7 weeks and I’ve managed to do a 70kms cycle and I’m averaging about 190kms-200kms a week once you start on a bike that fits give it 2 weeks for the saddle pain to go away and the legs to bed in and you won’t stop
I got an E-Bike as my first bike to commute (Pinarello E Gravel) before I really got hooked into cycling seriously. Even now I have sold that E bike because I’m strong enough to ride fast to work but the feeling when you have that turbo mode and get to work without sweaty is brilliant. PS I’m commuting Dogma F everyday and I love it lol
my commuter bike is a Montague navigator, a folding gravel bike, with mechanical disk brakes a 3 by 9 drive train and lugage rack which also can be hinged underneath as a maintenance rack. I find it highly practical as I have a multi modal commute (60km by bus and 10 by bike each way).
I use my Eskute Voyager. Love it and a great ride to work.
I just got an e-gravel bike for my birthday. That’s the bike I’d use and will use when the office moves to a safer part of town. I do only go in one day a week though
If you’re commuting in all weather, forget anything “fast”. Aero features will be nullified by fenders and splash guards.
Distance isn’t as important as surface conditions. Loose shingle or gravel = gravel bike. Cinder, packed soil or city streets = hybrid. Up and down stairs = Brommie. Ribbon smooth tarmac = road bike.
Agreed. I like that you specified “ribbon smooth” tarmac. I live in Vancouver, Canada and much of the paved surface of the cross town 10th Ave bike route has bumps, potholes, leaves, twigs, and mud. Gravel bike for me! (Brodie Ronin, Canadian brand)
@@LNicoleQPersonal opinion of course, but gravel bikes are the best thing to happen in cycling since the invention of the wheel.
I ordered a Trek District 4 for my commute of 14 km (one way). Had a test ride on it and loved it. Just so smooth and confidence inspiring. As much as I love my road bike, this just made more sense from a practical point of view. Fully equipped and far less maintenance thanks to the belt drive, especially during winter. It may not be as fast as a road bike, but about half of my commute is in an urban area and city that's very busy with other cyclists, so I'm not really able to go full speed there anyway.
Unfortunately delivery of the bike has been delayed, so no real world experience yet 🙁
I use my Canyon Ultimate for everything under the sun: work commutes, all recreational riding, events, and indoor training. I just love riding it.
I've ended up on a flat-bar single-speed for a 2mi commute. Very little maintenance, flat bars give you good maneuverability, and it doesn't kick you off coasting down hills.
I’ve got a 1991 kona that I’ve converted to single speed and put panniers on. I’ve also got a Brompton, as I use to travel by train as part of my journey to work and I’ve just built a town bike out of spare bike parts I had cluttering up the garage. I love riding all three of them, just not all at once😂
90's Ridgeback Tange steel (very rust resistant ) converted to drops with rack and mudguards. 3x7 drivetrain, friction shifter on Gevenelle brake levers, durable flat steel chainrings (including Surly 32t stainless steel). Rotate Silca hot waxed YBN chains so it doesn't get grimy anymore and wear out quickly.
I have a gravel (Cervelo aspero) and a mini cargo (omnium mini) and I feel like I have everything I need for commute, week end adventures, shopping and bikepacking
Depends.
Winter is the winter bike with mechanical groupset and mudguards (Ribble Endurance SL), Summer is the S-Works Tarmac on Dura ace Di2 or the Race bike (S-Works Tarmac on tubs).
Never really take a bag and keep clothes and lunch at work, so I get to ride my decent kit and rid my nice bikes.
Thanks Si for making e-bikes a sensible choice. So many people say they’re cheating but as you say, the best commuter bike is the one you’ll actually use and riding *home* on an ebike is probably a less daunting prospect. Love my me powered bikes but there are days when my e-bike saves a car journey.
My ebike is generally my winter commuter.
Road bike in summer.
My daily commute is around 65 km. I've opted for an E-bike. I tried a hybrid, but it wasn't cutting it. Besides, it was quite a workout before the start of the workday. What I like about an e-bike is that it gives predictability. Rain, sun, wind, hills, tired don't matter. Another option that could work for me would be a cyclo-bike (Touring), something in between the gravel and road bike with a rear rack.
Thanks for the video Si!
Last year I vent through 4 chains and one set of gears. I have 11 kilometers to work, and a total of 305 meters of elevation a day. I also pull a trailer with the kids on a regular basis.
All this maintenance cost a lot of money, and it takes a lot of time to clean the chain all the time.
My solution for this was to build my own bike. It's a hybrid with Pinion P18 gears, and gates carbon drive.
A little while ago I met another guy with Pinion and gates, and he has ridden his bike 8 000 kilometers so far, and the only maintenance he has done so far is to change the front pads. There was no sign of wear on the belt and sprockets. His bike was under one year old.
So in the next commuter video (or a video dedicated to Pinion), can you please test a commuter bike with Pinion gears? I bought a frame from Tout Terrain, and stripped my old bike for parts. I think this must be the ultimate commuter bike cause of the lack of maintenance. I have to change the oil in the gearbox once a year, but that's it.
I do a 18 mile commute daily using a 1990 Sterling mtb equipped with a back tray an a 1971 Hercules urban three speed internal gears bicycle. It's Great
A bit of cycling history! 🙌
If you can afford one, I really think an e-cargo bike is the best investment you can make for a daily driver. It allows you to do things you just can't do on a typical road bike like hauling kids, groceries, lumber, large boxes, etc. Being able to take 20-50+kg on my bike, ride fast, and stay dry is huge for me.
but they are heavy, so you‘d ideally need floor level storage
Bakfiets rider here: you are correct sir!
@@HolgerNestmann Yes, stairs are out. Elevator or ground floor only with cargo bikes.
Trek FX 3 Equipped with an Ortlieb pannier and some PRO Aerobars works as a charm for commuting, round tripping 30+ km/h on my route.
For my twenty minute commute I use what is now a nine year old light touring bike fitted with flat bars. Not exactly an exciting ride, but very stable, and with mudguards and a rear rack, so quite practical. The only bad thing about it, for wet weather commuting, are its cantilever brakes.
I ride a hybrid (Mongoose Artery Comp, 700c wheels, MTB 3x8 drivetrain, flat bars) some 25 km everyday and absolutely love it. I may get a second road or fast gravel bike soon. Also looking to get a third bike that can carry more cargo, maybe even an adult passenger or 2 kids. That cargo e-bike sure looks interesting.
Finally, a video from GCN that caters to non cycling sport specific people. More realistic cycling commute videos please. A day in a life of various people who use bikes will certainly be more relatable and a good showcase in how to actually integrate bikes in our everyday lives.
Electric MTB every day of the week now - used to use drop bars (including a carbon aero bike with campag groupset for a while to be flashy) but seen too many overly eager cyclists going fast on their commutes hit by cars and trucks for my comfort and have had a car total one of my bikes on a commute as well (miracle I survived! bike was split in two).
I'll stick to a nice steady enforced 15mph for my commutes and save my road cycling for when/where there are less cars about.
Most of the rideshare bikes I've ever ridden are Town Bikes. Even the local, fancier bike rentals are Town Bikes disguised as Mountain Bikes or Road Bikes. I own a light single speed road bike for my occasional 20 mile rides, but typically do most of my 1-10 mile bike commuting on a bikeshare bike. Especially in a city, being constrained to a low speed, heavier model of bike means that I have fewer close calls with pedestrians or cars.
20" ERTO 406 wheels are best as these hit the sweet spot between reducing the footprint of the bike for storage in tight indoor spaces, delivering a fast comfortable ride, even over less than optimal road surfaces and they spin up quickly at intersections meaning that if you're typically sprinting 200 meters between traffic lights these will probably get you to the next signal ahead of someone on a £10,000 superbike. Also, it's relatively easy to source tyres and tubes in this size. I ride a Swift Folder and it does it all except technically challenging offroad mountain biking. In the city it performs like its name suggests, I live in a mountainous area and it climbs well and I frequently ride more than 100km in a days putting with much more than 1000 meters of elevation gain. I like it's responsive handling and in general I think 20" bikes are fun to ride. Brompton's might be nice, but unless I needed a really tidy small fold, I'd stick with a quality 20" folder or minivelo as these offer better performance, often at a much lower price point with fewer proprietary parts and most bike shops stock useable tubes and tyres
For commuting, i have an old 26" MTB with modern drop bar and single speed gear, and also 40 wide slick tires.
Spot on👌
TT bike! Makes me happy to ride, even when there's a big headwind. About 10 miles of my commute is no traffic, good viz.
My commute now is short and over sidewalks and such, so I use a hardtail (after getting the handlebars narrowed). When I had a long commute, I found an endurance road bike to be the best option.
Si, when your children are older I would really recommend a Thorn Kiddyback tandem. You can even get a me 'n' U2. Ours was ace. We even put a child seat on the back for the littlest child.
For my 30 Km commute, uphill, both ways, I chose a different type of bike: a motorbike. I still intend to do it on my hybrid bike at least once per week. I see your suggestion that my road bike could be more efficient, so will try that one too.
It should be a bike that makes you a faster 'walker' rather than a slower 'vehicle'. it should therefore have the same comfortable level as walking. And it shouldn't make you fear of losing it when having it locked in public spaces
Paused the video to check it that ridiculously enormous word was in dutch or english lol. I started using an old road bike with 23mm tires, changed them to 25/28 and felt in love with the drop handle bar (it was my first) then I decided I needed a gravel bike to get bigger tires and more comfortable, but when I finished building it I got fired lol 😂 (post pandemic). Now I say to my wife "I need to get a very far job to pedal for many hours a week". Now I use my gravel bike to take and pick up my daughter from school. The gravel is more urban than ever; I've already swapped the 40mm mixed tires for cheap 47mm slicks, and I'm eyeing 50mm urban tires, haha.
I started commuting to work about 8 months ago after 40 years of cycling, so I felt my choice was which of my 6 bikes would be best for commuting rather than buying another bike. I opted for one of my gravel bikes for my long haul commute on a mix of roads and cycle paths. I might have considered an e-bike if I didn’t have access to shower and changing facilities at work.
XC MTB for my needs...since the bike "lanes" here in Croatia are horrible, the trip lasts a fraction more than with a road bike. And sometimes on the way home I take a shredding shortcut through the forest 🤘🏻
I commute on my entry level road bike, a Specialised Allez which I got on the cycle to work scheme about 6 years ago. Haven't felt the need to upgrade since.
Step through frame with internal seven, fenders, rear rack, center mounted kick stand for my 20k round trip. But when I want to get some extra miles in, or it gets very hot, as it does here in the central valley of California, I sometimes treat myself to a ride on my carbon gravel bike. That's what I'm riding today, in celebration of the solstice!
Love commuting on my Surly disc trucker touring bike and I have to say it’s my go to bike for training rides. Leaving my road bike on the wahoo
Surly make a solid bike 🙌perfect for those daily rides!
I’ve got folding e bike. It’s great. It gets a battering on my commute but keep going well. I’ve got a lot of hills so love the motor. It’s great for chucking in the car if needed too
Sounds like a brilliant bike 🙌 How long have you had it for?
My commute was 5 miles each way, and when I chose to use two wheels, it'd be on my hardtail mountain bike (Giant Talon) that I converted to an E-bike. Using that, I could complete the commute in around 16 minutes, which is roughly the same as it took to drive in typical traffic.
I'm Dutch, our feelings on bikes is pretty well known and not really accepted outside of our country and Denmark. City bikes for the win for 99% of actual uses. Gravel/Racing/Mountain bike for the weekends
I have a liv dévote gravel bike. I love it because I’m on a low income and can’t afford multiple bikes. I got it for £1,400 less than retail price on FB market place. I use it for commuting and all transport as I can’t drive anymore due to disability, joining road rides within my cycle club, off road bike packing and I even entered a hill climb today on it (with no cleats!). I spent my money wisely and got an ortlieb quick rack so I can take it off easily for club rides but have panniers when commuting! Oh and I live in Sheffield which probably makes Bristol look flat…
Been having fun with my Tern Eclipse D16. It folds, but it also has 26 inch wheels.
I’m 6’4” and weigh 250 lbs. If you are bigger, don’t buy a cheap bike. I blew out spokes in my first season of commuting because the wheels on my cheap bike were cheap.
I ride a solid gravel bike 13 miles to work. I have a pannier with my work clothes because the backpack was painful for the last few miles. I park indoors at work but always carry a lock in case I get a flat tire. I won’t have time to fix it before work, so I’ll lock the bike and Uber if I have to (but have never has to in several years).
I think a good bike, safe commute, and where you keep your bike at work are the factors to whether you ride and what you ride.
Ebike for my commute and cx bike for weekend fun :)