I've converted a Cannondale CAAD10 track bike into a commuter. Quite comfortable for my 16mile round trip.
Just added brakes and a freewheel.
Best bike for commuting
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[quote=AJS914 post_id=1415794 time=1532271050 user_id=60118]
I turned a cross bike into a gravel / winter bike with 40mm Clement MSO xPlor tires. With 40mm tires it laughs at potholes for 60km rides I'd probably go for 36mm or 32mm tires. I had so much fun on that bike that I rode it all fall, winter, and spring.
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who makes 36mm tires? you mean 35mm?
I turned a cross bike into a gravel / winter bike with 40mm Clement MSO xPlor tires. With 40mm tires it laughs at potholes for 60km rides I'd probably go for 36mm or 32mm tires. I had so much fun on that bike that I rode it all fall, winter, and spring.
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who makes 36mm tires? you mean 35mm?
IMO any bike you don't care about is a good choice for a commuter. In my case it was a retired backup race/training bike. Bonus if you can find one that accepts bigger tires.
Failing that, I'd buy a canti brake CX bike for dirt cheap, especially one with mudguard eyelets like a Fuji Cross Pro or something similar.
Failing that, I'd buy a canti brake CX bike for dirt cheap, especially one with mudguard eyelets like a Fuji Cross Pro or something similar.
I use to use a road bike all the time but following an accident where I was hit by a van on a roundabout I invested in a Gravel bike with my insurance payment, Specialized Diverge. Nearly as fast as a roadie on 32mm tyres but means I can use paths and a few tracks when traffic is busiest, just as quick over my 14mile commute
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daneferrari
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Thu Apr 27, 2023 11:31 am
And if half the road is paved - would 36mm be comfortable?
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BobbyAamand
- Posts: 43
- Joined: Tue Nov 20, 2018 7:45 pm
- Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
I have 14km each way and is riding my Bombtrack Audax. Except for the T47 bb it fits the bill nicely.
For me the most important thing is to have the least amount of maintenance work and cost.
I would consider the following:
Fender mounts
Room for at least 32mm tires, something fast rolling with decent puncture resistance (I use cinturato velos with tubes, it will hold the pressure much longer than tubeless).
BSA bb (less hassle and cheap to replace)
10sp groupo with hydraulic discs (cheap parts and chain lasts a long time)
A good lube like the Silca synergetic.
For me the most important thing is to have the least amount of maintenance work and cost.
I would consider the following:
Fender mounts
Room for at least 32mm tires, something fast rolling with decent puncture resistance (I use cinturato velos with tubes, it will hold the pressure much longer than tubeless).
BSA bb (less hassle and cheap to replace)
10sp groupo with hydraulic discs (cheap parts and chain lasts a long time)
A good lube like the Silca synergetic.
Why are you hitting pot holes? You should be watching out for those, I've only hit one in 50 plus years of riding, and it did pop the tube.
I only commuted on road bikes up until I retired last year, and rode on nothing wider than 25c tires, but most of those years I was riding on 23's, and the first 15 years of commuting I was on 20c tires! The last 15 years I was either on 23 on the front and 25 on the rear, or 25 all around.
But if you want something a bit more rugged without going way overboard then the best type of bike to get is a gravel bike, or an adventure bike. The adventure version of a gravel bike will have forks with bosses so you can attach various mounts to carry stuff, as well as bosses on the rear stays and on the frame. If you are even remotely thinking of being able to someday go camping or touring on a bike, then buy the adventure version now so you won't have to later.
The adventure bikes do not typically have front shock forks, which is fine, unless you are doing downhill racing you don't need front shocks, front shocks are heavy, they take significant watts to propel the bike forward to the tune of 20 or more watts, and they cost a lot of money to replace when they go bad, they simply are not needed for commuting, or even trail riding.
Back before MTBs came along a group of us took beater bikes, mine was a Schwinn Traveler, on mountain trails in S California, my bike had just 27x1 3/8 (equivalent to 35c) tires, some had bikes with more of a balloon type of tire. I only mentioned that to show you that you don't need wide knobby tires and fork shocks to go trail riding. My touring bike is a gravel adventure bike without fork shocks, I use 38c tires and have no issues in gravel or mild offroad riding, but most of my riding is on paved roads with that bike, but sometimes I'm on gravel roads, and more rarely on a dirt trail or grassy areas.
I only commuted on road bikes up until I retired last year, and rode on nothing wider than 25c tires, but most of those years I was riding on 23's, and the first 15 years of commuting I was on 20c tires! The last 15 years I was either on 23 on the front and 25 on the rear, or 25 all around.
But if you want something a bit more rugged without going way overboard then the best type of bike to get is a gravel bike, or an adventure bike. The adventure version of a gravel bike will have forks with bosses so you can attach various mounts to carry stuff, as well as bosses on the rear stays and on the frame. If you are even remotely thinking of being able to someday go camping or touring on a bike, then buy the adventure version now so you won't have to later.
The adventure bikes do not typically have front shock forks, which is fine, unless you are doing downhill racing you don't need front shocks, front shocks are heavy, they take significant watts to propel the bike forward to the tune of 20 or more watts, and they cost a lot of money to replace when they go bad, they simply are not needed for commuting, or even trail riding.
Back before MTBs came along a group of us took beater bikes, mine was a Schwinn Traveler, on mountain trails in S California, my bike had just 27x1 3/8 (equivalent to 35c) tires, some had bikes with more of a balloon type of tire. I only mentioned that to show you that you don't need wide knobby tires and fork shocks to go trail riding. My touring bike is a gravel adventure bike without fork shocks, I use 38c tires and have no issues in gravel or mild offroad riding, but most of my riding is on paved roads with that bike, but sometimes I'm on gravel roads, and more rarely on a dirt trail or grassy areas.
