Weight Weenies

I am trying to find a bike that rides like a road but can take pot holes etc a lot better... Something awesome but at the same time won't hurt me terribly if it got stolen.. Would you guys recommend a track/fixie/hipster bike or a cross gravel bike like a caad X / slate? Or a road bike with thick ass tires?


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Awesome and being left out in a place that can be stolen are mutually exclusive. My "beater" bike is my Fuji Altamira, which has clearance for tires probably up to 30-32mm. I'll lean it up against rails, poles or a stack of bikes and not worry about it, but I won't leave it locked up outside unattended. I'd be pissed if my Berk saddle was lifted, or my carbon tubs.

How far do you want to take it? Quick city spins or up to 20 miles or more?

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When I commuted I used a 1970s steel bike I converted to single speed. It would fit my 35mm studded tires just fine in the winter. 35mm normal tires in the warmer months. Put a Nashbar 700C fork onto it with cantilever brakes. Bike is from the 27" tire era. No rear brake needed. I locked it at work. Didn't want to lose it, it would be a challenging walk home. 1990s Dura Ace cranks on it are nice for those who appreciate old quality. Someone who only knows new crap would not even know what they are. Never thought of commuting as anything other than getting from point A to point B. Use a functional tool that accomplishes this. For fun riding I have other rides and bikes that are not commuting.

About 40km - 60km daily


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Probably a cross bike would suit you fine, doesn't mean you can't use other bikes, but for commuting purposes the cross bike would have an edge over road bikes with slightly larger tires that can absorb road issues, and speed over bikes with big fat tires that aren't needed for city riding. Most cross bikes also have eyelets for fenders.

If you want a bike that is inexpensive than either look at used bikes, used bikes will give the best deal money wise; if you want new and nothing but new then wait till year end closeouts are happening at LBS's.

Surly Cross Check, Fuji Cross 1.5, DiamondBack Haanjo, if you don't mind mail order the Novara Mazama is on sale at REI and if you look for coupon you could get it for even less, and you can spy out the offerings at Bikes Direct, see: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/cross_bikes.htm

Something like the Canyon Urban. Maybe with a drop bar. the belt drive is great and disc brakes are awesome as well.

We've got a commuting forum!

prendrefeu wrote:We've got a commuting forum!

Not a bad idea!

It does need more activity. Understandably it's in its early stages and this whole forum didn't have much activity when it started out...

but here it is:

viewforum.php?f=122

40-60km is a pretty long commute with a crappy bike.

i have a redline cx with mechanical dics and marathon schwalbe 28mm for mid range commute.

an 90's allez steel with with flat handlebars for the small errands with a panier.

I think it would depend where you could lock it and what type of area you live. is it plagued by bike theft?

Even with two dedicated commuter bikes, I use mostly the bikeshare for work commute because i don't want to be bothered with a lock and leaving a bike downtown.
the rest of the time, i bring my road bike because i have somewhere safe to put it but that limits the options if i have to stop somewhere.

I have a similar question so want to bump this thread in summer 2018.

I recently moved to the Boston area and public transport is crowded and very slow. I’m only a 7 or 8 km from my work, but on the trains and buses it takes an hour to get there, and an hour back!!

The thing is: I’ve never ridden a bike not wearing Lycra. In other words, I’ve ony ever ridden for fun and sport. My old Trek 5200 has sentimental value, so I would be devastated if it got stolen or damaged. I do work in nice area so if there’s a spot to lock it in the parking garage I would consider it... mayyybe.

What about a cycle cross bike? Then I could take it on trails in NH and VT. What brand/setup? My impulse is to get a Colnago Prestige or something similar but perhaps not the wisest choice? Cannondale, Specialized, steel, etc are all options. I’m open to all possibilities at the moment but definitely need advice!

Seems like a good candidate for craigslist.
We just returned from a Boston vacation. It included renting a decent roadbike.
Not very cyclist-friendly in the downtown area - principally from a pothole perspective and the inability (illegal?) to take a bike on the rail lines.
Since you're only commuting a handful of miles, my recommendation is to limit the expenditure.
Maybe slap on larger tires. Keep locked in the parking garage if the weather turns ugly and the train makes more sense.

You’re right about Craig’s list. I was just joking about the Prestige as commuter bike. But in all seriousness, I’ve definitely considered getting used, but the bike still needs to “speak” to me and be enjoyable to ride. I could get an old steel bike perhaps? Or a single speed? It needs to be interesting and “different” from my road bikes, otherwise I would inevitably turn it into a road machine. This is why a cycle cross (old style with 9 or 10 speed road group), or a “gravel” bike might also appeal to me.

How about something like a Canoondale Bad Boy? If you can get a top model the Bad Boy 1 then you get alfine 8 speed with belt drive.

The BAd boy 2 like I have has Shimano's 1x Metrea groupset and Magura MT2 brakes.

Its take a bit of fiddling to get it more road bike like and less MTB like with the addition of a fork steerer tube extension to allow a proper stem to be added getting the front much lower and longer plus I've cut nearly 50mm off the ends of the bars to narrow it down a bit.

40mm 650b wheels are awesome though for rolling over bad roads and the lefty fork looks very cool

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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