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mfutch:My recommendations for a commuter bike are:I agree with all of this but want to point out that bars are a personal preference for commuting. I also prefer drops but I can completely understand people who prefer other types.
Plenty of gears (triple crankset)
Room for wider tires (lots of potholes and cracked pavement out there)
Rack and panniers (way better than a backpack)
I also like traditional road drop bars because you can move your hands to lots of different positions
mfutch:
My recommendations for a commuter bike are:
Plenty of gears (triple crankset)
Room for wider tires (lots of potholes and cracked pavement out there)
Rack and panniers (way better than a backpack)
mfutch:Plenty of gears (triple crankset)
Room for wider tires (lots of potholes and cracked pavement out there)
Rack and panniers (way better than a backpack)
I also like traditional road drop bars because you can move your hands to lots of different positions
JSnook:I have done long commutes, up to 39 miles one way, and here is my take on it (with my rationale below if you care to read that far):
- Get a light road bike, forget all the fenders, racks and stuff. Keep the bike as light and fast as possible.
- Absolutely start by riding one-way if that's what it takes.
- Don't even bother trying to ride that distance in street clothes. Suit up in lycra or whatever riding gear you prefer, and change in the office.
- Buy some "shower to shower" sport or whatever version of that you like (I got mine on Amazon) and with some of that, dry clothes, underarm and a quick wash of the face and comb through the hair most people will be fine and not need to shower at the office (but by all means do shower if that's better for you).
- Carry as light a load as possible in a backpack. Consider leaving some work clothes and shoes, belt etc. in the office if you have somewhere to store it or bring in something from container store or whatever so you don't have to haul your stuff each day. Hopefully you can leave your bike in an office or something and not have to haul a heavy lock(s).
Here is my rationale...if you are going to commute 15 miles each way there is no sense in lugging extra weight up the hills. The lighter your bike the faster you can make the trip and the more fun and maneuverable your ride will be. I have commuted 19 miles each way from Kensington to Sorrento Valley, and more recently did a 39 mile commute one-way about 3X a week between Kensington and Carlsbad and would regularly see a lot of other distance commuters on racing bikes like mine. I outfitted my race bikes with tubeless wheels and 25mm wide rubber which rolls fast but prevents pinch flats and is plenty comfortable once you toughen up your bum a bit. Get some lightweight lights like Exposure Diablo/Blaze combo which is plenty for the Rose Canyon path in pitch black and general visibility, can recharge via USB at your desk and can be moved from bike to bike in a matter of seconds.
My philosophy on commuting distance is to keep moving fast and have fun. For errands around town like going to Vons I take a heavy duty bike with baskets and stuff. If I could only have one bike it'd be the racer for commuting and for sport use - and I would run my errands in the car.
Rainy days are a catch-22. There are so few it's tempting to blow them off and just drive - but traffic on the freeways can be the worst! I would typically ride if it wasn't raining too hard, since I am changing clothing at the office anyways. I commuted with a lightweight Shimano backpack that didn't bother my back even on the 39 miler, and at most I'd have a laptop, some clothing and stuff to fix flats. If it was raining hard which is even more rare, I'd usually just drive as typically when I'd get caught out on the bike in a torrential downpour it would be so sketchy since the roads tend to flood easily around SD.
Anyways, that's my $0.02 - hope to see you on the road!
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