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. :)
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!
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. 😆
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.
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
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
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
@@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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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!
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 😄
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'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.
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
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
i was riding a dual suspension downhill mountain bike with an unreliable 8 speed untill i got my hands on a vintage mountain/city hybrid bike for free from my neighbour and ive been riding it to work ever since, no problems whatsoever!
I liked commuting on my 1987 Trek 510. it is a sport bike so I was able to fit 32 mm tires and fenders. It's great not having to worry about getting to work with a wet behind. It has friction shifters so no worries about mechanical issues, very simple and comfortable. And I can leave my more expensive bikes home and not worry about scratches or someone stealing it.
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 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!
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.
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.
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 an aero bike, but that's just a way for me to justify having spent a load of money on it. But yesterday I passed a mum on an electric long tail cargo bike with an 18mo kid on the back who was loving life looking at all the cool trucks and things and waving to everyone, that was definitely the best commuter bike for her (and the kid) :)
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.
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.
@0:37 missing point: "what are you wearing" ... try riding a road bike with a long skirt... not fun. But riding a brompton with a long skirt, no problem at all. So my weapon of choice. Even though I am doing a "long haul" ride by Si's definition (although I would definitely not call my 10 km anything like long. It seems pretty short to me.)
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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'm commuting 2*20km per workday since 2016. The first 5 or 6 years on a "Touring" (or is it Trekking?) bike. With "easy entry". Then I got a gravel bike, and instantly bastardized it: raised the handlebars ~15cm, put mudguards and a rack on it. Plus a hub-dynamo front wheel. But the most important bit for commuting I carried over: puncture-resistant tires. Schwalbe Marathon+ in my case. Yes, they're heavy. Yes, they're king&queen with regard to rolling resistance. But for commuting they also offer: something crucial they'll get you there. And if your work (and/or boss) will not tolerate you being late for half an hour because you got a flat - they're basically priceless. I've had one flat tire in 8 years now (~24,000km), and that was my own fault for not getting new inner tubes when the tire tread wore out.
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.
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
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.
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.
I road my road bike for a long time but my commute got even longer and I found myself taking public transportation or Uber more often sometimes leaving my bike at work. So I got an e-bike for my 7 mile (11.27 km) commute. Love it so far
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'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 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 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
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
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 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 🙁
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 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
I commute from Bristol city centre to University of Bath. Admittedly only 2/3 times a week. Did it with non-electric Brompton for 6 months but the cycle path was hitting my body hard so was feeling beaten up after each commute. For the last two months, I am doing it with my new Canyon Grail Gen 1 SL8. So much difference in comfort and speed. Also Brompton required more maintenance time and cost compared to the other bike. Still, I use Brompton frequently as I do not leave my bikes out out of my sight (ie no bike lock principle)
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).
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!
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😂
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
I’ve got an hard tail MTB, vintage steel endurance road bike, and vintage rigid MTB. I have done every commute including my current 15 mile commute with one of these at least once. My favorite is the road bike. I’m replacing the rigid MTB with a flat bar bike packing bike that is am hoping will become my main commuter.
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 🤘🏻
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.
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.
I commute 12 miles a day 5 days a week all year.i use a trek marlin 4 hardtail mtb good for bumping up and down curbs and rough tarmac.i like the straight bars comfy position.will be fitting road tread tyres next.
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.
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!
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.
I ride (ie commute, errands, training) almost everyday but this Spring I bought an Urban Arrow & now I ride even more. My commute mileage has gone way up and I now I do my major shopping trips via bike. My point is to reinforce what Simon said about e-bikes, you tend to ride more.
Gravel bike for me. 15km commute, about 40% on well maintaned forest trail, with a large hill. I can ride my road bike to work, but I'd have to be more careful not to hit potholes or be more aware of the surface especially when it's really dry or after a rain.
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…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
I like how the video pointed out that any bike is a commuter bike depending on distance and preference. One thing I found missing was a discussion about security. Can the bike be taken in doors? Is it left outdoors? Maybe a comfortable and inexpensive bike is better for the long haul if security is an issue. Wouldn’t want that Pinerllo stolen if it needs to be locked up outside for 8 hours.
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.
I generally have to commute 7km to and from respectfully maybe 8km atmost. Currently use a roadbike but the roads in Leiden are not so roadbike friendly. Its a gravelbike for me and loving it all the way. Especially in these old cities.
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
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
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". 😁🚴
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 🙌
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 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
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!
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.
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.
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 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.
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).
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 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.
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 😅
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'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.
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
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
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
i was riding a dual suspension downhill mountain bike with an unreliable 8 speed untill i got my hands on a vintage mountain/city hybrid bike for free from my neighbour and ive been riding it to work ever since, no problems whatsoever!
I liked commuting on my 1987 Trek 510. it is a sport bike so I was able to fit 32 mm tires and fenders. It's great not having to worry about getting to work with a wet behind. It has friction shifters so no worries about mechanical issues, very simple and comfortable. And I can leave my more expensive bikes home and not worry about scratches or someone stealing it.
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 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!
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.
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.
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.
what tire width are you running on it?
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 an aero bike, but that's just a way for me to justify having spent a load of money on it.
But yesterday I passed a mum on an electric long tail cargo bike with an 18mo kid on the back who was loving life looking at all the cool trucks and things and waving to everyone, that was definitely the best commuter bike for her (and the kid) :)
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 💨
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.
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.
@0:37 missing point: "what are you wearing" ... try riding a road bike with a long skirt... not fun. But riding a brompton with a long skirt, no problem at all. So my weapon of choice. Even though I am doing a "long haul" ride by Si's definition (although I would definitely not call my 10 km anything like long. It seems pretty short to me.)
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.
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.
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 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!
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.
I'm loving my Brompton, probably the only cyclists in Chesterfield to have one so I do get some funny looks 😄
If you get funny looks that's all part of the fun right 🙌
@@gcn definitely
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'm commuting 2*20km per workday since 2016. The first 5 or 6 years on a "Touring" (or is it Trekking?) bike. With "easy entry".
Then I got a gravel bike, and instantly bastardized it: raised the handlebars ~15cm, put mudguards and a rack on it. Plus a hub-dynamo front wheel.
But the most important bit for commuting I carried over: puncture-resistant tires. Schwalbe Marathon+ in my case. Yes, they're heavy. Yes, they're king&queen with regard to rolling resistance. But for commuting they also offer: something crucial they'll get you there. And if your work (and/or boss) will not tolerate you being late for half an hour because you got a flat - they're basically priceless. I've had one flat tire in 8 years now (~24,000km), and that was my own fault for not getting new inner tubes when the tire tread wore out.
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.
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
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.
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.
I road my road bike for a long time but my commute got even longer and I found myself taking public transportation or Uber more often sometimes leaving my bike at work. So I got an e-bike for my 7 mile (11.27 km) commute. Love it so far
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).
2 votes for the Brompton! his and hers... 10 and 6km commutes, the 6 speeds handle the hills well.
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 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 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
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
the best bike is the separated protected bike line, nothing else matters
I use my Canyon Ultimate for everything under the sun: work commutes, all recreational riding, events, and indoor training. I just love riding it.
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 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 🙁
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 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
I commute from Bristol city centre to University of Bath. Admittedly only 2/3 times a week. Did it with non-electric Brompton for 6 months but the cycle path was hitting my body hard so was feeling beaten up after each commute. For the last two months, I am doing it with my new Canyon Grail Gen 1 SL8. So much difference in comfort and speed. Also Brompton required more maintenance time and cost compared to the other bike. Still, I use Brompton frequently as I do not leave my bikes out out of my sight (ie no bike lock principle)
Great to hear you're loving your commute 🙌 It's great that you can soak up the best of both worlds!
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).
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!
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😂
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! 🙌
I’ve got an hard tail MTB, vintage steel endurance road bike, and vintage rigid MTB. I have done every commute including my current 15 mile commute with one of these at least once.
My favorite is the road bike. I’m replacing the rigid MTB with a flat bar bike packing bike that is am hoping will become my main commuter.
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 🤘🏻
Recently was given a specialized langster and ive been riding that to work , great fun learning fixed
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.
I commute 40k one way with my Dogma every day because of only one reason. I love to ride this bike so much
That's what it's all about 🙌 Bikes are tools, nice bikes should be ridden 💨
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.
I commute 12 miles a day 5 days a week all year.i use a trek marlin 4 hardtail mtb good for bumping up and down curbs and rough tarmac.i like the straight bars comfy position.will be fitting road tread tyres next.
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.
i commute with a gravel bike and i've got to say it's pretty good
Do you have an off road commute?
not really but i bought a gravel bike so i could maybe go off road sometimes
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!
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.
@@Harry_Mending 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 (ie commute, errands, training) almost everyday but this Spring I bought an Urban Arrow & now I ride even more. My commute mileage has gone way up and I now I do my major shopping trips via bike. My point is to reinforce what Simon said about e-bikes, you tend to ride more.
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.
Gravel bike for me. 15km commute, about 40% on well maintaned forest trail, with a large hill. I can ride my road bike to work, but I'd have to be more careful not to hit potholes or be more aware of the surface especially when it's really dry or after a rain.
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…
For commuting, i have an old 26" MTB with modern drop bar and single speed gear, and also 40 wide slick tires.
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.
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.
The Brompton of these parts is a Bike Friday. Local made and look really similar
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.
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.
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
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!
On that cargo bike the Tern GSD is specifically made to be stored upright, just lean back the bike onto the frame and you are set
I like how the video pointed out that any bike is a commuter bike depending on distance and preference. One thing I found missing was a discussion about security. Can the bike be taken in doors? Is it left outdoors? Maybe a comfortable and inexpensive bike is better for the long haul if security is an issue. Wouldn’t want that Pinerllo stolen if it needs to be locked up outside for 8 hours.
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.
I generally have to commute 7km to and from respectfully maybe 8km atmost. Currently use a roadbike but the roads in Leiden are not so roadbike friendly. Its a gravelbike for me and loving it all the way. Especially in these old cities.
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
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?
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.
I personally commute on an 10 year old mtb, its a little bit aggresive the positioning but it works surprisingly well