Which bike (I'm sure you get this all the time)

KMKS

Hey all, i'm sure you all see this question every couple of days, but i'm looking to get into biking, including commuting to work. My trip to work via the bike would be about 3 miles and I would use a paved bike/running path for about 90% of the trip and city streets for the other 10%. My question is, would I be ok going w/ a road bike for this type of activity? I want to also be able to take longer rides and get into the road side of the sport more, and was hoping 1 road bike would be able to do both for me. I would look into hybrids as well, but I'm not sure about their ability for longer rides, and to be honest, the hybrids just don't do it for me. I also have a friend who can get me an excellent deal on road bikes. I've been told that if i opt for a heavier/sturdier wheel on the road bike it should be fine as a 3-4 day a week commuter. Any thoughts on this? Thanks in advance.

kf5nd

with that short a commute, ride whatever you like, just don't hop curbs with it.

Scoffin

I'm new myself to biking and commuting and have a fairly short commute. I can offer my experience over the last month. I started out on a mountain bike for a 7.5 mile commute each way. That worked pretty good, but I don't take getting passed very well. I went out the next day and bought a road bike. I opted for one with a straight handle bar, so it has the feel my mountain bike did. I like the road bike for the fact that it rolls easily and get's me from point a to b faster than my mountain bike. The downside is I've blown out 2 tires in less than a month. You really need to keep an eye on those skinny tires. You won't really have those worries on a Hybrid or Mountain bike.

If you are anything like me, the 2-3 mile commute won't be enough. Get the roadbike if you think you will be logging some road time other than your commute. Whatever you do get either strapped pedals or clips. They will double your horsepower and make your ride much more enjoyable. (cept when you start to tip over). I also upgraded my seat, but that probably won't be an issue for such a short commute.

Good Luck.

jtfleming

A touring bike works well too. They are rugged, and reasonably speedy, and you can put all kinds of racks on them. I use a Specialized that cost in the range of $800.

KMKS

Thanks for the advice guys, i think i'll check out some of the touring bikes too. i'm definitely hoping to use it for more than a commute. It may sound shallow, but one of my reasons for wanting a road bike is that the look, style, and speed of them (the entire esthetic really) just kind of gets me going and will probably get me out on the bike more.