Am I mad?

[Alex]

Been commuting 10 miles each way to work the last few years (London) on a good but lumpy hardtail
ATB with slicks, do a few long rides at the weekend out to the country and want to get back onto a
road bike.

Very taken by the 2004 Bianchi SL3 AL Veloce but am I mad to commute on it... at all... ever?

thanks...

 

[Just Zis Guy]

On 27 Jun 2003 09:53:35 -0700, [email protected] (Alex) wrote:

>Very taken by the 2004 Bianchi SL3 AL Veloce but am I mad to commute on it... at all... ever?

I'd say not - you can always take the MTB when it's too wet for a road bike, after all.

Guy
===
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[Johnny Klunk]

> I'd say not - you can always take the MTB when it's too wet for a road bike, after all.
>
> Guy

I'm with Guy, no point having a nice bike and not riding it. Nothing to put a smile on your face
like getting some speed past a whole lot of parked traffic. If its a worry of the cost of the bike,
it's not much compared to driving. As long as you've got somewhere proper to keep it at both ends,
I'd do it. Of course, if I had to leave it out........

 

[Dave]

"Just zis Guy, you know?" <snip>

> too wet for a road bike,

?!!?

>
> Guy
> ===
> ** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony.
aah!

 

[W K]

"Johnny Klunk" <johnnyklunk@:rem0ve-this:johnnyklunk.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> >
> > I'd say not - you can always take the MTB when it's too wet for a road bike, after all.
> >
> > Guy
>
> I'm with Guy, no point having a nice bike and not riding it. Nothing to
put
> a smile on your face like getting some speed past a whole lot of parked traffic. If its a worry of
> the cost of the bike, it's not much compared to driving. As long as you've got somewhere proper to
> keep it at both ends, I'd do it. Of course, if I had to leave it out........

I dunno, I don't trust myself maintenance wise with a nice bike. A really expensive bike doesn't
give you an enormous advantage, and will be more upsetting when its buggered or stolen.

In most circumstances, for commuting, a bike designed around a load of compromises for racing, is
not the right bike.

 

[Richard Goodman]

"Alex" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Been commuting 10 miles each way to work the last few years (London) on a good but lumpy hardtail
> ATB with slicks, do a few long rides at the weekend out to the country and want to get back onto a
> road bike.
>
> Very taken by the 2004 Bianchi SL3 AL Veloce but am I mad to commute on it... at all... ever?
>

I wouldn't think so - it's not as if it was a 'top of the range bring it out only for serious
competitive use' model. I am sure lots of people commute on bikes of around that sort of value -
perhaps not the majority, but certainly a significant percentage, those who are perhaps more keen
on cycling as sport and recreation rather than just utilitarian commuting. I'd say if you like it,
go for it. Although I think it will be less of a thief-magnet than an equivalent value MTB, as long
as you can lock it up or store it reasonably adequately at both ends of your commute there is no
reason why not.

Rich

 

[Just Zis Guy]

On Fri, 27 Jun 2003 21:50:38 +0100, "Dave" <[email protected]> wrote:

>> too wet for a road bike,
>?!!?

Road bikes generally lack the clearance for decent mudguards and winter tyres (which are wider
because you can't see the potholes when they are full of water).

Guy
===
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notice: ADSL service in process of transfer to a new ISP. Obviously there will be a week of downtime
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[Just Zis Guy]

On Fri, 27 Jun 2003 21:26:21 +0000 (UTC), "W K" <[email protected]> wrote:

>In most circumstances, for commuting, a bike designed around a load of compromises for racing, is
>not the right bike.

It's not the bike I'd ride, but as long as it gets you and a clean shirt to the office, what matter?
The key thing about commuting by bike is that we actually enjoy the journey, unlike the poor
benighted cagers.

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. http://www.chapmancentral.com Advance
notice: ADSL service in process of transfer to a new ISP. Obviously there will be a week of downtime
between the engineer removing the BT service and the same engineer connecting the same equipment on
the same line in the same exchange and billing it to the new ISP.

 

[Not Me]

Just zis Guy, you know? deftly scribbled:

> On Fri, 27 Jun 2003 21:26:21 +0000 (UTC), "W K" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> In most circumstances, for commuting, a bike designed around a load of compromises for racing, is
>> not the right bike.
>
> It's not the bike I'd ride, but as long as it gets you and a clean shirt to the office, what
> matter? The key thing about commuting by bike is that we actually enjoy the journey, unlike the
> poor benighted cagers.

Heheheh, I actually enjoy my 'commute' to work and home again, whichever way I go and whichever
method of transport I use, including the car. However, I do live relatively close to a town centre
and work out of town ..

A car drive or cycle ride at 5.45 am on the way to work is really quite peaceful, especially now
it's relatively warm and bright .. My return journey at 11.15 am is opposite the 'early lunchtime'
traffic flow leaving town. My return to work at 2.45 pm is similarly well before any evening
build-up of traffic and my subsequent return home at 5.45 pm is again going in the opposite
direction to the traffic leaving town .. OK, the roads are a little congested, but not normally
for the way I'm going, which helps the enjoyment factor quite a bit.

My commute is only 5 miles each way, but is actually a rather nice drive / ride / walk,
whatever ..

--
Digweed

 

[Nick Kew]

In article <[email protected]>, one of infinite monkeys at the keyboard of
"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Road bikes generally lack the clearance for decent mudguards and

OK, that's told us what a road bike is. You are Humpty Dumpty and ICMFP.

--
Axis of Evil: Whose economy needs ever more wars? Arms Exports $bn: USA 14.2, UK 5.1, vs France 1.5,
Germany 0.8 (The Economist, July 2002)