Commuting cycle suggestions?

Quoted message said:

I'm looking for suggestions for a commuting bike and wondered if any posters
here had any recommendations?
I do about 20 miles per day, all city cycling(Edinburgh)
I'm looking for a bike with drop bars and have seen and been interested in
the Specialized Tricross Sport. Mainly because it's a road style bike but
with the slightly wider tyres and mounts for guard/pannier etc. I have read
some reports that there can be severe juddering under braking due to the
setting of the canty brakes on the front fork, although an upgrade to
v-brakes may cure this. This seems a costly fix for what seems to me a
pretty pricey bike for my 20 mile commute.
So, can anyone recommend better, a bike that is pretty sturdy, can keep up
with traffic, cost around £700 and come with wider than norm road tyres(have
you seen Edinburgh's roads lately?

On One/PlanetX bikes seem pretty tuff, versatile and reasonably priced
- plenty of room for wide tyres and fenders - no integrated headset
nonsense. The Pompino for SS/Hub gears, or the Kaffenback for
derailers.

Regards,

Duncan

"!Speedy Gonzales!" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

So, can anyone recommend better, a bike that is pretty sturdy, can keep up
with traffic, cost around £700 and come with wider than norm road
tyres(have you seen Edinburgh's roads lately?

Dawes Galaxy?

Have a look at www.spacycles.co.uk for lower prices.

!Speedy Gonzales! said:

So, can anyone recommend better, a bike that is pretty sturdy, can keep up
with traffic, cost around £700 and come with wider than norm road tyres...

Cannondale Bad Boy? Or perhaps start with a Cotic Roadrat frameset with
geary dropouts and go from there. My commuting, town and shopping-hauling
bike is an ancient Specialized Stumpjumper with racks, mudguards and skinny
tyres, and it's still fairly light for playing in traffic.

Quoted message said:

have you seen Edinburgh's roads lately?

Yes, and they're in an absolutely shocking condition. There are potholes
large enough to break the suspension on a car, let alone my nice handbuilt
wheels. Following numerous calls to Clarence, the city also has some of the
most badly repaired roads I've ever seen. Rant, rave, etc.

Becky

!Speedy Gonzales! said:

I'm looking for suggestions for a commuting bike and wondered if any
posters here had any recommendations?
I do about 20 miles per day, all city cycling(Edinburgh)
I'm looking for a bike with drop bars and have seen and been interested in
the Specialized Tricross Sport. Mainly because it's a road style bike but
with the slightly wider tyres and mounts for guard/pannier etc. I have
read some reports that there can be severe juddering under braking due to
the setting of the canty brakes on the front fork, although an upgrade to
v-brakes may cure this. This seems a costly fix for what seems to me a
pretty pricey bike for my 20 mile commute.
So, can anyone recommend better, a bike that is pretty sturdy, can keep up
with traffic, cost around £700 and come with wider than norm road
tyres(have you seen Edinburgh's roads lately?

A good cyclo-cross bike? Seriously. And don't rule out the tricross; I'd be
surprised if the 'brake judder' problem was down to anything more than
incompetent assembly or servicing. Yes, cantis are slightly different to
adjust, and probably these days there are a lot of spanner-monkeys out
there who don't have the knack. But it isn't hard.

Having said that, don't believe the stories about canti brakes being somehow
specially powerful I have frogg-legs on my cross bike and they look macho
as hell, but in terms of actual stopping power they're certainly no better
than a pair of Campag callipers. The benefit of cantis is that they work
well with bigger tyres than callipers; and that's (really) all.

Cross bikes are very adaptable and good fun; I commute on mine (Hamilton to
East Kilbride). But I use 28mm tyres for commuting. I have 32mm mud tyres
for it for off-road stuff, but I really question the benefit of fat tyres
on the road.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

See one nuclear war, you've seen them all.

!Speedy Gonzales! said:

I'm looking for suggestions for a commuting bike and wondered if any
posters here had any recommendations?
I do about 20 miles per day, all city cycling(Edinburgh)
I'm looking for a bike with drop bars and have seen and been interested in
the Specialized Tricross Sport. Mainly because it's a road style bike but
with the slightly wider tyres and mounts for guard/pannier etc. I have
read some reports that there can be severe juddering under braking due to
the setting of the canty brakes on the front fork, although an upgrade to
v-brakes may cure this. This seems a costly fix for what seems to me a
pretty pricey bike for my 20 mile commute.
So, can anyone recommend better, a bike that is pretty sturdy, can keep up
with traffic, cost around £700 and come with wider than norm road
tyres(have you seen Edinburgh's roads lately?

A good cyclo-cross bike? Seriously. And don't rule out the tricross; I'd be
surprised if the 'brake judder' problem was down to anything more than
incompetent assembly or servicing. Yes, cantis are slightly different to
adjust, and probably these days there are a lot of spanner-monkeys out
there who don't have the knack. But it isn't hard.

Having said that, don't believe the stories about canti brakes being somehow
specially powerful I have frogg-legs on my cross bike and they look macho
as hell, but in terms of actual stopping power they're certainly no better
than a pair of Campag callipers. The benefit of cantis is that they work
well with bigger tyres than callipers; and that's (really) all.

Cross bikes are very adaptable and good fun; I commute on mine (Hamilton to
East Kilbride). But I use 28mm tyres for commuting. I have 32mm mud tyres
for it for off-road stuff, but I really question the benefit of fat tyres
on the road.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

See one nuclear war, you've seen them all.

!Speedy Gonzales! said:

I'm looking for suggestions for a commuting bike and wondered if any posters
here had any recommendations?
I do about 20 miles per day, all city cycling(Edinburgh)
I'm looking for a bike with drop bars and have seen and been interested in
the Specialized Tricross Sport. Mainly because it's a road style bike but
with the slightly wider tyres and mounts for guard/pannier etc. I have read
some reports that there can be severe juddering under braking due to the
setting of the canty brakes on the front fork, although an upgrade to
v-brakes may cure this. This seems a costly fix for what seems to me a
pretty pricey bike for my 20 mile commute.
So, can anyone recommend better, a bike that is pretty sturdy, can keep up
with traffic, cost around £700 and come with wider than norm road tyres(have
you seen Edinburgh's roads lately?

--
!Speedy Gonzales!

Remove the SPAMTRAP to reply

Raleigh Venture. About £300. I ride over some poor roads and no
problems in 3 years. Comes with mudguards and rack. Bought mine from
ebay. Aluminium frame and goes fast.

vernon said:

"!Speedy Gonzales!" <[email hidden]> wrote in
messagenews:[email hidden]...> So, can anyone recommend better, a bike that is pretty sturdy, can keep up

Quoted message said:

with traffic, cost around £700 and come with wider than norm road
tyres(have you seen Edinburgh's roads lately?

Dawes Galaxy?

Have a look atwww.spacycles.co.ukfor lower prices.

Would you use a Tourer for commuting?

!Speedy Gonzales! said:

I'm looking for suggestions for a commuting bike and wondered if any
posters here had any recommendations?
I do about 20 miles per day, all city cycling(Edinburgh)
I'm looking for a bike with drop bars and have seen and been
interested in the Specialized Tricross Sport. Mainly because it's a
road style bike but with the slightly wider tyres and mounts for
guard/pannier etc. I have read some reports that there can be severe
juddering under braking due to the setting of the canty brakes on the
front fork, although an upgrade to v-brakes may cure this. This seems
a costly fix for what seems to me a pretty pricey bike for my 20 mile
commute. So, can anyone recommend better, a bike that is pretty sturdy,
can
keep up with traffic, cost around £700 and come with wider than norm
road tyres(have you seen Edinburgh's roads lately?

Unless you can lock it indoors at both ends, something that costs less than
£700.

"!Speedy Gonzales!" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm looking for suggestions for a commuting bike and wondered if any
posters here had any recommendations?

The Revolution (Edinburgh) Country or Dawes Horizon, pretty much the same
bike, about £400.
I get front brake judder but it's just a reminder to reset the toe-in.
Jim Jackson

spindrift said:

vernon said:

"!Speedy Gonzales!" <[email hidden]> wrote in
messagenews:[email hidden]...> So, can
anyone recommend better, a bike that is pretty sturdy, can keep up

Quoted message said:

with traffic, cost around £700 and come with wider than norm road
tyres(have you seen Edinburgh's roads lately?

Dawes Galaxy?

Have a look atwww.spacycles.co.ukfor lower prices.

Would you use a Tourer for commuting?

can't see why not, all sorts of bikes get used, mtb's hybrids etc.

a tourer would have space for bigger tires and paniers etc.

roger
--
www.rogermerriman.com

Simon Brooke said:

!Speedy Gonzales! said:

I'm looking for suggestions for a commuting bike and wondered if any
posters here had any recommendations?
I do about 20 miles per day, all city cycling(Edinburgh)
I'm looking for a bike with drop bars and have seen and been interested in
the Specialized Tricross Sport. Mainly because it's a road style bike but
with the slightly wider tyres and mounts for guard/pannier etc. I have
read some reports that there can be severe juddering under braking due to
the setting of the canty brakes on the front fork, although an upgrade to
v-brakes may cure this. This seems a costly fix for what seems to me a
pretty pricey bike for my 20 mile commute.
So, can anyone recommend better, a bike that is pretty sturdy, can keep up
with traffic, cost around ?700 and come with wider than norm road
tyres(have you seen Edinburgh's roads lately?

A good cyclo-cross bike? Seriously. And don't rule out the tricross; I'd be
surprised if the 'brake judder' problem was down to anything more than
incompetent assembly or servicing. Yes, cantis are slightly different to
adjust, and probably these days there are a lot of spanner-monkeys out
there who don't have the knack. But it isn't hard.

Having said that, don't believe the stories about canti brakes being somehow
specially powerful I have frogg-legs on my cross bike and they look macho
as hell, but in terms of actual stopping power they're certainly no better
than a pair of Campag callipers. The benefit of cantis is that they work
well with bigger tyres than callipers; and that's (really) all.

Cross bikes are very adaptable and good fun; I commute on mine (Hamilton to
East Kilbride). But I use 28mm tyres for commuting. I have 32mm mud tyres
for it for off-road stuff, but I really question the benefit of fat tyres
on the road.

depends on the weight i got a few pinch flats with a 28mm tires on that
heavy hybrid. even with a 37mm at 80PSI you can feel the rear deform.

roger
--
www.rogermerriman.com

Quoting Simon Brooke <[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

A good cyclo-cross bike? Seriously. And don't rule out the tricross; I'd be
surprised if the 'brake judder' problem was down to anything more than
incompetent assembly or servicing. Yes, cantis are slightly different to
adjust, and probably these days there are a lot of spanner-monkeys out
there who don't have the knack. But it isn't hard.

Although sorting brake judder by cantilever adjustment is tricky if it's
caused by a loose headset, which the OP should check.
--
David Damerell <[email hidden]> Oil is for sissies
Today is Stilday, February - a weekend.

spindrift said:

vernon said:

Dawes Galaxy?
Have a look at www.spacycles.co.ukfor lower prices.

Would you use a Tourer for commuting?

I commuted on a Dawes Galaxy for about ten years.

Your question suggests there might be something wrong with the
notion, but I can't imagine what it could possibly be - tourer seems
the most appropriate choice of bike for commuting to me (designed for
roads, designed to carry luggage, more comfort and durability than
most, not particularly nickable).

What was the point of the question?

regards, Ian SMith
--
|\ /| no .sig
|o o|
|/ \|

In article <d4ef56f3-2144-42bc-a6ff-4a077eb41730
@e60g2000hsh.googlegroups.com>, spindrift
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

vernon said:

"!Speedy Gonzales!" <[email hidden]> wrote in
messagenews:[email hidden]...> So, can anyone recommend better, a bike that is pretty sturdy, can keep up

Quoted message said:

with traffic, cost around £700 and come with wider than norm road
tyres(have you seen Edinburgh's roads lately?

Dawes Galaxy?

Have a look atwww.spacycles.co.ukfor lower prices.

Would you use a Tourer for commuting?

Is there anything more suitable?

Rob Morley said:

In article <d4ef56f3-2144-42bc-a6ff-4a077eb41730
@e60g2000hsh.googlegroups.com>, spindrift [email hidden]
says...

Quoted message said:

vernon said:

"!Speedy Gonzales!" <[email hidden]>
wrote in
messagenews:[email hidden]...>
So, can anyone recommend better, a bike that is pretty sturdy,
can keep up
> with traffic, cost around £700 and come with wider than norm
> road tyres(have you seen Edinburgh's roads lately?
Dawes Galaxy?

Have a look atwww.spacycles.co.ukfor lower prices.

Would you use a Tourer for commuting?

Is there anything more suitable?

I wouldn't say it's /more/ suitable than a good hybrid, especially one
with a decent hub gear, but it will certainly do the job.

Worked for me when I stayed in Embra...

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Rob Morley said:

In article <d4ef56f3-2144-42bc-a6ff-4a077eb41730
@e60g2000hsh.googlegroups.com>, spindrift

says... On 24 Feb said:

Quoted message said:

"!Speedy Gonzales!" <[email hidden]> wrote in
messagenews:[email hidden]...> So, cananyone recommend better, a bike that is pretty sturdy, can keep up
> with traffic, cost around £700 and come with wider than norm road
> tyres(have you seen Edinburgh's roads lately?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Dawes Galaxy?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Have a look atwww.spacycles.co.ukforlower prices.

Quoted message said:

Would you use a Tourer for commuting?

Is there anything more suitable?

Horses for courses, on average London roads and tow paths I find
hybrids much more comfortable. Front suspension can iron out the bumps
off road. plus, and (I'm aware this is thought contentious in some
parts) the riding position on a MTB is, I think, safer than on a bike
with drop bars, the "life-saver" is easier.

This is all personal choice, maybe I'm just used to my hybrid Trek
with slick tyres, maybe I just don't wanna lock my Dawes Galaxy up
outside pubs and so on like I do my trek.

spindrift said:

vernon said:

"!Speedy Gonzales!" <[email hidden]> wrote in
messagenews:[email hidden]...> So, can anyone recommend better, a bike that is pretty sturdy, can keep up

Quoted message said:

with traffic, cost around £700 and come with wider than norm road
tyres(have you seen Edinburgh's roads lately?

Quoted message said:

Dawes Galaxy?

Quoted message said:

Have a look atwww.spacycles.co.ukforlower prices.

Would you use a Tourer for commuting?

Yes. I've commuted on a Dawes Galaxy for years. It seems to satisfy
all the requirements of the OP (drop bars, fixings for mudguards,
rack, tyres wider than a road bike). I'm not sure whether you could
get one for £700 these days, but the bike comes with guards and rack
already fitted, unlike most bikes I see in shops these days.

PaulO

Paul Oter said:

spindrift said:

On 24 Feb, 23:06, "vernon" <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

"!Speedy Gonzales!" <[email hidden]> wrote in
messagenews:[email hidden]...> So, cananyone recommend better, a bike that is pretty sturdy, can keep up
> with traffic, cost around £700 and come with wider than norm road
> tyres(have you seen Edinburgh's roads lately?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Dawes Galaxy?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Have a look atwww.spacycles.co.ukforlowerprices.

Quoted message said:

Would you use a Tourer for commuting?

Yes. I've commuted on a Dawes Galaxy for years. It seems to satisfy
all the requirements of the OP (drop bars, fixings for mudguards,
rack, tyres wider than a road bike). I'm not sure whether you could
get one for £700 these days, but the bike comes with guards and rack
already fitted, unlike most bikes I see in shops these days.

PaulO

Mine was £800 under the Bike To Work scheme, including lights, lock,
bottle, toe clips, computer etc. Halfords.

spindrift writtificated

Quoted message said:

and (I'm aware this is thought contentious in some
parts) the riding position on a MTB is, I think, safer than on a bike
with drop bars, the "life-saver" is easier.

Just saying 'the lifesaver is easier with the more upright position'
wouldn't have been contentious in the slightest.

I'm a lot slower and less fit, as am coming back from an injury, and riding
5mph slower than usual. Now I'm no longer able to match speeds with the
traffic the riding feels a lot hairier. For me, drop bars would be an
essential part of a fast commuter. For the slower stuff, it's an upright
position on a flat barred bike all the way.