Fastest, lightest commuting bike?



dandaman

New Member
Feb 23, 2006
47
0
0
Hi,

I want to buy the fastest, lightest commuting bike I can with a budget of up to GBP600.

Im looking at the Sirrus range, or Ridgeback Genesis. Which would you suggest?

any other bikes fit the bill?

Also, are carbon forks worth the extra money?

help me please!:confused:
 
I don't know commuters, but you would get more meaningful input if you told about your expected riding conditions, and what is important to you. In general if it has the capability to have the fenders and racks you want/need, it is really a question of personal taste.

There is also a commuting forum here, and one at Bikeforums.net that would be frequented by other commuters... The consensus seems to be that used bikes are preferred for commuting. Partly to get more bike for the money, and partly because older bikes are less theft prone... and other coments as well.

Good luck on your purchase.
 
Thanks, sorry, new to this!

I will be doing about 15 miles a day (7.5 each way) to work on asphalt in London. Pretty flat in the main, and pretty good road conditions, some gentle, short uphills but nothing of note. Fair amount of trafick.

I want to ride all year round, come rain or shine, and i want to get from A to B as quick as possible.

Importantly I have to carry my bike up 75 steps after going through a foot tunnel under the Thames, so weight is important.
I also want to fit mudguards but dont want racks.

theft should not be an issue because I leave the bike in the secure CCTV infested underground carpark under the office where only those with security passes can get in. at the other end i will keep it locked in my back garden.

the Sirrus seems to fit the bill but im not sure....

or maybe i should just get a drop bar!!?

hell i dunno! :mad:



dgregory57 said:
I don't know commuters, but you would get more meaningful input if you told about your expected riding conditions, and what is important to you. In general if it has the capability to have the fenders and racks you want/need, it is really a question of personal taste.

There is also a commuting forum here, and one at Bikeforums.net that would be frequented by other commuters... The consensus seems to be that used bikes are preferred for commuting. Partly to get more bike for the money, and partly because older bikes are less theft prone... and other coments as well.

Good luck on your purchase.
 
I have a similar commute, with similar expectations and requests of my bike. It is a whole lot drier here than London, but my route is urban and city traffic. I am used to riding road bikes, so I didn't want to drop all the way down to a beater bike for my commute. I wanted something that was a lot more nimble in traffic, more stable at slow speed and when maneuvering, but also light, fast and performance-oriented just the same.

I looked hard at the Sirrus Pro (with discs) and the Sirrus LTD but ultimately went with a Trek 7700 FX. It ended up being a bit lighter and faster bike, with better components, and at a much better price. Opinions vary of course, but I think that it came stock with much better drive train components, wheels and tires. I did end up deciding (in my mind having) to upgrade the brakes though (to Single Digit Ultimates) so even though discs were not needed around here for the wet, I could have gotten a lot of benefit from them in terms of responsiveness and performance just the same. The 7700 FX was the best fit for me in terms of price and performance given my expectation and need. I was disappointed by what Specialized was wanting price-wise for the LTD. It still was not as good in a couple of key areas, like the wheels and drive train, but was a whole lot more expensive even so than the high-end Trek.

I have switched out the stem for something carbon and with less rise. I also switched to a carbon low rise bar too. Both changes were mostly because I had the parts, but they did save weight, ended up cutting a lot of the road vibration and chatter and put me in a more aero riding position.

Otherwise, going with what is basically a flat bar road bike has worked really well for commuting. The more upright riding position really helps with visibility and communication with the drivers. I can get plenty of acceleration and road speed which definitely makes sharing the road easier in traffic...meaning, I don't get passed a whole lot unless I want to which makes where I ride a whole lot safer. The flat bar gives me a psychotically better feel and capability at low speed and for maneuvering. This above just about anything else has been the best benefit that I have seen on the road. I ride with a whole lot more confidence and am much more nimble in close quarters with the flatbar. It's weird too, but I get a heck of a lot more cooperation and respect from the drivers on the road riding a flatbar than I do when I am riding my road bike. I can't explain it but it is definitely a nice and unexpected benefit. If I had to guess as to why, I would say that it is because of the upright riding position making it easier to see me on the road and making it easier to communicate at stops, lights, roundabouts, etc.

You can't really go wrong with a Sirrus. It is a very nice bike. Just be sure that you understand the components that you are getting and what the trade-offs will be. That's no different than what you have to do with any bike though. I have gotten a couple of Specialized bikes where the first thing that I ended up having to do was to replace the slow and heavy wheels and tires, even though I paid a good deal for them in the stock package. This time, I wanted to look at something that wouldn't require that change. Trek for some reason has figured out how to do a better job of this with their Bontrager line, maybe because it is already an in-house product that can be more easily and cheaply integrated into their line.

Good luck, and hope this helps. ;)
 
Thanks!!! :) Thats helped a lot. I have heard quite a lot about that bike, but not paid much attention until now.

i really dont want to go changing parts at all. And i dont have a clue which parts are better than others which is why i find it so hard to compare the bikes and the value for money they offer.

i am attracted to the puncture protection offered by the Specialized, but really want carbon forks.

then theres the whole road bike drop vs flat bar debate.... it seems to split the cycling community in half

Good luck, and hope this helps. ;)[/QUOTE]
 
Most bike shops can easily and accurately talk you through the differences (if any) in components. There isn't necessarily a lot, so don't get too worried. I like tweaking my bikes, but that's because I like it. Thats doesn't mean that it will be required.

Specialized wheel sets and their tire choices have at times been a mystery. I have seen them put some of the crappiest, low-end behemoth wheels and tires on otherwise nice bikes for no real reason other than that they are trying to skimp. I have had a couple of their road bikes where the best single thing that I did in terms of resulting performance and speed gains was simply to put some decent wheels and better tires on them. They are getting a lot better about not doing that though. I think they may have finally caught on. Just pay attention when you are looking at their bikes. I have seen some prior year models in shops that do not have the better wheels and tires, but are still marked up to the going Sirrus price.

So when you are looking at their bikes, make sure that you look at the wheels, ask some questions, and look a layer or two deeper into the weight and performance aspects of what is being offered, and in terms of rolling resistance versus puncture performance on the tires. The current offerings of Alex AT400 rims and Nimbus w/Armadillo tires are a huge step in the right direction.

I have ridden a lot of miles on straight Armadillos. Guys swear by them a lot more than swear at them. I hate flats on a commute so that appealed to me. What I found though is that with a lot of other tires, like the Bontrager Hardcase Lites that came stock on my Trek, I get a tire that I still can't figure out how to flat but that is a whole lot faster and easier to get to speed.

Have fun with it, and definitely get what works and feels best for you. That's the key. ;)
 
I commute on a bike in one of the worst Western cities to do so, and I have not noticed any difference in courtesy depending on whether I ride my MTB or my drop bar road bike. That may be because there is little courtesy either way...
 
dandaman said:
Thanks!!! :) Thats helped a lot. I have heard quite a lot about that bike, but not paid much attention until now.

i really dont want to go changing parts at all. And i dont have a clue which parts are better than others which is why i find it so hard to compare the bikes and the value for money they offer.

i am attracted to the puncture protection offered by the Specialized, but really want carbon forks.

then theres the whole road bike drop vs flat bar debate.... it seems to split the cycling community in half

Good luck, and hope this helps. ;)
[/QUOTE]

Although you can get good advice on web board such as this, I also recommend you talk with knowedegeable local bike shop dealers as well. Since you have a clear intention your needs can be met a number of ways. A bike shop can let you see and touch the different bikes that may suit you.

I don't know what reason you have for not wanting a carbon fork. For me, it's not a matter of concern since for a fork, carbon fiber is an excellent material. You will notice that more and more low-range bikes have carbon forks. I won't belabor the point, I simply don't see anything wrong with carbon forks on bikes.

I have a commuting bike. It's a high-end custom carbon fiber bike. How it is set up for commuting is important. I do have fenders, Jitensha steel fenders. I have a drop bar, though the geometry of my bike gives me an upright stance. I use my bike for more than just commuting, though so I also want the range of positions a drop bar gives me. I also have a good light kit, with a High Intensity Discharge lamp for a headlight. That's important for safety reasons. I happen to have a rack because I want to be able to carry stuff with me and I have a rack trunk I can carry with me off the bike.

Do read the threads on commuting. You will get ideas that may not have occurred to you as far as what is important in a commuting bike. Continue to educate yourself and to ask questions at bike shops. Everything you do to make you a smarter consumer will insure you spend hard-earned money wisely. Do avoid the sometimes highly-opinionated posts by some folks. Most people are able to see with their own eyes what works for them or not.

Keep us informed on what you get.

Cheers.
 
This is my fastest, lightest commuter bike. It's an old pic because it now has a Polar Power Output kit on it.

I have 5 road bikes, but for general heavy duty shopping I use a Burley Nomad attached to a 2005 Kestrel Talon. Otherwise, my 2004.5 Giant OCR 1 with Jandd Commuter Panniers is fine.

I suggest getting the Giant OCR 1 with 2 panniers as an excellent commuter bike.
 
JTE83 said:
This is my fastest, lightest commuter bike. It's an old pic because it now has a Polar Power Output kit on it.

I have 5 road bikes, but for general heavy duty shopping I use a Burley Nomad attached to a 2005 Kestrel Talon. Otherwise, my 2004.5 Giant OCR 1 with Jandd Commuter Panniers is fine.

I suggest getting the Giant OCR 1 with 2 panniers as an excellent commuter bike.
Not too many crosswinds on your commuting route? :)
 
I have the Ridgeback Genesis Day 03 and love it. I commute 12 miles in Bham. The 105-9 gives a better life time on chains and cassettes compared to Ultegra-10 bike. The shimano 550 wheels are marvellous. Technically a Day 02 will also do the job.
Disadvantage: It is a race bike with a straight handle bar, light and fast - no mud guards.
 
yeah, i like that bike, the only drawbacks are the lack of mudguards and tyres that dont look too safe in the wet....




ugunt said:
I have the Ridgeback Genesis Day 03 and love it. I commute 12 miles in Bham. The 105-9 gives a better life time on chains and cassettes compared to Ultegra-10 bike. The shimano 550 wheels are marvellous. Technically a Day 02 will also do the job.
Disadvantage: It is a race bike with a straight handle bar, light and fast - no mud guards.
 
several have recommended the Giants. ill take a lok, thanks



JTE83 said:
This is my fastest, lightest commuter bike. It's an old pic because it now has a Polar Power Output kit on it.

I have 5 road bikes, but for general heavy duty shopping I use a Burley Nomad attached to a 2005 Kestrel Talon. Otherwise, my 2004.5 Giant OCR 1 with Jandd Commuter Panniers is fine.

I suggest getting the Giant OCR 1 with 2 panniers as an excellent commuter bike.
 
I DO want carbon forks!

i think it is important.


Although you can get good advice on web board such as this, I also recommend you talk with knowedegeable local bike shop dealers as well. Since you have a clear intention your needs can be met a number of ways. A bike shop can let you see and touch the different bikes that may suit you.

I don't know what reason you have for not wanting a carbon fork. For me, it's not a matter of concern since for a fork, carbon fiber is an excellent material. You will notice that more and more low-range bikes have carbon forks. I won't belabor the point, I simply don't see anything wrong with carbon forks on bikes.

I have a commuting bike. It's a high-end custom carbon fiber bike. How it is set up for commuting is important. I do have fenders, Jitensha steel fenders. I have a drop bar, though the geometry of my bike gives me an upright stance. I use my bike for more than just commuting, though so I also want the range of positions a drop bar gives me. I also have a good light kit, with a High Intensity Discharge lamp for a headlight. That's important for safety reasons. I happen to have a rack because I want to be able to carry stuff with me and I have a rack trunk I can carry with me off the bike.

Do read the threads on commuting. You will get ideas that may not have occurred to you as far as what is important in a commuting bike. Continue to educate yourself and to ask questions at bike shops. Everything you do to make you a smarter consumer will insure you spend hard-earned money wisely. Do avoid the sometimes highly-opinionated posts by some folks. Most people are able to see with their own eyes what works for them or not.

Keep us informed on what you get.

Cheers.[/QUOTE]