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Basic commuter question

Da Peach

Da Peach

Outwitted by a rodent
Jul 2, 2002
13,756
5,156
North Van
Drop or flat bars?

I'm going to be optimistic and say that I will now have a job downtown, and therefore be commuting to work by bike. As such, I will need a bike better suited to commuting than my MKIII, or SB66C. I do have an ancient Trek 830 with slicks, but the frame is only 16", which I bought when I was about 14 or so. It's just too small. (I should really probably part with it and get it to someone who can use it...XTII brake levers!)

I'm more accustomed to flat bars, but drop bars must exist for a reason... Wind resistance???

All I know is that I refuse to go back to rim brakes. What is this, Russia?

Comments welcome. Relevant or not.

Office, submarine.
 
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Da Peach

Da Peach

Outwitted by a rodent
Jul 2, 2002
13,756
5,156
North Van
Pretty puny distance, (4 miles??? or so) I'm just sick of getting passed by old ladies on skinny tires.

I manage to keep up with the yoga pant clad bums though... strangest thing...
 
kazlx

kazlx

Patches O'Houlihan
Aug 7, 2006
6,985
1,958
Tustin, CA
Flat or riser.

As lame as fixies/faux fixies can be, it would probably be perfect for you. You can probably find something on CL that would be perfect for you under $200 ready to roll.

Or, since you have a short commute, get something like a 24" bmx or Transition TOP and just have some fun...
 
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slyfink

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,752
5,554
Ottawa, Canada
Given my personal experience, I recommend against drops for urban commuting. unless you plan on running brakes on the top, flat part. In emergency situations you don't have time to move your hands from the flats to the drops to grab the brakes. I got smoked by a van pulling a u-turn in an intersection (he hadn't seen me behind the car that was turning right in front of me). I was coming down a hill, holding onto the flats of my drop bars (where there were no brakes) and didn't have time to grab the brakes. All I could do is lean into the van and "body-check" the hood. I sold that bike and bought one of those townie things with fenders, a basket and added a rack and a baby seat. My commute is very short. Less than 2km.

That's another consideration for you: you going to be bringing baby places? either by bike seat or by chariot? I don't see drops working well with a basket, and if you're bringing the kid places by bike, you need some sort of front storage space: you can't have saddle bags or wear a back pack with a kid in a bike seat.

Baskets are also awesome for lugging beer. 12-packs or growlers work well.
 
johnbryanpeters

johnbryanpeters

Hero
Sep 27, 2001
36,690
18,058
Making moss sad in New Haven, Vermont
kazlx said:
Flat or riser.

As lame as fixies/faux fixies can be, it would probably be perfect for you. You can probably find something on CL that would be perfect for you under $200 ready to roll.

Or, since you have a short commute, get something like a 24" bmx or Transition TOP and just have some fun...
Click to expand...
Second the motion. The leverage is useful for dealing with potholes, curbs and dead babies.
 
kazlx

kazlx

Patches O'Houlihan
Aug 7, 2006
6,985
1,958
Tustin, CA
You could always just get a cheap set of wheels and put some slicks on them. The biggest drawback for me riding my mtb to and from work would be eating up expensive knobbies.
 
Da Peach

Da Peach

Outwitted by a rodent
Jul 2, 2002
13,756
5,156
North Van
slyfink said:
Given my personal experience, I recommend against drops for urban commuting. unless you plan on running brakes on the top, flat part. In emergency situations you don't have time to move your hands from the flats to the drops to grab the brakes. I got smoked by a van pulling a u-turn in an intersection (he hadn't seen me behind the car that was turning right in front of me). I was coming down a hill, holding onto the flats of my drop bars (where there were no brakes) and didn't have time to grab the brakes. All I could do is lean into the van and "body-check" the hood. I sold that bike and bought one of those townie things with fenders, a basket and added a rack and a baby seat. My commute is very short. Less than 2km.

That's another consideration for you: you going to be bringing baby places? either by bike seat or by chariot? I don't see drops working well with a basket, and if you're bringing the kid places by bike, you need some sort of front storage space: you can't have saddle bags or wear a back pack with a kid in a bike seat.

Baskets are also awesome for lugging beer. 12-packs or growlers work well.
Click to expand...
Yeah, baby seat mounts will be important, so flats it is. (We've got that one that mounts between your arms) I like that townie style bike, but I really need (want) disc brakes. Mechanicals would do... I also plan to have full on fenders and a rack. Not so sure about the basket up front. I'd sooner bungie that kind of stuff to the back rack, or go for the milk crate retro-fit for large qtys of brew. (which rarely happens anymore... I drank more than I needed to in Dakar. I don't mind the break)
 
Da Peach

Da Peach

Outwitted by a rodent
Jul 2, 2002
13,756
5,156
North Van
Kevin said:
10miles a day on a carbon xc hardtail with fat tires.
Suck it up princess. :D
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Yeah yeah... I'm also weary of getting this things stolen. I want it to be decent, so I plan to lock it up, but I don't want to be stressing out too much when I leave it locked up outside somewhere.

There seem to be some skilled thieves around here... I'd recommend against leaving a carbon XC hardtail anywhere but under your balls around this town.
 
B

bean

Turbo Monkey
Feb 16, 2004
1,335
0
Boulder
I like drop bars. They're more comfortable for my wrists than flat or riser bars. Most of the time you'll be on the hoods, so brake access isn't a problem.
 
Westy

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
55,808
21,817
Sleazattle
Drops are great for the open road but if you are riding in a more urban environment you are better off with a more forward riding position and hand placement that always has brakes in quick reach.
 
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mattmatt86

mattmatt86

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2005
5,347
10
Bleedmore, Murderland
I picked this guy up from my LBS for 350. It's pretty stout, simple, and if it ever gets stolen I won't be out too much. I've done up at a 12-15 miles around the city on it. It came with 28c tires so it takes potholes and bumps a little better. Also has braze-ons so I can mount a rack, which I think I'm gonna do.

SE Lager

 
AngryMetalsmith

AngryMetalsmith

Business is good, thanks for asking
Jun 4, 2006
21,891
12,474
I have no idea where I am
Ride your DH bike to work. And if you just can't handle being passed by old ladies with skinny tires, gap over them at every chance. Turn your morning commute into an adrenaline fueled, urban, huck fest. Gap parking lots, blast down big flights of stairs, wall ride around gutter punks and manual between cars. Get to work all amped and ready to go. Nothing says enthusiastic employee like a sweaty biker with a glazed over psycho look on his face.
 
jimmydean

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
42,794
14,880
Portland, OR
AngryMetalsmith said:
Ride your DH bike to work. And if you just can't handle being passed by old ladies with skinny tires, gap over them at every chance. Turn your morning commute into an adrenaline fueled, urban, huck fest. Gap parking lots, blast down big flights of stairs, wall ride around gutter punks and manual between cars. Get to work all amped and ready to go. Nothing says enthusiastic employee like a sweaty biker with a glazed over psycho look on his face.
Click to expand...
:stupid:

My RM7 is fun as hell to commute on. When I worked downtown, you could poach some sweet trails in Forest Park in the morning.
 
slyfink

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,752
5,554
Ottawa, Canada
Da Peach said:
Yeah, baby seat mounts will be important, so flats it is. (We've got that one that mounts between your arms) I like that townie style bike, but I really need (want) disc brakes. Mechanicals would do... I also plan to have full on fenders and a rack. Not so sure about the basket up front. I'd sooner bungie that kind of stuff to the back rack, or go for the milk crate retro-fit for large qtys of brew. (which rarely happens anymore... I drank more than I needed to in Dakar. I don't mind the break)
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I tried the baby seat on the front of the bike. Didn't work for me, my knees hit it and I had to pedal bow-legged, which is really friggin uncomfortable. Plus, I'm not sure how long you can keep them there (i.e. they may outgrow those fairly quick).

You can try to mount one of those Xtracycle thingies to your old mountain bike... you can mount bike seats to it. Or find a used mountain bike with disc brakes and get that on it... Or just go all out and buy a Surly Big Dummy (they really should make that in 29r). I may go that route once I'm bringing both kids to daycare/school...

re those urban singlespeeds that MattMatt mentionned, that's what I used to have: a Kona Paddy Wagon. the problem I found is that I couldn't mount real fenders (i.e. not one of those rat tail things that works half-ass) and a rack on it. Plus it was so fast and twitchy, it just begged to be ridden fast, which is what got me in trouble... you can't not ride those things fast, it's just too much fun.

Why the desire to run discs? You living in North or West Van? that would be the only place I'd see them being a necessity... friggin' hills are steep there! I know Vancouver can be wet a lot of the year, but properly maintained rim brakes work just fine for most commuting requirements...
 
slyfink

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,752
5,554
Ottawa, Canada
AngryMetalsmith said:
Ride your DH bike to work. And if you just can't handle being passed by old ladies with skinny tires, gap over them at every chance. Turn your morning commute into an adrenaline fueled, urban, huck fest. Gap parking lots, blast down big flights of stairs, wall ride around gutter punks and manual between cars. Get to work all amped and ready to go. Nothing says enthusiastic employee like a sweaty biker with a glazed over psycho look on his face.
Click to expand...
There was an opening sequence to one of the North Shore Extreme videos that was like that... I think it was NSX IV... it was in Vancouver no less, so perfect for Da Peach! (at least I think he's back in Vancouver...)
 
Da Peach

Da Peach

Outwitted by a rodent
Jul 2, 2002
13,756
5,156
North Van
I just like disc brakes... So superior to rim brakes!

And yes, I'm back in Vancouver. Living in Mount Pleasant, working downtown. It's really a short commute, but it will be dark and wet, so a nicer bike, which is easy to ride will keep me more motivated to keep up bike commuting.

But I'll likely get something cheap, with rim brakes, because I also want to not care too much about it.
(This is the part that I keep flip flopping on)
 
CBJ

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
13,082
4,801
Copenhagen, Denmark
Da Peach said:
I just like disc brakes... So superior to rim brakes!

And yes, I'm back in Vancouver. Living in Mount Pleasant, working downtown. It's really a short commute, but it will be dark and wet, so a nicer bike, which is easy to ride will keep me more motivated to keep up bike commuting.

But I'll likely get something cheap, with rim brakes, because I also want to not care too much about it.
(This is the part that I keep flip flopping on)
Click to expand...
When I lived in Copenhagen and commuted on my bike everyday my best decision was to get a old used beater bike that nobody wanted to steal. That I would never have to worry about and could leave where ever I wanted to. Total piece of mind, still got me cruising and I even learned to do track stand on the bike in the traffic lights. Nice comfortable upright position was good too.
 
buildyourown

buildyourown

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2004
4,832
0
South Seattle
Personally, drop bars all the way. I ride 90% of the time on the hoods. The brakes are right there. I have a stronger sprint and a drop for the windy section.
The closer you are to the speed of traffic, the safer. If you can do 25 when traffic is doing 30, you are much better off. If you are stuck doing 15, drivers get grumpy and do stupid ****.
Plus, faster is funner.

Smaller tires also pick up and throw less water than a big tire. Get 28s or 25s and fenders if you can stand them.
 
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