Flat bar roadie - pros & cons commuting

[Fatman]

Another +1 for the flat bar roadie, I got the Giant CRX with an Alfine hub and it's great. It's fast enough and I don't get my trousers caught in the chain, eight gears have proven to be fine too.

 

[Techno Destructo]

I think you're making on the right track. Get an aggressive road bike but with flat bars. A typical flat bar road would be ok as well. Just don't get anything labeled a "hybrid". You'll hate it after a few months, if not sooner. Get performance now. You'll grow into it if you're not quite ready yet.

In case you're interested in a similar past discussion, check out this thread. Might have some good information for ya.

I'll just quote my post from that thread:

Geez, I can't believe I missed this thread... Guess I've been a bit busy lately!
I do a 56km round trip, usually about 5 days a week, through Sydney.

My current commuter (without going into specifics) is a flat bar roadie with discs and gears. For all of Sydney's hills, and I've got a few of them (and a few nice sized ones in there as well), it seems commonsense to have a drivetrain that can change to the incline you're on. I do want to try SS for the experience and challenge (and the side benefit of low-maintenance), but that's a luxury I don't have the spare cash for now. It just seems riding singlespeed is like (well, in Sydney anyway...) going into a boxing match with one hand intentionally tied behind your back (which I respect, but I don't think is the most efficient or best way to commute).
Like Dicky said, discs are good for stopping in all weather, and allow you to get a warped rim from some pothole, and not slow you down AND still have full braking power.
Flat bars make it much easier for me to hop over curbs, potholes, gutters, pedestrians, etc... and I'm will to sacrifice some aerodynamics for the handling.
Gears, I use a pretty wide spread - again... why limit yourself with few choices? I've got a 52-36 (guessing on the small ring) and an 11-32 on the back. Covers everything from grinding in the biggest gear for when drafting behind buses/trucks, to riding up the ramps at the Harbour Bridge (several steep, steppy inclines that bikes are usually pushed up, sometimes ridden down, and very occasionally ridden up). As I said before... if the options are there... why limit yourself?
Tires I run are narrow and hard, since when I corner hard at speed and am leaning it over, I want a tire I can trust. Conti Gatorskins are great, but there's also a killer tire (sorry... can't remember the name) with a reflective band on both sides of the sidewall... great tire with the added benefit of visibility at night. Get ones with flat protection, then back that up with tire liners (Mr.Tuffy or Slime), 'cause even though you'll get more rotational weight... you're not in a race (I assume) and never having to repair a flat is worth it in my book (I fucking HATE repairing flats).

If you made it this far and wanna hear specifics... I'm on a Brodie Romax (cyclocross frame) with almost all handpicked parts (slowly replaced the stock ones over the years).
If I could buy a new commuter, no expense spared... I'd get one of those Cannondale Bad Boy Rohloffs. Sickest stock commuter I've ever seen. Probably the most expensive, too. A Brodie Ocho would be sweet if one ever became available (seem to always be sold out), and after that... the Kona Dr.Dew is a nice affordable option.

Here's more information about my old bike.
It may not look that sexy, but that thing had a sweet set-up and could tear up the roads.

Another +1 for the flat bar roadie, I got the Giant CRX with an Alfine hub and it's great. It's fast enough and I don't get my trousers caught in the chain, eight gears have proven to be fine too.

Hey Fatman, howya liking that Alfine hub... I'm rockin' one too, with discs and an eccentric bottom bracket. I've probably put about 800km on it so far. It's doing reasonably well, but the shifting is getting slightly hesitant while pedalling now.

 

[Fatman]

Hey Fatman, howya liking that Alfine hub... I'm rockin' one too, with discs and an eccentric bottom bracket. I've probably put about 800km on it so far. It's doing reasonably well, but the shifting is getting slightly hesitant while pedalling now.

It was a bit of a trip when I first got it, flashbacks of old Sturmey Archer stuff, a few adjustments now it's performing quite well. I am a little miffed that I didn't wait to get the trigger shift and disc brake model but for the price I got the bike for I have nothing to whinge about. It does what it is designed for very well.

 

[scblack]

I am listening to you guys, and am looking at flat bar roadies.

Can get a Cell SS300 which has 105/Tiagra parts for $999 so thats looking trumps so far.

 

[superv3000]

flat bar roadie

Thanks for all the responses.

I am still undecided, but you have all convinced me to not bother with the hybrid..........

Ineed to do something, the commute is taking 45mins, much slower than other times quoted by others in sydney.

 

[Ozchuck]

What I did, was I got an old racer with flat bars thrown on, and then an aero bar for those no traffic moments, and now my trips that took 13 minutes on the mountain bike are over in like 7 minutes.

extrapolating that to the 40km commute I have to normally do by train, and I'm willing to convert to the bike.

 

[Carma1]

guarantee if you buy a hybrid/flat bar roadie you will be back on this forum in 6 months asking which road bike to buy...

+1 here, go the drop bar roadie. If luggage is a prob go the alloy route as the majority of them will have the lugs in which to attach panniers....

Cheers Mark

 

[shue]

+1 for drops- aero position: why would you want this? Reasons: low drag - more speed. This is particularly good when it's windy and when you're going downhill.

+1 for drops- more torque: why would you want this? Reasons: when you're on the drops, you're in a position that is biologically advantageous when you're after more drive from your legs. Try getting more drive while still on the saddle with a flat bar... hmm... not so good.

 

[b_S]

+1 for flats - control and manoeuvrability
+1 for flats - slightly more upright position (adjustable to taste) for seeing what's happening in traffic
+1 for flats - comfort, less of an arched back/neck to ease the pain on the slogs home from a hard days work

All depends on your riding. If you're commuting on open roads where you can get on the drops and drive it's all well and good... but considering we're talking about Sydney that's pretty rare when you're less than an hour from the CBD!

 

[RCOH]

+1 for drops- aero position: why would you want this? Reasons: low drag - more speed. This is particularly good when it's windy and when you're going downhill.

+1 for drops- more torque: why would you want this? Reasons: when you're on the drops, you're in a position that is biologically advantageous when you're after more drive from your legs. Try getting more drive while still on the saddle with a flat bar... hmm... not so good.

Agreed. I am back on drops after a year or so on flats & it is so much better.

If you want the best of both worlds get Randonneur or Touring bars, they have wider flat sections but the option of drops.

 

[Tazed]

How about low risers as well? Seen 'em, rode 'em, liked 'em...

Basically just get a flat bar roadie then try other bars out later.
The overall experience will be better than a commuter.

 

[superv3000]

flat bar roadie - tally

Thanks again for all the advice.

By my count its flat-bar just shading the drop-bars. But not much in it (included low risers as flats.)

Hybrids a big no.

I guess it would be easier to convert from the drop-bars to the flat - bar as i would just remove the cables rather than adding for remote shifting & braking. Any thoughts?

 

[Tazed]

Biggest issue is controls.
Flat bar roadies run (mostly) MTB style shifters/brake levers.
Getting them to retrofit onto drop bars is something of a challenge... and vice versa. Doubly if they're hydraulic brakes.
If you intend taking this possible option, only buy a bike where conversion will be possible. On most, it's not...
Me? I'd take the flat bar option and forget the drops.
You can always lower the bars by inverting the stem and removing spacers, but you'll probably find the more upright position of the flat bar more comfortable/safe in traffic...

 

[b_S]

spanner in the works - MTB shifters are much cheaper than road STI, so if you wanted to switch back and forth it'd be more economical to buy a drop-bar roadie.
But you really don't want to be switching back and forth and I still stand by flat bar being more appropriate for commuting when dealing with the usual traffic, bike paths, pedestrians and other random obstacles.

 

[Binaural]

Ok, so it's more like 21.2Km and took me 36min today in the rain... so 35.3Km/h in the wet. I have no ide if that's impressive or not, I just ride my bike to work.

It's about 95% bike path, no one's on it in the wet except aforementioned hybrids.

That's pretty damn fast if your speedo is set up correctly - I can manage 30km/hr average with typical 33-36km/hr cruising speed on the flat over a nearly identical distance and I still pass a lot of people.

On the topic of flat bars - if you ride in a lot of aggressive traffic then a flat bar roadie/MTB set up for road is the way to go (I rode this setup in Sydney for years and it was perfect for inner-city chicanery). However, if you have a good clear run with paths or lanes for significant stretches then a drop bar roadie will reward you with considerably higher stustainable speed. A test I did this morning indicates it makes nearly a 2km/hr difference riding on the flats vs the drops, so that may be useful data for your decision.

 

[akashra]

I do 30k's each way, in traffic all the way, from the eastern suburbs of Melbourne to Docklands. It takes me about 1 hour 20min to 1 hour 40 minutes depending on how i'm feeling, traffic, and the wind more than any other factor.

Yeah, I've been doing a similar commute for about 10 months now. At the moment it's Ferntree Gully to Hawthorn - 25km if I go straight down Burwood Highway (not the nicest experience) in around an hour (plenty of traffic lights), or 30km if I use Gardiners Creek trail, which brings the time up to anywhere from 1h15 to 1h30. Previously I was doing 38km using virtually the same route (except heading into South Melbourne rather than turning up Glenferrie Road), and was doing it in 1h24m-1h36m - as you can see there's a pattern here - 24-26km/h is about the sweet spot.

The problem with the commute is the bike paths, which you just have to travel so much slower on. I actually find that the same commute on my road bike or hardtail/duallie takes exactly the same amount of time, as you can maneuver better on the XC bikes, but you're much quicker in a straight line on the roadie.

If the claimed 44km/h is correct, I either want to know what the speed is in the opposite direction, or his training plan. As for picking between the two styles of bikes, I'd go the proper roadie.

 

[davidtcr]

One option you may like to look at is to go Flat Bar roadie, but add some clip on Aero Bars. This gives you the good control and visibility in traffic, but a reasonable areo position for when you are on a good fast section. You won't get a full areo tuck as the bars will be too high, but it shouldn't be too bad.

Personally I commute on my steel HT with panniers and slicks. I use the carbon road bike occasionally, but I prefer not to thrash it around town, plus I find that if I commute with a backpack too much I get very sore in the neck and shoulders. I also do prefer the more upright position of the MTB when I am in traffic.

Mine is around a 28 km commute (Berowra to MacQuarie Park) which takes me about 1hr 5min to work and 1hr 15min on the way home. If I do use the roadie I can typically take 5 or so minutes off this.

 

[superv3000]

One option you may like to look at is to go Flat Bar roadie, but add some clip on Aero Bars. This gives you the good control and visibility in traffic, but a reasonable areo position for when you are on a good fast section. You won't get a full areo tuck as the bars will be too high, but it shouldn't be too bad.

Personally I commute on my steel HT with panniers and slicks. I use the carbon road bike occasionally, but I prefer not to thrash it around town, plus I find that if I commute with a backpack too much I get very sore in the neck and shoulders. I also do prefer the more upright position of the MTB when I am in traffic.

Mine is around a 28 km commute (Berowra to MacQuarie Park) which takes me about 1hr 5min to work and 1hr 15min on the way home. If I do use the roadie I can typically take 5 or so minutes off this.

So 5mins over a 65min commute is only a small improvement for the dedicated carbon roadie. A flat bar should be closer to that than your Steel HT. Hardly seems worth the extra expense, i wonder how carbon bikes would fair on Sydney's roads on a daily commute. Yes they look good, are light & have the bling factor......... But these bikes were never tested for Sydney traffic conditions

 

[I-AM-TEH-FASTEST-11]

flat bars are lame.. I commute on my roadie.. it's well faster. The roadie gives you the option of keeping up with traffic at high speeds, and it agile enough to go through the tightest of gaps in traffic if it's jammed up.

My roadie handled it without any worries in Sydney.
Now in Brissie and it's all fine too.

I commute with a crumpler bag on my back.. no neck or back issues at all. Although the crumpler is designed specifically for that use, so it makes sense.

I am roadies all the way...

although it's fun as hell to thrash a mountain bike through heavy traffic...

I'd rule out flat bars, they have none of the stregnths of a mountain bike, and all of the weakness of a roadie. Which is fine for old Ma and Pa kettle wanting to ride to the local for a latte, but for anyone wanting a real speedy commute, just man up and nail it on a roadie.

 

[Aro]

flat bars are lame.. I commute on my roadie.. it's well faster. The roadie gives you the option of keeping up with traffic at high speeds, and it agile enough to go through the tightest of gaps in traffic if it's jammed up.

My roadie handled it without any worries in Sydney.
Now in Brissie and it's all fine too.

I commute with a crumpler bag on my back.. no neck or back issues at all. Although the crumpler is designed specifically for that use, so it makes sense.

I am roadies all the way...

although it's fun as hell to thrash a mountain bike through heavy traffic...

I'd rule out flat bars, they have none of the stregnths of a mountain bike, and all of the weakness of a roadie. Which is fine for old Ma and Pa kettle wanting to ride to the local for a latte, but for anyone wanting a real speedy commute, just man up and nail it on a roadie.

I second that, although i am yet to use a flat bar rodie, i couldn't imagine giving up the drop bars, especially this time of the year, its bloody windy every day & the aero tuck makes a big dif IMO.
My roadie is a 15yr old steel framed beast, gear leavers are on the DOWN TUBE! A set of decent rims & i'm good for hopping up over gutters, pot holes, pedestrians etc. I also use a back pack & dont get a sore back, my commute is 30km (Berowra to Meadowbank) & takes an hour, plus 10-15mins on the return trip (tend not to ride home that much as i'm a bit soft in the afternoons).