Just dont get road bikes for commuting

[akashra]

I always get told its due to keeping fit so why would you want to do it the easy way? Ride the 12kg mtb and be proud of the fact your doing the same job as the guy on his sub 8kg carbon weight weenie road bike

I agree with this - in a race it's different because you want little advantages. Commuting isn't racing - so who cares if you're on a duallie or a road bike, it's just extra effort, which is extra training.

Its like complaining that riding the back streets is too slow.... i thought the longer you stayed on the bike the better it would be, and the stop starts can only help for strength and fitness cant it?

Not so much in agreeance with this - I have to be places by a particular time, so if it's adding time, that's not ideal. I have the choice of between 34 and 40km when I go to and from work - 40 if I take the back streets. But that takes 20 minutes longer.

I wonder if by looking "normal" the drivers don't see me as a "bloody cyclist", 'cos I get very little in the way of aggro or dangerous driving directed at me.

Which is amusing, because it's typically the "cyclists" who are the well-behaved ones (although sometimes do things that are legal, but road users dislike - like filtering to the front at lights/bike boxes which is actually required by law), and the "guys on bikes" who are the ones who break road laws and give us a bad name - they're the ones who are usually deciding "ooh, pedestrian crossing, I'll be a pedestrian now"; "pft, red light, there's noone coming"... etc.

Anything more than 10kms and it's a roadie hands down.

I don't necessarily agree - it depends on the route. eg, Gardiners creek trail is quicker on a MTB than road bike. So back when I alternated commuting between road bike and MTB, if I was on the road bike I'd take main roads, and on MTB I'd take GCT. Back then when I was in that job, the commute was roughtly 1h40 each way.

 

[casnell]

I commuted 70k round trip for 16 years, and the roadie was comfy and nice and about 70 mins one way. The mtb with slicks was harder and less comfy and 80 mins. The mtb with knobbys was even harder and 90 mins. No chance of off-road path/ ST just pure roads. Roadie won most days.

 

[Big JD]

I commuted 70k round trip for 16 years, and the roadie was comfy and nice and about 70 mins one way. The mtb with slicks was harder and less comfy and 80 mins. The mtb with knobbys was even harder and 90 mins. No chance of off-road path/ ST just pure roads. Roadie won most days.

that is some serious miles every day and could see why a road bike would be the go

 

[---Matt---]

We felt the same way about the drop bars. That's why we built this.



Used daily for 40km round trip commuting

Crmo frame which is just slightly longer than a normal roadie frame for it's size (weighs just under 2kg). It now has disc brakes front and rear and running it singlespeed.

 

[yiannos18]

It now has disc brakes front and rear and running it singlespeed.

well without a chain, you wont be doing any sort of speed at all :Banane09:

 

[Norco Maniac]

I wonder if by looking "normal" the drivers don't see me as a "bloody cyclist", 'cos I get very little in the way of aggro or dangerous driving directed at me.

i cop hassle a fair bit, and usually i'm in tights and a singlet tee, shorts, or even a dress over tights depending on the day.... but i cop it whether i'm on the hardtail, one of the bmx's, or the shopping trailer bike so i have concluded it's a mindset thing among the more unenlightened car drivers.

 

[Big JD]

i never ride in lycra - always baggies and plain shirts - and i think the only thing that perhaps works in my favour is that I am the size of a small truck

You know how you shouldnt look down rather a head - I wonder if many drivers are looking at our butts and unintensionally drive towards us.................. like a moth to the light.

Norco I take it that you are in fact a woman riding in tights, skirts and singlet tops and not a bloke - its a bit hard around here to ascertain posters sex. I am a Swedish backpacking princess but you wouldnt know it

 

[Big JD]

We felt the same way about the drop bars. That's why we built this.

View attachment 259070

Used daily for 40km round trip commuting

Crmo frame which is just slightly longer than a normal roadie frame for it's size (weighs just under 2kg). It now has disc brakes front and rear and running it singlespeed.

cool did you make that frame

 

[g-fish]

i never ride in lycra - always baggies and plain shirts

Truth comes out, the real reason you won't ride a road bike is because you're afraid to don the spandex. Embrace the spandex JD, you'll halve your strava times!

It's all about CX bikes or flat bar roadies for commuting I reckon. Rip bunny hops and skids, and still go fast.

 

[akashra]

If you're not willing to wear lycra on a road bike, then stay away from CX Wearing a standard lycra kit on a CX bike is like wearing baggy shorts and black socks on a road bike - on a CX bike you're expected to wear a skinsuit ;p
Even for commuting. This is the law.

 

[Big JD]

If you're not willing to wear lycra on a road bike, then stay away from CX Wearing a standard lycra kit on a CX bike is like wearing baggy shorts and black socks on a road bike - on a CX bike you're expected to wear a skinsuit ;p
Even for commuting. This is the law.

it aint going to happen you lot

 

[al_]

I think it just depends on your commute. I wouldn't trade my SS roadie for anything, but it is setup with a 720mm riser now because I was never particularly happy on drops around the city and in traffic. It rolls effortlessly so pushing into the wind along the beach on my way home isn't too bad.

The main thing I want is something that doesn't need constant maintenance and feels good after a day at work.

Back looking after the house in templestowe for six weeks soon though, so will be interested to see how the legs handle the daily 50km round trip.

 

[rone]

The main thing I want is something that doesn't need constant maintenance and feels good after a day at work.

This is probably the most overlooked aspect.

 

[Tomas]

I switched to a roadie 2 years ago and have never looked back. Faster, more comfortable position and far more suitable gearing.

For me, the answer is simple: I ride my roadie on the road, and mountain bike on the trails.

 

[al_]

This is probably the most overlooked aspect.

I do 90% of my kms on the single speed - i may as well be enjoying them.

I don't understand the people that grind away on joyless, beardy commuter bikes.

 

[Norco Maniac]

i never ride in lycra - always baggies and plain shirts - and i think the only thing that perhaps works in my favour is that I am the size of a small truck

You know how you shouldnt look down rather a head - I wonder if many drivers are looking at our butts and unintensionally drive towards us.................. like a moth to the light.

Norco I take it that you are in fact a woman riding in tights, skirts and singlet tops and not a bloke - its a bit hard around here to ascertain posters sex. I am a Swedish backpacking princess but you wouldnt know it

This post of yours was the best laugh of my day

we often joke about having custom Lycra made in the same vein as our bmx race kit, just so we can stir up the roadies when we're out messing about on oldschool 20".

 

[---Matt---]

cool did you make that frame

Yeah we made the frame because all the flat bar road bikes out there seem to have short top tubes since they're just road frames designed for drop bars. It's the first time we've ever built a road frame so making it light weight was a challenge.

 

[John U]

Back looking after the house in templestowe for six weeks soon though, so will be interested to see how the legs handle the daily 50km round trip.

Good chance to get the mtb out and hit up some of eastern freeway single track.

 

[Hugor]

Not all commutes are created equally IMO.
I take the big fellas point though that road bikes do not provide a very defensive riding position, and are fairly limiting when the tarmac gets rough or runs out as it frequently does on the left metre of road. The more upright position on a MTB makes it easier to turn and see what's going on around you.
I presently do most of my commuting on a MTB with slicks but I have short distances to commute, whilst 6 months ago I was commuting over 50 km per day so a roadie was better suited to the task.

I still wear lycra though under my shorts or my bits wont last a week.

 

[0psi]

I see the point of a roadie for commuting if your commute is part of your training. I used to commute on my road bike and it was a 90km round trip that made up the bulk of my training miles and I'd rather do all my riding on the one bike.
If I were to live closer to work and my commute was literally just a method of getting to work then yeah, there's no point, just use a flat bar roadie or a mtb with slicks.