commuter bike – road vs. hybrid vs. mountain

[rose_surfer]

ok folks, got some great advice from you on where to live. next question – advice on a commuting bike.

Right now i’ve got a 2013 trek 1.5. I’m looking into outfitting it for commuting, and it looks like at a minimum I’m going to need to add fenders/mudguards, a rack, gator skins, and panniers. Once i’ve loaded it up with all that stuff – is it really worth sticking with a road bike? Or should I be considering changing out for a hybrid or mountain bike?

I’m assuming I’ll be commuting 5-10 mi each way to capitol hill from the VA suburbs. Safety and reliability are top priorities – I really don’t want to eat it on the way to work, and I need to be safe even when caught in bad weather. Speed is important too…but I’m wondering on a commute with traffic, etc., how much I’ll be able to take advantage of the speed of a road bike anyway?

Thoughts?

Topic

[dasgeh]

@Arlingtonrider 103946 wrote:

Note that Shawn is talking about Bar Mitts and Jabberwocky is talking about Moose Mitts. Moose Mitts have a different design and are made from stiff fabric. Bar Mitts are neoprene. Both do a great job of keeping hands warm.

Oh, right. I was thinking Moose Mitts.

[Author]

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