Jamie Renegade Expat for 11mi commute (round trip)?

[Mario20136]

I have been commuting for over 5 years now which started pretty much like your commute. However, my commute these days is about 35 + plus miles depending which route I take. From personally experience, a reliable steed is paramount to a successful commute day-in and day-out for 10/11 months of a year. I started riding a used $700 road bike and broke down in the middle of winter commute i.e., the spline freehub broke so I had to walk 5 miles to the nearest bike shop in town (not fun). I did put a lot of mileage on that bike 6k commuting miles on the 1st year and another 5k commuting miles on the second year. Eventually, I sold it and put together a disc commuter bicycle. Again, it depends on the road conditions where you live and work. The roads in DC are probably not as nice compared to the the Triangle area, but I do invest in nice mudguards and wide tires for unpredictable weather. I don’t have a rack and panniers. I like having a nice backpack (Orlieb or Chrome) in the event I hit the pavement unexpectedly which somewhat cushions the blow. Again, it’s a matter of personal preference. Good luck and keep riding!

@elysse77 189908 wrote:

Hello everyone,

So, I am increasing my commute to work soon from 4mi to 11mi (round trip) due to moving. I currently ride a Peugeot made of Reynolds 501 steel. It is a good bike, though no mudguards or rack (I use a backpack), and the back wheel can never be truly trued as there is a slight flat ‘dent’ which would cost 200-250 to fix. I live in a moderately rainy climate (triangle are of NC) so when it rains I usually take the bus.

My new commute does not have as great of a bus option; same time as riding and involves a transfer. Hence, I will have more rain biking coming up. Also a few less bike lanes and slightly bumpy/unkept roads for ~4mi.

I was thinking of upgrading to a Jamis Renegade Expat, largely for the disc brakes (rain), the ability to mount a rack and fenders easily, and honestly because it would be my first new bike (not just new to me) and seemed cool. I like steel, and don’t think I want something aluminum. I rode one today, felt good and was slightly more upright than I expected (in comparison to my 1980s Peugeot). It is last year’s model at my LBS so it costs $1050.

While I also do some riding around to go downtown for drinks/events/dinner/etc, or for general leisure, my question is this too much bike for my commute?

Thank you!

[Crickey7]

Disc brakes (and better wheel building in general) should eliminate your truing problem. There are various price points for bikes; roughly $1000-$1200 is one such price point that will get you better performing components. It’s definitely not too much to spend for a commuter bike. My last two have each run $1800 or so, and one lasted for 40,000 hard use miles, and the other has been going for about 15,000 and is still great. A better bike is often more fun to ride, which means you use it more.

[smb9600]

I recently bought the Exploit & I use it for both gravel rides & my everyday commuting (~20 miles), grocery getting, & general getting around. It has a rack, fenders & the whole shebang. I *LOVE* it. It handles great in all conditions & is super comfortable. I wouldn’t say it’s too much for a commuter ride if you’re spending the time & putting the miles on it! Enjoy it & welcome to the Renegade club!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[huskerdont]

I’d pull the trigger. You’ll love it. Keep the old bike for when the new one is in the shop and for variety (replace the rear wheel).

[Brett L.]

IIRC, the Expat has mechanical disc brakes. If you have the cash, I’d personally splurge for the upgrade to hydraulic disc brakes. Many will disagree, and mechanical discs are still great. The Renegade series is a nice bike, I own one, but you’ll likely need to replace the rear wheel within the first 2 years (took me 1.5 months to destroy the rear hub), and the headset rusts out in the rain pretty quickly as well. However, once I addressed those two issues, the bike has been amazing!

[consularrider]

I’ve put 11,000 miles on the Jamis Renegade Exploit that I leave in Arlington. I’ve had it for 25 months and I think it’s a great bike. No issues so far.

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