What kind of bike do I want: commuting all the time edition

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  • #914754
    dasgeh
    Participant

    In an attempt to un-hijack the other thread, I’ll try to move this discussion here. The short version: I’d like a bike that I’m comfortable commuting in all weather on. My commute is currently 7-8 miles each way, and includes both Capitol Hill and Rosslyn hill (the deal breaker for “it’s kinda comfortable but not really” bikes). I have a Raleigh R500 which is comfortable to ride for a long time but (1) is not upright enough to be comfortable with limited vis (aka ski goggles) in traffic and (2) doesn’t have the clearance and braze-ons for wide tires + fenders. I haven’t ridden a lot of steel, but from what I read, that’s where I should be looking. I haven’t ridden fat tires ever, but I doubt that’s the way I’ll go. I am will to test ride them. Any bike has to be able to get me up Rosslyn hill comfortably (aka not too heavy). I can do basic bike maintenance, but would prefer not to.

    I’m almost certainly going to put a back rack, full fenders and a dyna-hub on whatever bike I end up with. Flexibility to, e.g., do some touring in future years (once kids grow up) would be great.

    And budget-wise, it looks like I’m going to get a windfall in the next couple months, so I’m not looking for the cheapest thing out there. I’m still an economist at heart, so I do want the best deal and don’t want to pay more than I have to just for a fancy brand.

    The conversation so far (thanks everyone who chimed in):
    @dasgeh 73925 wrote:

    Alas, I didn’t bike to work today. […] I realized that clothing wise, I was fine to bike. But bike-wise is another matter. I have been commuting on 2 bikes: 1) my (Dad’s) Raleigh, which fits very well, but I don’t think has clearance for better tires; and 2) Raleigh Detour Deluxe, my no excuses bike. I love the Raleigh, but I must admit, it is too small for me. It’s just not comfortable enough for the 7.5 mile commute, and I end up dreading the ride home.

    So on my bike to lunch (on a CaBi), I swung by BicycleSpace to see what they would recommend for a bike I could use all the time. I was steered toward the Surly Straggler, but might consider another Surly or an All-City… Any thoughts?

    And I got some helpful responses:
    @cyclingfool 73936 wrote:

    Something of a Surly fanboy here, so I think the Straggler would be a fine choice. :) The Straggler is basically a Cross Check w/ disc brakes, so if you’d rather stick with rim brakes, there’s always the Cross Check as well.

    My old bike was a Long Haul Trucker, which I was very partial to and miss immensely. There’s also a Disc Trucker now, if you want disc brakes.

    Fitting/sizing info for both Truckers and Cross Checks here: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/SurlyLHT/2pGsJfXWb6A in case they don’t have/can’t order the specific size you’d want to test ride.

    Either would be good as an all around bike IMO. Straggle/CC should be a little lighter/more nimble than a Trucker if that’s important.

    Can’t speak to All-City bikes.

    @Riley Casey 73939 wrote:

    You like Raleighs? Oh boy, oh boy you need a new, bottomless pit of a bike addiction.

    http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/623699-For-the-love-of-English-3-speeds

    @TwoWheelsDC 73940 wrote:

    Straggler also comes with STI shifters, IIRC. Compared to bar ends that come standard on the Crosscheck.

    @KelOnWheels 73946 wrote:

    ALL-CITY!

    A Surly Straggler would be awesome, actually. I want one.

    But it’s basically the bike I have just with disc brakes.

    But I still want one.

    @vvill 73965 wrote:

    Both brands focus on tough, steel, urban bikes so either would probably be good if that’s what you’re after. All-City have a bit more of a track/CX/700c focus perhaps, and don’t make any MTBs whereas Surly has a presence in all sorts of bikes. All-City’s marketing seems a bit edgier and “epic”, Surly is a bit more off-beat and quirky.

    I think figure out what kind of tire clearance you want, and also if you want flat bar or dropbar and if drops – STI or barend shifters. CX-specific bikes will usually fit up to 35mm comfortably but not necessarily that much more – so that may limit your studded tire choice if you plan to get those at some point. Having disc brakes or not will also influence your options quite a bit, if you have a preference on that.

    @peterw_diy 73974 wrote:

    Belt drive 26er fat tire fixie will take care of you all through the zombie apocalypse.

    Don’t brifters suck with gloves/mittens? So I’ve heard… Otherwise, when I go shopping I wish my Cross Check had longer chainstays, and Surly cuts the steer tubes kinda short on their “complete” builds. I’d also like less toe clip overlap. (I shoulda bought a 26er Disc Trucker.) Straggler is one of a few they bother treating for rust, the others you might want to Weigle.

Viewing 6 replies - 136 through 141 (of 141 total)
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  • #999128
    83b
    Participant

    I know that you can put one of the ebikes.ca kits onto a Boda Boda, but I don’t think they plan to offer one stock. The Clever Cycles guys offer Yubas (and Kinn, which is a less publicized American made mid-tail), and I’m sure would be willing to put together one with an ebikes.ca kit for you if you wanted one. Clever Cycles and ebikes.ca partnered on their Edgerunner offering. Alternatively, you could install a kit yourself. It’s not much harder than switching out the front wheel and the grips. All the electrics in the kit just plug together.

    As far as batteries go, the ebikes.ca kits come with a standard connector pin (called an Anderson Powerpoles). When it’s time for a replacement you could get a new one from them or you could order from a third party like Ping. Ping’s batteries don’t come in the nice hard case that others do and you have to crimp on the connectors. But they’re several hundred dollars cheaper and come in a much wider range of capacities. If your commute changed and you wanted something to carry you 60-70 miles on a single charge, Ping makes it.

    BionX uses a proprietary motor controller that is built into the hub motor and proprietary battery management built into the battery. So a dead BionX battery has to be replaced with a new one of theirs. The ebikes.ca kits separate out the components so a failure only requires replacing the failed component. But if the eBaks is on a BionX system it may make the most sense to stick with that so that the batteries and chargers are cross compatible.

    #999129
    jnva
    Participant

    Don’t forget about em3ev. I’ve bought several kits from them and am happy, but it is a DIY effort with some soldering and configuring the controller software. But, I enjoy doing that kind of maintenance work.

    #999136
    dasgeh
    Participant

    @83(b) 83069 wrote:

    I know that you can put one of the ebikes.ca kits onto a Boda Boda, but I don’t think they plan to offer one stock. The Clever Cycles guys offer Yubas (and Kinn, which is a less publicized American made mid-tail), and I’m sure would be willing to put together one with an ebikes.ca kit for you if you wanted one. Clever Cycles and ebikes.ca partnered on their Edgerunner offering. Alternatively, you could install a kit yourself. It’s not much harder than switching out the front wheel and the grips. All the electrics in the kit just plug together.

    As far as batteries go, the ebikes.ca kits come with a standard connector pin (called an Anderson Powerpoles). When it’s time for a replacement you could get a new one from them or you could order from a third party like Ping. Ping’s batteries don’t come in the nice hard case that others do and you have to crimp on the connectors. But they’re several hundred dollars cheaper and come in a much wider range of capacities. If your commute changed and you wanted something to carry you 60-70 miles on a single charge, Ping makes it.

    BionX uses a proprietary motor controller that is built into the hub motor and proprietary battery management built into the battery. So a dead BionX battery has to be replaced with a new one of theirs. The ebikes.ca kits separate out the components so a failure only requires replacing the failed component. But if the eBaks is on a BionX system it may make the most sense to stick with that so that the batteries and chargers are cross compatible.

    Thanks. The ebaks is not Bionx – it’s some random system that bakfiets in the Netherlands uses. I’m not sure if that’s better or worse for compatibility with generics…

    I’m definitely interested in the turn-key-ness of the elBoda or elMundo, and the idea that I can get it from an LBS (for service, etc), but at least for the Mundo, I don’t like the placement of the battery on the elMundo…

    #999140
    peterw_diy
    Participant

    FYI, BikeFriday is about launching a 35# xtracycle bike that can fit on bus racks: http://familyride.us/2014/03/28/seattle-bike-expo-featuring-bike-friday-haul-a-day-and-some-other-bikes/

    #999180
    dasgeh
    Participant

    @peterw_diy 83081 wrote:

    FYI, BikeFriday is about launching a 35# xtracycle bike that can fit on bus racks: http://familyride.us/2014/03/28/seattle-bike-expo-featuring-bike-friday-haul-a-day-and-some-other-bikes/

    Thanks. Lots of good stuff there, especially about the return of the MinUte. I’ve seen the folding xtracycle, but it is not recommended not to be used with kids, so boo.

    And how I wish we lived in a place with a store called “family cyclery”

    #1010000
    JorgeGortex
    Participant

    Anti/never-seize grease is the way to go. Whenever I put threaded things together I use it, especially when its dissimilar metals touching each other (i.e. steel hex bolt into an aluminium rack eyelet). I have never found this grease to enhance loosening through use, but when I want things to come apart, they do!

Viewing 6 replies - 136 through 141 (of 141 total)
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