[Closed] I fancy a new commuting bike

Interested also, changing jobs in a couple of weeks and my 2 mile commute (which I walk) is jumping to 4 mile so the bike seems a better option. I'll start on my old 90's Cannondale retro jobbie before I commit any funds but am interested in similar setup (prefer flat bars and mudguards).

I have just got a Boardman Hyb 8.8 for commuting.

Single ring (1x 10) , Carbon fork and decent shimano hydro brakes.

It will take guards and can probably tackle anything you could manage on a gravel/cx bike.

It may be a little slower on the roads with a straight bar but as long as you are not bothered about that I find mine perfect.

A similarly equpped adventure type bike had a significant cost premium. I have a hardtail and a road nike so I dont feel like I miss out on options.

Boardman Hybrid here too.

Got the Hybrid Pro earlier this year as it was discounted as ex-dispaly. runs 1x11 Sram gearing with Sram disc brakes. I fitted a set of 650b wheels I had sitting in the garage with tubeless 47mm WTB Horizon tyres and fitted some carbon flat bars and a carbon seatpost that were also spares in the garage.

It's plenty fast enough and comfortable enough for 34 miles of daily commuting and with the fatter tyres it's happy enough on some bridleways for a change of scenery on the commute.

I'll probably be using it as my winter road bike once I've got the guards fitted which should be interesting on club rides!

https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/hybrid-bikes/voodoo-marasa-mens-hybrid-bike--18-20-frames for £320 and if you really want 1x, grab a n/w chainring from PX or Superstar to replace the middle ring. Will take at least 50mm tyres, apparently,

the Boardman bikes look excellent value!

Are the wheels tubeless ready? / Ghetto-able?

I made the Mavic wheels on my Boardman cx tubeless it worked but I’m back on tubes as it was unreliable. Too easy to burp the tyre off the rim.

I started off using a gravel bike for my 12 mile commute because it had a bit of off road and sketchy country lanes. But after getting 2 punctures I started using my Stanton Sherpa. It was slower but gave me much more confidence on the sketchy bits when it got dark. Had the added bonus of making me a lot faster when I got back on the gravel bike at the weekend!

COTIC Roadrat ticks the boxes

Do you have secure storage? Is it all road or is there off-road sections? Does it need to be new? Would you like the bike to be able to do something else? All year and weather travelling?

Just got a Pinnacle Neon 4 from Evans. Not that much slower on the road than my defy but opens up so much more route possibilities. Great bike.

Mudguards

Must have mudguards

Second hand boardman CX bike. Perfect.

rims will be Mavic xm319. Perfectly capable of going tubeless but I recommend the Mavic rim strips

My commuting has gradually (over 25 years!) been transitioning from singlespeed road bike clunkers to full urban euro bike. For a similar length commute I'm currently at:-

rigid 29er frame and fork

<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">700c slick tyres (37mm minimum)</span>

Full mudguards (longer the better)

Alfine rear hub.

Disc brakes (rim brakes make everything filthy).

Dynamo front hub.

German reg. dynamo lights.

Reflective sidewall tyres, 3m reflective straws on each spoke.

No quick releases.

Proper mongrel of a thing but comfy, surprisingly fast and always ready for action so one less excuse to jump in the car.

Decathlon have just released a new range of Triban bikes with discs  https://www.decathlon.co.uk/C-359113-road-bikes

Although the sizing has changed from their existing bikes, not sure why?

Yokaiser

Doesn't have to be new. Yes I have secure storage both at work and home. I'd like to be able to take it down tow paths maybe but nothing more.

What about a Sonder Frontier?

https://www.alpkit.com/sonder/bikes/sonder-frontier-build-nx1-rigid-hobo

I've commuted on slicked up MTBs, fixed wheel, road and cx bikes and the adapted MTB was probably my fave. At the time it also doubled as a tourer. The Sonder will take gaurds and racks and with some tyre and possibly gearing changes will be a commuter/tourer/bikepacker. Since you already have a road bike then there is no need to cover that base.

Slicked up 29er with full mudguards and a dynamo would be my choice.

I do like that sonder actually! Nice in red. Slick tyres on that is very temptin!

Boardman adv 9.0 looks good

nukeproof digger or Whyte Glencoe aswell.

think I’ll be going for one of the above as my next commuter to replace my Boardman cx team.

I picked up one of these and its bloody brilliant, fitted some 45mm SKS mudguards, a slimline pannier rack and I'm waiting one some 38mm Schwalbe G-one's.   my perfect commuter.  800 quid (bike2work so pretty much free :-))

Flat bars are a PITA for commuting, a secondhand boardman CX or pinnacle is the way to go. Definitely mudguards

Flat barred hybrid. Or 29er would be my choice (and is). The flat bars are easier to use in traffic, yes, you'll 'technically' be less aero/awesum but view of traffic is better and it opens you up to a wide choice of proper hydro brakes.

If you're intending to cycle in over the winter months then I'd say mudguards are a must have too. Hybrids are possibly a betterer option in this case as more likely to have the fittings than mtbs.

After that its just what you've got in the spares drawer unless you're looking at a complete build.

Mine is an oldish Saracen Kili 9er with some Suntour suss forks, git big proper SKS mudguards (the Suntours have mudguard fittings!) and a 1x9 mtb drivechain and brakes. Schwalbe Marathon tyres so never really have to worry about punctures.

Yes, I might arrive a minute after I would if using my road bike, but in reality I'd arrive 10 minutes before my road bike as I'd inevitably have a puncture on that.

Orange rx9 here. 13 miles each way. Been commuting on it now for a year and a half it’s brilliant.

I also have a Pinnacle Neon, but the 3 instead of the 4, which is Sora over Tiagra. But for my 8 mile commute has been perfect.

Also look at the PlanetX London Road thread, as they can be picked up for around your budget.

I think the ideal commuter has hydro discs, mudguards, a decent range of gears if it has a hilly commute and is comfortable. Also a balance of ‘puncture proofness’ whilst not having heavy sluggish feeling wheels.

My Cannondale Caad12 now meets most of those requirements - although I’ve only run it since march so far. No punctures yet but I suspect as the cheapie tyres it came with wear it’ll get a few punctures.

I’ve got tubeless compatible wheels but not sure if road tubeless is as good as mtb tubeless yet with the higher pressures and sealing holes.

Im not saying go and get a caad12 though as it probably doesn’t meet your brief - I think it could get 28’s through the rear of the frame but think you’d be pushing it with anything bigger. However don’t get too hung up on mudguard mounts - I’ve found the newest sks raceblade pro xl stealths are really good for clip on type mudguards. In the Matt black they also don’t look quite as awful as shiny black mudguards.

How about a genesis croix de fer or tour de fer? Both can tak gull guards and rakes the tour de fer is a croix but with them fitted. High quakity reynolds frame, super confy will last an age and frame is worthy of an upgrade or 2 as parts wear out...

Saw this today

https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-adventure-725/

Looks like a great option. Nice looking frame.

Edit to say, not in the flesh but online.

Flat bars are a PITA for commuting,

eh?  please explain why.

35 years commuting on flat bars.

I was going to chastise you for considering 1x on a road bike, which is just the sort of thing a mountain biker who wants disc brakes and all the rest would go for.

However commuting I never need more than 1 chainring with a reasonably tight block (12-28T) - I only keep the double for towing kids about and the odd leisure ride (though usually take the nice road bike out for that).

Discs are well worthwhile for the commute, to avoid regular rim replacement if nothing else, make sure you can fit mudguards too, and consider a rack, I would go for dynamo lighting too - rosebikes sell all the dynamo kit (wheels and lights) you would need, as do a couple of places over here, and your LBS might be able to sort you out too.

If I were building a new commuter, I'd go tubeless and probably about 40c+ - 28 is fine, I run 35 at the moment but not in tubeless - the upgrade doesn't seem worthwhile on a workhorse and I hardly get any punctures with the tyres I run. Bigger tyres roll better for a given pressure, you could get some pretty fast 2in+ tyres.

I know you wanted suggestions, but there are loads out there that are all pretty similar and will do the job, just follow your checklist (and consider my additional suggestions!) and you'll be fine.

Flat bars are a PITA for commuting,

It totally depends on your commute. Drop bars these days, but flat bars are arguably better for a MTBer on any commute that's not too far, and are what I used when my commute was <half what it is these days.

had hub gears on my road rat - with both drops and flats. and with hydro disks or cables

drops were much better for my commute.

hub gear sucked the big one (alfine 8 speed) draggy and lacking in range for my commute.

and cable disks needed much less maintenance than the hydros - albe it i did strip down the bb7s and ensure the threads were well protected with anti sieze

Now run 24 speed claris on drop bars with cable disks again on a frame that doesnt flex like mad under power with wide tires , guards , a twin leg pletscher stand etc.

on the plus side the road rat held its value well when i sold it on.