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So having lost my work commuter, it was an Orange Speedworks the early model so it was more mtb than hybrid, I hated that bike at first but grew to love it, so many good rides and days out on the bike. Although canals are now off limits so changes how i think about a bike.
So I can’t find a gravel bike within price and even the right size, so plan b I’m thinking of a trek x-caliber, obv it won’t take full mudguards, but my commute is only 4 miles it’s a quick hardtail good spec so should last just as long as my Orange did, I’m thinking post work cheeky trail rides off the cuff I could just catch the train and go. On the really bad weather days I would probably cheat and use the car.
The reason I’m thinking of mtb is I tried my road bike and omg I didn’t realise how bad the roads on my commute are, potholes everywhere.
Am I barking up the wrong tree? Or has anyone got an Orange speedworks in med 2019 model they don’t want?? There is a sonder but that’s March next year and it’s a long time to walk to work.
Fast rolling narrowish tyres, a big gear, and possibly even aero bars?
You can commute on any bike and don’t really need a tyre change either. I use one bike for everything and it has 3” tyres. Bit slower in some situations but not to the point where I’d consider changing anything for a four mile commute. I’d say go for it and once again sorry for what happens to you.
Thanks, trying to move on, not been an easy week, got my emtb insured separately now, got a quote for a new insurance company, if I can sort my commuter out then it’s just arguing with insurance company left. Next week off work so getting some road rides in and maybe some mtb.
There’s a Sonder rigid MTB in the classifieds on here for £700
I commute on a Voodoo Marasa these days on 35/40mm tyres, ~4.5 miles each way. It's a heavy beast that doesn't inspire me to use it much outside commutes, bit of a slog up the inclines, but the 3x9 gearing does the job.
I often do a commute a little longer than yours on my Whippet. It works fine, though my legs are often asking WTF? by the end. It's great for messing around on the way home when I have more time.
I am thinking of changing the tyres, everything else is fine. The current pair are described as 'fast rolling' but I'm not sure compared to what.
I used to use the old-style Specialized Crossroads for this sort of thing, but the design has changed a lot since my last pair. Anyone got any experience with the current model?
Edit:
Just had a look at Specialized page. It seems Crossroads don't come in 29" mtb widths. Can anyone recommend anything similar?
I used to commute on a Pinnacle Ramin 29er with Conti X-Kings (v fast rolling) and it wasn't much slower than a road bike or hybrid in stop start traffic, plus meant I could cycle home via the South Downs.
It had 3x9 gear setup though. Might be a bit irritating on a 34t 1x setup. You can at least replace the smaller cogs on the 12 speed cassettes when they wear out though.
I used to commute daily 12.9 miles each way on an Ibis Ripley so yeah, you can commute on anything. Found it very therapeutic and the chance of off-piste trails on the way in or back home when time allowed was awesome :).
I’ve found an Orange clockwork evo 29 in my size, not sure that’s a convincing commuter..
If it makes you smile when you ride it to work then why not. 4 miles is short enough that speed doesn't matter that much, you could use a Pashley with a huge wicker basket for the groceries (sort of opposite end of the bike scale). Advantage of relatively high front end so easier to look round in traffic than a bum in the air road bike. If you like the bike you are likely to ride more often. Go for it 🙂
PS I sometimes ride my Birdy folder to work (10ish miles each way and not every day) rather than my old rigid hardtail or road bike as sometimes I just like the the change and feel it should have a turn.
A commuting buddy on my route does 7 miles each way on a carbon pro caliber, has a spare set of wheels for the job, works well.
Flat route, him and I will average around 15mph, chatting mainly. 😄