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Hi,
After many years commuting on a road bike with panniers, i now need a new bike. My back is buggered and i cant deal with the stretched and dropped position of a normal road bike *sob*.
SO after a year of not being able to ride, im now in a position to start again and id like to commute again by bike. Id like something that uses discs, has room for wideish tyres (for cushioning for said bad back) and is reasonably relaxed. My commute can be hilly (300m climb) depending on sites.
I commute in all weathers, so needs to take guards and a rack, be lowish maintenance and flat barred. I doing a cycle scheme, so can spend around £1000 £1500.
Anyone have any recommendations?
Thanks
I'd go gravel bike. I reckon gravel bikes make perfect commuters. Slightly fatter tyres for comfort / puncture protection / grip in miserable weather. Discs. Room for proper mudguards. Slightly laid back riding position allows better road-view and (in your case) it's easier on the back.
In true recommend what you have: Sonder Camino. Love it.
Something very much like this:
https://www.balfesbikes.co.uk/bikes/hybrid-bikes/genesis-brixton-hybrid-bike-2022-in-yellow__19094
Maybe with a shock absorbing seatpost like a Cannondale Save or Spesh Zertz type of thing
Definitely with longboard/full length mudguards.
I really like that Genesis Brixton, I'd get one of those if I hadn't recently put a hub gear and rack on my DayOne, and made it into - a Genesis Brixton. 😁
Ned is right about the mudguards, but you could add a flap to the front of that one to make it more effective.
If looking at "gravel" bikes, Free Ranger apparently fits 50mm tyres and PX does Cyclescheme these days.
I used to commute on a genesis IOID - MTB frame, alfine hub mary bars etc. It was spot on for what I wanted.
so I would say that Genesis is perfect commutter
Drop bar bikes IMO are not good commuters - to low and stretched out and no matter what anyone says flat or M bars with MTB levers give you far better position to apply the brakes quickly and powerfully. also wider tyres gives better braking grip
Alfine hubs are perfect as well - once a year oil dunk and last for ever, cheap chains on fixed centres last for ever,
I like Ridgebacks for commuting/urban/town bikes.
This one is £1k and is actually available!
https://www.ridgeback.co.uk/ridgeback-element-eq-varrb2165
Disk brakes, mudguards, kickstand, dynamo lights, rear rack, upright riding position...
I’d normally recommend what I use (a 531 retro tourer with Shimano 3x, 32c, flat bars) but you specced flat bars and discs. A few hundred quid or less, not thousands. It goes better on road and paths than any modern (or other) bike I’ve ridden. Silent, swift, strong and magically comfortable. It even carries 20 kilos of groceries on an evening (and brakes with 100kg of me plus said groceries on my hilly streets)
I’d say get similar, then buy nice gear, lights, a holiday etc with what's left over. But discs it doesn’t have!
So I’m going to say Giant ToughRoad SLR 1 Flat Bar Gravel Bike (2021 Grey). Job done.
(Just had a butchers online seem to be in stock at Pauls Cycles for £1299, similar prices elsewhere).
Also recommend spending some money on good proper road-spec lights (with cutoff beam and decent spread/throw) or even oush for dynamo hub + lights included in a package deal to max out your budget?
I’ve got a Surly Bridge Club and love it. Set up with drop bars on a 60mm stem, but was on a flat bar and longer stem previously.
Comfy, lots of clearance and full mounts for everything. I’m on 42c with Kinesis Fend Off Wide, but it’ll take much bigger too.
Threaded bb, vertical dropouts and totally solid when loaded up. Easily within budget if you can find the components…
If you want to stick with drops, or transfer stuff over to a frame, there are some bikes that are definitely short and tall. The Light Blue Darwin is about 3/4" shorter and taller than average, (which doesn't sound like much but it's essentially a whole size in reach).
Breezer radar, Marin Four Corners, Genesis Vagabond, Ridgeback Panorama.
They would be very tall and short compared to an older style road bike
Stick flat bars on them and they would be really short and tall.
Plus steel for comfort and big tyres (nearly 40mm with guards, mostly).
Genesis also do a Croix de fer flat bar.
Genesis Vagabond
There’s a (medium) flat-barred one of those on ebay (and fbmarketplace).
I liked mine with drops and can see how it would be a very comfortable bike with flat bars as it’s tall upfront.
It rode better on wide than narrow tyres. Bit of a faff fitting full-guards tho. Not even sure it would take full guards on 2.1s. I ran full Bluemels guards in the winter with 35c and that was tight. Even the Longitude that replaced it has trouble with guards fitting 2.1 tyres.
Ribble's Hybrid AL available in 2x9 Acera for £799, and 1x11 NX for £999, guards and rack inc.
I too think the average drop bar gravel bike isn't the tool for the job.
I'm still liking my Merlin, but I'm of the opinion now that I should have got a flat bar bike with a more 'touring' gear range and position.
The Merlin is too highly geared, not long enough for pannier clearance, and I'm still not convinced by drop bars.
Calibre stitch here, cost me 340 quid, full length guards, topeak rack, ortlieb pannier, it's brilliant. I've had it for 2 years now and it's really not missed a beat.
I've got the Genesis Tour de Fer - 30km a day on rough roads with 200m of climbing and it's been flawless. It feels significantly slower than my road bike, but far more comfortable and has more racks, bottle bosses, and mudguards you can shake a stick at!
I commuted for years on a fixed gear, rack mounted, mudguarded bike which was ideal.
Some great ideas above - belt drive if you don't fancy the maintenance, or hub gear. Discs to reduce rim wear (I wore out rims in 18 months, even on a fixie).
I'm now back commuting (following getting my spine busted) but via the canal, so doing it on my old 90's rigid MTB. It's got rack and guard mounts, so is ideal. It weighs a tonne with the panniers though (laptop). The commute is very flat - tend to use 3 gears, until I hit steep cobbles.
The only thing I notice is I do get numb hands after a while. It's got a fairly low position being a 90's bike.
Panniers deffo - so much less faff, and Ortlieb.
Take a look at Ridgeback. E.g.
https://www.ridgeback.co.uk/ridgeback-supernova-eq-varrb2166
https://www.ridgeback.co.uk/ridgeback-expedition-varrb2152
Partner has a touring bike. Even though it has drops, they are high up and comfortable. Drops doesn't necessarily mean low and stretched.
I commute on a Ridgeback Flight. I have it setup quite long and low though, like a road bike position but with flat bars.
Thanks for all the suggestions, its was between the Genesis Brixton and the Giant Toughroad. My local had a Toughroad in so i think that'll be the one.
Going to swap the d-fuse seatpost for a carbon one as my back isnt currently liking much in the way of bumps.
I have a Cube Road Race Sl, with mudguards and rack. 105 groupset, Dynamo hub with cheap xcx support. Great for my commute on gravel tracks and tarmac bike paths and fast enough on the road.
Going to swap the d-fuse seatpost for a carbon one as my back isnt currently liking much in the way of bumps.
Isn’t d-fuse meant to ‘defuse’ the bumps?
This might be worth a look:
https://road.cc/content/buyers-guide/11-best-shock-absorbing-seatposts-256942
Save some cash?
Cube Editor?
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/new-bike-commuter-content/
Mines now ditched the fabulous belt drive in order to gain lower gearing so using a chain because it's much cheaper.
I need an XL frame sadly.