Durable Commuter Bike workup

On Apr 22, 10:46*pm, TBerk wrote:
On Apr 22, 12:31 pm, wrote:

TBerk wrote:
This puts me in the saddle quite a bit so I end up tuning the thing in
these ways:

What size rims you like for commuting?

700c or 26"

26" rims seem like Mountain Bike size, with most tire choices being
knobby and everything.

I find I prefer 27"/700mm size rims, road bike type even, with a
smooth wider tire than most ten speeds and w/ a high air pressure.

TBerk

26 is indeed usuall mountain bike size. However there are smooth
tires available for that rim as narrow as 1.25 or even down to 1
inch. That translates to a 25-35 mm tire, very similar to what you're
probably running on your 27/700c wheels. In other words, you can put
virtually the same size and type of tires on a 26 wheel.

Last summer, in an attempt to get my wife to ride more, I converted
her MTB to a street bike by putting 1.25" slick tires on it (doing
some work with handlebars too). She eventually bought a 700c hybrid
because it was just more comfortable, but looking at the two bikes
from a distance, they look very similar from tires to handlebars,
except one has smaller wheels.

On Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:06:33 -0500, wrote:

TBerk wrote:

Mine has traditionally been 15, 20 mins in any weather to get to the
train, then about the same on the other end. I'm in a Urban/Suburban
environment, depending.

how do you haul your bike on the train?

Dear M,

1878 method of hauling bike on train:
http://i31.tinypic.com/2a0doie.jpg

1899 method of hauling bike by train:
http://arrts-arrchives.com/images/qqcbrmmm3.jpg

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

wrote in message
...

how do you haul your bike on the train?

1899 method of hauling bike by train:
http://arrts-arrchives.com/images/qqcbrmmm3.jpg


That should be hauling bike _by_ train, not _on_ train.

On Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:23:41 -0500, "Carl Sundquist"
wrote:


wrote in message
.. .

how do you haul your bike on the train?

1899 method of hauling bike by train:
http://arrts-arrchives.com/images/qqcbrmmm3.jpg


That should be hauling bike _by_ train, not _on_ train.

Dear Carl,

Er, what did I write?

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

On Apr 23, 10:06 am, wrote:
TBerk wrote:
Mine has traditionally been 15, 20 mins in any weather to get to the
train, then about the same on the other end. I'm in a Urban/Suburban
environment, depending.

how do you haul your bike on the train?

I put it on my shoulder to climb into the thing in example A.

Old School Train
http://caltrain.org/caltrain_bike_FAQs.html


And I deal with stairs to elevated platforms in case B.

New School Train
http://www.bart.gov/guide/bikes/bikeOverview.asp



TBerk

Ryan Cousineau wrote:
[...]
I'd also say there's commutes and there's commutes. If we're talking a
20 mile daily ride that's flat and fast, I'd probably recommend a speedy
bike, maybe even a bike with TT bars or a r*cumbent.[...]

Only a dork (dorque?) would consider commuting on a recumbent.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

wrote:
Ryan Cousineau wrote:

or a r*cumbent.

Now there is something I want to try... a bent!!

I wish I could find a cheap one tho.... to try out and
make sure I like it and works for me.... before buying
a really good one

Well, you can probably find a decent used 'bent in the $400-500 US range.

An important consideration with recumbents is that they vary much more
in riding position and handling that uprights do, and what may be most
to one person's taste such as a low bottom bracket, long wheelbase bike
may not be satisfactory for another.

In addition, the 'bent a person finds most to their long term preference
may not be one that is easy for the beginning 'bent rider to adjust to.

The trial and error is great fun, but may be hard on the wallet.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

In article
,
TBerk wrote:

On Apr 23, 6:25 am, Ryan Cousineau wrote:
snip
26" slicks are pretty widely available. My local bike shop has cheap and
cheerful 26" slicks for $10 apiece, and many more exotic choices are
just a mail-order (or better bike shop) away.

If you're around 5'6" or less, one consideration is that a commuter bike
with fenders and 700c wheels will mean a lot of toe overlap.

Hmm, hadn't considered this; I'm over 5.6', but truthfully I did
encounter toe-lap when I bent my forks the other day. (It involved a
truck, a steeply angled and slick storm grate, and a split second
decision that ended up vaulting me over the bars.) All the rest of
that day I was trying to figure out why my boots were rubbing the
front tire in the turns. ;])

snip
I'd also say there's commutes and there's commutes. If we're talking a
20 mile daily ride that's flat and fast, I'd probably recommend a speedy
bike, maybe even a bike with TT bars or a r*cumbent. If we're talking a
15-minute pop down the street in all weather, then anything with fenders
will do.

Mine has traditionally been 15, 20 mins in any weather to get to the
train, then about the same on the other end. I'm in a Urban/Suburban
environment, depending.

Anything with fenders will work.

Strong, easy rolling, light weight, low factor of attractiveness to
foil thieves' avarice; these are my criteria, (pretty much in order).

Given those priorities, I'd use a quick touring bike, possibly something
with its stickers taken off.

Strength argues for a rigid 26" bike over a 700c bike, but since people
have happily ridden around the world on 700c wheels, that argument is
faintly silly.

If it was me, I'd buy an early 1980s touring bike and excuse the cheap
price with the claim that it is nearly theft-proof.

If cost really is no object, something like a de-decalled and
painted-black Habanero Ti frame in CX/touring guise would be rust-proof,
bomb-proof, and theft...resistant? It wouldn't have to look like
anything. Light, too.

Habanero isn't the only maker of cheap-and-cheerful Ti frames, there are
others. The rolling spec for such a bike would start at less than $2000.

But you could get a pristine, first-rate early-80s touring bike for
about $200, maybe $300 on a bad day. That bike would have no substantial
downsides unless you are heavy (might want to upgrade to a freehub-based
rear wheel) or really committed on the weight thing.

I'm reluctant to make more specific recommendations, simply because many
bikes will do for you. If it can fit fenders on it and afford it, you
can probably use it.

An Alfine 8-speed gearhub-based bike might be a fun choice, too. There
are lots of those, and the shifting is pretty much foolproof.

Stuff like shifting style and handlebar style are largely matters of
taste. With the wheels, go for ones with 32-36 spokes and you'll be
happy. That's about it.

--
Ryan Cousineau http://www.wiredcola.com/
"In other newsgroups, they killfile trolls."
"In rec.bicycles.racing, we coach them."

On Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:28:11 -0500, wrote:

Ryan Cousineau wrote:

or a r*cumbent.

Now there is something I want to try... a bent!!

I wish I could find a cheap one tho.... to try out and
make sure I like it and works for me.... before buying
a really good one


Make yourself a CruzBike clone. Quite simple and cheap.
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

In article ,
Tom Sherman wrote:

Ryan Cousineau wrote:
[...]
I'd also say there's commutes and there's commutes. If we're talking a
20 mile daily ride that's flat and fast, I'd probably recommend a speedy
bike, maybe even a bike with TT bars or a r*cumbent.[...]

Only a dork (dorque?) would consider commuting on a recumbent.

It is you who say it.

As a practical matter, the OP mentioned that their commute is multimodal
and all-weather, and that durability was a priority.

The multimodality alone argues against all but the most unusually
compact 'bents.

--
Ryan Cousineau http://www.wiredcola.com/
"In other newsgroups, they killfile trolls."
"In rec.bicycles.racing, we coach them."