Buffalo Buff

After reading this forum for a few months and seeing a lot of the typical "Drop 500$ on x hybrid and spend 300$ on lights, racks, panniers, fenders, shorts etc." I sometimes wonder if we over complicate things.

My introduction to bike commuting was on a 40$ mountain bike from a garage sale and using my old high school backpack.

I had fun, I was comfortable, I never got hit or hit anyone, and I got to experience all of the pleasures of bike commuting with an entry barrier of 45$ (5$ on a lock).

Sometimes I get the impression folks here think that's impossible. That any used bike is going to need a tune-up, new tires, tubes, replace all the cables so on and so forth.

Want to know what maintenance I did to that bike? I pumped up the tires until they looked about right, didn't even measure the PSI. Aside from not being able to shift into the smallest chain ring, and the shifting feeling a bit clunky in general, it rode just fine. Rode dirt trails, did muddy off roading, got on the road, crushed limestone paths etc. All after it sat in a garage for an unknown number of years.

My current bike is definitely nicer, faster. Not using a backpack makes me more comfortable. Having lights is safer. But if someone told me to spend 800$ to bike commute I would of lost all interest.

What do you think?

hueyhoolihan

i didn't even read your post, but i feel confident in responding "yes" to just the title.

wolfchild

The only thing a person needs to become a commuter is a bicycle, any bicycle will do, there is no such thing as a wrong commuter bicycle... All these other gadgets and gizmos are all optional and not really necessary for everybody. So yes, I would say that internet forums can sometimes make it sound like bike commuting is very complicated. When I started commuting 8 years ago, I didn't even go on internet forums to ask questions or advice, I just bought a bike and started riding.

tjspiel

Clearly you were doing it wrong.

Sometimes I think this is the worst place a potential commuter can come for advice. Most people already know how to ride and have a bike that would be suitable for riding to work.

Rcrxjlb

The idea is to get out there and ride. Whether its on a $5000 carbon fiber wonderbike or a $20 yard sale special, its better than nothing...

cooker

I go back and forth on this.

I think some new posters/wannabe commuters are quite nervous about getting back into cycling and want to get the "right bike" to make it go smoothly.

As for those like some of you, who just dive in, for every one like you who got lucky with a random garage sale find, or your high school mountain bike, and found it comfortable and fun, and kept it up, there are probably just as many who tried to commute on a poorly chosen, badly fitting, unreliable bike, didn't like it, and give up. That's a shame.

So if they ask, and are planning to buy a new bike, I think it is good that we give them good advice.

Half the time they ignore it anyway

bmthom.gis

Most definitely. My future advice to someone is going to be get a bike, get on it and ride. Everything else you can figure out along the way

Amp3rs4nd

I think some people do. My first foray into commuting consisted of an eighteen mile ride to my college, followed by a 4 mile ride to work. I had got a used bike off Craigslist and took it to a shop to have it repaired (I knew nothing of changing or fixing anything). I think people expect to do all the learning ahead of time and fail to realize part of the fun is learning as you go. By commuting those distances I learned maintenance, what worked and didn't: gearing, backpacks, routes, times - things only YOU will figure out. I feel people think it's impossible because we live in a car centric environment and anything outside of that is hard to really "grasp" without some reassurance on certain things (which is partially what these forums are for!). Any bike can be commuted on and I find it crazy people are willing to spend $1000 on a bike to commute 3 miles, but hey...it's not my money!

tjspiel

To me the nervous ones are the least well served by the large volume of often conflicting advice they're likely to get. If their current bike came from a shop then it likely fits as long as they were an adult (or older teen) when they bought it. It doesn't matter if it was 20 years ago. A tune up and maybe some tires should be all that's needed.

If they're trying to commute 30 miles each way on an old MTB with knobbies and a suspension fork, then there may be reason for concern but usually that's not the case.

wolfchild

Commuter clothing is one of the most complicated and controversial subjects in bicycle commuting.

CliffordK

Each person and situation is different.
There are some people who do commuting and errands averaging 1 mile each way.
Others do 20+ miles each way.

My average commute/errand run is about 20 miles RT, and often reaches 40 or 50 RT. I've had "fun rides" over 100 miles, and my longest trailer pull was about 100 miles RT picking up some Craigslist bike frames in a nearby city.

I've probably had my cargo bike + trailer out for more 40 mile RT days than 20 mile RT days. However, I would just not do the ride on an MTB weighing 50 lbs... just wouldn't do it, and it wouldn't be fun.

As far as lights that I've used, they've varied over the years, and how much I expect to be riding during the daylight vs after dark. I bought my Night Sun lights for a 10 mile graveyard/swing shift commute. They eventually came off when I started doing mostly daylight riding, and perhaps got replaced by blinkies (be seen, but not enough to illuminate the road). One of my worst "wrecks" was at dusk using blinkies on an unfamiliar road where I let my wheels fall into road cracks, doing a number on the rims, and jamming up the elbows quite a bit.

I'm now hitting more after dark riding on rural roads with no overhead lighting, and it is time for good bright lights again.

Anyway, each person is different with different riding goals, and there is no one-size-size-fits-all. I wouldn't overspend on a commuter, but I'm happy that I commuted on my Colnago for many years, to the point where it shows significant wear.

spare_wheel

i've been complicating my commuter bikes since 3rd grade. i had custom fenders, custom grips, and a winter wheelset for my ape-bar stingray (i kid you not).




sadly, this bike was stolen at school in 5th grade.

alan s 

Complicating things helps the economy, so I am all for it. Over complicating, nah.

mr geeker

Yes people over complicate commuting, people tend to over complicate most every thing. But that's ok, the more people do it (commuting) the more they realize that it's easier than they realized.

Papa Tom

Funny...I was going to respond the exact same way.

Dave Cutter

A lot of people would hesitate to fork out big bucks.... whatever big bucks are... on a new endeavor.

I often read here where forum members recommend that newbies look on Craigslist or yard sales for first bikes. Used bikes can be great values... and even old bikes can be reliable, safe, and a lot of fun too.

I've just recently been exploring... simplifying... my cycling routines.

HardyWeinberg

+1

FBinNY 

This is BF. Over complicating is par for the course, and there's no reason to expect that the commuting sub-forum would be different. As a lifelong cyclist with a number of bikes, I didn't have to do anything except choose one and decide to ride to work and back daily. Everything else was dealt with as it came up.

When the weather got colder, I worked the clothing until I sort of had it right. When it got dark early, I added lights. When I crashed into a slate gray truck on a rainy night, I got brighter lights.

Most of the commutes here are relatively short, in the 10 mile range or less. Preparing for that isn't like preparing for Paris-Brest-Paris, it's just some common sense, and conditioning.

BTW- for those who like to travel light, the best deal going is the USPS, regional flat rate boxes. For $6.16, you can send a box with multiple changes of clothes or shoes to work or home, and delivery is usually overnight. I use these from time to time to change my staged clothing changes when I don't feel like carrying them. How ever you do it, carry once a week, or the mail, or a change daily in a bag, having clean dry clothing at work is a big part of commuting by bike. Like everything else, there's a bit of a learning curve, then you're home free for years.

spare_wheel

this subforum could do a better job at communicating this, however.

cooker

Sorry, what? You mail clothes to work to change into when you bike commute?

Buffalo Buff

Yeah I'd rather just toss a week's worth of threads in a backpack and haul it myself.

FBinNY 

Yes, in the Spring and Fall, I'll take a messenger bag in with a few day's fresh changes of underwear and socks a some outer clothing, which gets me through about a week. That lets me travel light on the other days, which is important to me because I make a ride of it going home, and don't want to be loaded.

But in the late Spring and summer, it's too hot to bother with the messenger bag, so for $6.00 I'll let the mailman work for me once in a while. With a bit of planning, I'm riding light (nothing but me, the bike, and a few things in my pockets) most of the time, and only schlepping once a week or so. I also made a superlight, combo musette/messenger bag, that I keep packed, and it allows me to make a small grocery run on my way home.

I also work at home, but instead of lugging my laptop I only carry a USB drive.

When I read how much some people carry back and forth daily, I'm staggered that they are willing to keep it up day in, day out for years.

CliffordK

The only problem is that once one gets hooked, it is too hard to limit oneself to one.

And, if nobody goes out and buys brand new bikes, then hangs them in the garage for 30 years, how will we ever find the deals on pristine classics?

Buffalo Buff

I agree 100%.

This is my setup for days where I go to the disc golf course, gym & work. Keeps me cooler than a backpack and doesn't add a ton of weight. I mean I notice it, but my bike still feels like a fast and agile road bike. Plus I kind of just view it as training, makes leisure rides with no bag feel easier.



No idea what the hell people are stuffing in dual panniers for a commute. I put two changes of clothes, food, wallet, keys, phone, repair kit & a few disc golf discs in there. Still have room leftover for after work grocery runs.

kickstart

Let me think........

A bicycle I like that fits my budget.
Rack and basket to carry things.
dyno lights
seat bag with tools and tire fixings.

That how I did it when I was a kid 40 years ago........


A bicycle I like that fits my budget.
Rack and basket to carry things.
dyno lights
seat bag with tools and tire fixings.

That's what I did to the Ross MTB I bought new in 1984, when I got back into cycling and commuting a year ago.


A bicycle I like that fits my budget.
Rack and basket to carry things.
dyno lights
seat bag with tools and tire fixings.

That's what I did with a bike I found on craigslist for $ 75


A bicycle I like that fits my budget.
Rack and basket to carry things.
dyno lights
seat bag with tools and tire fixings.

That's what I did in February when I decided I wanted something a little better that needs virtually no maintenance and got my Gazelle.


The accessories all serve a function, are practical, and make my cycling experience more enjoyable. No, not really complicated.