Originally Posted by
sweeks
A lower standard of reliability for a commuter bike? That seems... backwards to me.
I'm a dentist who commutes by bike. I want my commuter bike to be darned near bullet-proof. On a recreational ride, a flat is less of a concern.
My morning commute is 3.5 miles and 300' downhill. I can switch a tube, walk, or catch a bus that comes every 20 minutes. Of course I want reliable, but even a catastrophic failure is no big deal.
On my rando bike, I might be 50 miles from anything, much further from home, somewhere I've never been.