Having had a visit from the local scallies (see thread on soapbox), I find myself lacking my trusty HT which I use everyday for a 23ish mile commute.
Driving sucks and is expensive so I want to get back on a bike ASAP. Any recommendations for a good commuter bike for around £500? The commute is flat and mainly on the road, with a bit of gravel track at the end, and is both town and country. So, I want something fast, which doesn't need a lot of TLC. Offroad ability is not important, as I have other bikes for that. I accept it will not be as bling as my stolen bike, but to be honest, if you ride it everyday you stop noticing, as long as it works.
My hack/commuter bike is a track bike with mudguards and I ride it to work in the flatlands of the vale of York, you don't really needs gears. It's the way to go maintainance wise as well, with all the salt they put all the roads around here you want as few moving parts as possible.
Not to mention that the local scallies might be less likely to nick it and if they do, they won't be able to ride it.
Have to say I was already looking at a pompino, before you mentioned it. I already ride SS, so it would just be a matter of getting used to a more roadie gear ratio. Not sure how quickly I'd adapt to fixed wheel, although most of my time on the commuter, I'm pedaling like f**k or braking. If it wasn't a fixie, I'd probably have put this as number 1 on the list.
I feel guilty looking for a new bike so soon after losing the old one, but like many things, you have to move on and accept the loss :-(
You'll soon get used to riding fixed and you can always run a freewheel on one side of the flip-flop hub if you can't be doing with pedaling all the time.
If you want a quick spin on my fixie to try before you by drop me a mail.
I use a giant XTCse (£500) for commuting.The frame is highly deserved for upgrades should you need any. I use it with slicks but if I fancy an offroad detour after work I put on some knobblys and my lights. Good value bike imo. However if its work only, the single speed route does seem appealingly maintenance free.
Well, I emailed Brant at on-one about what size I should consider, and was suprised to get a reply that evening. Suddenly there was an irresistable urge to buy one, and I failed to hide my credit card in time.
Does the coolness associated with an On-One cancel out the uncooless of a road bike I wonder?
Riding a fixie is going to take a bit of getting used to, although I guess I can always wimp out and get a freewheel cog.
You're going for the fixed wheel option? Mine came with a freewheel cog
You won;t have had as much fun didging your way through traffic in a long time
Be warned though, cruising speed on the standard 42/16 gearing is between 16 and 20 miles an hour so your leags may get rather more oak like in the next few months
Nice one, your legs will thank you for going fixed and before you know it you'll be trying to convert anyone who'll listen to the joys of no freewheel.
Well, my pompino has arrived and been built up. And I love it. A great bike for the money.
I'm still learning not to stop pedalling even when braking, and I'm not confident enough to go fast in traffic, for fear I'll forget this. But where I lose in traffic, I make up on the open road as it's far faster than my MTBs.
To my suprise the bike is OK on the last mile of my commute, which is along a gravel track. Again, not as fast as on an MTB, but if you pick your lines carefully and are cautious, you start to remember that people managed for years on rough surfaces long before the invention of suspension.
The pompino is a great road bike for MTBers, especially with those crazy midge bars, which are much easier to get along with if you are used to riser bars.
I've recently bought a Carrera Subway 8, which are now £279.00 on the Halfords website, I'd only recomend it though if you competent with the mechanical aspects. As the rear wheel is fiddly to remove. The Nexus gears and brakes are enclosed, I run Specialized armadillo's and have upgraded the mudguards to SKS one's which help keep the bike clean.
The EBC revolution bikes seem to be a good buy at the moment.
