Bike for commuting...

Oscar12

Please help me...

I am looking to update my bike to something more appropriate to commuting. I commute about 8 miles into central London, always through heavy traffic. I need something strong and durable with carrying capacity. My priorities are good brakes and high gears. My short list is:

cBoardman hybrid team
Pinnacle mean street 2
Giant escape M1

Any suggestions?

Oscar

pw1brown

Yes, it sounds like you want a fast hybrid. Other possibilities are the Genesis "Day" series, Dawes Discovery, Specialized Sirrus, Trek 7.x, etc. etc. You'll probably want one that'll take mudguards and definitely a rack, I'd say. You might or might not want disc brakes (I've never used them). Best thing is to test ride a few, and maybe try a road or touring bike too for comparison. Enjoy making your selection!

baudman

Many like drop bars, but for commuting I like a flat bar. Discs are nice if you can get them, but also may make your bike more of a theft-target. You probably can't go wrong with many of the choices you've made, but as pw1brown mentions, ensure you have sufficient cash left over for accessories (if you don't have them). Helmet (not wanting to start the pro/anti argument off again here, look in other threads and make your own mind up), Rack(s), lights, pump, gloves, guards, clip(less) pedals/shoes etc etc etc.

I ride a heap (see link in my sig), but I dream of riding a Felt SR71 (second-hand now, of course).