Road bike for commuting

rockmonkeysc

I need a bike for commuting 12 miles (each way). Don't really want to use my mountain bike as the set up is all wrong for the road & I have no intention of changing it.
The bike will be purely for commuting so reliability & practicality are the most important things and I don't really want to spend any more than I need to. I have learnt from mountain bikes that often buying a cheap bike means cheap components which don't last long.
The Boardman road comp seems to be pretty good value & I can get it on C2W. Are there any better options or anything cheaper which would be suitable?

noiseboyfeetman

I just got a Tifosi CK7 as my commuter to replace my stolen Bianchi Via Nirone and its really comfy, more so than my Bianchi was, and with the fabulous English weather we have I like the full mudguards it comes with. You can fit Raceblades etc.. to any bike but the rattle annoyed me on the Bianchi what with all the surface dressing that goes on as opposed to resurfacing. On the plus side too with the Tifosi it has rack bosses too so when I get either old or fed up off having a rucksack on my back I can just chuck a rack on the back.

starbuck

The Btwin Triban 3 is £299 from decathlon and has always received good reviews and been rated higher than more expensive bikes. There's also an article in September's cycling plus about what upgrades you can put on this bike, so not only does it seem a bargain but it has the potential for good upgrades as well.

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-3-id_8167038.html

rockmonkeysc

Thanks for the tips. I am surprised that you can get a bike with carbon forks for £300! What's the transmission on the Btwin like? I don't mind heavy (I'm used to 30lb+ bikes) as long as it's reliable.

starbuck

It's a 2300 groupset (apparently has a sora front mech) which is pretty reliable and the bike weighs around 10.5kg (about 23lb I think). One thing they mentioned in the article (sorry, it's in the cycle active october issue, not cycling plus) is that the brakes with stock brake blocks are good in the dry, but not great in the rain, but by swapping out the brake blocks (you can just slide out the existing rubber and slide the new one in) for something like clarks gold triple compound (which are about £19 a set),the brakes are a lot better and reliable in all weathers.

rockmonkeysc

Brake blocks, forgot road bikes have canti brakes. I have got used to big 8" 4 piston hydraulic disc brakes.
I think I will get to a few shops to work out what size I need and possibly order a Btwin, looks like good enough value.

Wrath Rob

I had one of the first Boardman Road Comp's as my commuter, it was a great bike. OK, so it was 9 speed Tiagra with a 105 rear mech, but its a light, stiff alu frame with a carbon fork and it lasted me for 3 years before I traded up for something more cardon. You're going to spend between 1.5 and 2 hours a day on this bike, make sure you're going to enjoy it. You may also want to try something steel framed as this will be more comfy for commuting, although it will be heavier than the equivalent alu bike. I'd even suggest titanium but as you're on a budget that's probably out.

rockmonkeysc

Thanks, I was thinking steel might be good, my cross country bike has a steel frame & it's surprisingly comfy.
The last bike I had for commuting was an Apollo CX10s hybrid which weighed more than my downhill bike (38lb) but lasted 8000 miles with no maintenance at all. I won't be using a road bike for enjoyment so it's all about reliability and practicality and getting fit for downhill racing next year.