Expensive Commute Bikes

algecan

I was just wondering what everyone's thoughts are on using expensive road bikes for commutes, all year round.

I'll give you a little bit of background to my situation. I've been cycling into work every day for three years, come rain, shine, snow or ice, I'll be out there. My commute is 9 miles each way and is strictly on-road based. After about a year of commuting on a hard tail with 2.35" knobbly tyres and getting fed up of being passed by everyone, I bought a second hand Carrera Vanquish (2009 model) road bike. I bought it cheap in case the switch to a road bike didn't work out. I stuck a pair of gator hard skins on and never had an issue, I even completed a 120 miles Sportive on it. Unfortunately this bike was stolen from my work place a few weeks ago. To get to work I've got back on my hard tail and it seems like torture, it's really taking the pleasure out of commuting.

I often told myself that I would buy a very nice bike this summer and carry on using the Carrera for the commute but now things have changed. The idea is to buy two bikes, one for the commute (or at least winter commute) and a nice shiny one. I have been to a few LBS and I've set my heart on a 2013 Focus Izalco pro 3.0 at £2100 and I would probably buy a Ribble Audaux on the cycle to work scheme next time it came round for the commute.

After deciding on the Focus I mentioned to my fiancée that I just needed a cheap one for the commute and she didn't seem too impressed. Her way of thinking is that this is my sole means of getting around and I spend a lot of time on the bike so I shouldn't just stick it in the garage for the nice weather when it costs so much. I'm more of the opinion that I wouldn't use a £2000 bike for commuting because it will just get knackered like my Carrera, however I can see where she is coming from. I've asked a few people at work about it and its a 50/50 split.

Is there anyone on here who has an expensive bike that they use for commuting all year round? Or what are your thoughts on this?

danlikesbikes

Good question & your right it does seem a little like a waste having an expensive bike you don't use.

Perhaps if you put in in simple terms (please do not think I am being smart with this) for your other half, her nice new expensive shoes/handbag that only gets used on special occasions why does that not get used every day as it seems a real waste of money otherwise?

To answer your other question I used to use my expensive (to me) bike for all year use but found that I was worried about the cost of top end replacement parts, where I was going to leave it at work (now sorted as have indoor space & plus I work from home a lot) etc

ptlk66

For an all year commuting bike I would look at my options as follows:

1. Select the nicest bike
2. Select the nicest bike that offer some form of mudguard protection
3. Select the nicest bike that offer some form of mudguard protection and with cheap to replace groupset

I am fortunate to have a winter and a summer bike but my experience would lead to go for option 3 above. My winter bike is a steel frame job (good choice + mudguard protection); however i got caught up with upgradeitis and put Campagnolo Athena on it (lovely groupset but a bad choice for a winter bike) - I ride 3-4 days per week to work and clock up 8500 miles a year - during the 12 months I have had the winter bike I have gone through 1 Bottom Bracket; 3 chains, countless wheel bearings and brake pads, 2 sets of tyres and 2 cassettes. A replacement cassette for the 11 speed is £85 - £110 depending on ratio, I went for a Miche replacement as opposed to Campagnolo for circa £55 (to save money) and it lasted just over two months. Winter in Scotland just eats through the components so if buying again I would focus on low cost replacement components eg Campagnolo Veloce or Shimano 105 etc.

The cost of maintaining the Athena groupset is very costly and I am seriously thinking of stripping the winter bike of the groupset buying a Veloce groupset from Ribble for £350

DrLex

Having done a year's commute on a decent spec. Roubaix and disliking the winter experience, I bought a s/h Pompetamine (disks, Alfine, dynamo & full guards) for winter commuting. Two bike strategy works for me; awaits n+1 comments.

jomoj

if you have the space and money but less time for maintenance then I think the 2 bike solution is a good one. You can keep mudguards, lights etc. permanently on your commuter bike but for me the main thing is not feeling the need to be too precious about maintenance. I don't have time for mid-week cleaning and tune ups so having something that can stay grotty after a wet ride and just get an occasional sponge down or wipe of the chain without causing sleepless nights is well worth it. Plus it makes the 'nice' bike feel nicer when it gets ridden.

Everyone's idea of what constitutes 'nice' and 'winter' are calibrated slightly differently though - for the record, my winter bike is alloy framed with tiagra/apex and summer is carbon with ultegra/105 - for some people that's probably their idea of cheap kit but it's enough for me and I'd rather have the 2 bikes than just one higher spec but higher maintenance machine.

For my winter bike I tend to treat the transmission parts as sacrificial: I know they are going to wear faster than if I was as attentive as I am on my other bikes but just buy cheaper chains and cassettes and replace them as needed.

On_What

I used to commute on my expensive bike, then I got taken out one morning and never rode it to work again. I based the reasoning that if I got knocked off and my decent bike was wrecked I'd struggle to afford to replace it, but by building a cheaper road bike, I got nearly the same pleasure and it's the same size.

I would advise getting a commute specific bike, unless you can afford to lose a decent bike, and it sounds as though your work isn't very secure

plet

Since this is the commuting forum I might just get away with saying this but I don't see the attraction of commuting on a racer. For me commuting is all about low maintenance so that means hub gear (belt drive?), marathon plus, CSS rims, dynamo hub+lighting, mudguards. It's only 9 miles, think of the extra weight as training.

Extralight

I think if you have the money and the storage space, then 2 bikes is probably better than 1 (2 bikes is always better than one), but I only have one road bike, and ride it regardless of weather - the exception being when it's really snowy and icy, in which case I have occassionally ridden my MTB with ice spikes fitted (but usually I wimp out and drive).

I ride an expensive racer on a 15 mile each way commute, and whilst I only get to do this once or twice a week, it does get ridden in all weathers (except extreme winter as described above). There's alot of things about riding this bike that make it very practical for a longer distance commute - it's titanium, so I don't need to worry about corrosion, there's no paintwork to get chipped, it's robust; the Camapg Record 10speed components are expensive, but they are also really durable. I don't do much cleaning or maintenance, but I do keep the drivetrain clean, and replace the cahin every 2,000 miles. Cassettes and chainrings don't get much wear because I keep the chain well lubed and clean, and change it well before the chair-wear indicator says it needs it. The only non Record components are a KMC chain (better than Campag, I think), and a Veloce cassette which works okay.

Not having mudguards has not been a problem (and I am considerate when passing others so I don't get them wet), as I wear the same clothes for commuting that I would if I was on a training ride - ie. the right lycra for the weather that keeps me warm, is okay when it gets wet, and drys quickly. Because I have to drive to work 3 days a week, I can bring work clothes in ready for my riding days.

What's great about commuting on the same bike that I train and race on is it's a lovely, fast and fun bike; what's not great is the worry that it could get nicked. I keep two very sturdy locks on the racks at work, and the racks are covered by CCTV and not street facing, so hopefully no one will steal it. If you've already had a bike taken from work, then in my opinion this is a very good reason to not commute on an expensive bike, which is a shame, because your fiancee is right, if you've got an expensive bike, you're going to want to ride it as much as you can.

Barteos

If you insist on commuting on a bike that has been designed for racing not for riding on potholed roads while dodging traffic then it should have at least room for min. 28mm tyres and mudguards and optionally rack mounts. Why more bike manufacturers don't offer bikes with more clearance, especially in UK, is beyond me.

A commuting bike that is more expensive that it needs to be, will be eating your money in a faster rate so it all depends how much you're willing to spend on maintenance, replacement parts, repairs etc in a longer run...
Eg. The expenses quoted by "ptlk66" are scary and... perfectly avoidable. Bottom bracket gone in a year? Nah... It should last a few years.

A good strategy could be component grade changes in different times of the year e.g. in winter/autumn you could use cheaper affordable (but lasting) drivetrain components (not 11gears!), stronger 32H wheels (and tyres) on quality cartridge hubs (Hope, DT etc...)... You even keep the "better" wheels only for weekends.

Besides the differences between expensive sunday best and winter bikes are very often exaggerated and mainly psychological as quite a lot depends on the tyres you use and on the position on the bike. A bike with Gatorskins (or Marathon Plus) will always feel/be slower than than the one with GP4000s or Ultremos... It's funny that there are some fast guys in clubs riding retro 90s or other steel machines which for many would be only good enough as a "slow and heavy" winter hacks...

DrLex

plet wrote:

[...] but I don't see the attraction of commuting on a racer [...]

For me, thanks to work & family commitments, it's the best opportunity I get to ride regularly.

slowbike

I did have just the one bike - but I wasn't reliant on it to get to work - I could always drive instead ...

It isn't an expensive bike, but I like it a lot and don't want to loose it .. If I couldn't store it inside then I'd be a lot more concerned about it - and certainly wouldn't put the "expensive" wheels on it....

I've now got a second bike - it cost more than the first - it means I can have 2 ready to go, useful for 1 setup for wet weather and the other dry - also, if I found a puncture I could easily swap a wheel over ...

But whichever I take it ends up in the office with me - so I don't have to worry about security ... would I want to leave a £2k bike outside unattended even with locks on? Nope ... certainly not everyday, but I may just risk it on the odd occasion ...

2 bikes - you know it makes sense...

inkz

I use a Specialized Roubaix Elite (Carbon frame with 105 groupset) for commuting and for pleasure. The Crud Roadracers stay on permanently along with my SQR bracket for my carradice. I also run it on 25cc tyres (still the specialized ones that came with the bike).

I am lucky in that I can keep my bike in the office though, if I couldn't then I'd have a hack, and it wouldn't be something as nice as a Ribble Audax.

I enjoy 'racing' to work every day, and the majority of my time in the saddle is spent commuting, so I don't really see the point in using a crap bike the majority of the time. Obviously that doesn't override the need for n+1

For some weird reason I also enjoy watching the wear on my bike, as if it's some kind of badge of how much I've been riding :P

Barteos

...

stu-bim

Work out the cost of owning two bikes over a 5/7 year period being used for commuting and longer rides, i.e. replacement cost and wear and tear on one versus two, and the elongation of the life of the best bike and you will probably find that you will find it makes financial sense for two over the long term.

rolf_f

plet wrote:

Since this is the commuting forum I might just get away with saying this but I don't see the attraction of commuting on a racer. For me commuting is all about low maintenance so that means hub gear (belt drive?), marathon plus, CSS rims, dynamo hub+lighting, mudguards. It's only 9 miles, think of the extra weight as training.

A nice bike to ride is a nice bike to ride wherever you are going. I use a £1200 Centaur equipped carbon Ribble Gran Fondo for most of my commuting - it's fun to ride, low maintenance (no need for hub gears which, in any case, wouldn't have the range for my commute), has decent tyres (Durano S perfectly adequate and very rarely puncturing) because no circumstances are worth ruining a bike with the rubber abominations that are Marathon Plus. No need for dynamo lighting these days as you can get rechargeable lighting that is very powerful and lasts a good week of commuting before needing recharging. Mudguards fine as you can squeeze Crud Roadracers on.

Get a nice bike for your commute and you might start to choose to extend your commute to a more worthwhile distance

jimmypippa

algecan wrote:

After deciding on the Focus I mentioned to my fiancée that I just needed a cheap one for the commute and she didn't seem too impressed. Her way of thinking is that this is my sole means of getting around and I spend a lot of time on the bike so I shouldn't just stick it in the garage for the nice weather when it costs so much. I'm more of the opinion that I wouldn't use a £2000 bike for commuting because it will just get knackered like my Carrera, however I can see where she is coming from. I've asked a few people at work about it and its a 50/50 split.

If you had a "Sunday Best" bike, would you look after it and keep it in tip top condition? Would you either be cycling on it or have it stored in a safe place at home?

Is this how you manage to treat your commuter bike?

By the end of the winter, my commuting bike is decidedly the worse for wear - I only manage maintenance at the end of the week and it generally needs it by then.

dav1

I will add another +1 for the cheapobike option as a commuter.

My carrera virtuoso is once again a wreck after winter. Its getting its annual service next week. Had it 5 years now and until recently used it for leisure and commute. It does 4000-5000 miles per year.

Per year i go through:

3 chains
1 cassette
4 sets of brake blocks
1 set of gear cables
1 set of brake cables
at least 1 wheel
2 tyres
Bearings

Some one-off replacements parts have been
STI shifter (right)
Rear mech
Front mech
Seatpost


On average the upkeep for that bike is £200 per year thanks to the cheapness of 8 speed sora and rebuilding my own wheels.

My new summer bike assuming the same rate of wear would probably cost £600 per year to run in the same way, possibly more.

By this logic if i was to be lazy and buy a new carrera from hellfrauds i would still be up or break even, and thats before I sell the good bits of the current winter hack!

Now I have a summer bike I can afford to maintain the carrera with slightly cheaper or more robust but heavier parts then I have in the past, i hope this will bring the cost down a bit more.

If you sit down and do the maths you can justify a cheap commuter with numbers to the other half, the hard bit is justifying a £2k carbon dream machine for weekends and racing :twisted:

pdw

Dav1 wrote:

My carrera virtuoso is once again a wreck after winter. Its getting its annual service next week. Had it 5 years now and until recently used it for leisure and commute. It does 4000-5000 miles per year.

Per year i go through:

3 chains
1 cassette
4 sets of brake blocks
1 set of gear cables
1 set of brake cables
at least 1 wheel
2 tyres
Bearings

:shock:

I do 4-5k miles/year on my commuter in all weathers, and each year use:

* 1 tyre (new tyre on front, old front becomes new back)
* 1 chain

In two years, I've replaced one gear cable and one brake cable. Brake pads are still going strong, and I expect to get at least a 3rd year out of the cassette. I certainly hope that there aren't any new wheels in my future.

dav1

A few of those bits I do just to keep it riding nice, gear and brake cables, new bearings for instance.

Swapping to durano tyres rather then pro race should keep tyre replacements down, and I now have wheels with open sport rims which will last longer then shimano RS10s.

I think i run down rims and break blocks so fast because of all the breaking in traffic with stupid amounts of grit and dirt on the roads. Every time i brake in the wet I hear that horrible grinding sound that tells me the rims are dissolving and the bike is going to be covered in brake compound thats impossible to clean off. I find Kool-stop pads do help, but only so much.

How on earth do you get 5k out of a chain? I look after my chains and get 2000 out of them in summer, nearer 1500 in winter. From what I have read 2000 is about as good as it gets. 3 chains per cassette and thats a years use. perhaps I trust my park tool checker too much, I replace as soon as it shows 1% streach.

slowbike

pdw wrote:

:shock:

I do 4-5k miles/year on my commuter in all weathers, and each year use:

* 1 tyre (new tyre on front, old front becomes new back)
* 1 chain

In two years, I've replaced one gear cable and one brake cable. Brake pads are still going strong, and I expect to get at least a 3rd year out of the cassette. I certainly hope that there aren't any new wheels in my future.

Does rather depend on your commute route/distance doesn't it?
Mine involves some hills that in crap weather you are really advised to take slowly on the descents = heavy use of brakes = quick wearing of the brake pads ...
Hence in just 700 miles of riding, my new (jan this year) commute bike is already 1/2way though a set of pads ...

pdw

Dav1 wrote:

perhaps I trust my park tool checker too much

Quite possibly. Almost all chain checkers are hopelessly unreliably, as they conflate roller wear (which doesn't matter) with pin wear (which does). Reports of chain checkers declaring brand new chains to be worn are not unheard of. I use a set of calipers, and change at 0.75% wear. Wisdom is that 1% actual wear is too late to re-use your cassette, and that's consistent with my experience.

My commute probably is very easy on brakes, and being disc brakes, easy on rims too

daddy0

MTFU and tell the fiancée how it is! Better to do it now rather than after the wedding only to find out too late that she wears the trousers... My wife has learnt to put up with three bikes in the house with this approach. The three bikes in the house is leading up to our next move where I will be allowed my own man shed/room - a place I will be able to hide from SWMBO when she has one of her "weeks off from sanity".

I commute on my "nice" bike. Its a £1000 carbon 105 jobbie which I have put better wheels and tyres on. I have commuted (and gone out for weekend rides) when its wet and the roads have been gritted - but I've decided to give that up as my wheels are being destroyed by it.

I also have an old hybrid which I used to commute on before I got the road bike. I used to treat as my wet weather bike, and I think I am going to start doing this again.

I only commute on the carbon bike because I can take it into the office and have it next to my desk. I wouldn't trust locking it up outside, even in the private car park (no security or CCTV). I wouldn't want it to get rained on too much either. I don't mind a bit of wet when I ride home when its raining because I can clean it as soon as I get in but wouldn't want to regularly leave like that for hours at a time.

I'd say that you need two bikes, or at least two sets of wheels. If you only get one fancy bike then buy yourself 2 spare chains, a spare cassette, brake pads, spare tyres, tubes, a chain cleaner etc...

MrChuck

Expensive and cheap are relative, but I wouldn't want to commute on something too cheap. The reality for me is that I ride my commuter more often than I do my nice(r) bike, and since I like riding I want those rides to be enjoyable too rather than toiling along on a real beater. On the other hand, riding year round means maintenance is inevitably going to suffer, and at the moment my parking is just bike racks with the attendant knocks and scrapes. So for me the niceness of my commuter is basically a compromise between a nice ride and how knackered it's going to get.

Slightly OT, and obviously depends on what your commute is like, but my nice bike is a carbon/105 road bike and the main reason I don't commute on it is that it's a rubbish tool for the job compared to a mid-level hybrid. My commuting at the moment is relatively short though and it's all urban stop-start, canal paths etc. (and yes I know about Paris-Roubaix, blah blah blah )

supersonic

Expensive and cheap are relative

If you can afford it, get the best bike you can.

BelgianBeerGeek

I think it's already been mentioned, but having two bikes is useful. If one is in bits awaiting repairs etc, you will always have the other one to hand.
After years of riding my road bike in all weathers, I bought a disc brake CX for this reason. The road bike now only really gets used on high days and holidays.

bigmonka

algecan wrote:

---Unfortunately this bike was stolen from my work place a few weeks ago.---

And you're considering replacing it with a bike worth £2k - wouldn't that be more likely to go missing when at work? That would just give me another reason not to do any work during the day:
me: "I'm just popping downstairs again to check my bike is still there"
boss: "but you only came back from checking it 30seconds ago!"

daddy0

Get a second hand CX bike if you're locking it up outside. I just saw a knackered looking Crosslight with Campag gears for less than £200 whilst looking for bikes for a mate. The frame had a few scratches so not desirable enough to nick, but actually it was quite a nice bike IMO. Spend the rest on your nice bike.

algecan

Thanks for all the comments. I like comparing it to the shoes, I think she'll understand that one! Also the thought of having to replace it if I were to be knocked off wasnt one I had thought off. I have sooo many near misses on the commute.

I do have plenty of space for a couple of bikes, I already have three so another wont hurt.

I think i'm settled on getting a nice bike for some summer rides and a few commutes in summer and getting something cheap that I don't have to worry about for winter. It was some of you mentioning the state of your bikes after the winter that reminded me of the state mine was after each winter. Its not worth spending so much for it to get into such a bad state and not having the time to properly clean and maintain it.

jimmypippa

algecan wrote:

I have sooo many near misses on the commute.

Probably not one to flag up though...

mikebikemike

2 cheapish bikes for me. 15 year old mountain bike, beat up old mixed groupset with either ice tyres or fat road tyres depending on weather. Excellent for all weather, all light and all road conditions. Unstealably ugly bike.
2nd hand alu road bike with guards and Tiagra for the longer distances, nice conditions and safer areas.

I like the variety of swapping between a bombproof bike and a fast one. The kit on it lasts reasonably well when I remember to keep on top of the maintainance

thespanishadam

What about a semi decent bike and two sets of wheels?

Have a cassette and tyres on each so no swapping. Plus you can put something more robust on the commuter wheels. Use KMC chains, get a couple of them and put them on rotation. I swap chains every now and again, leave it to soak in white spirit. Comes up like new.