Commuting on the good bike

pauljink

You have two bikes, a great bike, and a decent bike. What bike do you ride to work?

Apart from wear on the chain and cassette, what other disadvantages are there to using the good bike all the time? The 10-speed gear will cost me an extra £20 each time I need to replace, so is there any point using the decent bike?

desweller

I use mine for commuting all the time. But there is a very low likelihood of my bike getting swiped at work, and I am likely to make a detour on the way home if the weather is nice. Anyway, I like riding it and I don't race, so why not? It's often the best bit of my day!

pauljink

Yes. I should have access to secure storage (a locked cupboard) at work, but should probably invest in a decent lock just for that extra protection.

slowbike

Great bike gets used for commutes when its dry and sunny.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Depends how secure it will be at the other end. Back when I could ride my Felt, work were fine about taking it indoors, which is not an option at new place (regardless of the fact I cannot ride the bike because of back discomfort on injury form ~5 years ago).

macleod113

If i had the choice i would use my best bike as often as i can. maybe only use the back up in bad weather.
my choice is simple. road bike when its nice and MTB when not.

jacknorell

My concerns would be a) secure storage at the work end, or worry when I stop at the shop on way home, and b) if my wheels can take the punishment from commuting every day

Kimble

more use = more scratching and more paint damage. every time you lock it you risk scratching it... you're also dependant on other people not jarring / bumping your bike. I may have even cracked a carbon top tube with a U-lock hanging over my shoulder on a bike lock extension cable...

Also you're far more likely to pick-up glass on your commute than out on a ride and it's only 1/2 of the time that glass actually punctures your bike there and then so what i'm saying in a roundabout way is that glass picked up commuting will probably only puncture your tube as you'e racing / training / on sportive i.e. exactly when you really don't want a flat!

having said all that I'm not immune to taking the best bike on the commute either but I do try not to... and the best bike ia always the go-to when I absolutely positively have to get there 5 mins faster!

slowbike

Kimble wrote:

more use = more scratching and more paint damage. every time you lock it you risk scratching it... you're also dependant on other people not jarring / bumping your bike. I may have even cracked a carbon top tube with a U-lock hanging over my shoulder on a bike lock extension cable...

Only if you have to leave it outside. Mine is in the office - worst I've had is the MD asking to have a go then "throwing" the bike against the bannisters (wood) and denting the paint on the top tube - not done on purpose, but annoying enough.

Kimble wrote:

Also you're far more likely to pick-up glass on your commute than out on a ride

Commute is country roads - other rides are similar ... chances of glass/puncture are the same.

Kimble

cool to be able to bring it indoors, I lock mine in an underground 'secure' carpark but if you're commuting on country roads then use the good one as much as you want!

A rule of thumb that I've found to be very true is: Cleaning is 90% of maintenance. A clean bike performs much better than a dirty bike (better braking, crisper gear changes) and a clean bike looks better and the more expensive chain/ cassette/ front rings/ bottom brackets/ tyres / bar tape last longer too

I ALWAYS want the good bike to work immaculately every time I use it and yes, also to generally look good so the main reason I don't commute on it so I can use the better components when I need them and don't have to clean the bike half as much to make sure it works as I want it to. The cheaper-to-replace parts on my commuter can then do the lions share of the work without worry about cleaning / replacing / fiddling with parts nearly as much.

slowbike

Kimble wrote:

A rule of thumb that I've found to be very true is: Cleaning is 90% of maintenance. A clean bike performs much better than a dirty bike (better braking, crisper gear changes) and a clean bike looks better and the more expensive chain/ cassette/ front rings/ bottom brackets/ tyres / bar tape last longer too

Please tell my wife this ... she complains if said components aren't working properly ......and then .... she moans when I spend time cleaning & adjusting those components .... can't win! I just ignore her and ask when dinner will be ready ...

The Rookie

I don't commute on my best bike, Mountain bikes make poor commuters......

gbsahne001

Best bike when it's nice weather, intermediate bike for wet (mudguards), worst bike for the depths of Winter; fitted with winter tyres, mudguards and don't mind the occasional spill on ice.

Need to sort out lights for the best bike though, as I find they're needed now for both the early morning and evening commute.

CiB

I've worked my way up over the years to owning nice bikes and currently have a nice road bike and a really nice road bike. As a good chunk of my mileage is the blast to the office I can't think of any reason why I'd own a really nice road bike and not use it for a 20+ mile blast on the roads just because that happens to end with me having to a day's work at the end of the ride. When I get here I bring it up into the office so that people can admire it and to keep it safe so there's no need for locks, no security issues, and touch wood punctures don't seem to be an issue.

slowbike

Well - the score for this week is 3-2 commuter to good bike. Commuter because of the damp roads or carrying clothes in.

daddy0

I commute on my nice bike most of the time. Only get the hybrid out if its wet or if I have to leave it locked up outside (my good road bike comes indoors with me, natch).

My main concern is with brake block, tyre and rim wear. On a 50 mile weekend ride down the country lanes I might use my brakes 5 -10 times, on a 6 mile commute its probably more like 100+ times!

I keep my chain clean and well lubed, most of the time, and on the commute I don't apply the powerawesome so much, so the wear on the drive train is not much of a concern.

jongooligan

Mmmm.. My main concern is walking through a massive open plan office in skin tight lycra. It would certainly cause a stir at my workplace.

daddy0

jongooligan wrote:

Mmmm.. My main concern is walking through a massive open plan office in skin tight lycra. It would certainly cause a stir at my workplace.

The ladies love it, and the guys get jealous. Do it!

slowbike

jongooligan wrote:

Mmmm.. My main concern is walking through a massive open plan office in skin tight lycra. It would certainly cause a stir at my workplace.

I'm to old to care!

Downward

I ride my best bike as often as possible which includes commute. Although a roadie v a hybrid isn't a difficult choice to make.