Adventure road bike for a big commute?

dgendy

I have been advised to look into adventure road bikes for a long commute (17 miles one way) as they are easier to maintain than a standard road bike. Is this good advice? I will only be using roads. I was looking at the Norco search A 105 2018.

oxoman

Any decent road bike will do for a commit, you don't need a gravel / adventure bike. I commute on a carbon road bike or alloy one if it's wet. Planet X,s London road is currently on offer and worth a look.

cougie

No real need as has been said. Get a bike that can take 28mm tyres at least and with full mudguards for a commuter.

jeepie1999

I had similar needs but fancied hydro disc brakes and rack mounts. I went for the Oreo Terra. It does all I want, except it won't go uphill quickly. (Could be the worn out engine though)

The Rookie

dgendy wrote:

as they are easier to maintain than a standard road bike. Is this good advice?

No, nothing on them is much different to a road bike apart from disc brakes and wider tyres (and room for them), none of that is easier to maintain.

roger_merriman

The Rookie wrote:

dgendy wrote:

as they are easier to maintain than a standard road bike. Is this good advice?

No, nothing on them is much different to a road bike apart from disc brakes and wider tyres (and room for them), none of that is easier to maintain.

True though I’d argue that fatter tyres make more sense for commuting, ie generally better grip/comfort. I do notice that my present road bike which is one of the Norco Searches rides bumps and what not, much better than the pure road bikes I’d had before.

But yes gears and so on is very much the same.

d00d4h

Perhaps the person giving the advice was assuming that an Adventure bike would have a 1x transmission, and therefore no front mech to maintain.

Other than that, I can't think how they would be easier.

The Rookie

roger merriman wrote:

True though I’d argue that fatter tyres make more sense for commuting, ie generally better grip/comfort. I do notice that my present road bike which is one of the Norco Searches rides bumps and what not, much better than the pure road bikes I’d had before.

Well yes, but nearly all road frames will take a 28mm tyre and many a 32mm. As for comfort, my Planet X London road is comfier than my previous Carrera frame despite being on narrower tyres. The frame can have just as big an impact as tyres.

roger_merriman

The Rookie wrote:

roger merriman wrote:

True though I’d argue that fatter tyres make more sense for commuting, ie generally better grip/comfort. I do notice that my present road bike which is one of the Norco Searches rides bumps and what not, much better than the pure road bikes I’d had before.

Well yes, but nearly all road frames will take a 28mm tyre and many a 32mm. As for comfort, my Planet X London road is comfier than my previous Carrera frame despite being on narrower tyres. The frame can have just as big an impact as tyres.

I’d agree that frames do make a difference, the last CX bike was cheaper and not as comfortable with same tyres/psi etc.

This said both are much more comfortable than the purer road bikes I had before which had 23/25 tyres, not really surpriseing since I’m running quite a lot lower psi.

craker

Is comfort such a big deal? 17 miles is about an hour's riding, I tend to choose a fast bike over a sensible one (which is usually the fixie unless I go the hilly way).

mrfpb

Of course comfort is a big deal for a commute. Especially on days when you might be tempted to take the car/public transport instead.
Make it easier to choose the bike!
Not many of us would commute 17 miles in an hour. I'd allow at least 90 mins for the journey.

njee20

Comfort is relative. You don't want it to be uncomfortable insofar as it leaves you in pain, but it doesn't need to be sofa-like levels of plushness either IMO.

Like others I don't see the point in the recommendation, I commute on a carbon road bike in summer and a different one in winter. 25mm tyres on both. Winter one has mudguards on, which are a huge commuting benefit. Neither can fit 28mm tyres (I don't think, the winter one definitely can't) but I've never wanted to.

Some people want a more upright 'sedate' riding position for a commute. I just want to get there (or more pertinently home) as quickly as possible, I don't differentiate between a 'ride' and a 'commute' YMMV. If you're one of the former then something that isn't a full on road bike may be a wise choice.

cookeeemonster

Get a road bike with discs - it'll mean you can easily swop to a fatter tyre if you want. If you find one with mounts for full mudguards than even better.

17 miles isn't long enough for someone to worry too much about comfort, at least if the bike fits you (road bikes are not necessarily more uncomfortable than others btw). But there'll be a lot of stopping and starting and heavier bikes will take more effort to get moving...which'll leave you fatigued earlier in the week unless you're constantly pootling or accelerate slowly from the many stops. More upright bikes will mean you catch the wind more...important on those neverending headwindy winter days.

I've had various types of road and cx bike for that distance commute. Have settled on a lightweight carbon with hydro discs. No full mudguard mounts because no 'race type' bike seems to exist thats made with them (within reason) but anyway, I've found that that suits my style of riding, where I generally like to push it a bit more than other mooters. Other people will have different needs and you need to think about that.

Ultimately you can commute on anything if you want to. I started with a 13kg hybrid for my original 36 mile round trip commute. Until I sold it for a road bike 4 months later

njee20

Discs don't necessarily mean more clearance - my winter bike has discs and can't fit wider than 25s.

There also won't necessarily be lots of stopping and starting, depends if it's rural or urban, I'd suggest that a heavy bike will be more unpleasant to ride regardless of that though!

Otherwise I agree with CookeeeMonster.

roger_merriman

To flip it around, why use a bike with 23/25mm tyres when for you can use one with 30mm+ I don't really see any real disadvantages?

njee20

Because you can’t generally stick 30mm tyres on road bikes designed around 23s, they’re often heavier with a less aero position and thus slower.

If your bike can fit 30s then I guess you may as well use them.

cookeeemonster

roger merriman wrote:

To flip it around, why use a bike with 23/25mm tyres when for you can use one with 30mm+ I don't really see any real disadvantages?

Bit heavier/slower? Again, depends on the sort of riding you do. I've used 35mm tyres on a cx bike a few years back and they were lovely - like riding balloons!

Am back on 25mm and prefer them. Will possibly go to 28mm in winter....

kingdav

I commute 14 miles each way most days (sometimes more).

I've just built myself up a new commuter. I used a 2nd hand alu cyclocross frame to get hydraulic disc brakes and decent tyre clearance on the cheap. I've put 32mm tyres on it, which do ride more comfortably than my other road bikes which both fit 25mm max.
I went for a 1x bike because it should need less maintenance and I wanted to try it out.

The Rookie

kingdav wrote:

I went for a 1x bike because it should need less maintenance and I wanted to try it out.

I've commuted 1x for about 9 years now, with a defined route and required gearings its easy to optimise and I even run a conventional road cassette as my spread of gears isn't big (12-28).

dgendy

I have started the commute without buying a new bike. I am using my hybrid and it takes around 1 hour and 30 minutes. I do think it will be easier with a road/adventure bike. The commute is all on tarmac, no gravel. From looking at the replies the main advantage for the adventure bike would be comfort. I can't see any other advantage if my commute is all on tarmac. I guess the road bike may be the better option. For those that have tried both, is the adventure road bike much slower then a standard road bike?

The Rookie

One big benefit on a Hybrid is to drop the bars, most hybrids have spacers under the stem and the stem inclined up like an MTB, dropping the bags 20-30mm by slamming the stem and inverting it makes a fair difference (it will put you at about Hoodz height on dropped bars) to aero drag, as would swapping to some more road bike like tyres.

I commute on a Planet X London road built as a flat barred Hybrid, slammed/inverted stem and 28mm road tyres means I can live with most Road bike riders.

roger_merriman

dgendy wrote:

I have started the commute without buying a new bike. I am using my hybrid and it takes around 1 hour and 30 minutes. I do think it will be easier with a road/adventure bike. The commute is all on tarmac, no gravel. From looking at the replies the main advantage for the adventure bike would be comfort. I can't see any other advantage if my commute is all on tarmac. I guess the road bike may be the better option. For those that have tried both, is the adventure road bike much slower then a standard road bike?

I have years of Strava data, of myself and on various road and other bikes, and honestly I can't see any evidence in my rides that the Gravel/Adventure bike is any slower. honestly for most part the bike doesn't make a huge difference.

CitizenLee

The way I see it (and one of the reasons I'm away to buy a CAADX for commuting), if it's a bike you have to ride everyday then it's worth sacrificing a bit of speed for more comfort, be it from the bigger tyres or the less "head down, censored up" geo. There's the all weather benefits of disc brakes too, not only for stopping power in the wet but the fact you don't have grit and road grime grinding into your rims. They also open up more route options since they can go off road. Plus you can always fit proper road tyres for pure tarmac use.

photonic69

Just bought one of these for a commuter/ winter club runs. Takes 28s and mudguards with ease. Has full hydro discs and Tiagra groupset. In my eyes it's a perfect combination. Ticks all my boxes. No mounts for a rack though but I prefer a backpack.

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Felt-VR40-2017 ... _96432.htm

mrfpb

PhotoNic69 wrote:

Just bought one of these for a commuter/ winter club runs. Takes 28s and mudguards with ease. Has full hydro discs and Tiagra groupset. In my eyes it's a perfect combination. Ticks all my boxes. No mounts for a rack though but I prefer a backpack.

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Felt-VR40-2017 ... _96432.htm

That looks good. Big seat packs (look for "bikepacking") or Carradice saddle bags are good when you cant fit a pannier rack. The Carradice Bagman rack fits to the saddle with a single bolt so is easy to remove if you want to go out without the bag on your days off.

Enjoy the bike.

redratbike

I’m thinking of an adventure/gravel bike for my next bike

I commute only 10 miles each way but sometimes I take a route that has a little gravel and rougher roads

Currently have a giant rapid 1 just about to change tyres to 28 continental contacts for the winter from 25 gatorskins previously 23 lugano’s which rode shockingly on everyday roads (too skinny)

I may still try some 30’s

Semric

redratbike wrote:

I’m thinking of an adventure/gravel bike for my next bike

Yes, it is interesting. I also want to. But I think about the choice.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

As per the bargains thread, Rutalnd have the top model Cube adventure Nuroad Exc for ~£1089 this weekend with a £100 discount code, would make a cracking commuter that could do a bit of everything on and off road... If the 50cm frame fits you.

Edit: A super quick google brought up https://www.freeborn.co.uk/cube-nuroad- ... ravel-bike for £1119, with free accessories to 15% of bike value, in much larger range of sizes.