Road bike or mountain bike for my work commute?

[Mrdavidb]

Hi everybody,

 

I stay about 5km away from work and I want to start riding a bicycle to work. I work in Sandton, so I will have to ride along Grayston drive (a busy road with no bicycle lanes).

 

My good mate recons I should get a mountain bike (he is into his mountain bikes) and stick to the pavements (for safety), which makes sense but I have a thing for road bikes (I think they look cool, but I have never owned a road bike).

 

I am not sure what I am looking for. I would like to spend around R2500. What do you guys think I should do and what kind of bike do you recommend in this price range?

 

Thanks for your help!

 

David

[carbon29er]

Definitely MTB hybrid with tubeless. Commuting will be much easier not stopping to repair flats.

[scotty]

Definitely MTB, easier to handle in traffic and far less chance of puncturing. I would even go the SS route for simplicity.

[MrJacques]

Agreed, MTB with slicks will be comfier as well.

[Ryanpmb]

...and stick to the pavements (for safety)...

 

Walking pedestrians will have your balls... stick to the road, where wheels belong.

[sluiper]

I use a hybrid for commuting: allows me to be reasonably fast on the road, but also allows me to go an a bit of gravel/sidewalk when I need to.

 

That being said, I don't own a mountain bike and have 5 road bikes, so I might be a bit biased

 

I picked up my Specialized Sirrus 2011 model (http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/multi-use/sirrus) on Gumtree for under R3000.

[MTBc]

Walking pedestrians will have your balls... stick to the road, where wheels belong.

 

Wheels were invented by cavemen long before roads were.

[Ryanpmb]

Wheels were invented by cavemen long before roads were.

They also beat their women with clubs, dressed in animal hide and ate raw meat...

 

at least we know where the name comes from.

[Hairy]

They also beat their women with clubs, dressed in animal hide and ate raw meat...

 

at least we know where the name comes from.

Now we meet our women in clubs, still use animal hide and some dress like animals and eat raw fish

[Ryanpmb]

Now we meet our women in clubs, still use animal hide and some dress like animals and eat raw fish

chirp of the day.

[Ryanpmb]

Now we meet our women in clubs, still use animal hide and some dress like animals and eat raw fish

Sums up a Hipster?...

[MTBc]

Now we meet our women in clubs, still use animal hide and some dress like animals and eat raw fish

 

Some things never change. The point I was making was that wheels were definitely made for more than the black stuff.

[Mrdavidb]

Thanks Sluiper, I just had a look at the Sirus. Very, very cool!

[Mrdavidb]

Thanks guys! Appreciate your help.

[Ryanpmb]

Some things never change. The point I was making was that wheels were definitely made for more than the black stuff.

Obviously. No one said otherwise. Pavements with pedestrians though. Not cool. Stick to the road then.

[MTBc]

Obviously. No one said otherwise. Pavements with pedestrians though. Not cool. Stick to the road then.

 

MTB keeps a deserted pavement open as an option. And if it's not deserted... well... get a bell. or a fog horn.