Advice for new commuting bicycle

[BenReaper]

Although I know this is a old thread and every one jumped to the conclution of a hybrid I couldnt help to think about a 29er with slicks on when I read the OP's discription.

 

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[OBicycleTouring]

Although I know this is a old thread and every one jumped to the conclution of a hybrid I couldnt help to think about a 29er with slicks on when I read the OP's discription.

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Hi BenReaper, I think your suggestion sounds good, but since he needs it for commuting and all, wouldn't the handlebar be obstructive navigating the city roads? Just thinking.

[OBicycleTouring]

Hi everyone

 

I'm looking to get a new bike and I'd love some advice. I've been commuting to work for the past two years on an entry level MTB (Axis A90), but I definitely consider myself a complete novice when it comes to knowing about bikes and parts. At this stage I'm ready to get a bike better suited to my needs which are as follows:

 

1. I need a reliable bike that can handle ~5000 km per year for many years. (I cycle about 100 km per week as part of my commute).

2. Something that will just enhance the joy of riding by making each commute or leisure ride faster and/or easier :-)

3. I'd love to improve my speed and I love earning a personal best on Strava, but I'm not out to win any races. That being said, I will be riding in a couple of races quite soon (including the Argus next year).

4. I like the idea of a bike that has the build and advantages of a road bike, but the seating and handlebar position of a mountain bike. Is this possible? I've been looking at the Silverback Scento 1 and I think I really like it. A hybrid seems to be the right choice for me. I don't think I want a pure racing bike or road bike. Drop bars scare me.

5. The ability to attach mudguards in winter might be nice (lots of rain in Cape Town).

6. Definitely want to be able to have a rear rack and maybe panniers one day. Possibly interested in touring.

 

I'm perfectly willing to spend money (in the region of about R10k) on quality that will last and meet the above needs. But I don't need anything over the top or features that I'm not actually going to  use. (Number of gears for example.)

 

So what price range do you think I should be looking in?

 

Road / commuter / city / hybrid ... there seem to be many different options and it's a pretty confusing world to someone who is still very much a beginning cyclist in this area.

 

All advice will be appreciated! :-)

Thanks so much

Whats your decision mate?

[BenReaper]

Hi BenReaper, I think your suggestion sounds good, but since he needs it for commuting and all, wouldn't the handlebar be obstructive navigating the city roads? Just thinking.

My two main reasons for suggesting a 29" Mtb is that

 

1 - The 29" slick tyre will be a bigger volume tyre wich will give a more comfortable ride than the normal tyres found on a dedicated commuter,even if they are something like 700×35c.

Rspecially on our bad roads.

 

2 - The Mtb will have a suspension fork that will also ad to comfort and in some cases better maneuverability, for instance if you have to hop onto a sidewak to get out of harms way.

 

I agree that the wide handlebars on a Mtb could cause some issues, but the bars can always be cut shorter and if this were to cause handling issues the stem could be replaced with a shorter one to sharpen the steering up again.

 

I must add,I like to tinker with my bikes and "make them my own".

 

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[zwischenzug88]

Hi all

 

Sorry, I really should have replied when I made my choice.

 

I eventually went with a Specilized Sirrus Sport - found an older model new in a shop at a reduced price and managed to avoid the effects of the exchange rate on anything new coming on. Installed a rear rack, bought some panniers (these guys are a life changer! I don't know why I waited so long!) and I've racked up just over 2000 km since December and it got me through my first Argus in just under 4 hours :-) It's comfortable and is a really nice ride. The only downside of my older model is no option for hydraulic brakes. At a similar time we got a Giant CRX - very similar to the City Escape for my wife and she's really enjoyed it.

 

I like the idea of the 29er with slicks - I still have my 26er with knobblies and it actually does a decent job of getting me around - especially with a lot of road works on my route! Sometimes when on my hybrid I do miss the shocks and the wider tyres - going over potholes or bumping off the kerb is a bit more of a thing to deal with.

 

I've just bought some proper thermal pants and gloves, plus mudguards. Bring on winter! I anticipate it being much more pleasant than the last two years where I was biding my time to see exactly what winter gear I actually needed - rather than going overboard.

 

Tuesday is Strava's Global Cycle to Wirk Day! Just putting it out there ;-)

 

Cheers and thanks again for all the input and links.