Recommend Me: A Push Iron (Commuter)

For a while now there has been talk of getting a shower installed at work but it seems to have hit a stalemate. The idea with having a shower is that it would allow employees to cycle to work as part of the ride2work scheme which we've recently signed up for.
Anyway with talks at a standstill I'm hoping that by getting a bike on that ride2work scheme and pedaling my tubby butt to work I might be able to give the shower plans a kick in the right direction.

So people of the ORG I put it to you to help me choose a good bike for riding to work (entirely road/cycle way).

Things to consider:
Our Ride2work scheme is through evans cycles
I'm very familiar with my mountain bikes (used to compete at downhill),
I've never owned a drop handle - not too sure I want to,
Maintenance/upkeep is not a problem,
Budget is capped at about £900

So... what are your thoughts?

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/...40366#features

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/...-bike-ec042146

a couple of reasonable suggestions

[andrewsmith]

You using it for commuting for bit of everything (I'm expecting you to have a garage full of mountain bikes)

Could always go for something like this http://www.evanscycles.com/products/...-bike-ec030753

But best wait for what Fizz and the latex warriors say

Far from it, i sold my DH to put towards the house deposit at our old gaff. Since then I gave away my hard tail as it was beyond economical repair and for the last 2 years I've not even owned a bike

This will be used for commuting only as a direct replacement for my motorbikes as both the SV's go up for sale. (Only the GSR is been kept)

I'd not looked at the cyclocross bikes so I'll give those a nosey

[Dipper]

Latex warrior here....

For winter commuting it's probably best to have mudguards, they protect you and the drivetrain, most hybrids have room for them. I'd avoid anything with suspension it saps power. One thing to consider is most people who are used to flat bars who start riding on the road end up buying a flat bar bike, then replace it with a drop bar bike when they realise the advantages.

This would make an ideal commuter plus be good for leasure cycling too.

What distance is your commute?

How far is the commute? how hilly? what are the road surfaces like? How fit are you?

I know what you are saying about maintenance not being a problem, but just 10 miles each way in all weather and I can destroy a chain and cassette in about 6 weeks on average, and rear mech about twice a year and new chainset every 18 months. Higher end stuff is a little more economical (last proportionally longer for the cost).

I know its "fashionable" now, but singlespeeds are really good for commuting. Much cheaper to buy about 2-300 less for same spec. Maintenance is much cheaper, the parts a bigger, more robust and cheaper. If you are heavy the rear wheel should last much longer, as the spokes do not need to make space for the sprockets.

I seem to remember Specialised did a Singelspeed cyclocross for around £600, and I am sure you could ask them to replace the drop bars with flats, if not its a peice of piddle to do it yourself.

Originally Posted by Dipper

Latex warrior here....

For winter commuting it's probably best to have mudguards, they protect you and the drivetrain, most hybrids have room for them. I'd avoid anything with suspension it saps power. One thing to consider is most people who are used to flat bars who start riding on the road end up buying a flat bar bike, then replace it with a drop bar bike when they realise the advantages.

This would make an ideal commuter plus be good for leasure cycling too.

What distance is your commute?

Excellent, exactly the sort of incite I was hoping to get, I'll answer your questions within my response to the post below.

Originally Posted by ClunkintheUK

How far is the commute? how hilly? what are the road surfaces like? How fit are you?

Commute will be 11miles, its almost a straight road from my house to work but plenty of round about and junctions along the way to slow me down. Then chaos when I hit Leeds center.

Hills, yes, lots. Its about 60% downhill on my way into work. Obviously that translates as 60% uphill on the return. At no point is it flat, in brief you're:
Up hill 1miles
Down 1mile,
Up 3miles,
down 4miles
up 2miles.

Road surfaces are reasonable they're not new and are often broken due to former road works but nothing too uneven.

For me I'm currently unfit, but I'm not unfit by the standard of most.
I used to box, used to compete downhill and I've consistently played competitive football a few times a week since puberty. The boxing and biking has left me but I still play competitive football twice a week. Fittest I will have ever been was when boxing where I hovered just under 10 stone. I'm now 12.5 stone, the biggest I've ever been was 13 (I'm 5ft7)

Wow I had no idea the chain sets would die so quick, is that because you're been overly keen?

Singlespeed I don't think single speed is an option purely due to the elevation changes on the route in/out. I live 3 valleys over from where I work, they're not welsh valleys but they're still sizable. On a fixed ring pedaling up hill would certainly free spin down the other sides.

Specialised Allez - £600 on Bike to work scheme, light as a feather. Maintenance? What maintenance? They chain gets the odd clean and lube once or twice a year and I leave it outside in the elements. Only rust is to the foot pedal frame and its minimal (cause I don't clean it like). Get better tyres, better footholder thingy's and abuse it for a couple of years, It can handle it believe me.

[maviczap]

Originally Posted by Dipper

Latex warrior here....

For winter commuting it's probably best to have mudguards, they protect you and the drivetrain, most hybrids have room for them. I'd avoid anything with suspension it saps power. One thing to consider is most people who are used to flat bars who start riding on the road end up buying a flat bar bike, then replace it with a drop bar bike when they realise the advantages.

This would make an ideal commuter plus be good for leasure cycling too.

What distance is your commute?

+1 to what Dipper said.

Having drops will give you more hand positions, than flat HB bikes, so you can always get comfortable.

You could also have an extra pair of bake levers on the flat part of the drops by fitting some cyclocross levers for dual controls, a good option for a commuter.

You don't need bigger tyres than 25mm IMHO, anything bigger is going to sap energy.

Make sure its got a compact chainset at the front 50 - 34, it'll get you up anything in the UK.

The one Dipper suggested has all the things I've said.

Also get some proper puncture proof tyres like Continental Gatorskinz, you don't want you ride into work hampered by punctures.

Evans has some dropped handlebar bikes, with disc brakes, which would also make good commuters I think

Get some decent wheels, as they'll take a hammering too