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Commuter Bicyclesupdated 9/22/2008Commuter Bicyclesa.k.a Transportation Bicycles, City Bicycles or UtilityBicycles David Madajian, Bicycle Transportation Advocatewww.commuterbicycle.comThe vast majority of bicycles sold today are Mountain bicycles. For streetuse these bikes are much more comfortable than the skinny tired Road bikes(racing bicycles) that forced the cyclist into an aerodynamicbut awkward position with bent over handle bars. The upright position of aMountain bicycle isnot as efficient, but it allows better situation awareness and control when riding intraffic and is more comfortable. As it turns out most people riding Road bikes end up not using the "drops" on the bar, but positiontheir hands on the top which defeats the aerodynamic advantage* and places theirhands far away from the brake levers. However, using a Mountain bicycle tocommute has several disadvantages: The weight, cost, and energydissipation of a suspension system designed for rugged off road riding, exposedgreasy chain, high rolling resistance of fat tires with knobby tread, and more likely to be stolen.Many companies are now starting to market bicyclesspecifically designed for commuting, transportation or utility as opposed torecreation. This new type of bicycle that is emerging doesn't even have astandard name yet, but I prefer to call it a Commuter Bicycle. It took over 10 years to settle on the name of "Mountain Bike", so this is normal in the fragmented bicycle industry. When I started this site in 2002, there were only a few companies chasing this market in the USA; now there are dozens. With gas prices now approaching $5/gal this year, the opportunity is ripe for this segment to take off in the US as it has in other more progressive countries. However, most local bike shops in the USA have been very slow to embrace bicycles as transportation and devote very little or no floor space to Commuter bicycles. You may be forced to have a bicycle shop special order one for you or to purchase one on-line. The features to look for in aCommuter bicycle are uprightseating position, low top bar, full reflectors, cargo racks, bells, fenders, chain guards, kickstands,gearing for moderate conditions, internal gearing in the rear hub, some mild suspension, built-in generator lights,and nutted bolts instead of "Quick Release" disconnects on axles and seat posts (to discourage part thieves). Afeature just now starting to appear is a sealed drive shaft or belt instead of a chain. Bothof these need to be used in conjunction with internal gearing.Internalgear hubs,These are much improved over the 3 speed hubs of the 70's. Shimano, SRAMand Sturmey-Archer justintroduced 8 speed versions. The 7 speed Shimano Nexus has a range of 244%which is better than the old 10 speed derailleur bikes and very adequate forgeneral riding. The new improved 8 speed has a range of 307%. They are lowmaintenance and easy touse. You can shift while stopped or under load and the gears are all in order and evenlyspaced. No more "the big gear is low in the front and high in therear". Beginners who don't recall high school physics often havetrouble with this and tend to stay in one gear. Internal gear hubs aremuch more intuitive. After using conventional gears for 30 years, I adaptedto the Nexus 7 internal hub in 3 minutes. One of the most exciting andnewest hubs available is continuously variable, so it has the bragging rights ofhaving the most gears of any bike made today or in the future. The companyis NuVinci. you can watch the principle on this youTube video: NuVinciCVT. Drive Shafts(chainless) , This is the only company I know of manufacturing these. The drive shaft needs to be combined with an Internal gear hub since a chain isno longer available to switch gears. I believe this is the future for allbicycles.Off-the-shelf Adult* Commuter Bicycles:Breezer is a new company specializing in commuting bicycles that was founded by one of the inventors of the mountain bike, Joe Breeze, who has had an interest in transportation bicycles for over 30 years. They have 6 fully equipped models (Town, internally geared: Uptown8 $850, Uptown $770, Villager $670, and Citizen $500; Range, derailleur-geared: Liberty $960, Greenway $740) and 3 quick-fold compact models (i7 $700, i3 $399, itzy $450). The Breezer Town bikes are similar to European town bikes, but are lighter and more widely available in the USA. I bought a Villager for my wife and we are very happy with it. Breezer had a big head start on the commuter bicycle market in the USA, but now the big international players are moving in fast. One of my readers praised the built in lighting system in the Uptown.ZeroCity Bicycle is a commuter bicycle that combines a drive shaft with aninternally geared hub. Unfortunately, it is only currently marketed inEngland. Last time I checked theyoffered to ship it to the US for $885 including freight. This is thenicest bicycle manufactured with the shaft drive that I could find. Theyare looking for US based distributor. I test rode a demo model for 3months and was impressed). I did no maintenance and had no problems.Dynamic Bicyclemakes the Runabout which is very similar to the Incline with the same Susexshaft drive and Nexus 7 speed hub. BroadwayBicycle is a semi-custom bicycle made by a unique bicycle in Boston. It is basically an old fashion English 3 speed with modern components that sellsfor $425. A custom bike builder named Mike Flanigan builds them a fullcustom version of it that sells for $900. He owns a company called AlternativeNeeds Transportation and specializing in building bikes for commuting andcarrying cargo. He will probably build you any bicycle you want if youcan't find anything here. Koga-MiyataTown and Country Bicycles are now being imported to the USA. They arehand built in the Netherlands. They are expensive and heavy, but extremelyhigh quality and well built to last many miles and years. They are some ofthe most expensive bikes in this category.Biria isa German bicycle manufacturer that is rapidly expanding in the USA. Almostall their many models qualify as Commuter Bicycles. Seetheir website for their extensive list dealers. They have "city"bikes that range from $400 to $700. Biria has a very innovative"safety bicycle" which features a locking system, ABS brakes, the newNexus 8 speed and a shaft drive. There is a good onlinesource for these bikes.BianchiMilano is the first modern Commuter bicycle and it is made by a large andfamous Italian company. It is sold world wide. It is a verybeautiful and elegant design that is competitively priced.Kettler is aGerman company that makes a high quality City Comfort model that sells for$1200. They also sell many quality plastic trikes for kids. You canbuy them online from the Bike Mania link below.KHSis an American based international company that has a line of "UrbanBike" including a low cost model called "Green". Peoplehave written me and asked about low cost bikes. Here is one that shouldonly cost about as much as 3 tanks of gasFuji produces a line of"City" bicycles named Crosstown.Giantnow has the "Metro" line. This is very exciting because this is a major international bicyclecompany and they are offering this bicycle in the USA. You can buy it buyspecial order through almost any bike shop stocking Giant. REIis a well run sporting goods co-operative that has a large network of stores aswell as a strong web presents. They feature a large cycling department inaddition to camping gear. In 2005 they introduced an "urbanbicycle" called the Novara Fusion for $700 that isclose is specifications and price to the Breezer.Kona, acompany founded on Mountain Bicycles has had a line of bicycles since 2004 called Dew that is targeted athigh-end commuting. Not surprisingly, they looklike Mountain bicycles without suspension. Interestingly, the websitestates that these bikes are the ones that the Mountain Bicycle designers ride towork. This sounds like an admission that Mountain Bicycles are a poorchoice for basic transportation:) Recently they introduced a basictransportation line called "Africabike" and priced it starting at$300.Kronan,distributes a simple, reliable and durable bicycle that is based on the classicSwedish Army bicycle design. It is made entirely of steel except for the aluminumpedals and weighs a hefty 46 pounds. The List price is$359. They are sold from the corporate website as well as a dozenindependent dealers across the USA.Extreme commuting: For very long commutes Irecommend a serous Touring bicycle. Unless you are willing to spend agreat deal there are only a few choices out there for this: A Trek 520, anREI Novara Randonee, or a Surly Long Haul Trucker. I would recommend anyof the 3 for people with commutes over 20 miles a day.What every you do don't buy a bicycle from   .Walmart may have great values in many product lines, buttheir bicycles are notgood values. The bikes are heavy, have many parts that are prone to rust,and not very serviceable. Feel free to buy other items using the linksabove, but I wouldn't recommend any of the bicycles they stock. Consumer Reports came to the same conclusion in their report on bicycles. If you don't want to spend much money on a bicycle, you would be much better offbuying a quality used bicycle from craigslist or a garage sale than buying acheap new bicycle. It may improve in the future, but at present time mostof the bicycles imported from China are junk.Bicycle Security: I was able to finally convince my employer to build a securebicycle parking lock, which is basically a covered fenced area with combinationlock. The best way to lock a bike is with a U-lock connecting the frameand a pole or other object embedded in concrete. You should also considerregistering your bicycle with State or Local government along with the NationalBicycle Registry. At the very least keep a record of the serial numberstamped on the bottom.   Do-it-yourself Commuter Bicycles:It is also relatively easy to add accessories to just about anybicycle to make it more suitable for transportation. I recommend starting from a"Hybrid" or "Comfort" bicycle. If you start from a Roadbike, you will need to change the "drop" bars tomountain bike bars which also involves replacing shifting and brakelevers. This modification can get expensive, but worth doing if youalready own a Road bicycle. If you start from a Mountain bicycle, you should replace theKnobby tires with Street tires. Here are some good on-line sources for fenders, mirrors, bells,and racks:         I have bought many parts over the years from Performance and have been very happy with them. Their sale prices are usually outstanding. If you order from my links above, I get a 5%fee. All of my profits go to bicycle transportation advocacy (I run thiswebsite as a public service and hobby)Recently I have been using my bicycle to "commute" to campingvacations instead of work. I have identified the following 2 sources:Camping World Internet Only Specials Web exclusive items 35-70% off at Sierra Trading Post!!In the future I may have a webpage for bicycle camping, but my approach isrelatively simple. I just put all my normal camping gear in my bicycletrailer and go.The 4 ads below are supplied directly by Google, so I have know idea whatthey will be exactly.Tires/Tubes: Mountain bikes all come with 26 inch wheels. Most Road bikes now comewith 70 cm wheels (metric), which have replaced the older 27 inch wheel. 70 cm wheels are about 27.5 inches. The diameter is not nearly asimportant as the tire width. I would recommend getting tires close to700x35C (70 cm diameter 3.5 cm width) or 26x1.5 (for Mountain Bikes). ForMountain Bikes it is especially important to get tires that are designed forstreet use. The tread on Street tires is designed to roll smoothly andquietly on hard surfaces. Kevlar belted tires and Self-Sealing tubes help avoid punctures,but in any case it is wise to always carry a mini-pump, spare tube, patch kit,and a few tools. Self-Sealing tubes are filled with a sticky liquid thatplugs leaks. One problem with them is that the liquid works so well itsometimes clogs the valve! Thorn proof tubes are very thick and heavy, butwork great. I like them because they greatly reduce the chance of a flatand I can go months instead of weeks without having to add air to my tires.Mirrors: MountainMirrycle Bar End - $15. Once you ride with a nice mirror like this, youwill never want to go without one. I have received some feedback that someriders are happy with mirrors that mount on glasses or helmets. My mainpoint is that a mirror is an essential commuting accessory. For a great web pageon mirrors, you can click here.Handle Bars: Expensive mountain bicycles tend to have bars that arejust as uncomfortable as road bicycles in order to put you in an aerodynamic,but awkward position. It is best for commuting to have mountain bike stylebars that flare up. These are commonly refered to as "riserbars". Some riders do swear by the road bike style bent over or"Drop" bars. They like them because they can vary their handpositions on long rides and can ride faster. This could be important ifyou have a long commute. Experienced riders can quickly go from an upright position forcomfort to an aerodynamic positionwith quick access to brake levers to . Somepeople even add a set of break levers in both positions called Runkel leversthat are starting to be popular in Cyclocross circles. Also, many peoplenever adjust to Drop style bars because their frame is not properly sized fortheir body. The bottom line is that if you are flexible and willing to payfor a custom frame and 2 sets of brake levers, you may enjoy Drop bars. For the rest of us with commutes under 5 miles, I recommend mountain bike style bars that flare up.Brakes: V-Brakes are great for commuting. They have plenty of cabletravel which keeps them in adjustment longer. They also have clearance forfenders and good stopping power for wet conditions. They need compatiblelevers. Disk brakes are now somewhat available and even better, but arenot so common or standard and spare parts could be a problem in thefuture. They also require special wheels.Fenders: Planet Bike Freddy Fenders. Most stores can sell at prices lower than the factory website (This pricing isintended to support local shops- they also support advocacy with 25% ofprofits). I ride year aroundwith fenders even though it doesn't even rain much where I live. They helpto keep grit off you and your bike.Seats: Of course, this item is highly dependent on personalpreference. It is also very analogous to purchasing a bed. If youspend a large amount of time on your bike it is important as well. Pleasealso be aware that, like a mattress, softer is not always more comfortable overthe long haul. The seat I prefer is the Hobson.Head Light: Best value is to buy the midrange models (about $100) from eitherBlackburn, Crygolight, Niterider or PlanetBike. A 10W Halogen light is a goodbalance between brightness and power consumption. A HID (High IntensityGas Discharge) light is about3 times brighter and a Halogen with the same energy and great if you ride at night in foul weather, but will costover $300. Hopefully, white LED (Light Emitting Diode) headlight technology will soon beperfected. The "white" LEDs are not nearly as efficient as the"red" LEDs and lose brightness rapidly after about the first 10% ofbattery life except for the very expensive ones that have electronics tocompensate and supply constant current. The brightest LED based headlights are still too dim for mytaste. LEDs also have inferior Color Rendering Index (CRI) scores. They can put out more lumens (unit of light), but not help you see any betterbecause the "colors" they put out don't work as efficiently with thehuman eye. The advantage of an LED is that it is efficient, compact,insensitive to vibration, and will never burn out. Some bikes I have listed above have generator ("dynamo")powered lights. These tend not to be very bright and don't work whenstopped or going slowly. Some of them are not regulated and will burn outbulbs at high speeds. The advantage is you never have to worry about abattery running out of power for long commutes. The newer models feature secondary LEDs thatremain on during brief stops by the energy stored in a capacitor.My latest recommendation for riding in the dark is to also wear a low power inexpensive head mounted LEDlight in addition your primary front light. I find it incredibly useful for unlocking my bike, looking to see what gear I am in, or making "eye" contact. They only cost about $10 and are bright enough to do the job, but not bright enough to be annoying for the person you are looking at like some high powered head mounted lights. It is also a good back up in case your main light fails.Being Seen: Red LED lights arefantastic and very efficient because only light in the red color is created (asoppose to creating white light and adding a red filter). A blinking redlight is even more efficient because it is off most of the time and attracts asmuch attention of a much brighter steady light. If you get a model with AAbatteries, it should last several years (400 hours of use). Some of therear lights like the Cateye will work well as reflectors when the light is noton or your batteries are dead. I recommend buying a roll of 3M reflectivetape and covering your bicycle. It will be less likely to be stolen and ifit is, it will be easy to identify. A reflective vest is also smart towear at night.Bells: Bells with a thumb lever can be bought for $5 and are great to warnpedestrians and slow moving bikes of your approach. To warn cars you canget a $20 Delta Airhorn that you can pump up with your bike pump. It makesyou sound like a semi-truck or a train.Pedals: Very few people who try clipless pedals ever go back totoe straps. Two sided platform SPD pedals make it convenient to ride withstreet shoes or bike shoes. The clipless pedals are safer than strapsbecause they release like ski bindings in an accident. The problem withclips and toe straps is that can scrap if you have them down and they don'tallow you to get the force from "pulling" unless you have slots inyour shoes, which can be dangerous if you have to get out fast. I don'tbelieve any company even sells slotted shoes any more because of the popularityand superiority of clipless systems.Cargo Capacity: I highly recommend a rear rack and panniers (technicalbicycle term for "saddle bags") that can be purchased from the abovesources. You can shop for price as these items are usuallynon-critical. However, if you end up riding in the rain, you may want toinvest in some high quality water proof panniers as a reader in Holland recentlypointed out. Panniers are much more comfortable and convenient than a back-pack unless youhave a very sort distance to cover. If you have more to carry, you can usea Bobor Burely trailer. Burely has a newimproved hitch for 2007 that will work on any bicycle. It is also worthconsidering the Xtracycle, which willtransform nearly any bicycle into the most practical people and cargo hauler on2 wheels. It is much more difficult to attach than a trailer, but oncemost people put it on they love it and end up leaving it on for good. Unlike a trailer, the ride of the bicycle is improved as the long wheel baseputs you between the 2 wheels and not over the rear wheel like on a conventionalbicycle. One of my readers foundthat Two Wheel Gear Commuter Panniermade carrying his dress clothes to work much more practical for him. I justroll my clothes up and set them in a conventional pannier.Risk: Despite what some bicycle advocates promote by selectivelyusing statistics in clever ways, commuting by bicycle is one of the mostdangerous transportation option. One common trick people have used to makebicycles seem safer than they really are is to use "accidents perhour" instead of "accidents per mile". This turns aroundthe fact that bicycles are slower than cars to make them seem safer. Youcan greatly reduce your risks of accidents by being careful, but you can stillexpect to have an injury accident on average every 25,000 miles ofbicycling. Use bright lights, don't ride on sidewalks or against traffic,yield to traffic at stop signs and lights, and use a mirror. You shoulduse great care in selecting your route. The best bicycle route is usuallythe worse possible route by car and may be longer. However, a 10 minutelonger route will give you more exercise and could save you many days of layingin a hospital bed with an injury. Even though the risk an injury accidentis much greater with a bicycle, the health benefits of exercise more thancompensate.Email me forAdvice, Comments or Suggestions(note: you need to delete the number twenty-two from my emailaddress shown to get my real email address, which is my attempt to reduce SPAM) Note: I compiled this website after months of fruitless web searching for ageared bicycle for my 7 year old son to commute to school with that was not aMountain Bike. I never found a youth bike for him, but I foundplenty of adult bikes that I feature above. If anyone knows of any off-the-shelf internallygeared youth bikes I am very interested. Breezer promised to introduce a model in a few years and Fuji sells one in Japanand Europe. PS. Special thanks to Ralph, John and many others thatemailed me suggestions and improvements to this webpage. * The drag coefficient of a bicycle and rider doesn't becomesignificant until speeds of over about 15 mph. As an experiment, I rodethe same route multiple times with my 20 lb road bike with an aerodynamic bodyposition and with my fully loaded 40 lb commute bike with an upright seatingposition. My average time for my 13 mile commute was reduced by 8 minutesfrom 50 minutes down to 42 minutes. |
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