Best Commuter Bike

single speed – popular with cycle couriers and some commuters.
A commuter has various choices for a bike.

1. Cheap Mountain bike (usually from Taiwan) – Can get for under £200, even under £100.
   Pros – don’t have to overly worry about getting stolen. Fairly solid and upright
   Cons – sorry gharish coloured mountain bikes will never have any style. They are so slow it can put you off cycling, you will never win those commuter sprints.
2. Hybrid Bike from £150 upwards. Similar to mountain bike, but thinner wheels, more geared to practical road riding. Can usually be easily fitted with mudguards, panniers e.t.c
   Pros – designed with commuter in mind. Good value for what you can get.
   Cons – no major downside, not necessarily something to get overly excited about.
3. Converted Road Bike. A Road bike will be the quickest, ideal for any commuter who travels a considerable distance.
   Pros – can be quick and a form of training. ideal for long distance commute
   Cons – no fun in icey conditions, top road bikes make attraction for thieves
4. Single Speed. Either fixed or single speed bikes
   Pros: tend to look cool and are easy to maintain. Great if you live somewhere flat, but not recommended for San Francisco or Bristol (though I’m sure some still manage)
   Cons: It is nice to be able to change gears
5. Folding Bike – Pros: ideal for the commuter who cycles part of the way and gets the train or car for the rest.
   Cons: not fast, not cheap.
6. Retro Bikes – old fashioned style bikes. Look great and are built for carrying stuff on your commute. Will tend to be slower and heavier than road bikes. But, if you prefer style over speed, retro bikes are a good choice.
7. Electric Bikes. Increasing in popularity. You may not get so many health benefits. But, if get put off by the idea of cycling up a hill

Some Suggestions of Commuter Bikes

Dawes Discovery 101 / 201 / 301

The Dawes discovery range offer a good solid introduction to the hybrid market. They are likely to be sufficient for most commuting needs. Based on a light alloy frame. They come with 24 gears and offer options for panniers e.t.c. They look stylish without being posy. A good example, of a hybrid bike that gets the job done. The 201 comes in at £250 so is quite affordable. As you go up the range you get a better selection of gears and extras like suspension seat posts.

• Comfort – high
• Value for Money – Good
• Speed – satisfactory
• Functions: enough
• Dawes Discovery at Evans cycles

Dahon vs Brompton Folding Bikes

The most popular two versions of folding bikes are the Dahon and Brompton. Both have a good reputation for quality, but, Bromptons tend to be a bit more pricey because of their stronger brand image. (After all, there is a Brompton world championship)

For example, the Dahon Espresso 2010 based on a 7005 Aluminium frame is £450. The Brompton M3L with Sturmey Archer 3 speed and steel frame is £699. But, the distinctive build of Brompton does give an excellent upright comfortable posture.

Road Bike

My own commuting bike is a Trek 500, equivalent to a Trek 1.1. It’s a bottom of the range road bike, but, becomes a nippy commuter bike. You wouldn’t really want anything else apart from a low range road bike, otherwise there is too much risk attached to locking it up in town. If you look at GT road bikes, they can start from as low as £350

Trek Bikes at Evans

Related

• The Real guide to commuting by bike
• Single Speed bikes

Hybrid Commuter Bikes at Wiggle cycles

• Commuter Bikes under £500
• Tips for commuting by bike
• Retro bikes