Choosing a Bike for Commuting

What's your two-wheeled style?

Mar 9, 2007 Sarah B. Hood

Here's some help in making your decision about what bike to buy if you're a bike commuter.

City cyclists ride many different types of vehicles. In fact anything, from the skinniest road bike to the heftiest mountain bike can be a commuter bike. Typically, city cyclists want a fairly durable, sturdy and reliable bike that's not too much of a theft magnet to be left outside a movie theatre, a shop or an office building (locked, of course).

Many books about bicycles were first written in the great bike boom of the early '70s, when racing bikes were all the rage. So if you consult library books before you shop, bear in mind that writers at that time were following the fashion of the day in advising cyclists to cut absolutely all extra weight on the bikes (like fenders and chain guards), and to buy only bicycles with lots of gearing choices. If you live someplace like San Francisco, you'll want a good choice of gears for hill-climbing, but for most locales, a slightly heavier three-speed or even a "one-speed" with coaster brakes can serve very well as a city bike if it's being used mainly for shorter trips on flat ground at modest speeds. Some of the possibilities:

The Road Bike: Road bikes are slim and lightweight, with skinny tires and drop handlebars designed for racing and touring. They are maneuverable and easy on the knees, but, ironically, high-end road bikes may break down under the heavy wear associated with daily commuting faster and more often than cheaper models do. Some popular road-bike manufacturers are Bianchi, Raleigh and Pinarello

The Mountain Bike: Mountain bikes are designed for off-road sports; they're characterized by bouncy, sprung suspension and big, knobby tires. They make decent road bikes, but can be pricy, and their straight-across handlebars can be hard to maneuver in traffic. Some popular mountain bike manufacturers are Trek, Kona and Cannondale.

The Hybrid: The hybrid combines the durability of the fat-tired mountain bike with some of the lightness of the road bike, and it's a good choice for city riding. Some companies with popular lines of hybrid bikes are Specialized and Avanti.

The Cruiser: This is an old-fashioned, very simple and retro-looking city bike with a solid frame and slightly chunky tires. It's been making a comeback, and is often chosen for its classic style. (Companies like Schwinn offer very glossy cruiser models, and some North American shops have begun to stock European models like the classic Amsterdam city bike.)

If none of these options appeal to you, you can order a custom-made bicycle in many places. But that'll cost you!

The next piece will discuss fitting a frame to your body.

The copyright of the article Choosing a Bike for Commuting in Cycling & Mountain Biking is owned by Sarah B. Hood. Permission to republish Choosing a Bike for Commuting in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.