‘Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of riding a bike.’ – John F. Kennedy. Surely, this is the case for almost all of us. Apart from pleasure, cycling can also get things going. From my past experience, I always have had to wait long hours in a line for a bus to arrive, or the train is coming late. This has always engulfed huge amounts of time which I could have spent otherwise. After two years of tolerating all these hassles, I finally decided to buy a commuter bike, and it was a very wise decision to make.
Commuter bikes are the best choices to make if you travel regularly. You can ride through smooth roads or the roughest of terrains without worrying much about the bikes. In addition to your daily commute, these bikes can provide a great way of daily exercise.
How to Choose a Commuter Bike That Suits You
The key to choosing a commuter bike that fits you is knowing exactly what you need. If you’re riding to your destination regularly, you’ll have to choose the bike wisely. You must consider which frames you want, the components, geometrical shape, riding position and additional features. You’ll also have to decide whether or not you want speed over comfort or vice versa.
Bikes Can Differ for Gender and Age
Bikes are specially designed to suit people from specific gender and age. Due to the geometrical differences in shape in males, females, and kids, the bikes are also different. Bikes designed for males are somewhat larger in size, with wider handlebars and a stout riding position. These bikes can be driven at greater speeds but allow little comfort to the cyclist.
Bikes designed for females tend to be relatively smaller in size, with a narrower handlebar and a relaxed riding position. The drivetrains for these bikes are often elevated to provide extra comfort to the cyclist.
Kid’s bikes are specially designed keeping safety in mind. Some offer an attachment for two extra supportive wheels. These bikes feature a wider handlebar and don’t often come with gears. The drivetrain used in these bikes are smaller in diameter, which ensures that the speed of the bike is relatively lower.
Factors That Affects Your Comfort and Convenience
Apart from the geometrical differences and design of the commuter bikes, there are a few other aspects that you must consider.
Condition of the Terrain
At first research quite a bit on the terrain that you’ll be riding on. You may look up in maps and try to locate all the hills, roads and alleyways you’d need to pass. Take some time identifying the distinctive road conditions and alternative routes.
Distance
Know the distance you’re traveling. This is particularly important because you’ll have to choose a bike that provides a comfortable biking experience if you’re supposed to ride for longer distances.
Physical Conditions
You may have back pain or shoulder pain, so you must be extra cautious on your riding position. This means that you’ll have to choose a bike that has straight and wide handlebars.
Storage
Decide as to where you’ll store your bike. This is particularly important because your bike can easily get stolen. Decide if you can store the bike in the garage of your home or workplace.
Maintenance
Another important factor to consider. If you’re someone who doesn’t want the hassle of having to fix the bike regularly, you can surely purchase a simplistic bike that has only one drivetrain with one gear variation.
Reasons for Commuting
Decide on why you’re purchasing a commuter bike. Is this for commuting to your workplace or educational institution? Is it to keep you healthy and fit? Or is it to consciously help reduce the amount of CO2 in your locality.
Budget
Decide on how much you’d like to spend for commuting. If you’re a regular commuter, it is always recommended that you buy high-end bikes instead of cheaper ones. If you’re conscious about your health and want a better alternative to your exercising equipment, you can surely choose a mid-range commuter bike.
Comfort
It is probably the most important thing that you must focus upon. When you’re riding longer distances, you’d always want the ride to be as quick and as painless as possible. It’s always recommended that you choose high-end commuter bikes. Although a bit pricey, these bikes can provide you with higher comfort without sacrificing the speeds.
Riding Position
I have seen many beginner riders which are not quite sure about the riding positions. This can be a very big mistake because the riding position can affect the riding comfort and efficiency of the ride. Specific terrains require dedicated riding positions which can boost your performance and prevent potential injuries.
For a short ride, you may want to choose a bike that has a more upright and relaxed riding position. This will ensure that you get the maximum speed while keeping your back taut. For longer rides, it is recommended that you choose a bike which can enable you to lean forwards. It will reduce back strain and will give you higher speeds.
Digging Deeper into the Technicalities
Important Parts
Apart from the riding position, distance, condition of the roads and the maintenance, you must pay attention to specific technical aspects that might affect your biking experience. Although these may seem irrelevant, it plays a big role in ensuring that you have a smooth and comfortable ride while maintaining high speed.
Gearings
Just like riding positions, many beginner cyclists often don’t understand the importance of the gears. In my early days, I also had the same wrong perception about the gearings; these are meant to increase speeds. Although this is partially true, the main reason for the gears is to make paddling a lot easier. During longer rides, you can switch the gear to reduce the strain on your legs without reducing the speed at which you are traveling.
Braking System
The braking system is very important in ensuring that you have a safe drive. Whenever you’re at a sticky situation, these braking systems can help you get out of it. This is why you’ll need efficient braking mechanisms. Rim brakes are popular brakes which come with a rubber coated clamp. These are rather inexpensive and easy to maintain but may wear out within a short period of time. If you cycle shorter distances, you can surely go for the rim brakes.
Disc brakes, on the other hand, are more versatile brakes. These are heavier and cost more, but these can stop the bike within a less braking distance. It’s always recommended that you go for such disc brakes.
Suspension System
I’ve personally seen many cyclists preferring a bike with a suspension system. In theory, the suspension system may reduce the bumps in the road providing the cyclists with a more enjoyable ride. These systems act just like a shock absorber to ensure a smoother riding experience, but this is not always the case. Some of the low-end bikes have a lot of unnecessary weights attached to the body which are of no use. These can reduce the speeds greatly, and you’ll have to push the pedal more to produce enough torque to keep you moving.
Things That Matter When You’re Riding
There are some factors which can influence the bike’s on-road performance. But before you move onto these factors, you must remember what you decided on having – speed or comfort?
Wheel Size
The wheel size plays a big role in providing you with a better grip the road. The bigger the wheel is, the more traction you’ll get. But with increasing size, you’ll have to sacrifice maneuverability but will achieve higher speeds.
Tire Size
The tire size plays a big role in speed. The thicker the tire, the more the frictional resistance. This means that the speed will be slower as more kinetic energy will be lost, so you get lower speeds. If you want greater speeds, you can opt for narrower tires. These have very little drag and so help you to travel at higher speeds. If you travel longer distances or roads which have potholes or cracks, you should choose tires which are thicker. These can act as great shock absorbers but lacks the speed. This is why you must always choose a high-end bike that may facilitate your bicycling.
Customizing Your Bike
Sometimes it’s the little factors or things that can make a lot of difference. The best thing about commuter bikes is that these are highly customizable and the external parts are readily available in local shops. There are rare things that you can customize according to your personal preferences.
Bike’s Appearance
When you’re purchasing a new commuter bike, you’ll be facing a wide range of bikes each having different structure, shapes, and colors. You can surely choose a bike that you think looks the most appealing to you.
Bike Size And Fit
A commuter bike is meant to provide you a comfortable ride. In order for you to enjoy such a ride, you must ensure that the bike fits well with your height and riding position. A bike that doesn’t fit you well will make paddling a lot difficult. This causes strain in the muscles. This is why you must choose a bike that fits you, not a bike you fit in.
Cycling Gloves and Ergonomic Hand Grips
Both of the cycling gloves and ergonomic hand grips provide better grip onto the handlebars. The grips ensure that you’re having greater control over your bike. These can reduce the strain on the hands and wrists while riding the bike. When choosing such cycling gloves or hand grips, you must always choose the high-end ones. Even though these are a bit costlier, it will be a worthwhile investment.
Pedals
Pedals are just as important as the drivetrain or the brakes. Most commuter bikes are often installed with flat pedals. These are very efficient and comfortable if you want to ride for a moderate distance using very little effort.
If you love to ride through rough terrains and mountainous areas, you should install the caged or clipless pedals. These pedals can grip onto your cycling shoes and ensures efficient paddling. Regardless of what paddle you use, you must ensure that the pedals are ergonomically well built so that you get a comfortable ride.
Saddle
When I first bought my bike at the age of 10, I actually didn’t know how important the saddle was. As I continued riding my bike and going to my school for a month, I realized how badly I needed a comfortable saddle.
When buying a commuter bike, you must always choose a saddle that provides you comfort for long distance rides. This is particularly important because you’d not want to reach your destination with a paining bum.
Before buying a saddle, you must at first put it on your commuter bike. Then you must test it out and check if it is comfortable or not. Make sure that the saddle is adjusted properly maintaining the correct height, angle, and positioning. Only then, you can ensure yourself a comfortable biking experience.
Rack Compatibility
Are you planning to travel with a bag or other necessary items? If yes, then you must purchase a commuter bike that allows the installation of racks. The racks can come in very handy on a number of occasions, which is why having a pre-installed rack is somewhat necessary. If your bike doesn’t support the installation of a rack, you can contact a professional bike repairman to weld a rack into the body of the bike.
Fender Compatibility
You won’t want to get yourself dirty when driving along a muddy road, would you? This is where fenders can come in handy. By installing fenders, you can eliminate mud and rubble from splashing while you’re riding. This is why you should always install front and rear fenders.
Don’t Forget These!!
Bells
High-quality bells are probably the most essential additions to a bicycle. These can provide you with safety by alerting everyone in the area. You can use this for signaling when you’re moving past a person, animal or just taking a turn. It is very useful as it avoids accidental collisions.
Lights
There may be times when you’ll have to cycle in the dark. Although the streetlights provide enough light for you to maneuver through the road, installing bike lights can be a lot helpful. In addition to providing light, it can signal people and vehicles which are coming from the other side while alerting the ones at your back.
Rear-View Mirrors
Very few bikers install rear-view mirrors onto their bikes – which is a surprising fact. I personally have faced a lot of incidents where a bus is sweeping just by my side and knowing that it is coming towards me I could sway to a safer side of the road. The rear-view mirrors make our biking a lot safer. The best thing about these mirrors is that these are highly versatile, yet very cheap.
Bicycle Pumps
Having a mini-pump at your home can make the pumping a lot more convenient. Whenever the tires are lacking in air pressure, just pump them on your own. This will save you some money and effort going to the mechanic.
On a further note, always remember to keep the tires properly inflated. This is very important because reduced air pressure can reduce the lifespan of the tires.
A High-Quality Lock
When you’ve purchased your beloved bike, you won’t want it to be stolen away. Bikes have always been one of the favorite items for most ‘professional’ thieves out there. This is why you must protect your bike using high-quality locks. These fairly inexpensive locks can protect your thousands of dollar worth bike.
When you’re buying a lock, test to see if it is sturdy enough to resist huge blows from hammers or cutting edges.
Different Types Of Bikes Explained
Before you buy a bike, you must at first study your route. This is particularly important because you’ll have to know if you’re riding through rough terrain or a smooth one. The conditions of the road would heavily affect your cycling experience, so would be the fact that whether your bike is an electric one or pedal-assisted. There are specific bikes that are specially designed to be ridden on specific terrains. If you know the conditions of your road, you can buy a bike that fits accordingly.
Hybrid Bikes
Hybrid bikes are a mixture of road bikes and mountain bikes. Featuring flat, upright handlebars, large padded seats, and a relaxing cycling position, it is considered to be one of the best commuter bikes. 700c wheels are most commonly used in such bikes. These are sturdy and highly versatile, meaning that you can use them both on rough terrains and smooth roads.
Pros
- Highly versatile; can be used in any terrains
- Relaxing cycling position, which gives a comfortable ride
- Highly customizable
Cons
- Requires regular maintenance
- Harder to control
Road Bikes
Road bikes are highly specialized bikes which are meant to be ridden on smooth roads without bumps. These feature a very lightweight chassis and an aerodynamic body, which helps to reach immense speeds without much effort. These are very popular for sport bicycling. Along with speed, these bikes can provide a comfortable ride to anyone who wishes to commute with it.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Very fast
- Tires are thin; very little resistance
- Aerodynamic body
Cons
- Can break if ridden on a rough surface
- Uncomfortable when riding on a bumpy road
Cyclocross Bikes
The cyclocross is a variant of hybrid bikes that are meant for both off-road and on-road riding. These offer a more relaxed riding position along with a more flexible paddling experience. These cycles often feature a slackened head angle and high-performance disc brakes that ensure proper safety. The handlebars are a bit wider which provides additional off-road traction.
Pros
- Highly versatile bikes
- Can be used in gravel roads like a gravel bike
- Highly customizable
- Easy to pedal
Cons
- Can’t be ridden on mountainous terrain
- Not as fast as the road bike
Mountain Bikes
Known as all-rounder bikes, mountain bikes are one of the most versatile bikes that you can find. It doesn’t matter if you’re riding on a smooth road or a rough, mountainous trail, the mountain bikes can handle each and every terrain with ease. Featuring bigger tires and great suspension, these perform like a beast when it comes to cycling.
Pros
- Can be ridden in any terrains
- Highly versatile and durable
- Comfortable riding position
- Efficient suspension system
Cons
- The body is a bit too heavy
- Requires more force to cycle
Fixed Gear Bikes
The fixed gear bikes are one of the cheap commuter bikes that are available. They are designed specially to be ridden on a countryside or smooth road. These are simplistic bikes which ensure high speeds and riding comfort. This ergonomically bike features a single drivetrain capable of producing a specific speed variation. These are very easy to handle and requires little to no maintenance. Some of the higher ends fixed gear commuter bikes even come in incredibly stylish appearances.
Pros
- Ergonomically built
- Comfortable riding position
- Highly durable
- Achieves high speed
Cons
- Not suitable for rough terrains
- Body is a bit too heavy
Foldable Bikes
Foldable bikes are ideal bikes to use for if you have to travel long distances but don’t have sufficient space for parking the bike. These impressive bikes can fold themselves into a very compact shape, thus increasing the storability of these bikes. These are sturdy bikes that can endure almost anything that comes along.
Pros
- Very compact
- Convenient to travel with
- Provides a comfortable riding position
- Can easily pass through dense traffic
Cons
- Needs regular maintenance
- The body is heavy, so biking can be hard
Touring Bikes
For people who want both speed and durability, the touring bikes are the ideal choice to make. The touring bikes are specially designed to be ridden on both rough and smooth terrains with ease. Generally, these bikes look similar to the road bikes, but these have thicker tires. Some even feature an extended suspension system for better riding experience.
Pros
- Comfortable riding position
- Low tire resistance; higher speeds
- Can be ridden in any terrain
- Minimal maintenance required
- A lot of extra weight can be carried
Cons
- Often heavier than road bikes
Electric Bikes
Electric bikes are one of the most popular bicycles of this modern era. With an inbuilt motor, these bikes can assist a biker to go further distances. This has enabled the biking arena to a wide range of individuals. Although people nowadays don’t consider these bikes in the bicycle category, the perception will change in a decade or so. Generally, these bikes feature a motor that can assist the rider to ride longer distances. The rider can, however, pedal the cycle manually and still get to his/her location.
Pros
- Can cover long distances
- Convenient and easy to use
- Durable
- Efficient
- Can be ridden in smooth and semi-rough surfaces
- Can be manually pedaled
Cons
- Heavy
- Needs to be recharged
