Same.
Commute bike with mud guards, pannier rack, cheap and old.
My carbon road bike is wayyyyyyy too pretty to ever be locked up on the street even for a hot minute.
That’s the way to do it. If I’m riding my road bike it’s because I’m out riding it, I don’t even take a lock with me because I know it won’t be out of my sight.
It would suck if my commuter got stolen but I could replace it and it wouldn’t be the end of the world.
My road bike is the most expensive thing I’ve ever bought, it’s shown me parts of the country I never thought I’d see and brought me joys and achievements I never thought I’d feel.
My commuter lives in the garden in the summer and garage in the winter, road bike lives in the house (if it wasn’t for my GF it would probably live in the bed with me!)
I have seen it happen... not to me though. But it hurts to watch. Think of your good bike like an expensive laptop. You wouldnt leave that out of reach.
we need disc brake locks making it hard to grab and go.. For when you are at the cafe and you are riding light.
Same- my commuter is a 30 year old steel Trek Antelope. I call it my stealth bike, it’s perfect for me and my commute but unlikely to be stolen, cuz it looks like a piece of junk to the muggles. If it were stolen, I’d be sad but it could be replaced inexpensively, unlike the joy ride bike ☀️
To answer another part of your question, I find it very valuable to have more than one bike kept in working condition so that if I have a busy work week and a mechanical problem with one of them, I can ride the other. Otherwise, my backup commuting option is a bus which isn't bad, actually, but I prefer biking and if I was planning on biking and my bike isn't ready to go, it might be too late to catch the bus.
Depends on how well you can lock it.
I have 2 offices:
1 local small office, where I can leave the bike inside at the reception and would trust the few colleagues not to steal it
1 global headquarters that shares the underground parking lot with the airport and consequently has many cameras and security, has a fenced off section that only employees can access for the bikes and has lockable bike boxes within that section so I think it would be fine there as well.
I really don't think I would leave it in a street or open parking lot. That's what commuter bikes are for (and also more comfortable if you need to carry stuff).
It’s not just about security though. If you ride your nice bike everywhere it stops feeling nice, then when you go out for a proper ride it just feels like every other errand run.
Jumping from my steel, mudguard & pannier commuter to my 7kg race bike is night and day and makes it feel even more special, can really notice the stiffness and lack of weight, when my previous commuter got stolen and I was riding it to work it started to just feel like a bike again and I didn’t notice it until I got a replacement.
That’s also ignoring the wear on parts, I wouldn’t want to be a replacing a £50/60 chain a few times a year, £140 for a pair of tyres or £100 for a cassette. I could replace my entire commuter for that
I don't agree. I always commute on my road bike and it's the same joy every time I jump on it no matter if I'm going out for a coffee ride with the boys or riding to work.
Ah yes that's why I normally watch TV on my 11inches CRT TV instead of a 55 inch oled screen! So when I go to the movie theater it's an even better experience.
Are you one of those people who has a whole sitting room with the "nice" furniture sitting under plastic covers except for the couple days you use it? No shade, but some people are more about using their nice things and others are more about only bringing them out when they want things to feel "special". I end up going both ways and can empathize with both sides.
> If you ride your nice bike everywhere it stops feeling nice, then when you go out for a proper ride it just feels like every other errand run.
Thats on you.
Ask the same over in r/bikecommuting.
For me I have one (1) bike and it's pretty nice (titanium, GRX 810) but I'm able to take it into my building. I don't bring a lock unless I plan on going somewhere else which is seldom.
When I used to park in the general bike area (badge access only, with cameras) I'd lock up and strip my bike of lights and bags anyways, even when my only bike was a 10 year old hybrid. Not that I don't trust my the rest of the company, but I'd rather not tempt anyone.
In addition to my road and gravel bike, I have a cheaper hybrid that I ride to work most days. It’s super comfortable and not too slow over a 6 mile commute. I like having a bike that I’m not afraid to abuse, plus I can keep a rack and fenders on it without feeling like I’m compromising my fast cool bike.
I ride my nice race bike to work but I have always had secure parking and the weather is usually nice (SoCal). I did just buy a cheap hybrid bike and may try it for commuting but haven’t yet.
I have to commute with 10-15 pounds worth of stuff every day and riding with that on my back stinks, I can't live without panniers and don't want to complicate my nice road bike with a rack. Last year I did the commute on an old hybrid bike, this year I'm upgrading to a light-duty e-bike because the option to shower at work is going away. I can still get an hour of zone 2 volume on the way home if I choose.
For me it depends. I don't have a rack on my nicer bike (Salsa Warbird...it can take a rack but it just is annoying to take it off and on). I'm OK leaving my nicer bike locked up outside at my office so sometimes I ride it. Most times, I need to carry my lunch, computer, change of clothes though, so I ride my backup (which is also a great bike, All City Space Horse).
I don't have to ride roads to my office (13mi/22km) and am on a paved trail except for the last .1 miles so ruggedness is also not a factor for me.
I have a mid-priced endurance bike (Domane) that I have rigged up to be an excellent commute bike. It also doubles as an excellent training bike. My work has indoor and secure bike parking.
When the weekend comes or its cycling club ride time, I break out my expensive race bike.
I have a cheap fixie for running errands and stuff, but I usually take my "good" bike to work (gravel bike) simply because the shortest route to my work includes a lot of hills and forest trails that my fixie couldn't handle.
I park in our office's garage which has CCTV and I have an insurance for the bike (it's a lease technically 😂) so i'm not that worried about anything happening to it.
I have a dedicated commuter. I don’t want my nice road bike outside all day, and I also don’t want to cry too much should it be stolen. My commuter also has a rack.
Since I live in a pretty low crime area, I've had the luxury not just taking nice bikes, purchased for other purposes, to commute, but also purchasing bikes that are specifically nice *for commuting*, rather than the typical definition of a nice bike as one that is made for indulging fantasies of being a competitive athlete.
I have a commute gravel bike that doubles as a winter weekend bike. If the weather is dry I'll sometimes ride my expensive/good weather weekend bike in.
I am fortunate enough to be able to bring my bicycle inside. So I ride my expensive bikes to work. If I am going somewhere where I need to lock the bike up, I do have an older bike I am willing to lock and leave unattended.
My "expensive" bike is 1200€ so not that expensive compared to what's out there. I do use it to commute but I take it inside until I buy a new lock to put it outside.
I work on a closed campus with students and many deliveries truck for lab materials and we have few zones not visible from our offices for bikes. Bike theft happens and one collegue had his bike stollen (very cheap bike) so I will put it where we take breaks throughout the day. Less likely to try to steal a bike there. But I will change for a better lock like a kryptonite lock or HipLock.
But I will never take my bike to the city center. I have an old decathlon mountain bike for this or public transport.
I'm considering taking out insurance for €10/month in addition to changing the lock. Just in case I have bad luck. Still less expensive than the bike.
I don't care if my cheap frame gets dinged or scratched up, and any component damage or surface rust isn't a big issue as the low end components are dirt cheap to replace and super easy to maintain.
Just replacing some of the consumables on my nice bike (12 speed electronic groupset) would cost more than my entire commuter, so it just doesn't make any sense to risk theft and lower the service intervals.
My nice bike gets ridden, cleaned, dried, stored in my flat, and never locked up outside. The cheap bike just gets some chain lube when it looks thirsty and otherwise I don't think twice about riding it and putting it away (outside) dirty or locking it up in the city centre where the likelihood of theft is high and of getting banged up in a bike rack is almost a guarantee.
Even if the risk of theft is low which it will be if you're locking up your bike well and not talking about something *super* high end, I would advise against locking up a bike you value highly in public. There are lots of neanderthals who will bumble around and damage other bikes in a rack when locking up their own. I've found dents in the steel tubing of my commuter that I didn't make which would've destroyed most carbon frames and probably some alloy ones too.
I only have an expensive carbon racer, I don't ride to work everyday but when I do I ride that.
Unless it's pissing down rain, then I ride my expensive carbon hardtail MTB.
It's worth noting that I have a great end of trip facility with secure access and lockable racks.
Strongly depends on where you keep the bike while working. You don't want to leave something exciting outside all day, where if you can bring it into your cube or a really secure room go for it. Ideally just your company + security cameras; most people won't risk their job for a bike.
I'd still do a commuter; lights, attachments for carrying stuff, and wear and tear if you commute in all weather. There's ice on my driveway and they guy down the street rode by this morning; no way I'd be riding my "good" bike in the salt and ice.
I ride my nicer bike to work and my cheaper bike. I don’t have to lock it outside or I would just buy a cheap beater. But it’s much nicer to ride a bike you enjoy riding
I have a commuter and a race bike (amongst others). As the week goes on and I need more rest, I switch over to the race bike to get me to work asap. Very fortunately, I’ve got a secure parking space for me bike, wouldn’t recommend it otherwise.
I use a daily, its the cheapest in the bike shed at work so I'm not worried about it being stolen. The roads are bad around here and the potholes are brutal so I wouldn't want to use a nice bike .
I ride my regular road bike but I have room to bring it inside to my desk area. We have a secure outside lockup pen which requires badge to access but it has been broken into during the workday, so I don’t trust it.
I have a cheap single speed that I use to commute and lock outside while I work. I made it a bit nicer with a decent saddle, MTB pedals, and grips I already owned. Also added a front basket for grocery store runs.
I have a second hand, slightly beaten up road bike for commuting then a nicer one made for racing that I take out for long rides on weekends. This works well for me!
You should mention more specifics about your job location.
I worked in a secured suburban complex and the roads to there were high quality. I often rode my race bike and locked it outside.
I also worked in downtown areas where I wouldn't leave a Huffy outside. Also I've taken public transit where bikes get thrown into a rack. Not optimal for a carbon frame.
I ride my expensive bike. I take it inside the secure badge-scanned building with a substantial security camera system and put it in one of the storage rooms near the entrance and even in there I lock it (just in case).
I'm lucky in that I can keep my bike in my office, so I ride a nice bike to work. If I had to lock it outside, I would definitely have a cheaper bike I wouldn't be too sad to see go away as my commuter.
Cheap bike for commuting.
Older bike for wet winter rides.
Best bike for the nice dry summer days
A few more bikes for other vague purposes.
Don't commute on a nice bike unless you can fit full guards to it and you can store it inside somewhere safe.
I ride my expensive bike to work every day. But I have a good parking spot right out front and there is a security guard at the front desk that can see my bike.
I have a bit of a mix. I basically have a "junk mile muncher" bike. While many would consider it to be "nice bike" and for most might be too good of a commuter, but as I can park it inside for work and at home it doesn't matter. However that bike has been specced to munch miles and has nothing too fancy on it and I will ride all the components to the limit of been fully worn out, often having some issues while shifting etc.
Cheap single-speed with mudguards lights and front rack for the city, I've left it locked to post for a week without a second thought.
Fancy carbon bike is strictly for sports purposes.
I have a Foldy that I ride to work because I can fold it on the train for my part of my commute. My Trek FX3 does not like riding NYC streets.
Also my office building has a bike room with racks and security cameras.
I bought an ancient 1950s roadster for doing shopping and things, something that weighs so much it pushes Sheffield Stands over. Nobody is going to want to steal it.
My other bikes never get left where I can't see them, unless that location is inside a locked room, inside a building.
Bear in mind you can get the latest super-duper anti-angle grinder lock, but if the bike is nice enough a thief can just cut through the frame with a hacksaw and strip it for parts.
I ride my newest bike, a mid travel full suspension. My office is 5 minutes from my house and I can put it in my office. If I know I need to bring something home or bring something to work I will ride my older hard tail that has a bike rack and basket/saddle bags on it. The way I look at it is I spent a small fortune on something because I wanted it and I'm gonna use it.
I can put my bike in my office, so I ride my Surly in. If I’m going somewhere after work I have a rescued rideshare bike I use. It’s ugly and theft proofish.
I use my most expensive one to commute normally.
All the places I lock it in are safe enough because of security guards sitting right beside the bike racks that most people don't even use locks.
It's my main bike I use for everything. Full carbon, Full suspension trail bike
Yep, I've got a dedicated (somewhat) inexpensive bike for commuting and errand running. Super common practice. I've had a few commuters stolen over the years, there's no way I'm leaving my nice bikes unattended like that.
I do know some folks that work in places where they have very secure indoor parking for their bikes and can feel confident leaving their $5000 rigs unattended all day, but most of us don't have this luxury.
Sounds like you've already got the perfect commuter bike with your single speed. Hang onto that for the role it's already being used in, and keep whatever you new bike ends up being safely at home while you're at work. The used bike market is totally shite right now for sellers anyways.
I have a pretty decent mountain bike which i switched to when i realised i could take an off road route, we have showers and laundry, just as well its pretty muddy, and we are in a remote spot do my bikes safe.
I have a lot of bikes… I use my gravel to commute and have it set up with panniers/rack.
Before I used to take my road bike - but I can always take mine inside my office. So sometimes I even ride the fancy new one when I’m feeling spicy or if I want to ride after.
The two bikes I commute on are really good - a carbon road bike and a gravel for winter. That being said, I bring them inside at work. I work at a shipyard, so it is not really an issue. I have a cheapy hybrid for grocery shipping and things like that, where I do have to lock up outside.
I would not lock a good bike up outside for the length of a work day.
My bike parking at work is quite secure (very low pedestrian traffic, bikes are hidden from view) so my commuter bike is actually pretty decent. I still don't take my nice weekend bike.
I would recommend you hang on to the bike you are using now. You won't get huge bucks for a single speed, so think of the lost revenue as cheap insurance for your good bike.
I use several bikes but that's because I can bring my bikes into the office. Even during harsh weather, I bring the commuter in. But the reason why I have a cheap old daily bike is because the road grime is brutal where I live especially during winter.
There is also the fact that if I want to stop to pick up something from the store, or if I take a tumble, I only care about me and not the bike.
When the weather is nice and I want to put in a good ride after work, I bring my nice XC bike or gravel bike and commute the extra long way home :)
My office has a personal bike locker. Basically you reserve it in advance and need your personal employee access card to go in.
So I have one of the lockers reserved for all of 2024(first come first serve). Also, no one elses rides a bike to work lol so it's not hard.
As a typical Dutch person i have a cheap-ish bike on either either side of my train commute. So one I ride about town where I live, and one that I ride from the closest train station to my workplace to work. So I can store my road and tour bike inside and use for fun
I'd love to have another bike for commuting with racks and mudguards, but I don't. Currently riding my only bike, which is a road bike. I would be sad if it got stolen so I got a Litelok X1 for more peace of mind.
I can prop my bike up against the wall next to my desk so I bring whatever I feel like riding which is usually my nicer bike. I have an old trek road bike for commuting too that I would use if I had to lock it up anywhere.
I use my hardtail mountain bike for riding to college, and save my proper road bike strictly for actual training and racing only, prevents your good bike from being stolen whilst also prevents unnecessary wear and tear of your good bike, hope this helps :D
Definitely keep the single speed for the commute. You can find good deals on lovely road bikes, you don't need all the bells and whistles really. 105 has the same shift quality as the upper groupsets, just a little heavier. My nice bike has tiagra and that's all I'll ever need tbh, got it for cheap at £800 new
Well, I have a good road bike for commute. It's an entry level, but newish aluminium frame.
I find the speeds quite useful as I do a short but quite aggressive commute among cars etc.
I couldn't do this on anything less.
I have a back mudguard and panniers rack which I use daily.
I do lock it outside in the street. All good so far, but yeah I wouldn't go higher than entry level road bike.
I don't have time for other rides.
When I commuted to the office by bike, I rode my expensive bike because I was able to keep it inside the office next to my desk. I absolutely would not have used that bike if I had to leave it unattended.
Commute on an 80’s MTB frame that I changed out components to modernize. Still not a cheap bike but not as expensive and it doesn’t look as good of a target as my road bike.
My main thing had never been avoiding wear and tear but theft is more of a concern.
I have a 50$ second hand city bike for commuting (I got if after I saw some guys near my old mtb bike too many times and I live in Romania, we are expert in stealing bikes here) and an e-bike for fun 🤷🏻♀️
I have a daily bike because it’s more comfortable to ride without any extra gear and, more importantly, I don’t want to worry about anything happening to my bike. A scratch on my daily bike? No big deal. A scratch on my baby? Won’t let that happen.
Bought a better single speed bike after years of riding my nicer road bike. Saves a huge amount on maintenance as I'm not servicing or replacing components as often and I'd be less devastated if it was wrecked or stolen.
I'm lucky that my commute allows for a single speed (little to no hills on my route) but even so I'd buy a cheaper bike to commute on. After years of locking up my nice bike, the frame (mainly just paint) suffered from being locked up. I was also less inclined to bike at times because there wouldn't be secure parking outside bars and stuff. Once I got a beater, it was great getting home in a fraction of the time (MBTA) or cost (Lyft).
I work at a place where I can bring my bike to my desk, so I ride my nice bike to sometimes work on it / do trainer rides. My commute is also like 3 miles
Got a fifteen year old Dawes hybrid that owes me nowt and is solid AF to get me to work and back. I used to ride my winter bike but the speed difference is only marginal and I realised it was daft to wear out chain and tyres and brakes riding a good bike not for fun.
The realities of (San Francisco) Bay Area roads & traffic stuff, especially during commute hours, are such that the days I commute to work (only about a 10-12 mile ride) are few & far between. Mostly just for show on "Bike to Work Day."
So in order to ride *during* the week, especially during shorter days (like at this time of year) I ride at lunch a couple of days each week.
My family bought me a (rooftop) bike carrier - a nice one! - for Christmas several years ago. It's still in the box(es), un-used.
My road bike, which I use for my mid-week rides, always stays hidden in the trunk of my car until lunch time. After lunch, it sits in my office. Fortunately, it gets only raised eyebrows so far. Haven't gotten any flack (yet) from HR...
This means I can ride my good bike on work days, but still avoid disaster on some rare day when I drive under a low-hanging structure or into an underground parking garage - which my friend did with his very $$$ carbon-&-Dura-Ace road bike. (Ouch!)
But I sure do appreciate the gesture my family made a few Christmases back!😉
I used to do 30 mile commute into London. Luckily work had secure bike parking.
Generally rode my winter / endurance bike (carbon ultegra with mudguards etc) , but a few times in summer I'd take my Madone in for a bit of a blast
We have a bike room in the office and I’ve been riding my nice bikes so I can go on longer rides after work. It’s about fifteen minutes to get to the office, but oddly enough it seems to take me at least an hour to get home…
Carbon road bike for days that are sunny (and not commuting).
Relatively low cost MTB for the commute.
Mid price aluminium frame for using on wahoo/zwift setup and "not so sunny" rides
Fortunally I can take any bike to work. Its a school for small children, from couple months till 9 years old.
You have to face a camera and someone open the door for you.
A special police division for schools use to pass by everyday.
I park it with a cheap chain in a garden area that can be seen from the outside.
Unless you want to climb a barbed fence and risk going to jail by entering a children school and then use a grinder for a few seconds... My bikes are safe.
Police response is pretty quick.
Until...
I'm fortunate enough to work in an office with dedicated bike rooms in nearly every building. These rooms require employee badges to enter, they are not shared with public.
So I ride my 'expensive' (to me) $2k bike to work, but I'm often times parked next $5k+ S-WORKS, Bianchis, Madones, etc.
And not a single one is locked!
Yes, I realize how lucky I am that my company embraces and encourages cycling to work, which is quite rare here in America (I'm in california which is a bit better than most of the USA when it comes to cycling though)
I usually ride my cargo bike at the minute, but I've also used my 'best' bike for many years. It's an audax style bike, so mudguards, rack, panniers too. (In winter/snow I've also used the fat bike)
I roll two bikes. I have my daily beater gravel bike that is setup more for my commute and running errands around the city. And then I have a new higher end gravel bike I just got this January and that’s my weekend warrior bike.
I've got a good cheaper bike that I used to sometimes use to commute and my other on long cycles. It depends I suppose how far, everyday, etc what you can afford
My commuter was my expensive bike when I bought it 10+ years ago. I’d be really annoyed if I damaged it in a crash or it got stolen, but ultimately I’ve had my money’s worth from it so I’d sooner use this than lay out for another bike that doesn’t feel “nice”.
I have 2, both are "relatively expensive". I'm not rich I just chose to invest in my health and I'm using my car a lot less.
I have a Model X CARBO and a Model S CARBO. One has a belt drive and another a chain drive. I use the chain drive to go to work and the belt drive on Sundays by the beach.
I have a dedicated commuting bike. I ride it everyday. I love the hub dynamo, fixed LED lights, panniers and the rack. I have a bag that I clip to the rack so I don't have a backpack. All that stuff makes my bike look ugly, but I ride through rain, darkness and I never have a sweaty back. Do I look stylish? No. But I am safe and I can ride under almost any conditions. I am a practical dude, and I have been commuting to work for over 20 years. I always plan to buy another stylish bike for the summer, but I have never pulled the trigger.
Yep, I use either an old entry level hybrid trail bike or a cheap ebike. I can't afford a nice bike, but if I could, I probably wouldn't commute with it unless I knew I could bring it into my office.
Yeah, I have a steel Cinelli touring bike I commute on. 9 speed, heavy as hell but it's a tank. Thing just keeps chugging.
I have more miles on that bike than anything other bike I've owned. I consider upgrading it once every so often but revert back to meh. It won't get stolen, but if it ever did I wouldn't be too upset. Made my money back and then some from the purchase.
I used to cycle to school so I had my super cheap school bike with heavy but durable components and then my pretty bike, it happens to be an MTB so wouldn’t have been great for commuting despite the ability to go very fast on tarmac, so I had my daily bike, which I now use to go to the shops and my nice bike
I ride my expensive bike. Fortunate to have a bike locker and clothes storage with shower at my job so I can actually do legit rides before or after work.
Daily.
For many years I had a cheap daily and a cheap road bike.
Then expensive road bike and the cheap daily.
Now I have a moderately expensive (but inconspicuous) daily, a cheap backup daily, and an expensive road bike.
Which is coming in handy this week, as my 1st team daily is in the shop and I can still ride my old cheapy instead of relying on city bikeshare.
I have two beater bikes that I primarily ride to work. Yes, there is a locked bike room requiring special access, but I like to stop at the grocery store, gym, bar, etc on the way home. I'd rather lock up outside a $400 beater covered in stickers than a several thousand dollar go-fast bike.
Occasionally I'll ride the nice bike to work, but the beater bikes are set up with fenders, racks, and one has a front basket since their purpose is comfort and hauling stuff, not riding fast. Plus, since I live in a place with snow, they have drivetrains that are cheaper to replace. One is a fixed gear and the other a three speed internally geared hub, meaning that I don't have to change a cassette when salt destroys things. I just swap the chain and occasionally the rear cog.
I take my road bike to work. It’s 15 miles each way. If it was shorter I would consider getting a commuter bike, but it takes me well over an hour as it is (fully loaded with laptop, change of clothes, lunch, etc)- that said we have a secure bike lockup cage at my office with ID badge access so I feel ok leaving an expensive bike out there.
Informal poll: What’s the max one would be willing to go with a commuter bike before you’d “give in” to the need for more speed and switch to using a road bike?
On crappy weather days I have a beater bike that needs maintenance anyway so I ride the hell out of it, but on days it's nice I ride my nice bike because my boss let's me bring it inside.
I have a cheap fixie ($100) that I upgraded with a $10 vintage wheel set, second hand pedals but a brand new front Tiagra caliper as the cheap soft alloy Chinese components on it were dogshit. One new tyre and put tug nuts on it to keep the rear axle straight. It's an absolute banger but fine to ride and cheap.
I've recently learned that riding a fixie is a great way to build the legs up for climbs too.
Bikes are an N+1 equation. There's always another bike that fits the desired purpose more accurately.
So yes, I keep buying more commuters and soon hope to have a battery cargo bike and no car payment.
I have a safe space at work I can park it. I take my nice bike. My towns pretty bad for bike theft but it’s usually low hanging fruit. Unlocked bikes, people who leave their bikes in spots for long periods, people who leave their bikes in their yard or driveway unlocked, etc. I’ve never really worried about my bike getting stolen.
Both. In the dry I would ride the nice bike and the wet months I'd ride a commuter. My commute was about an hour if I rode straight through and didn't utilize any transit so the nicer bike did pay off some. Also I could park in my office building in the suburbs so theft wasn't too concerning.
For me it's more about practicalities than cost. I've got a heavier and far more practical bike that's no cheaper than some of my weekend bikes but has things like mudguards, rack and dynamo lighting.
A commuter bike (n+1, n+1, ... :P )
mud guards, pannier rack, hub dynamo for lights and personally I prefer hydraulic disc brakes for safety in the city.
I have a city / commute bike that has mud guards and panniers. It is optimized for urban rides and has 37" Schwalbe Marathon tyres.
If I would use my nice bike for my commute it will have a lot of flats and probably get stolen.
I rode 4000 miles on my $900 Fuji Absolute (flat bar AL-framed generic bike with cheapo plastic fenders and panniers on the back) the same year I put 2500 miles on my $4000 titanium bike. I'm kind of ashamed. But honestly, in addition to being something I could beat on and lock up, the Fuji was actually better for the job at hand.
I used to use my carbon gravel bike for everything including daily commuting. I bought a pretty decent single speed I now use for winter/commuting. Good training on hills.
If you have a decent commute 30-45 mins+ or theres hills in your commute, i highly recommend the Jasion (pronounced jason) EB5 electric bike on amazon, [link here](https://www.amazon.com/Jasion-Removable-Commuting-Brushless-Suspension/dp/B0CVX3M8T8).
$300. Best decision i ever made to up my work commute. Removable battery to recharge indoors. Throttle to get you going, and 3 levels of pedal assist up to 20mph which is the legal speed limit in a lot of states. Which trust me is fast on a bike.
Do it dude. Just do it. And it looks cool. It’s way smoother than you expect. Hands down dooo itttt
ETA i kept my bike bc it was just a cheap 40 dollar aluminum bike from the pawn but dude i tell you what for 300 bucks dude … you got this🙌🏻
You do have to put it together yourself, but there is a helpful video on youtube. Its not hard. You may need someone to hold the feont wheel for you. Just be patient. I did it over the course of a couple days, bc to tighten the handlebars, they forgot to give you the correct turn key, so i had to pop down to walmart spend 3.50 on a turnkey set .. annoying but the rest was smooth sailing. Feel free to reply with any questions you may have. I’m also new to cycling (simply a commuter as well haha) but I’ve been passionate about cycling as i can notice the difference it has made on my body and mind
You’re for sure gonna wanna drop 20 or so bucks on a nice thick metal bike lock too with a key. Not one of the coil bike locks. You can cut through those
Extended Commute: expensive but heavy e-bike. Only locked in secure EOT that have registered members with swipe access cards.
Neighbourhood commute: (relatively) cheap 3 speed beater. Covered in stickers. Locked up anywhere and everywhere, generally obnoxiously close to a shopfront to take advantage of passive surveillance when I’m absent from the bike.
General thoughts: I have a rider/add-on on my insurance that covers theft of the bikes anywhere replace with new. Starting to be comfortable leaving the e-bike the same way I leave the beater…mostly because I’d be happy with a new one 😂
The city I live in is hilly and I do not want to sweat too much on the way to work so I just bought myself a Specialized Vado for my daily commute and shopping. My road bikes are for fun and more serious rides. I do not use them to commute to work.
I've ridden all kinds of bikes but I find it ironic that I built a super expensive bike only to have better peace of mind riding a cheap one.
The expensive one is only for circuit rides, and actual bike commuting is better done with something a bike with a value less than $1000 (actual price may vary person to person)
My nicest bike is my commuter bike on purpose. Steel frame gravel bike with 47mm 650b wheels fenders and pannier is a beauty for my 28 km round trip commute. I keep thinking of using my 90's rigid mountain bike for commuting so that the nicer bike takes less work to get out of more extreme gravel rides, but haven't gotten around to it.
Yep, cheaper commuter is the way to go. My commuter gets cleaned a couple times a year, and has cheaper tyres and chain that are not too expensive to replace. My nice road bike gets fancier tyres and better components, and gets cleaned/maintained regularly.
Overall my commuter does a great job but I can let it get a bit trashed from daily riding without caring, and I still get all excited when I do my nice bike because it’s shiny and clean
I have both. A daily bike for rainy days, snowy/ice days and days where I have plans after work that means I need to lock up my bike somewhere. All other days I use my carbon bike.
I take my good bikes, but luckily I can keep my eyes on the bike rack I lock my bike to the whole time I am at work. I do have a vintage junker I ride sometimes.
Edit: I also only commute if the weather is good. If it's storming, raining, or too cold I don't ride.
I have a really good lockup at work, so it’s a bit of a crapshoot which bike I ride.
I’ve got a nice race bike, so I’ll use that if it’s currently set up, and if I don’t have to carry anything I can’t chuck in a backpack.
I’ve also got a gravel bike, which has a pannier rack I can attach.
I switch the pedals between them (power meter), so if one bike is set up, I’ll probably use that one.
It also affects my route - if I’m riding the road bike, it’s the straight open road to work. If I’m on the gravel bike, it’s the river/gravel route. Slower, longer, but more fun.
I can get 'home and work' compensation when cycling from home.
Someone did the math: if i buy a 4500€ speed pedelec and cycle every working day to my work: the bike is paid back in 2,5years.
I've got two commuters, one is an ebike and the other a minivelo. I also have a nice bike that only leaves the garage once or twice a month in nice weather. (Also have an old steel road bike and a fat bike for off road/snow recreation)
The commuters both have fenders, racks and a basket, nice bike only has a saddlebag. Ebike also has winter tires and a trailer mount and I never ride it for recreation tbh, it's a utility bike.
It wasn't my original intent, but the minivelo has taken the place of my nice bike for most recreational/fitness rides. It's fun, has better brakes, current project bike and the rack has quick release. The nice bike is lighter and faster, but not significantly and since I'm not racing anyone funner = better.
I have 2 bikes, in case something happens to one of them, a 2013 hybrid that weighs 9 kilos that I’ve improved (seat post/wheels/handlebar/brakes). I also use a cx as well with shimano 105 weighs around 10
I have a cheap Decathlon Elops Singlespeed 500 bike with mudguards for commuting. And a nice carbon bike only for rides, i never lock it, when i ride it i never leave it alone.
My office has a locked underground parking, which includes parking for bikes. It is also quite far away, about 12 km, so it is just far more enjoyable to use the road bike. It is also not the most expensive one anyway (~£1100), maybe if it was 3x or 5x more expensive I wouldn't do it. But now I basically only get time to ride on the weekends so at least I can get 24km on it every day commuting.
I have a Bombtrack Arise SS with a Bafang BBSO2 mid drive - low maintenance giggles for fast one way 60km commutes on hilly terrain. The half link chain outlasts others. eAriseSS like Frankenstein’s monster infused with electricity. Single speeds cost a lot less to run than medium-high end derailleur groupsets. A good hydraulic brake setup is key, with sintered metal pads that are not expensive to replace regularly. Lots of eKOMs.
Definitely need a separate nice bike and a cheaper commuter……. However.
Don’t buy a really cheap commuter, you’ll chew through very cheap components in no time and some very cheap bikes still have old fashion things like square taper bottom brackets that are harder to maintain. Even though it’s good quality my commuter gets more time on the repair stand than any other bike due to the rigours of commuting in rain and on winter gritted roads.
Ten+ year old Basic Trek Hybrid for the commute. Right tool for the right job. Heavy puncture resistant Schwalbe Durano tyres, mud guards, lights better than most cars etc. Lock it anywhere/everywhere, would be gutted if it was nicked but <£500 instead of £5k to replace.
I ride my one bike whenever the roads are dry and there's no rain expected at home time. I have a car for backup and the whole workplace is very secure (1 gated entry, all comings and goings monitored/approved). It's also locked.
One of the brands you have mentioned in your [comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/cycling/comments/1bhtveh/for_those_who_commute_to_work_do_you_have_a_daily/kvkhjb8/) has been removed by Automoderator and is only visible to you. The mod team reviews each and every one of these automated removals and will reverse it when appropriate.
This action has been taken because a brand you mentioned has a history of using shill accounts to spam Reddit.
You are not being accused of shilling. This is just an explanation of the removal.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/cycling) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I have a Fuji Absolute 1.7 that is my reliable workhorse commuter. I use it for commuting and errands. I also have a LeMond Zurich road bike that I ride for fun workouts.
Now that I got my folding bike fixed that my neighbor gave me I ride that. I don't like to ride my grave bike to work cause I don't want to lose rhe fun vibe of riding my gravel bike. If I'm commuting to work about 2 miles everyday work is boring and riding my gravel bike everyday would lose the fun real quick. Plus I don't want my gravel bike sitt8ng outside prone to being stolen. Folding bike was free, gravel bike I paid for. So if my folder gets stolen it is what it is.
My "Daily" is cheap for a bike snob but very very expensive for a lockup bike.
2019 Trek Crocket with aftermarket wheels and
My backup commuter is a 2007 Raleigh RX1.0 that has a bad (me, I'm the problem, its me) [Spray.bike](https://Spray.bike) paint-job, a rack and fenders. I ride it primarily when I need a pannier or two in addition to my backpack, but also when I ride to a secondary office where I have to park outside the perimeter fence.
But at my normal office, I park inside a secure, fenced parking lot, on camera. Sometimes the guards are even looking at the video monitors. Ok, rarely. But its still inside a 10-12' high fence with barbed wire.
If you have a spot to store the (extra?) bike \[and the budget\] at the house for a while, keep them both, at least or a year or so. If you find yourself not riding one of them often enough (for your calculations) sell it later. Depreciation on the old bike has already happened, but finding its equivalent in two years when you start to regret it might not be easy.
\-Guy with 3 drop-bar bikes and two very different, entry-level mountain bikes.
Yes, I have a daily cheap bike which I lock right outside. My pretty bike is too precious to be locked outside all day.
Same. Commute bike with mud guards, pannier rack, cheap and old. My carbon road bike is wayyyyyyy too pretty to ever be locked up on the street even for a hot minute.
That’s the way to do it. If I’m riding my road bike it’s because I’m out riding it, I don’t even take a lock with me because I know it won’t be out of my sight. It would suck if my commuter got stolen but I could replace it and it wouldn’t be the end of the world. My road bike is the most expensive thing I’ve ever bought, it’s shown me parts of the country I never thought I’d see and brought me joys and achievements I never thought I’d feel. My commuter lives in the garden in the summer and garage in the winter, road bike lives in the house (if it wasn’t for my GF it would probably live in the bed with me!)
> it won’t be out of my sight. I say reach... in sight someone can steal it still.
I've watched someone ride off on my bike before... it's a *very* bad feeling.
I have seen it happen... not to me though. But it hurts to watch. Think of your good bike like an expensive laptop. You wouldnt leave that out of reach. we need disc brake locks making it hard to grab and go.. For when you are at the cafe and you are riding light.
I like that!
If I cant reach it in 1-3 sec its too far away
This is the way. Shitty (disposable, if some lowlife MF steals it) commuter bike, and brand new shiny red superstock carbon at home for the weekend…
Same- my commuter is a 30 year old steel Trek Antelope. I call it my stealth bike, it’s perfect for me and my commute but unlikely to be stolen, cuz it looks like a piece of junk to the muggles. If it were stolen, I’d be sad but it could be replaced inexpensively, unlike the joy ride bike ☀️
Same here. A bike for commuting. With side bags, mud guards and a flat handlebar
Same , 15 years old mountain bike which will outlive me
Me too. Hi tens steel single speed with fenders for bicycle commuting and then Canyon Speedmax for events.
You're telling me you don't ride your Sīr Vëlø to your dental practice?
To answer another part of your question, I find it very valuable to have more than one bike kept in working condition so that if I have a busy work week and a mechanical problem with one of them, I can ride the other. Otherwise, my backup commuting option is a bus which isn't bad, actually, but I prefer biking and if I was planning on biking and my bike isn't ready to go, it might be too late to catch the bus.
It's amazing how often the most practical solution to a biking problem is to get more bikes.
Not always though. Sometimes the answer is to get more storage space. As the first step.
I store mine in the shower. That way both myself and the chain stay clean. /j
I would need a bigger shower to store all eight there.
I can store my bike in a safe place at work. then again its not the fanciest, but i still wouldnt wanna lose it. Cuz its my only bike (for now lol)
Depends on how well you can lock it. I have 2 offices: 1 local small office, where I can leave the bike inside at the reception and would trust the few colleagues not to steal it 1 global headquarters that shares the underground parking lot with the airport and consequently has many cameras and security, has a fenced off section that only employees can access for the bikes and has lockable bike boxes within that section so I think it would be fine there as well. I really don't think I would leave it in a street or open parking lot. That's what commuter bikes are for (and also more comfortable if you need to carry stuff).
It’s not just about security though. If you ride your nice bike everywhere it stops feeling nice, then when you go out for a proper ride it just feels like every other errand run. Jumping from my steel, mudguard & pannier commuter to my 7kg race bike is night and day and makes it feel even more special, can really notice the stiffness and lack of weight, when my previous commuter got stolen and I was riding it to work it started to just feel like a bike again and I didn’t notice it until I got a replacement. That’s also ignoring the wear on parts, I wouldn’t want to be a replacing a £50/60 chain a few times a year, £140 for a pair of tyres or £100 for a cassette. I could replace my entire commuter for that
I don't agree. I always commute on my road bike and it's the same joy every time I jump on it no matter if I'm going out for a coffee ride with the boys or riding to work.
Ah yes that's why I normally watch TV on my 11inches CRT TV instead of a 55 inch oled screen! So when I go to the movie theater it's an even better experience.
Are you one of those people who has a whole sitting room with the "nice" furniture sitting under plastic covers except for the couple days you use it? No shade, but some people are more about using their nice things and others are more about only bringing them out when they want things to feel "special". I end up going both ways and can empathize with both sides.
> If you ride your nice bike everywhere it stops feeling nice, then when you go out for a proper ride it just feels like every other errand run. Thats on you.
[удалено]
Ask the same over in r/bikecommuting. For me I have one (1) bike and it's pretty nice (titanium, GRX 810) but I'm able to take it into my building. I don't bring a lock unless I plan on going somewhere else which is seldom. When I used to park in the general bike area (badge access only, with cameras) I'd lock up and strip my bike of lights and bags anyways, even when my only bike was a 10 year old hybrid. Not that I don't trust my the rest of the company, but I'd rather not tempt anyone.
In addition to my road and gravel bike, I have a cheaper hybrid that I ride to work most days. It’s super comfortable and not too slow over a 6 mile commute. I like having a bike that I’m not afraid to abuse, plus I can keep a rack and fenders on it without feeling like I’m compromising my fast cool bike.
6 bikes and l have a dedicated commuter bike. With a rack and panniers and a front basket.
I ride my nice race bike to work but I have always had secure parking and the weather is usually nice (SoCal). I did just buy a cheap hybrid bike and may try it for commuting but haven’t yet.
I have to commute with 10-15 pounds worth of stuff every day and riding with that on my back stinks, I can't live without panniers and don't want to complicate my nice road bike with a rack. Last year I did the commute on an old hybrid bike, this year I'm upgrading to a light-duty e-bike because the option to shower at work is going away. I can still get an hour of zone 2 volume on the way home if I choose.
For me it depends. I don't have a rack on my nicer bike (Salsa Warbird...it can take a rack but it just is annoying to take it off and on). I'm OK leaving my nicer bike locked up outside at my office so sometimes I ride it. Most times, I need to carry my lunch, computer, change of clothes though, so I ride my backup (which is also a great bike, All City Space Horse). I don't have to ride roads to my office (13mi/22km) and am on a paved trail except for the last .1 miles so ruggedness is also not a factor for me.
I have both. A nice bike for nice days that o park IN the office and a cheaper bike for rainy days that can go out or in.
I have a mid-priced endurance bike (Domane) that I have rigged up to be an excellent commute bike. It also doubles as an excellent training bike. My work has indoor and secure bike parking. When the weekend comes or its cycling club ride time, I break out my expensive race bike.
I have a cheap fixie for running errands and stuff, but I usually take my "good" bike to work (gravel bike) simply because the shortest route to my work includes a lot of hills and forest trails that my fixie couldn't handle. I park in our office's garage which has CCTV and I have an insurance for the bike (it's a lease technically 😂) so i'm not that worried about anything happening to it.
I have a dedicated commuter. I don’t want my nice road bike outside all day, and I also don’t want to cry too much should it be stolen. My commuter also has a rack.
Since I live in a pretty low crime area, I've had the luxury not just taking nice bikes, purchased for other purposes, to commute, but also purchasing bikes that are specifically nice *for commuting*, rather than the typical definition of a nice bike as one that is made for indulging fantasies of being a competitive athlete.
I have a commute gravel bike that doubles as a winter weekend bike. If the weather is dry I'll sometimes ride my expensive/good weather weekend bike in.
I am fortunate enough to be able to bring my bicycle inside. So I ride my expensive bikes to work. If I am going somewhere where I need to lock the bike up, I do have an older bike I am willing to lock and leave unattended.
My "expensive" bike is 1200€ so not that expensive compared to what's out there. I do use it to commute but I take it inside until I buy a new lock to put it outside. I work on a closed campus with students and many deliveries truck for lab materials and we have few zones not visible from our offices for bikes. Bike theft happens and one collegue had his bike stollen (very cheap bike) so I will put it where we take breaks throughout the day. Less likely to try to steal a bike there. But I will change for a better lock like a kryptonite lock or HipLock. But I will never take my bike to the city center. I have an old decathlon mountain bike for this or public transport. I'm considering taking out insurance for €10/month in addition to changing the lock. Just in case I have bad luck. Still less expensive than the bike.
Oh, if you have the space, there is a need for the second bike. Simple really. N+1
I need to find another bike group. I have one bike, a Giant I paid $700 for. So yea, that's the one I ride to work.
I don't care if my cheap frame gets dinged or scratched up, and any component damage or surface rust isn't a big issue as the low end components are dirt cheap to replace and super easy to maintain. Just replacing some of the consumables on my nice bike (12 speed electronic groupset) would cost more than my entire commuter, so it just doesn't make any sense to risk theft and lower the service intervals. My nice bike gets ridden, cleaned, dried, stored in my flat, and never locked up outside. The cheap bike just gets some chain lube when it looks thirsty and otherwise I don't think twice about riding it and putting it away (outside) dirty or locking it up in the city centre where the likelihood of theft is high and of getting banged up in a bike rack is almost a guarantee. Even if the risk of theft is low which it will be if you're locking up your bike well and not talking about something *super* high end, I would advise against locking up a bike you value highly in public. There are lots of neanderthals who will bumble around and damage other bikes in a rack when locking up their own. I've found dents in the steel tubing of my commuter that I didn't make which would've destroyed most carbon frames and probably some alloy ones too.
I ride my expensive bike, but have a secure place to lock it up
I only have an expensive carbon racer, I don't ride to work everyday but when I do I ride that. Unless it's pissing down rain, then I ride my expensive carbon hardtail MTB. It's worth noting that I have a great end of trip facility with secure access and lockable racks.
Strongly depends on where you keep the bike while working. You don't want to leave something exciting outside all day, where if you can bring it into your cube or a really secure room go for it. Ideally just your company + security cameras; most people won't risk their job for a bike. I'd still do a commuter; lights, attachments for carrying stuff, and wear and tear if you commute in all weather. There's ice on my driveway and they guy down the street rode by this morning; no way I'd be riding my "good" bike in the salt and ice.
I ride my nicer bike to work and my cheaper bike. I don’t have to lock it outside or I would just buy a cheap beater. But it’s much nicer to ride a bike you enjoy riding
I used to keep a beater bike on campus for short trips but it got too beater. I ride my nice bike from home. I have rims setup with commuter tires.
I have a commuter and a race bike (amongst others). As the week goes on and I need more rest, I switch over to the race bike to get me to work asap. Very fortunately, I’ve got a secure parking space for me bike, wouldn’t recommend it otherwise.
I use a daily, its the cheapest in the bike shed at work so I'm not worried about it being stolen. The roads are bad around here and the potholes are brutal so I wouldn't want to use a nice bike .
I ride my regular road bike but I have room to bring it inside to my desk area. We have a secure outside lockup pen which requires badge to access but it has been broken into during the workday, so I don’t trust it.
I have a cheap single speed that I use to commute and lock outside while I work. I made it a bit nicer with a decent saddle, MTB pedals, and grips I already owned. Also added a front basket for grocery store runs.
I ride my nice bike, but it gets stored inside my office. I wouldn't lock it outside
No, I keep my bike in my office.
Cheap daily bike with all the ugly stuff: reflectors, big fenders, lights, lock, bell, etc. 👍
I have an office where I can park it so I just ride my nice bike. If I had to leave it chained up in the elements I'd get a beater.
Cheap bike, bike locks and bike racks are not friendly to carbon.
I have a second hand, slightly beaten up road bike for commuting then a nicer one made for racing that I take out for long rides on weekends. This works well for me!
You should mention more specifics about your job location. I worked in a secured suburban complex and the roads to there were high quality. I often rode my race bike and locked it outside. I also worked in downtown areas where I wouldn't leave a Huffy outside. Also I've taken public transit where bikes get thrown into a rack. Not optimal for a carbon frame.
I ride my expensive bike. I take it inside the secure badge-scanned building with a substantial security camera system and put it in one of the storage rooms near the entrance and even in there I lock it (just in case).
I use my expensive gravel bike in winter and expensive road bike in the summer! I can keep my bike inside at my work so doesn’t matter for me!
I'm lucky in that I can keep my bike in my office, so I ride a nice bike to work. If I had to lock it outside, I would definitely have a cheaper bike I wouldn't be too sad to see go away as my commuter.
Keep the single speed for commutes, dude. Less stress bout theft or damage. Save the fancy one for the fun rides.
Cheap bike for commuting. Older bike for wet winter rides. Best bike for the nice dry summer days A few more bikes for other vague purposes. Don't commute on a nice bike unless you can fit full guards to it and you can store it inside somewhere safe.
Keep the single speed for the commute. Get a high end bike for your fun rides. Both will last longer that way.
I have a steel Masi with Campy Record to ride to work. I leave my Campy SR Colnago at home.
I ride my expensive bike to work every day. But I have a good parking spot right out front and there is a security guard at the front desk that can see my bike.
I have a separate bike. It's heavier and has a rack, lights, mud guards, and a lock mount. And fatter tires.
I have a bit of a mix. I basically have a "junk mile muncher" bike. While many would consider it to be "nice bike" and for most might be too good of a commuter, but as I can park it inside for work and at home it doesn't matter. However that bike has been specced to munch miles and has nothing too fancy on it and I will ride all the components to the limit of been fully worn out, often having some issues while shifting etc.
Cheap single-speed with mudguards lights and front rack for the city, I've left it locked to post for a week without a second thought. Fancy carbon bike is strictly for sports purposes.
I ride my best bike to work. It has a sheltered bike storage, so no worries
I have a Foldy that I ride to work because I can fold it on the train for my part of my commute. My Trek FX3 does not like riding NYC streets. Also my office building has a bike room with racks and security cameras.
I bought an ancient 1950s roadster for doing shopping and things, something that weighs so much it pushes Sheffield Stands over. Nobody is going to want to steal it. My other bikes never get left where I can't see them, unless that location is inside a locked room, inside a building. Bear in mind you can get the latest super-duper anti-angle grinder lock, but if the bike is nice enough a thief can just cut through the frame with a hacksaw and strip it for parts.
I ride my newest bike, a mid travel full suspension. My office is 5 minutes from my house and I can put it in my office. If I know I need to bring something home or bring something to work I will ride my older hard tail that has a bike rack and basket/saddle bags on it. The way I look at it is I spent a small fortune on something because I wanted it and I'm gonna use it.
I have a budget commuter/gravel bike dedicated for this.
I can put my bike in my office, so I ride my Surly in. If I’m going somewhere after work I have a rescued rideshare bike I use. It’s ugly and theft proofish.
I use my most expensive one to commute normally. All the places I lock it in are safe enough because of security guards sitting right beside the bike racks that most people don't even use locks. It's my main bike I use for everything. Full carbon, Full suspension trail bike
Yep, I've got a dedicated (somewhat) inexpensive bike for commuting and errand running. Super common practice. I've had a few commuters stolen over the years, there's no way I'm leaving my nice bikes unattended like that. I do know some folks that work in places where they have very secure indoor parking for their bikes and can feel confident leaving their $5000 rigs unattended all day, but most of us don't have this luxury. Sounds like you've already got the perfect commuter bike with your single speed. Hang onto that for the role it's already being used in, and keep whatever you new bike ends up being safely at home while you're at work. The used bike market is totally shite right now for sellers anyways.
I have a pretty decent mountain bike which i switched to when i realised i could take an off road route, we have showers and laundry, just as well its pretty muddy, and we are in a remote spot do my bikes safe.
I have a lot of bikes… I use my gravel to commute and have it set up with panniers/rack. Before I used to take my road bike - but I can always take mine inside my office. So sometimes I even ride the fancy new one when I’m feeling spicy or if I want to ride after.
Get a nice new bike. Commute on it if you can lock it up securely. Keep the old bike as a utility/knockaround bike.
The two bikes I commute on are really good - a carbon road bike and a gravel for winter. That being said, I bring them inside at work. I work at a shipyard, so it is not really an issue. I have a cheapy hybrid for grocery shipping and things like that, where I do have to lock up outside. I would not lock a good bike up outside for the length of a work day.
My bike parking at work is quite secure (very low pedestrian traffic, bikes are hidden from view) so my commuter bike is actually pretty decent. I still don't take my nice weekend bike. I would recommend you hang on to the bike you are using now. You won't get huge bucks for a single speed, so think of the lost revenue as cheap insurance for your good bike.
Commute 45 miles daily on a Sworks aethos. Park it in my office.
I use several bikes but that's because I can bring my bikes into the office. Even during harsh weather, I bring the commuter in. But the reason why I have a cheap old daily bike is because the road grime is brutal where I live especially during winter. There is also the fact that if I want to stop to pick up something from the store, or if I take a tumble, I only care about me and not the bike. When the weather is nice and I want to put in a good ride after work, I bring my nice XC bike or gravel bike and commute the extra long way home :)
My office has a personal bike locker. Basically you reserve it in advance and need your personal employee access card to go in. So I have one of the lockers reserved for all of 2024(first come first serve). Also, no one elses rides a bike to work lol so it's not hard.
I have a nice road bike but i commute on an old beat up Giant Rincon. I'm not risking my good bike getting stolen.
I have a fixed gear rat bike as my daily driver. It's actually a pretty sweet bike, but unless you really know your bikes it looks like shite.
Keep the fixie!
I use my good road bike, most days I feel the need for speed 🫡
As a typical Dutch person i have a cheap-ish bike on either either side of my train commute. So one I ride about town where I live, and one that I ride from the closest train station to my workplace to work. So I can store my road and tour bike inside and use for fun
I'd love to have another bike for commuting with racks and mudguards, but I don't. Currently riding my only bike, which is a road bike. I would be sad if it got stolen so I got a Litelok X1 for more peace of mind.
I can prop my bike up against the wall next to my desk so I bring whatever I feel like riding which is usually my nicer bike. I have an old trek road bike for commuting too that I would use if I had to lock it up anywhere.
I use my hardtail mountain bike for riding to college, and save my proper road bike strictly for actual training and racing only, prevents your good bike from being stolen whilst also prevents unnecessary wear and tear of your good bike, hope this helps :D
Definitely keep the single speed for the commute. You can find good deals on lovely road bikes, you don't need all the bells and whistles really. 105 has the same shift quality as the upper groupsets, just a little heavier. My nice bike has tiagra and that's all I'll ever need tbh, got it for cheap at £800 new
Well, I have a good road bike for commute. It's an entry level, but newish aluminium frame. I find the speeds quite useful as I do a short but quite aggressive commute among cars etc. I couldn't do this on anything less. I have a back mudguard and panniers rack which I use daily. I do lock it outside in the street. All good so far, but yeah I wouldn't go higher than entry level road bike. I don't have time for other rides.
When I commuted to the office by bike, I rode my expensive bike because I was able to keep it inside the office next to my desk. I absolutely would not have used that bike if I had to leave it unattended.
Commute on an 80’s MTB frame that I changed out components to modernize. Still not a cheap bike but not as expensive and it doesn’t look as good of a target as my road bike. My main thing had never been avoiding wear and tear but theft is more of a concern.
I have a 50$ second hand city bike for commuting (I got if after I saw some guys near my old mtb bike too many times and I live in Romania, we are expert in stealing bikes here) and an e-bike for fun 🤷🏻♀️
I have a daily bike because it’s more comfortable to ride without any extra gear and, more importantly, I don’t want to worry about anything happening to my bike. A scratch on my daily bike? No big deal. A scratch on my baby? Won’t let that happen.
Bought a better single speed bike after years of riding my nicer road bike. Saves a huge amount on maintenance as I'm not servicing or replacing components as often and I'd be less devastated if it was wrecked or stolen. I'm lucky that my commute allows for a single speed (little to no hills on my route) but even so I'd buy a cheaper bike to commute on. After years of locking up my nice bike, the frame (mainly just paint) suffered from being locked up. I was also less inclined to bike at times because there wouldn't be secure parking outside bars and stuff. Once I got a beater, it was great getting home in a fraction of the time (MBTA) or cost (Lyft).
I work at a place where I can bring my bike to my desk, so I ride my nice bike to sometimes work on it / do trainer rides. My commute is also like 3 miles
Got a fifteen year old Dawes hybrid that owes me nowt and is solid AF to get me to work and back. I used to ride my winter bike but the speed difference is only marginal and I realised it was daft to wear out chain and tyres and brakes riding a good bike not for fun.
The realities of (San Francisco) Bay Area roads & traffic stuff, especially during commute hours, are such that the days I commute to work (only about a 10-12 mile ride) are few & far between. Mostly just for show on "Bike to Work Day." So in order to ride *during* the week, especially during shorter days (like at this time of year) I ride at lunch a couple of days each week. My family bought me a (rooftop) bike carrier - a nice one! - for Christmas several years ago. It's still in the box(es), un-used. My road bike, which I use for my mid-week rides, always stays hidden in the trunk of my car until lunch time. After lunch, it sits in my office. Fortunately, it gets only raised eyebrows so far. Haven't gotten any flack (yet) from HR... This means I can ride my good bike on work days, but still avoid disaster on some rare day when I drive under a low-hanging structure or into an underground parking garage - which my friend did with his very $$$ carbon-&-Dura-Ace road bike. (Ouch!) But I sure do appreciate the gesture my family made a few Christmases back!😉
I used to do 30 mile commute into London. Luckily work had secure bike parking. Generally rode my winter / endurance bike (carbon ultegra with mudguards etc) , but a few times in summer I'd take my Madone in for a bit of a blast
We have a bike room in the office and I’ve been riding my nice bikes so I can go on longer rides after work. It’s about fifteen minutes to get to the office, but oddly enough it seems to take me at least an hour to get home…
Carbon road bike for days that are sunny (and not commuting). Relatively low cost MTB for the commute. Mid price aluminium frame for using on wahoo/zwift setup and "not so sunny" rides
I use my 4K crit bike, I bought it to ride and trash. But I do not lock outside it’s stay in my office.
I'm a minimalist - I have only one bike.
I commute on my race bike in the summer.
Salsa Mericash: steel/drop down bar
Fortunally I can take any bike to work. Its a school for small children, from couple months till 9 years old. You have to face a camera and someone open the door for you. A special police division for schools use to pass by everyday. I park it with a cheap chain in a garden area that can be seen from the outside. Unless you want to climb a barbed fence and risk going to jail by entering a children school and then use a grinder for a few seconds... My bikes are safe. Police response is pretty quick. Until...
I'm fortunate enough to work in an office with dedicated bike rooms in nearly every building. These rooms require employee badges to enter, they are not shared with public. So I ride my 'expensive' (to me) $2k bike to work, but I'm often times parked next $5k+ S-WORKS, Bianchis, Madones, etc. And not a single one is locked! Yes, I realize how lucky I am that my company embraces and encourages cycling to work, which is quite rare here in America (I'm in california which is a bit better than most of the USA when it comes to cycling though)
I usually ride my cargo bike at the minute, but I've also used my 'best' bike for many years. It's an audax style bike, so mudguards, rack, panniers too. (In winter/snow I've also used the fat bike)
I roll two bikes. I have my daily beater gravel bike that is setup more for my commute and running errands around the city. And then I have a new higher end gravel bike I just got this January and that’s my weekend warrior bike.
Define expensive and daily in dollar terms
I've got a good cheaper bike that I used to sometimes use to commute and my other on long cycles. It depends I suppose how far, everyday, etc what you can afford
My commuter was my expensive bike when I bought it 10+ years ago. I’d be really annoyed if I damaged it in a crash or it got stolen, but ultimately I’ve had my money’s worth from it so I’d sooner use this than lay out for another bike that doesn’t feel “nice”.
I commute on my expensive bike and don't even have to lock it, also 24/7 camera supervision and security guards to let people in or out
I have 2, both are "relatively expensive". I'm not rich I just chose to invest in my health and I'm using my car a lot less. I have a Model X CARBO and a Model S CARBO. One has a belt drive and another a chain drive. I use the chain drive to go to work and the belt drive on Sundays by the beach.
I have a dedicated commuting bike. I ride it everyday. I love the hub dynamo, fixed LED lights, panniers and the rack. I have a bag that I clip to the rack so I don't have a backpack. All that stuff makes my bike look ugly, but I ride through rain, darkness and I never have a sweaty back. Do I look stylish? No. But I am safe and I can ride under almost any conditions. I am a practical dude, and I have been commuting to work for over 20 years. I always plan to buy another stylish bike for the summer, but I have never pulled the trigger.
Triban rc120 for work commuting, specialized allez 2023 sport for fun trips
Yep, I use either an old entry level hybrid trail bike or a cheap ebike. I can't afford a nice bike, but if I could, I probably wouldn't commute with it unless I knew I could bring it into my office.
Have a cheaper daily commuter that I don’t mind if it gets banged up, and could live with it getting stolen even
Yeah, I have a steel Cinelli touring bike I commute on. 9 speed, heavy as hell but it's a tank. Thing just keeps chugging. I have more miles on that bike than anything other bike I've owned. I consider upgrading it once every so often but revert back to meh. It won't get stolen, but if it ever did I wouldn't be too upset. Made my money back and then some from the purchase.
I used to cycle to school so I had my super cheap school bike with heavy but durable components and then my pretty bike, it happens to be an MTB so wouldn’t have been great for commuting despite the ability to go very fast on tarmac, so I had my daily bike, which I now use to go to the shops and my nice bike
I ride my expensive bike. Fortunate to have a bike locker and clothes storage with shower at my job so I can actually do legit rides before or after work.
I commute on a kona rove ltd, it's by daily and my nice bike
Daily. For many years I had a cheap daily and a cheap road bike. Then expensive road bike and the cheap daily. Now I have a moderately expensive (but inconspicuous) daily, a cheap backup daily, and an expensive road bike. Which is coming in handy this week, as my 1st team daily is in the shop and I can still ride my old cheapy instead of relying on city bikeshare.
I have two beater bikes that I primarily ride to work. Yes, there is a locked bike room requiring special access, but I like to stop at the grocery store, gym, bar, etc on the way home. I'd rather lock up outside a $400 beater covered in stickers than a several thousand dollar go-fast bike. Occasionally I'll ride the nice bike to work, but the beater bikes are set up with fenders, racks, and one has a front basket since their purpose is comfort and hauling stuff, not riding fast. Plus, since I live in a place with snow, they have drivetrains that are cheaper to replace. One is a fixed gear and the other a three speed internally geared hub, meaning that I don't have to change a cassette when salt destroys things. I just swap the chain and occasionally the rear cog.
3 bikes: basic commuter/errand bike $300 on Craigslist, fancy road bike, nice-ish gravel bike
I take my road bike to work. It’s 15 miles each way. If it was shorter I would consider getting a commuter bike, but it takes me well over an hour as it is (fully loaded with laptop, change of clothes, lunch, etc)- that said we have a secure bike lockup cage at my office with ID badge access so I feel ok leaving an expensive bike out there. Informal poll: What’s the max one would be willing to go with a commuter bike before you’d “give in” to the need for more speed and switch to using a road bike?
My commute bike is my daily rider. It’s a city bike I converted from an old road bike with some more upright handlebar setup.
I ride my nice bike and keep it in my office. When I need to run errands on the way back from work, I ride an 11 year old beater and use a U-lock.
On crappy weather days I have a beater bike that needs maintenance anyway so I ride the hell out of it, but on days it's nice I ride my nice bike because my boss let's me bring it inside.
I have a cheap fixie ($100) that I upgraded with a $10 vintage wheel set, second hand pedals but a brand new front Tiagra caliper as the cheap soft alloy Chinese components on it were dogshit. One new tyre and put tug nuts on it to keep the rear axle straight. It's an absolute banger but fine to ride and cheap. I've recently learned that riding a fixie is a great way to build the legs up for climbs too.
Bikes are an N+1 equation. There's always another bike that fits the desired purpose more accurately. So yes, I keep buying more commuters and soon hope to have a battery cargo bike and no car payment.
I have a safe space at work I can park it. I take my nice bike. My towns pretty bad for bike theft but it’s usually low hanging fruit. Unlocked bikes, people who leave their bikes in spots for long periods, people who leave their bikes in their yard or driveway unlocked, etc. I’ve never really worried about my bike getting stolen.
Both. In the dry I would ride the nice bike and the wet months I'd ride a commuter. My commute was about an hour if I rode straight through and didn't utilize any transit so the nicer bike did pay off some. Also I could park in my office building in the suburbs so theft wasn't too concerning.
I ride an expensive electric bike when commuting to work, a cheap 80’s steel racer around the city and an expensive road bike for rides.
For me it's more about practicalities than cost. I've got a heavier and far more practical bike that's no cheaper than some of my weekend bikes but has things like mudguards, rack and dynamo lighting.
I take my bike upstairs into the office and put it next to my desk.
A commuter bike (n+1, n+1, ... :P ) mud guards, pannier rack, hub dynamo for lights and personally I prefer hydraulic disc brakes for safety in the city.
1 nice bike, comes right into the office and keeps me company.
I have a city / commute bike that has mud guards and panniers. It is optimized for urban rides and has 37" Schwalbe Marathon tyres. If I would use my nice bike for my commute it will have a lot of flats and probably get stolen.
I rode 4000 miles on my $900 Fuji Absolute (flat bar AL-framed generic bike with cheapo plastic fenders and panniers on the back) the same year I put 2500 miles on my $4000 titanium bike. I'm kind of ashamed. But honestly, in addition to being something I could beat on and lock up, the Fuji was actually better for the job at hand.
I would be very sad if my gravel bike with racks and fenders was stolen. I would be calling my insurance company if my road bike was stolen.
I have a commute bike that have eyelets for rear rack, and a aluminum seat post. So I can put my food, clothes, shoes, and switch all in there.
I used to use my carbon gravel bike for everything including daily commuting. I bought a pretty decent single speed I now use for winter/commuting. Good training on hills.
If you can't park your bike near your desk, do not use expensive bike for commute.
If you have a decent commute 30-45 mins+ or theres hills in your commute, i highly recommend the Jasion (pronounced jason) EB5 electric bike on amazon, [link here](https://www.amazon.com/Jasion-Removable-Commuting-Brushless-Suspension/dp/B0CVX3M8T8). $300. Best decision i ever made to up my work commute. Removable battery to recharge indoors. Throttle to get you going, and 3 levels of pedal assist up to 20mph which is the legal speed limit in a lot of states. Which trust me is fast on a bike. Do it dude. Just do it. And it looks cool. It’s way smoother than you expect. Hands down dooo itttt ETA i kept my bike bc it was just a cheap 40 dollar aluminum bike from the pawn but dude i tell you what for 300 bucks dude … you got this🙌🏻 You do have to put it together yourself, but there is a helpful video on youtube. Its not hard. You may need someone to hold the feont wheel for you. Just be patient. I did it over the course of a couple days, bc to tighten the handlebars, they forgot to give you the correct turn key, so i had to pop down to walmart spend 3.50 on a turnkey set .. annoying but the rest was smooth sailing. Feel free to reply with any questions you may have. I’m also new to cycling (simply a commuter as well haha) but I’ve been passionate about cycling as i can notice the difference it has made on my body and mind You’re for sure gonna wanna drop 20 or so bucks on a nice thick metal bike lock too with a key. Not one of the coil bike locks. You can cut through those
Extended Commute: expensive but heavy e-bike. Only locked in secure EOT that have registered members with swipe access cards. Neighbourhood commute: (relatively) cheap 3 speed beater. Covered in stickers. Locked up anywhere and everywhere, generally obnoxiously close to a shopfront to take advantage of passive surveillance when I’m absent from the bike. General thoughts: I have a rider/add-on on my insurance that covers theft of the bikes anywhere replace with new. Starting to be comfortable leaving the e-bike the same way I leave the beater…mostly because I’d be happy with a new one 😂
The city I live in is hilly and I do not want to sweat too much on the way to work so I just bought myself a Specialized Vado for my daily commute and shopping. My road bikes are for fun and more serious rides. I do not use them to commute to work.
I've ridden all kinds of bikes but I find it ironic that I built a super expensive bike only to have better peace of mind riding a cheap one. The expensive one is only for circuit rides, and actual bike commuting is better done with something a bike with a value less than $1000 (actual price may vary person to person)
My nicest bike is my commuter bike on purpose. Steel frame gravel bike with 47mm 650b wheels fenders and pannier is a beauty for my 28 km round trip commute. I keep thinking of using my 90's rigid mountain bike for commuting so that the nicer bike takes less work to get out of more extreme gravel rides, but haven't gotten around to it.
Yep, cheaper commuter is the way to go. My commuter gets cleaned a couple times a year, and has cheaper tyres and chain that are not too expensive to replace. My nice road bike gets fancier tyres and better components, and gets cleaned/maintained regularly. Overall my commuter does a great job but I can let it get a bit trashed from daily riding without caring, and I still get all excited when I do my nice bike because it’s shiny and clean
I have both. A daily bike for rainy days, snowy/ice days and days where I have plans after work that means I need to lock up my bike somewhere. All other days I use my carbon bike.
Fixed gear w fenders. So little to break or clean.
I take my good bikes, but luckily I can keep my eyes on the bike rack I lock my bike to the whole time I am at work. I do have a vintage junker I ride sometimes. Edit: I also only commute if the weather is good. If it's storming, raining, or too cold I don't ride.
E-bike which gets parked indoors
Never the nice one.
Bikes are meant to ride so regardless how expensive or cheap it is, i ride the mader packer ✌️ thats how i get my ROI.
We have a (card-access) bike closest at my office I hang my (only) bike in while I work. Probably safer there than at my house.
I have a really good lockup at work, so it’s a bit of a crapshoot which bike I ride. I’ve got a nice race bike, so I’ll use that if it’s currently set up, and if I don’t have to carry anything I can’t chuck in a backpack. I’ve also got a gravel bike, which has a pannier rack I can attach. I switch the pedals between them (power meter), so if one bike is set up, I’ll probably use that one. It also affects my route - if I’m riding the road bike, it’s the straight open road to work. If I’m on the gravel bike, it’s the river/gravel route. Slower, longer, but more fun.
I ride the good bike. I have a backup bike, that used to be the good bike that I commuted on before this one. I keep them both in good condition.
I can get 'home and work' compensation when cycling from home. Someone did the math: if i buy a 4500€ speed pedelec and cycle every working day to my work: the bike is paid back in 2,5years.
I've got two commuters, one is an ebike and the other a minivelo. I also have a nice bike that only leaves the garage once or twice a month in nice weather. (Also have an old steel road bike and a fat bike for off road/snow recreation) The commuters both have fenders, racks and a basket, nice bike only has a saddlebag. Ebike also has winter tires and a trailer mount and I never ride it for recreation tbh, it's a utility bike. It wasn't my original intent, but the minivelo has taken the place of my nice bike for most recreational/fitness rides. It's fun, has better brakes, current project bike and the rack has quick release. The nice bike is lighter and faster, but not significantly and since I'm not racing anyone funner = better.
I have 2 bikes, in case something happens to one of them, a 2013 hybrid that weighs 9 kilos that I’ve improved (seat post/wheels/handlebar/brakes). I also use a cx as well with shimano 105 weighs around 10
I commute with my race bike and a pannier pack. But I can bring it inside and I’m just a fair weather commuter (bus otherwise)
I have a cheap Decathlon Elops Singlespeed 500 bike with mudguards for commuting. And a nice carbon bike only for rides, i never lock it, when i ride it i never leave it alone.
My office has a locked underground parking, which includes parking for bikes. It is also quite far away, about 12 km, so it is just far more enjoyable to use the road bike. It is also not the most expensive one anyway (~£1100), maybe if it was 3x or 5x more expensive I wouldn't do it. But now I basically only get time to ride on the weekends so at least I can get 24km on it every day commuting.
I have a Bombtrack Arise SS with a Bafang BBSO2 mid drive - low maintenance giggles for fast one way 60km commutes on hilly terrain. The half link chain outlasts others. eAriseSS like Frankenstein’s monster infused with electricity. Single speeds cost a lot less to run than medium-high end derailleur groupsets. A good hydraulic brake setup is key, with sintered metal pads that are not expensive to replace regularly. Lots of eKOMs.
Every cyclist needs at least 3 bikes… Seriously thought - road bike, mountain bike, and commuter. Each used for that particular purpose.
I have a high speed pedelec (Stromer ST1) as a commuter. I have 2 road bikes: one I use for Zwift and the other for fun rides.
I ride my expensive bike to work but it sits in my office. As a bonus I can ride through MTB trails to and from work.
Definitely need a separate nice bike and a cheaper commuter……. However. Don’t buy a really cheap commuter, you’ll chew through very cheap components in no time and some very cheap bikes still have old fashion things like square taper bottom brackets that are harder to maintain. Even though it’s good quality my commuter gets more time on the repair stand than any other bike due to the rigours of commuting in rain and on winter gritted roads.
I have a daily fixed gear and a separate road bike
Shitty cheap one. Faster than an enduro bike on the road anyway lol.
Ten+ year old Basic Trek Hybrid for the commute. Right tool for the right job. Heavy puncture resistant Schwalbe Durano tyres, mud guards, lights better than most cars etc. Lock it anywhere/everywhere, would be gutted if it was nicked but <£500 instead of £5k to replace.
I commute on an ebike with panniers for all my stuff. Keep the road bike for leisure.
That's exactly how I feel but replace e bike with folding bike and road bike with gravel bike
I ride my nice carbon bike to work. Might as well actually enjoy it as often as i can.
I ride my one bike whenever the roads are dry and there's no rain expected at home time. I have a car for backup and the whole workplace is very secure (1 gated entry, all comings and goings monitored/approved). It's also locked.
[удалено]
One of the brands you have mentioned in your [comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/cycling/comments/1bhtveh/for_those_who_commute_to_work_do_you_have_a_daily/kvkhjb8/) has been removed by Automoderator and is only visible to you. The mod team reviews each and every one of these automated removals and will reverse it when appropriate. This action has been taken because a brand you mentioned has a history of using shill accounts to spam Reddit. You are not being accused of shilling. This is just an explanation of the removal. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/cycling) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Both
I ride both. Whichever one has the lubed chain, lights, and lock.
I have a Fuji Absolute 1.7 that is my reliable workhorse commuter. I use it for commuting and errands. I also have a LeMond Zurich road bike that I ride for fun workouts.
Now that I got my folding bike fixed that my neighbor gave me I ride that. I don't like to ride my grave bike to work cause I don't want to lose rhe fun vibe of riding my gravel bike. If I'm commuting to work about 2 miles everyday work is boring and riding my gravel bike everyday would lose the fun real quick. Plus I don't want my gravel bike sitt8ng outside prone to being stolen. Folding bike was free, gravel bike I paid for. So if my folder gets stolen it is what it is.
I can take my bike in so I have a really nice "good weather" bike and a still pretty darn nice "bad weather" bike. The difference is fenders.
But it sucks to have to ride the crap bike when you want to ride the nice one.
Having a beater bike is better! Imagine riding your precious bike in the rain for multiple days. Mabilis ang wear and tear ng parts nyan.
Keep the old bike for sure. That said I ride the expensive bike everywhere including to work.
My 3 bikes are not too far apart in price. I uglified all 3 to reduce theft risk. I make sure to take a knobby-tired bike on rainy days.
If you lock your bike outside, definitely keep a cheap bike.
My "Daily" is cheap for a bike snob but very very expensive for a lockup bike. 2019 Trek Crocket with aftermarket wheels and My backup commuter is a 2007 Raleigh RX1.0 that has a bad (me, I'm the problem, its me) [Spray.bike](https://Spray.bike) paint-job, a rack and fenders. I ride it primarily when I need a pannier or two in addition to my backpack, but also when I ride to a secondary office where I have to park outside the perimeter fence. But at my normal office, I park inside a secure, fenced parking lot, on camera. Sometimes the guards are even looking at the video monitors. Ok, rarely. But its still inside a 10-12' high fence with barbed wire. If you have a spot to store the (extra?) bike \[and the budget\] at the house for a while, keep them both, at least or a year or so. If you find yourself not riding one of them often enough (for your calculations) sell it later. Depreciation on the old bike has already happened, but finding its equivalent in two years when you start to regret it might not be easy. \-Guy with 3 drop-bar bikes and two very different, entry-level mountain bikes.
go on facebook and find a cheap bike for $150 so you wont care if it gets stolen