Recommend an ultra light bike for short commute

king_of_inismac

Hi all,

Need some help finding a replacement bike. I’ve a short 2-3 mile commute for work, with stairs at home and at work to carry the bike.

I currently have a dutchie but need something lighter. I’d like something minimalist like a fixie but with gears. Anyone have any good recommendations?

Thanks

magicbastarder

king_of_inismac wrote: »

I’d like something minimalist like a fixie but with gears.

a fixie that's not a fixie? you're asling for a road bike.

your options are:
cheap
light
strong

you get to choose two.

Cee-Jay-Cee

magicbastarder wrote: »

a fixie that's not a fixie? you're asling for a road bike.

your options are:
cheap
light
strong

you get to choose two.

Cheap wasn’t one of the OP’s requirements.

ED E

Fixie but not? Belt drive. Lovely commuters. Tad expensive.

smacl

king_of_inismac wrote: »

Hi all,

Need some help finding a replacement bike. I’ve a short 2-3 mile commute for work, with stairs at home and at work to carry the bike.

I currently have a dutchie but need something lighter. I’d like something minimalist like a fixie but with gears. Anyone have any good recommendations?

Thanks

Brompton maybe? Or Montague if you like full size wheels. Pretty much designed for what you describe.

magicbastarder

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

Cheap wasn’t one of the OP’s requirements.

i know, but if it's only a two or three mile commute it'd be a waste to spend a lot of money on a bike.

smacl

magicbastarder wrote: »

i know, but if it's only a two or three mile commute it'd be a waste to spend a lot of money on a bike.

Waste money on a bike??? I don't think so... :pac:

magicbastarder

it's against the forum charter, haven't you read it?

jim o doom

It's can be expensive, but check around second hand on adverts:

Personally I have a 5K cycle each way: I got a Giant defy composite 2 for a reasonable enough price about 4 years ago and use it all the time.

It's incredibly light (composite framed), but it's a race bike with dropped handlebars, which might not be your jam.

I lock it up inside my job and inside my house. Any time it's locked up publicly I have 2 extremely heavy locks on it.. which increases my overall cycling weight. DOH.

Miklos

The first thing that comes to mind for me would be a Brompton for ease of lugging up and down stairs.

Since you've only a short commute, a single speed might be a good option? You don't really need gears, unless you've some hideous hill somewhere in those three miles.

beauf

Miklos wrote: »

The first thing that comes to mind for me would be a Brompton for ease of lugging up and down stairs.

Since you've only a short commute, a single speed might be a good option? You don't really need gears, unless you've some hideous hill somewhere in those three miles.

That's my thinking also.

I have a folding bike that is a single speed with pedal back brake. I find it usefully lighter and less to maintain.

If I was starting over I'd get a brompton two speed bike with mudguards.

Eamonnator

If I ever had to go back to work, using something like this, to get there, would make it more bearable

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/fuji-feather-city-bike-2019/rp-prod179651

doozerie

If I were facing your choice, my personal biases would have me looking at it from this perspective:

* Things that I'd want on a commute bike despite them adding weight (though arguably you don't need some or all of these for a particularly short commute): full mudguards, pannier rack, dynamo hub, dynamo lights, relatively wide tyres (28mm minimum, probably 35mm max).

* Things I'd happily do without for a short commute: gears.

So personally I'd go with a single speed bike with clearance for wide-ish tyres, and with mudguard and pannier mount points.