I need a bike to get back a forth to work because of car problems. The route is about 5 miles each way and mostly sidewalks with some rough areas and a couple steep hills. What kind of bike is best for my needs?
by Heirophant_O
I need a bike to get back a forth to work because of car problems. The route is about 5 miles each way and mostly sidewalks with some rough areas and a couple steep hills. What kind of bike is best for my needs?
by Heirophant_O
36 Comments
Hybrid should be able to handle this fine
A road bike with 40mm tires.
An hybrid bike with 40mm tires.
obviously, it’s not good place to ride.
This looks like a job for whatever bicycle you think looks coolest
Almost anything would be fine here, but I agree with hybrid. Or a road/gravel bike with enough clearance for fat (40mm+) tires.
Hybrid, Sport Hybrid, Gravel bike, Hardtail maintain bike, Unicycle if you’re motivated enough
basically any bike will handle that just fine, choose whaterer you enjoy. If there are steep section just make sure the bike has gears
5 miles is pretty nice in terms of distance. I think a rigid MTB with some city tires would be nice. If you want to go drop bars, a gravel bike would be nice too.
Generally, the bigger the tire, the more comfortable the ride. Something in the 40mm to 55mm range would feel nice without being too slow.
Not worth having suspension fork for this ride, in my opinion
The 2 wheeled variety.
Any
Anything.
You probably don’t want a road bike with super narrow tires, but the folks insisting you need super wide low pressure tires are crazy. Not a great path by any means, but surface looks solid. Pretty much any hybrid, gravel or mountain bike (though I’d avoid anything with a full suspension. massive overkill here), put semi-slick tires and you’re good. Any modern intro-level road bike would also be fine, though I’d probably steer towards a hybrid.
My steel frame road bike runs 32c Schawlbe marathons, and would rock that path.
To make the best use of your time and arrive at work as quickly as possible you should invest in a Felt IAx, Canyon Speedmax, or if you are a dentist, cervelo p5.
One with tyres
Gravel bike is good for long distances that are not on road. make sure you get one with a rack if you need to transport things and dynamo in the front wheel with lights if you are traveling in the dark hours
Gravel or commuter.
A road bike with carbon wheels will be so smooth on that road.
A <$300 Ozark Trail G1 gravel bike would be a great ride for this commute
Anything but a fixy would be fine. So pick what you like to ride.
I’d be on that road on a road bike
A Raleigh burner would be good.
I don’t believe in the hybrid, gravel etc iterations.
They are pretty basic. Get a base type, eg: Road bike, now put some fatter all terrain tires and a wider handlebar on it, boom, you just got a gravel bike…
Anyway, I would say whatever you prefer.
Since there are not many big road errors, I think a road bike would be good, but if you ride somewhere where the road is full of bumps and errors then a MTB, or a city bike would be more appreciated by your wrist, especially if you’ve never rode a road bike before.
I don’t know your budget, but if you want a very cheap one, you can just search used ones. There are plenty of them, pretty cheap. Some guys have built a bike for commuting, kept it clean and maintained, but got older and realized that they won’t use the bike anymore. These are the treasures I would look for, since these people love their bike so much, that they maintain it well. I got a deal like this, and I have no complaints, it’s been pretty good.
Gravel is always the answer for mixed terrain for me. Off curbs, through patches of grass, on rough and loose terrain and smooth tarmac nothing beats it.
I’m a roadie but gravel bike is the answer to any bike related question tbh
If you’re commuting, you’ll probably want a rack on the back, so avoid full suspension bikes. A “hybrid” should be fine. Keep your tires inflated and enjoy the ride.
I think one with wheels should do the trick
DH rig with 200mm travel minimum
Hybrid or gravel bike with medium-fat tires. Or an older hardtail if you’re buying used would work fine, again medium-fat tires.
E-bike with big tire
A bike with 2 wheels and a seat🙂↕️
I would at least go with full suspension
A mountain bike is for every terrain fitting 😉
The kind you ride.
Are you looking for a super easy commute or a challenge?
A flat bar bike with proper gearing for the hills & a luggage rack in the back would suffice for me.
STOP ✋
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO NAVIGATE THIS ROAD 🙅♂️
You will only be able to pass this stretch on a penny farthing. Try using any other kind of bike and you will surely perish.
Road condition is fine for most. I would think about whether you need bicycle rack, mudguards and bicycle lights and choose a bike according to that. If you have to get to work, which means you cannot really choose at which time you cycle and what the weather will be like, then all of this will be useful.
The one you own.
Ooof that’s my nightmare. Fell a couple of times between the sidewalk and grass. I now suffer from PTSD on those.