Changed job, had to give up company leased car and got myself a cheap second hand Triban RC120. Made all the necessary maintenance by myself and also some small improvements. Any advice? I commuted in the past but never so much, it will be 15km twice a day.
by _D0llyy
4 Comments
Nice ride. If you carry stuff with you, a pannier rack would be a good upgrade. Otherwise looks like a great commuter!
I have the same bike for commuting about 20 km each way, at least 3 days per week (I’ve only done 5 days a couple of times since I started commuting). I started in June and don’t have experience with winter commuting yet, but for now, this bike is the best option for me.
I only added a rack (Elops 500 from Decathlon) and a left pannier, since I need to carry clothes and food to the office every day (around 5 kg). My route is 80% bike lane and 20% urban, and I think this bike is perfect for that.
The only thing is the maintenance. Since it’s a “cheap” bike, I need to make small adjustments every 2 or 3 weeks (brakes, gears…), but I don’t mind as it helps me learn how bikes work, and I actually enjoy it. I also try to keep it as clean as possible and use maintenance time to clean the whole bike.
In summary, I think it’s a good and affordable option for commuting. I recently switched to SPD pedals too, and I think it was a great upgrade.
Get good lights, a pannier rack and waterproof panniers. (You don’t want to ride with a backpack: a backpack will make you sweat a lot more, and it may cause back pain and pain in your shoulder girdle. It also impairs field of vision when looking over your shoulder, especially when you are riding in the drops.)
If I were you I’d lock it up through the down tube and rear wheel. You can’t forget you’ve got an extra £40 (roughly) on that rear wheel (your cassette)
Bike looks nice though, maybe add a rear pannier rack if you’re commuting, might make things a little easier