Having low enough gearing for that is pretty important,” Newbrey explains. “If you’re someplace, say San Francisco, where there’s a lot more longer steep hills on your commute, then you’ll want a bike with some good low gears so you can get up those hills, especially if you’re gonna be carrying a laptop or a change of clothes or that kind of extra weight on your bike. Gears: The bike’s gearing, or how many speeds it offers, can be important depending on where you live and where you’re going to be commuting. Generally I think metal frames are more preferable, with steel most often winning out.” “Fancy carbon fiber bikes are generally a little bit less practical for commuting in that they are a little bit more delicate and generally don’t allow you to put on racks to be able to cart your goods with you as easily.
So it’s gonna be a little bit softer on the potholes than an aluminum bike would be.” Carbon fiber is ultralight but will be expensive. “It has a little bit more flex, a little bit more give to it. “With commuter bikes, a lot of people like a steel frame, because it lends a less-harsh ride,” Newbrey says. But if you want something that gives a more comfortable ride, look to steel. Other bike frames are made with carbon fiber, which you’ll mainly find in road and race bikes.) Aluminum is the most common frame material, as it’s lightweight but sturdy. (This list does not include bikes with titanium frames, which are generally lighter than steel ones, but stronger and heavier than aluminum. But I have heard from folks in the industry that they’re trying to get things more normalized, so folks should actually be able to have some decent options in the near future.”īest overall | Best steel-frame | Best less-expensive steel-frame | Best with disc brakes | Best upright | Best less-expensive upright | Best folding | Best less-expensive folding | Best electricįrame material: The commuter bikes in this article are made with either aluminum or steel.
I’m getting bikes in that I ordered eight to ten months ago. Those shortages are still common two and a half years later. And when one company gets behind, the entire industry feels the shock waves,” Newbrey explains. People latched on pretty quickly, and the bike industry was not in any way prepared. “COVID hit, and people were looking for something that they could do outside, and bikes kind of became the first thing. With increased interest in biking spurred by the pandemic and continued global supply-chain issues, a lot of the bikes below might be low in stock. “They’re made with a lot of plastic parts that won’t last very long.” “I advise strongly against big-box store bikes, which generally do not have components that are meant to hold up for more than a handful of rides,” explains Bailey Newbrey, owner of Sincere Cycles in Santa Fe, New Mexico. While a top-of-the-line, aerodynamic racing bike can set you back a few grand, the experts we spoke to agreed that you can find a dependable commuting bike in the $500 to $750 range (if they’re not e-bikes, that is ). They explained what features to look for in commuter-specific bikes and how much you should be ready to spend. To demystify the process, we spoke with bike-store owners, retailers, and bike- commuting advocates. If you’re interested in riding to work, you may wonder how you’ll carry your stuff, how you’ll lock up your bike, what to do if it rains, and, most importantly, what type of bike you should buy. Photo-Illustration: The Strategist Photos: Retailersīike commuting is healthier and more environmentally friendly than driving and faster than walking, and, over time, it will save you a lot on MetroCards (if not stop you entirely from buying them).
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