Comments on: The Perfect Commuter : Bike Type

By: David

David — Tue, 18 May 2010 14:06:38 +0000

I dont know a lot about commute bikes, but one thing seems obvious to me: commuting involves many styles.
There are opporunities for short sprints, long straight hauls, hills, road hazards, etc. Even a total in-city commute could have some or all of these.
It seeme what is needed is a bike with the best of touring and over-the-road features combined. Comfort bikes are nice for noodling around the beach, but for anything over a 5 mile commute, one needs some oomph to their ride.

By: BluesCat

BluesCat — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:46:59 +0000

Surly Steve: You are quite welcome. I think what jamesmallon, and some others, are forgetting (and maybe that’s why my comeback was a tad strident) is that some day we’ll ALL be in the same boat: beset with the age related reduced capacity to just get on and ride.

The fact that you ride a Surly one-legged inspires me and gives me hope that I can ride much longer as I age. (It also will shame me a bit when I’m tempted to wimp out from commuting on my bike when I see a few rain clouds gathering.)

I think cargo bikes in general, and the Big Dummy especially, are important pieces of the world wide transportation puzzle as we look for ways to protect our environment and pursue a healthy life style. Cargo bikes are probably the single exception to my belief that recumbents are the perfect commuting bike: a cargo bike is MORE perfect if you need to tote a lot of stuff.

Oh, and thanks, Alex, I missed your complement over the busy holidays. I guess that English degree I got thirty years ago paid off at last, eh?

By: Surly Steve SingleLeggedTrucker

Surly Steve SingleLeggedTrucker — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:38:56 +0000

Why is it that we as cyclists can’t even get along umoungst ourselves.It’s not bad enough that coffin drivers are out to get us but then someone want to tell somebody else what and how to ride.I have one leg and the other one won’t do what I tell it too.And I ride a bike.The type isn’t the important thing the fact that I ride is. The fact that we all ride is the reason we should work together not against each other. BluesCat thankyou for defending a Cyclist.Jamesmallon has a problem with letting others be themselves.I thank god we all ride.No I don’t support a war for Oil but I do support each and every cyclist that is doing his/her part.Take care of each other and worry about yourselves not what others do or don’t do.The world does not need do gooders that think there shit dosn’t stink.Buy the way My favorite bike is a Big Dummy for commuting.I can carry a wheelchair,two panniers full of what ever and a pint for when I get home.

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 23:40:10 +0000

Man, I gotta sharpen up on my wordsmithing if I ever hope to ride a recumbent. Does BluesCat teach an online course in comebackery at any local community colleges?

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:44:58 +0000

I voted Porteur because it sounds like you’ll be spending most of your riding time on short trips (4-mile each way commute). This design affords you the ability to go with an upright seating position, which is inherently more comfortable than a drop-bar defined seating position. Additionally, the porteur design allows heavy loading on a front rack which makes for convenient access to whatever whether you’re commuting or touring. Finally, you can build up a porteur with a range of bar types, some of which allow for both aero and upright riding positions (e.g., moustache bars). One more thing – looking at the Kogswell P/R frame, it can do double duty as a porteur and light touring bike, depending on the build.

By: Bike Shop Girl

Bike Shop Girl — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:13:23 +0000

Hey RexMarx,

check out the article we talk about who the bike is for..or any others in the series

http://commutebybike.com/tag/group-build/

thanks for your response

By: RexMarx

RexMarx — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:23:22 +0000

Impossible question. Set a few parameters like the following:
- Distance of commute.
- Location (is this Portland or Dallas)?
- Age of rider or fitness level. My Mom and I would have different choices for the same trip.

With all that said, this is an interesting experiment.

By: BluesCat

BluesCat — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:01:51 +0000

Matt: Oh, yeah, I’m having fun, too; maybe my gut busting laughing out caused my comebacks to come across a little too strident? Okay, so noted, I’ll TRY to back off to simply snickering uncontrollably.

Oh, and jamesmallon? You got an answer for Sailfast?

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:35:58 +0000

BluesCat –

And here I thought ‘bent riders were chill people!

Take it easy, he was just poking fun… and he left you plenty of material to poke fun back if you put your mind to it.

Walt had the right approach.

By: BluesCat

BluesCat — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:57:23 +0000

jamesmallon: “Hadn’t crossed my mind…” Yeah, I guess a lot of things haven’t ventured across that wasteland.

Example: the common soldiers who have actually fought in Afghanistan, for BOTH our countries, haven’t been a part of promoting this “imperial adventure” you mention; rightly or wrongly, they have simply been trying to do what they believe is right. Unlike you, who’s goal is simply to denigrate something without any real substance to your argument. That being said, your rant reveals your real personal problem doesn’t have anything to do with bicycles, and their suitability for a task, but has EVERYTHING to do with the fact you just can’t stand anybody disagreeing with you and demonstrating to you, and everyone else, that your arguments are groundless.

I ride in the city, too, for most of my riding. Everybody seems to notice my recumbent, unlike other bicycles which seem to be invisible to motorists. Two other reasons I feel much safer on a recumbent than on an upright bike are that in a crash on a recumbent, (1) it’s a lot less farther to the ground, and (2) the riding position on a recumbent means you’re much more likely to land on your butt than on your head (Hmmm, maybe I have a whole new take on things which have, and haven’t, “crossed your mind.”)

An “abomination”? Sounds like you have yet ANOTHER personal problem fella: you can’t distinguish between a mere alternative bicycle configuration and a religious movement. Maybe you’ve crashed on your head too many times, James? Too much pavement has “crossed your mind”?