updated 12/30/2011
Commuter Bicycle Conversions and tips
a.k.a Transportation Bicycles, City Bicycles or Utility Bicycles
David Madajian, Bicycle Transportation Advocate
Example of a typical Commuter Bicycle (Villager by Breezer)
The vast majority of bicycles sold
since 1990 are Mountain bicycles. For street
use these bikes are much more comfortable than the skinny tired Road bikes
(racing bicycles) that forced the cyclist into an aerodynamic
but awkward position with bent over handle bars. The upright position of a
Mountain bicycle is
not as efficient, but it allows better situation awareness and control when riding in
traffic and is more comfortable. As it turns out most people riding Road bikes end up not using the "drops" on the bar, but position
their hands on the top which defeats the aerodynamic advantage and places their
hands far out of quick reach of the brake levers. However, using a Mountain bicycle to
commute has several disadvantages: The weight, cost, and energy
dissipation of a suspension system designed for rugged off road riding, exposed
greasy chain, high rolling resistance of fat tires with knobby tread, and more likely to be stolen.
Almost all major bicycle companies now market bicycles specifically designed for commuting, transportation or utility as opposed to recreation. This new type of bicycle that is re-emerged in the USA in about 2005 after a 30 year hiatus doesn't even have a standard name yet, but I prefer to call it a Commuter Bicycle. It took over 10 years to settle on the name of "Mountain Bike", so this is normal in the fragmented bicycle industry. When I started this site in 2002, there were only a few companies chasing this market in the USA; now there are dozens. Commuter bicycles are the norm in countries like China and Holland, but they all but disappeared in this land of SUV's and muscle cars. The features to look for in a Commuter bicycle are upright seating position, low top bar, full reflectors, cargo racks, bells, fenders, chain guards, kickstands, gearing for moderate conditions, internal gearing in the rear hub, some mild suspension, built-in generator lights, and nutted bolts instead of "Quick Release" disconnects on axles and seat posts (to discourage part thieves). Most local bike shops in the USA were slow to embrace bicycles as transportation and devoted very little or no floor space to Commuter bicycles. I am happy to report that today just about every bicycle store in the USA now sells commuter bicycles. The $5 per gallon gasoline price spike in 2008 helped along with the collapse of the economy and increase awareness of the environment and fitness.
My website use to list all the commuter bicycles on the market. Since there are now so many I just offer tips to convert the bicycle you have as well as tips for successful bicycle commuting.
If you are still having trouble finding a suitable bicycle for commuting bicycle, there is now even a good online source:
Do-it-yourself Commuter Bicycles:
It is also relatively easy to add accessories to just about any bicycle to make it more suitable for transportation. I recommend starting from a "Hybrid" or "Comfort" bicycle. If you start from a Road bike, you will need to change the "drop" bars to mountain bike bars which also involves replacing shifting and brake levers. This modification can get expensive, but worth doing if you already own a Road bicycle. If you start from a Mountain bicycle, you should replace the Knobby tires with Street tires. Most people already have a bicycle in their garage or they can buy one rather cheaply from their neighbor, a garage sale, Craigs List, or Local Bike Trader. If you have a limited budget to work with, I highly recommend a quality used bike and not a cheap new bike. Avoid mass retailers like Walmart, Costco, and Sears They generally are very low quality and not serviceable. They were designed to look good in the store and in your garage and not to give you years of trouble free transportation. You will find most bikes from a local shop to be a better value. Local shops make up most of their profit from parts, accessories and service (similar to car dealers).
It should be possible for just about anyone to justify the purchase of a quality bicycle. I was even able to save enough on long distance phone calls to purchase a new bicycle after a couple years of savings. We make alot of international calls and I saved about $50 a month by dropping our Long Distance carrier (Verizon) and switching exclusively to a calling card. Verizon use to charge us a monthly fee to get "special rates". It turns out that they were not so special. I switched to One Suite years ago based on the recommendation of a good friend and love them. I programmed all my phones (even my cell phone) to dial the One Suite access number. I just prepay minutes and there is no monthly fee. The rates are much lower than the "special plans" from Verizon or AT&T. We are able to call Brazil for under 2 cents a minute. I also use their local access number from hotel phones.
Tires/Tubes: Mountain bikes all come with 26 inch wheels. Most Road bikes now come with 70 cm wheels (metric), which have replaced the older 27 inch wheel. 70 cm wheels are about 27.5 inches. The diameter is not nearly as important as the tire width. I would recommend getting tires close to 700x35C (70 cm diameter 3.5 cm width) or 26x1.5 (for Mountain Bikes). For Mountain Bikes it is especially important to get tires that are designed for street use. The tread on Street tires is designed to roll smoothly and quietly on hard surfaces. The standard tires on most mountain bikes have "knobs" designed to bite into soft dirt or mud. Kevlar belted tires and Self-Sealing tubes help avoid punctures, but in any case it is wise to always carry a mini-pump, spare tube, patch kit, and a few tools. Self-Sealing tubes are filled with a sticky liquid that plugs leaks. One problem with them is that the liquid works so well it sometimes clogs the valve. Thorn proof tubes are very thick and heavy, but work great. I like them because they greatly reduce the chance of a flat and I can go months instead of weeks without having to add air to my tires. There is very little advantage to skinny tires unless you inflate them to very high tire pressures. Recent studies have shown that wider tires have less rolling resistance compared to narrow tires (with equal pressure) because the tire is closer to a circle went it rolls as the shape of the patch in contact with the road is wider. A wider tire is safer over rough roads and gives a more comfortable ride.
Frames: The lowest grade frames are from standard
1020 steel, which is commonly referred to in the bicycle industry as
"high-tension steel". These would mostly be department store or
“big box” bicycles almost all of which are made in
The best traditional frames are made from Titanium, but they are very rare and expensive. The best modern frames are carbon fiber. It is strong and light and also doesn’t rust. On very expensive bikes the fiber direction is optimized to add strength in one direction and compliance in another. Carbon fiber is like Aluminum in that it can fail without warning and it not recommended for riders over 200 pounds. It is very important to inspect both carbon fiber and aluminum frames for cracking.
All frame materials can be tapered so that the tubing can be thicker near the joints and thinner near the middle. This is very desirable to optimize weight and strength and is why bird bones are designed the way they are. This is referred to in the industry as a “butted” frame. A “double-butted” frame has 2 different tube wall thicknesses and is the most common. A step up would be “triple-butted”. If the frame doesn’t have a sticker that says “butted”, you can safely assume that it is not.
In summary, I don’t recommend upgrading a high-tension steel frame. The bike you start with should at least be a double-butted Chromoly or Aluminum.
Mirrors: The Mountain Mirrycle Bar End mirror is my favorite. Once you ride with a nice mirror like this, you will never want to go without one. I have received some feedback that some riders are happy with mirrors that mount on glasses or helmets. A mirror is an essential safety commuting accessory and more important than a helmet since it helps you avoid accidents in the first place.
Handle Bars: Expensive mountain bicycles tend to have bars that are just as uncomfortable as road bicycles in order to put you in an aerodynamic, but awkward position. It is best for commuting to have mountain bike style bars that flare up. These are commonly referred to as "riser bars". Some riders do swear by the road bike style bent over or "Drop" bars. They like them because they can vary their hand positions on long rides and can ride faster. This could be important if you have a long commute. Experienced riders can quickly go from an upright position for comfort to an aerodynamic position with quick access to brake levers to . Some people even add a set of break levers in both positions called Runkel levers. Also, many people never adjust to Drop style bars because their bike frame is not properly sized for their body. The bottom line is that if you are flexible and willing to pay for a custom frame and 2 sets of brake levers, you may enjoy Drop bars. For most people with commutes under 5 miles, I recommend mountain bike style bars that flare up.
Brakes: V-Brakes are great for commuting. They have clearance for fenders and good stopping power for wet conditions. They need compatible levers. Disk brakes are now somewhat available and even better, but are not so common or standard and spare parts could be a problem in the future. They also require special wheels. However, their stopping power, is fantastic in all conditions.
Fenders: I ride year around with fenders even though it doesn't even rain much where I live. They help to keep grit off you and your bike. It is surprising how much road grit can be thrown up from a damp road directly on the chain in only one ride with a bike without full fenders. I recommend Planet Bike Freddy Fenders. Most stores can sell at prices lower than the factory website (This pricing is intended to support local shops- they also support advocacy with 25% of profits).
Chains: Don't neglect cleaning your chain whenever you notice excess grit on it or you can hear it. A clean chain is a quiet chain. Depending on conditions this could be as much as once every month. Yes, I know this is a real pain and almost no one ever does it. I recommend using one of the many chain cleaning devices that allow you to clean the chain without removing it. Water based cleaners are available, but I have tried many and can't recommend any. I buy WD-40 by the gallon from Home Depot and use it in the chain cleaner as it is a great solvent that displaces moisture well. The main problem with the various water based cleaners is they can promote rust. They also can dissolve the plastics in the chain cleaning tools. After I clean the chain, I wipe off the WD-40 and use a quality synthetic oil chain lube. Yes, WD-40 is a great cleaner, but I don't recommend it as a lubricant. I only use about 1/2 cup of WD-40 in the chain cleaner and save it up and take it to my local recycling center. Paint thinner also works great as a cleaner, but it is not as easily recycled as oil and ends up in the air we breathe.
Seats: Of course, this item is highly dependent on personal preference. It is also very analogous to purchasing a bed. If you spend a large amount of time on your bike it is important as well. Please also be aware that, like a mattress, softer is not always more comfortable over the long haul. The seat I prefer is the Hobson. However, this seat is only comfortable for me when used on a bike with an upright seating position. It is available from "Modern Bicycle".
Head Light: Best value is to buy the midrange models (about $100) from either Blackburn, Crygolight, Niterider or Planet Bike. A 10W Halogen light is a good balance between brightness and power consumption. A HID (High Intensity Gas Discharge) bicycle light is about 3 times brighter and a Halogen with the same energy and great if you ride at night in foul weather, but will cost over $300 (unless you want to build one yourself - see next section). Hopefully, white LED (Light Emitting Diode) headlight technology will soon be perfected. At the present time true "white" LEDs" don't exist and are made by putting a filter in front of a "blue" LED. The "white" LEDs are not nearly as efficient as the "red" LEDs and lose brightness rapidly after about the first 10% of battery life except for the very expensive ones that have electronics to compensate and supply constant current. The brightest LED based headlights are still too dim for my taste. LEDs also have inferior Color Rendering Index (CRI) scores. They can put out more lumens (unit of light), but not help you see any better because the "colors" they put out don't work as efficiently with the human eye. The advantage of an LED is that it is efficient, compact, insensitive to vibration, and will for all practical purposes never burn out. Generator ("dynamo") powered lights are also available. These tend not to be very bright and don't work when stopped or going slowly. Some of them are not regulated and will burn out bulbs at high speeds. The advantage is you never have to worry about a battery running out of power for long commutes. The newer models feature secondary LEDs that remain on during brief stops by the energy stored in a capacitor. The battery is equally important as the Head Light. The cheapest and heaviest is Lead Acid. The one good point about them is that you can top them off every day without limiting their life and can last a long time if well cared for. They also have the best self-discharge rate of any rechargeable and only lose about 5% per month. The worst problem is you can severely limit their life by fully discharging. NiCd batteries are a step up, but will lose their charge in storage faster than any other technology. Next is NiHd batteries and the best are Lithium. The only problem with Lithium is the high cost as they are superior in every way. This is the technology in cell phones, lap top computers, and the Tesla electric sports car (the Prius uses NiHd). The charger is also an often overlooked but important accessory to a lighting system. Make sure it is a "smart" charger that is able to monitor the condition of the battery and supply the optimum current.
My latest recommendation for riding in the dark is to also wear a low power inexpensive head mounted LED light in addition your primary front light. I find it incredibly useful for unlocking my bike, looking to see what gear I am in, or making "eye" contact. They only cost about $10 and are bright enough to do the job, but not bright enough to be annoying for the person you are looking at like some high powered head mounted lights. It is also a good back up in case your main light fails.
Home-made Super High Power Headlight: If you are handy this is the way to go. I put together an ultra high powered bicycle headlight for under $100. It is based on mass produced components and not specialty bicycle components. It is basically a HID motorcycle headlight adapted to work on a bicycle. At 3,000 lumens it is over 3x brighter than the brightest bicycle light now produced (and 1/6 the cost). The only downside is it is relatively large and heavy (more exercise!). Click this link for pictures and details: www.BrightBikeLight.com.
Rear Light: Red LED lights are fantastic and very efficient because only light in the red color is created (as oppose to creating white light and adding a red filter). A blinking red light is even more efficient because it is off most of the time and attracts as much attention of a much brighter steady light. If you get a model with AA batteries, it should last several years (400 hours of use). Some of the rear lights like the Cateye will work well as reflectors when the light is not on or your batteries are dead. I recommend buying a roll of 3M reflective tape and covering your bicycle. It will be less likely to be stolen and if it is, it will be easy to identify. A reflective vest is also smart to wear at night.
Chain guards: This handy accessory helps protect your long pants or dress from the dirty chain. It also helps protect your chain from rode grit and can reduce the interval between chain cleanings. It is standard on many bikes, but largely unavailable as an aftermarket item. Over the years many folks have emailed me asking for a source and I have never been able to find one until recently. SKS in Germany started selling one that can be special ordered from almost any bicycle store (trust me that no one stocks it). The product name is "Chainboard".
Riding Glasses: These protect your eyes from dust, insects and the sun. You can pass by the fancy cycling glasses in shops and go to Home Depot or Harbor fright and get outstanding performance on a bicycle with standard "Safety Glasses". I wear clear ones at night that I bought from Harbor Fright for 99 cents. They are lighter and more comfortable than any "professional" cycling goggles. If they get scratched or damaged, you don't have to feel bad replacing them.
Helmets: Any new helmet will do as they all conform to the same safety standards. They basically are just 1 inch of Styrofoam that is able to absorb some energy in a crash by collapsing. They need to be replaced if damaged. It is much better to avoid an accident than to depend on a helmet for protection. Given a choice between a mirror and a helmet, I would choose a mirror. However, they are both low cost so there is no need to choose. Just pick up one at Costco for $20. However, please don't be tempted to purchases a bicycle there as their bikes are no bargains as they are heavy and unserviceable. Replacement parts are unlikely to be available. The bikes are disposable.
Bells: Bells with a thumb lever can be bought for $5 and are great to warn pedestrians and slow moving bikes of your approach. To warn cars you can get a $20 Delta Airhorn that you can pump up with your bike pump. It makes you sound like a semi-truck or a train.
Pedals: Very few people who try clip-less pedals ever go back to toe straps. Two sided wide platform SPD pedals make it convenient to ride with street shoes or bike shoes. The clip-less pedals are safer than straps because they release like ski bindings in an accident. The problem with old fashion clips and toe straps is that they can scrape on the road if you have them down and they don't allow you to get the force from "pulling" unless you have slots in your shoes, which can be dangerous if you have to get out fast. I don't believe any company even sells slotted shoes any more because of the popularity and superiority of clip-less systems.
Cargo Capacity: I highly recommend a rear rack and panniers (technical bicycle term for "saddle bags"). You can shop for price as these items are usually non-critical. However, if you end up riding in the rain, you may want to invest in some high quality water proof panniers as a reader in Holland recently pointed out. Panniers are much more comfortable and convenient than a back-pack unless you have a very sort distance to cover. If you have more to carry, you can use a Bob or Burely trailer. Burely has a new improved hitch for 2007 that will work on any bicycle. It is also worth considering the Xtracycle, which will transform nearly any bicycle into the most practical people and cargo hauler on 2 wheels. It is much more difficult to attach than a trailer, but once most people put it on they love it and end up leaving it on for good. Unlike a trailer, the ride of the bicycle is improved as the long wheel base puts you between the 2 wheels and not over the rear wheel like on a conventional bicycle. One of my readers found that Two Wheel Gear Commuter Pannier made carrying his dress clothes to work much more practical for him. I just roll my clothes up and set them in a conventional pannier.
Transporting kids: For transporting young children I much prefer a trailers as they are much safer than other methods such as having them on their own bicycles or seated on your bicycle. Here is a good source for trailers:
Here are some good on-line sources for fenders, mirrors, bells, and racks:
I have bought many parts over the years from Performance and have been very happy with them. Their sale prices are usually outstanding. ModernBIKE.com is new on the online scene, but has a huge inventory and has run a traditional bike shop for over 100 years.
Bicycle Security: I was able to finally convince my employer to build a secure bicycle parking lock, which is basically a covered fenced area with combination lock. The best way to lock a bike is with a U-lock connecting the frame and rear wheel to a pole or other object embedded in concrete. Ideally, you remove your front wheel and also secure it with the same U-lock. However, it is much more convenient to use a cable on the front wheel. Do not rely on a cable to secure your entire bicycle unless it is over 5/8" thick . A cable lock may deter a casual thief and is convenient to carry and use, but can be easily be cut with a $20 tool that can easily be concealed. You should also consider registering your bicycle with State or Local government along with the National Bicycle Registry. At the very least keep a record of the serial number that is stamped on the bottom of most bicycles. An extreme measure you can take like I did when I lived in a high crime are was to engrave my name and driver's license number on every major part.
Risk: Despite what some bicycle advocates promote by selectively using statistics in clever ways, commuting by bicycle is one of the most dangerous transportation options. One common trick people have used to make bicycles seem safer than they really are is to use "accidents per hour" instead of "accidents per mile". This turns around the fact that bicycles are slower than cars to make them seem safer. You can greatly reduce your risks of accidents by being careful, but you can still expect to have an injury accident on average every 25,000 miles of bicycling. Use bright lights, don't ride on sidewalks or against traffic, yield to traffic at stop signs and lights, and use a mirror. You should use great care in selecting your route. The best bicycle route is usually the worse possible route by car and may be longer. However, a 10 minute longer route will give you more exercise and could save you many days of laying in a hospital bed with an injury. If at all possible, use paths that are separated from cars with concrete and not just paint. Drivers are protected by 3000 pounds of steel, bumpers, seat belts and air bags. You only have 1 inch of Styrofoam. You always lose in an accident no matter whose fault. However, please keep in mind that even though the risk an injury accident is much greater with a bicycle than car, the health benefits of exercise more than compensate for the accident risk you are taking. Of course, if you have plenty of time and money you may just want to invest in a high quality home exercise machine:
Recently I have been using my bicycle to "commute" to camping vacations instead of work. I have identified the following 3 sources:
In the future I may have a webpage for bicycle camping, but my approach is relatively simple. I just put all my normal camping gear in my bicycle trailer and go.
Email me for Advice, Comments or Suggestions
(note: you need to delete the number twenty-two from my email address shown to get my real email address, which is my attempt to reduce SPAM)
I now have logged approximately 100,000 transportation miles on my bicycle and very much encourage others to join me. I use to think others didn't ride because they didn't have the right equipment, but now I am convinced largest barrier is social acceptance and cultural. If a social scientist would write a good website, I would like to link to it.
PS. Special thanks to Ralph, John, Scot and many others that emailed me suggestions and improvements to this webpage.
