Cheapish commuting bike suggestions.

vqmismatch

Frustratingly I saw the perfect machine in October or thereabouts but didn't need it then and didn't buy.

I have accepted a job which from my likely home will be a 18 mile round trip to commute. Fairly flat nice roads so I am keen to cycle it as much as possible.

I would like something with internal hub gearing and a hub dynamo based lighting system, a luggage rack or fittings for one to come off my dying commuting bike.

And because I am commuting to a hotbed for bike stealing I'd like to avoid spending over £700.

So far my searches have been pretty fruitless, does anyone have any suggestions for machines I may have missed?

IronWolf

I don't know enough to suggest the best bike but I would say that if the area is a thief hot spot then even spending under £700 your bike will likely be a target. I've only got a £250 bike at the moment and have had attempts on it.

I'd make sure you have a great lock on it, like an Abus Granit XPlus.

I actually just hunted around for a new bike and there are some pretty good ones available for under £700. One trick is to look for last years model, 2014, when you find a bike you like as usually there are some shops with clearance sales and you can get 20-30% discount.

Giant Defy is a bike I founded recommended a lot, they have models 1-3 which vary in price and quality, you can get the best (1) for around £700 if you find last years model in your size.

vqmismatch

Just the lock I use.

The internal gears and dynamo, which will push up the price, really are a must for me, but thanks for the suggestion none the less.

MS1950

vqmismatch wrote: »

Frustratingly I saw the perfect machine in October or thereabouts but didn't need it then and didn't buy.

I have accepted a job which from my likely home will be a 18 mile round trip to commute. Fairly flat nice roads so I am keen to cycle it as much as possible.

I would like something with internal hub gearing and a hub dynamo based lighting system, a luggage rack or fittings for one to come off my dying commuting bike.

And because I am commuting to a hotbed for bike stealing I'd like to avoid spending over £700.

So far my searches have been pretty fruitless, does anyone have any suggestions for machines I may have missed?

Something like this?:

http://www.royaldutchgazelle.co.uk/collection-bikes/esprit-c7---esprit-c3/esprit-c7

It seems that dutch bikes generally might be what you're looking for as they tend to have hub gears & dynamos.

liz545

I have a VSF Fahrradmanufaktur as my commuting/city bike, and it works very well - durable steel frame, hub gears, hub dynamo lighting system, pannier rack, mudguards, too 'boring looking' to be a thief magnet. Only catch is not many places seem to stock them, so you might be looking around for a while.

If you're happy with drop bars, the Revolution touring bike is excellent value for money. Comfortable, well-specced, designed to roll over long distances.

At the cheaper end of the spectrum, Decathlon do a bike that mostly fits your spec, but with derailleur rather than hub gears. It's also much less expensive, so less worry that it's going to get stolen.

Finally, something like the Genesis Smithfield might fit the bill - hub gears, disc brakes, steel frame, pannier rack, bit less boring-looking than the VSF. Bit over budget, but look for an ex-display or 2014 model and you might get it in budget. There's also the cheaper Borough, but that's derailleur geared.

Keep_pedalling

Will be well over the £700 but a Brompton fitted with hub Dynamo and LED lights would cover those sort of distances in comfort. Fold it up and take indoors well away from the local tea leaves.

Alternately buy something second hand upgrade the front wheel to a dynamo hub and then do a terrible paint job on it so no one in their right wind would want to steal it.

vqmismatch

I'd not thought of that. I'd rather written off Bromptons for anything other than a part train commute as a friends one drives him bananas with the way it flexes under power. Fine for pottering around he reckons but disconcerting when you need to shift a bit more rapidly.

A used one might do the trick. I will have to ride my friends and see just how bad the flexing is.

fred246

I have spent ages trying to find the perfect commuting bike. For what you are asking for you really have to look at German bikes because they used to have to have dynamo lighting by law. I would suggest looking at the Focus Wasgo range.
Having had a horrible time with Shimano Nexus I hate them with a vengeance. They are heavy, inneficient, a nighmare to service and repair. Rohloff would be good but too expensive for you. Would you want a 3 speed? Why exactly do you want hub gears?

Kernel_Sanders

vqmismatch wrote: »

The internal gears and dynamo, which will push up the price, really are a must for me,

Why must you have dynamo lighting in this LED age? They can easily be whipped off when you park; isn't that preferable to the slight loss in efficiency that dynamoes cause?

vqmismatch wrote: »

I'd not thought of that. I'd rather written off Bromptons for anything other than a part train commute as a friends one drives him bananas with the way it flexes under power. Fine for pottering around he reckons but disconcerting when you need to shift a bit more rapidly.

I've read many posts by Brompton owners but never come across this problem. I would consult the experts on this specialized subforum rather than rely on one opinion from somebody who may have a damaged frame. http://www.bikeforums.net/folding-bikes/

liz545

One other thought - if you find a bike that's perfect in all other respects, retrofitting a hub dynamo setup really isn't that difficult, or expensive. Rosebikes will sell you a complete wheel with hub and tyre for under £60, so you'd just need to budget for front and rear lights. So you could get the whole set up for around £100.

Helpful guide to dynamo lighting here.

Keep_pedalling

liz545 wrote: »

One other thought - if you find a bike that's perfect in all other respects, retrofitting a hub dynamo setup really isn't that difficult, or expensive. Rosebikes will sell you a complete wheel with hub and tyre for under £60, so you'd just need to budget for front and rear lights. So you could get the whole set up for around £100.

Helpful guide to dynamo lighting here.

Don't skimp on the front light though, the cheap ones use bulbs, not very bright and unreliable, LED is the way to go.