What's a Good Urban Commuter Bike?

My bike was stolen today from Baltimore's Penn Station, where I had ridden it to take the MARC train to D.C. for a business meeting. I'm sure that many readers of this blog have had similar experiences. I'm not writing to whine -- I expected it sooner or later. I  think I got six trips to the train station before it was stolen -- pretty good for Baltimore.

It was a fairly nice bike, but I've had it for almost ten years and there were some nagging mechanical problems with it that I couldn't seem to solve. A few months ago, when I began biking to the train station, someone gave me an old Schwinn for free, and I thought I would get that fixed up as a commuter bike. Then I changed my mind -- with bike shops as busy as they are now, I figured I'd end up spending a lot of money and waiting a long time to get my "second" bike fixed up. So, instead, I decided to ride the bike I had until it got stolen. Fate has taken it's course.

So the purpose of this post is to solicit your recommendations for my next bike -- a good urban commuter bike. It has to be pretty rugged. I occasionally ride on unpaved trails like the C&O Canal Trail, and I have occasion to ride across an open, unpaved lot in my neighborhood. But the Baltimore streets between my house and Penn Station are rougher than either of those. Another thing I'm looking for is fairly narrow handlebars -- my last bike seemed too wide, both in the city and on trails.

The theft part makes it interesting. A lot of bike enthusiasts are into expensive equipment. But, the nicer the bike, the more it's a target for theft. So my next bike should be something I can afford to lose, or else I also need good recommendations for defeating potential thieves.

A few details about the theft: When I go in to D.C., I'm not one of the earliest commuters. When I get to Penn Station, the few bike racks are filled up. I've always been able to lock my bike to a lamp post right outside the station, but the lamp posts are too big to use the "U" lock. So I lock it with a cable and padlock. It's a small cable, but it would require bolt cutters to cut it. In the past, I've used the U lock to lock the frame to the back wheel. I figured that would make the bike less desirable. I forgot to do that today, and that might have been crucial. This was a daylight theft in a crowded place. Thieves would still just have to snip the cable to free the bike, but if the U-lock were on it, they'd have to carry the bike away, rather than walk or ride it.

The only larger point I want to make with this post is that providing adequate bike parking is not just a gesture to acknowledge bike riders, and it's not just a convenience. We need good bike parking to avoid losing our bikes.

On the other hand, replacing that bike will cost less than one of my average car-repair bills.

So, who can recommend a good commuter bike?

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Joe Chapline is web manager for Arlington County Commuter Services.

Comments

[Roccker]

Hi,
I m sorry to hear about your bike.But this is the case happening regularly.I think along with parking space even security has to be strong.
You can go for CT102 Commuter Bike.Its Best.You can even look for Yamaha Dirt Bikes.Its economical.

[freewheel]

You can check out prices and specs of commuter bikes at http://bikesfortherestofus.blogspot.com.

[Joe Chapline]

Thanks, everyone, for the tips and the sympathy. I did report the theft to the police. I spoke to a guy behind the desk at the train station, but he didn't know anyone there I could report it to. Or maybe I misunderstood him -- it was really loud in there. I'll try again when I go back.

The Gaithersburg bike on Craig's list looks good, but I doubt that I'll get to Gaithersburg. I'll look on Craig's List, though. A colleague has generously offered me an old (old is good in this case) Cannondale touring bike. I'm going to try to look at that. I went to one bike store today, looked at some "GT" brand bikes. I don't know the brand, but I liked the bikes. If only they would make them scratched up and plain-looking.

I'll take pictures of whatever I get. It might be a two-bike solution -- a beater for commuting, and a nicer bike for longer rides.

[vintage_3sp]

Big Joe,

Check this link out:
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/bik/775827696.html

It has a few fundamental things you need. In my opinion they are:
- 700x28 (28-35 good tire size for your needs)
- buy steel (gives more than Al. and deters thieves b'c heavy)
- get a simple Pletscher rear rack ($20 from www.rivbike.com; no frills) to hold your gear
- try some French randonneur bars (44cm); if they work on the skinny streets of Paris should work in le'Baltimore.

Lemme know what you get. If you like old bikes, I have a good commuting candidate (1975 Raleigh Record 10-sp). How tall are you?

KEN
ken_matthews@cox.net

[Melissa Esposito]

First off, I'm really sorry to hear about your bike. I had my bike stolen in high school (from my own front porch, where it was locked, for cryin' out loud), and even if you didn't like the bike that much, it still totally sucks.

Also, make sure you report it to the police whether or not you intend to file an insurance claim. The more bike thefts they know about, theoretically the more they'll do about them. Tell the management at the station, too, so they're aware of the need for secure bike parking.

You can always change out the handlebar for something smaller, so don't let that be your major factor in choosing your next bike. If you're particularly worried about theft (which you have every right to be), I'd recommend just getting something from a thrift store for less than $50, test riding it to make sure nothing is majorly wrong with it, and having a bike shop look it over for you. Even if it takes a couple days to get it back, it's better than having a chain fall off on you or something.

For the rough lots you're biking through, maybe some Kevlar tires would be a good investment. Even if the rest of the bike is inexpensive, having to replace your tubes would get to be a pain and it might be worth it to have nicer tires. Rough 'em up with some chalk or driving through a lot of dirt so they look less new and are less likely to be stolen, though.

Lastly, as you probably learned, it's worth it to park it a few blocks away and lock it securely than it is to lock it less securely closer to your destination. Cutting the lock in front of all the cabbies and people that are there takes some nerve.

Good luck finding a good replacement! And let us know when you do - we like pictures.

[CT]

My friends tell me that the Surly Cross Check is a great commuter bike. They're not too pricey, and built to handle some unpaved stuff.