Best Commuter bikes?

Decathlon do a decent range of proper bikes which look ideal for commuting with guards, racks and dynamo lighting ranging from cheap & very good value

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/hoprider-520-city-hybrid-bike-id_8307666.html

They'd be high on my list for a new commuter. Or a Brompton actually, which are quick fold up to hide under the desk or take on the bus/train home if the weather really turns horrific.

I'm a big fan of Moultons & think the TSR makes the ultimate commuter, but the Cycle2work scheme limit doesn't even come close to covering the cost of a new one.

If you have an old steel Raleigh clubmans frame I would possibly stick with it.

If it's an older 126mm OLN frame they convert to fixed or even hub gears quite easily, they are in fact one of the perfect commuting bikes, especially if they have the full compliment of rack eyes and braze ons such as a pump peg

There is little it will not do with less than a few hundred quid spent on new old stock parts from ebay and the cycle jumble.

10 mile tarmac/dirt commute eh? My vote would be for a fixed-gear CX set-up with full mudguards. Regular road commuting tyres will probably suit even for the dirt sections; CX tyres don't generally have good puncture protection.

Another vote for the Pinnacle Arkose, it ticks all the right boxes for you in my opinion. However, like many bikes these days it has a stupid integrated headset. Mine was assembled by Evans with too tall a headset spacer stack, which combined with the carbon fork steerer, has caused a constantly loosening headset which wears the frame. With any integrated headset bike with carbon steerer, make doubly sure the spacers are an appropriate height and that the stem is torqued correctly before riding.

The best option would be an touring type bike. They're set up more upright and comfortable, meaning you'll enjoy the ride more so than if you were in an aggressive position. They can take a wider tyre if required for extra comfort, come with pannier and mudguards as standard and will eat up mile after mile with no problems.

The Bike Shed have a sale on at the moment, and they accept C2W.

http://www.bikesheduk.com/Dawes-Touring-Bike-Sale

The Dawes Clubman is a superb bike for the money, but any of these would be a perfect fit for your needs.

My commute is about 6 miles and relatively flat. I use a On-One Pompetamine Alfine, it has an 8 speed Alfine hub and hydraulic disc brakes. The bike really suits my commute, it requires minimal maintenance and is comfortable to ride, the 35mm tyres, steel frame and curved forks all contributing to the "magic carpet" effect that is most pronounced after getting off my all alloy 25mm shod road bike. I appreciate that hub gears are not for everyone but I would recommend trying something similar to my On-One before you make a choice.

Another thumbs up for the Whyte. Almost got the Suffolk myself, went with another bike in the end - but then a mate got the Suffolk shortly afterwards, and we're both pretty impressed by it.

If you're looking to do that sort of distance with that frequency then you'll appreciate the riding position that a drop bar bike offers you, particularly when there's a headwind! In that regard, I'd be inclined to rule the hybrids out.

A growing range of "adventure" bikes has appeared over the last 12 months or so, which are basically road bikes but with the likes of disc brakes and clearance for bigger tyres and mudguards, with some suitable for light off-road use too.

The Pinnacle Arkose, Giant Revolt and Specialized Diverge are all worth a nose, and offer good value around the C2W price point. Maybe look at the Genesis Croix de Fer if you're a steel fan too.

You mentioned the Whyte Dorset, I bought myself a Suffolk a couple of weeks back as my year-round commuter. So far, so very good. Have literally only done about 60 miles on it as I'm only back to work today, but I've been nothing but impressed. The disc brakes particularly are a revelation against the rim brakes on my other Trek road bike, I can actually stop when it's raining!

The Dorset is basically the same bike as the Suffolk but with a slightly lower-spec gearset on it. The frame, wheels, brakes, finishing kit is otherwise identical, so I'd recommend it.

I tried to find a GT Grade 105 to test-ride too, but no-one had them within the timeframe I was working to. I did ride the Sora version, and it was a decent bike, very sure-footed despite it being wet out when I tested it, and unexpectedly fast in such conditions too. I didn't think the overall quality was there though, but the offset is that the range offers fantastic value for money.

Good luck with the search!

The Whyte should work. Also saw the Giant Revolt (funny-looking, but...) which would likely do you well. Recent review on this site too.

If your primary use is commuting, I would strongly lean in favour of disc brakes for durability and avoiding trashing your rims. The benefits are particularly noticeable during periods of wet weather

i've ridden to work (10miles each way) using a face high spec bike, a single speed, and a fixie. the fixie was best of those simply because it was cheap to maintain and there's less to go wrong en route.

But best of all was my 1985 Raleigh Royale 5 speed, really cheap to fix, reliable, and most importantly comfortable. I'd stick with what you've got mate.

If you want to spend money, get yourself something fancy for sundays.

Boardman Team Hybrid ticks all the boxes for a fast urban commuter that can double up for medium length rides at the weekend (I have one). Hoy Shizuoka was alongside it at top of the list for buying considerations along with other bikes around the same price bracket and specification - £700-800, quick, carbon forks, disc brakes.

For a faster, more suburban or rural commute, I'd shift over to drops - Arkose (had one of those once too) is fun and rock solid, especially with a new pair of tyres. GT Grade and Whyte Dorset would be up there too if I didn't like the muddy stuff so much.

I have a Boardman Team Hybrid that did my commute through Glasgow for two years. Great bike for commuting. Fast for a hybrid, not bad at climbing (I believe it now comes with a lower bottom gear) very stable and a good load carrier. As another poster said, the stock tyres are worth replacing quickly... I ride 32mm marathon supremes which you can get from bike-discount.de for £45 the pair. Your off road section will dictate what you should use though.

The spec on the Boardman is, in my opinion, unrivalled at the pricepoint. One criticism though is the Microshift front mech... It might last a few months, maybe many, before it goes out of shape, but I'd be tempted to swap it immediately for an Ultegra or 105 FD which you can get for around 20 quid from the likes of CRC.

After a crash back in March I put it into semi retirement for icy days, ready to go with marathon winter spiked tyres fitted.

I now ride a Boardman CX TEAM on my daily commute... Also a great commuter and basically a drop bar version of the hybrid.

The Hybrid is much better value for money though.

Pinnacle Arkose ticks all the boxes, good all round set up. it was my gateway bike!

Hi, I have a Boardman Team Hybrid 2014 (had the Pro before this one, not much difference for £300) and as long as you ditch the tyres and fit a set of GP 4 seasons/Gaitors you will have a cracking commuter. Great gearset and a really comfortable ride.
Beware the Zaffiro's, unless you enjoy wet weather body boarding.

Hope it helps.

Trikeman.

Having recently researched a few brands for my wife's bike. I was very impressed with Whyte as a brand. I liked there take on styling and componemtry. However you maybe best sticking with steel as this is clearly what you like (5years) have a look at Ridgeback tour Rrp £600 sale price £400 they also do the same bike in Reynolds 520 about £150 more. Happy bike hunting. http://www.tinpony.co.uk/shop/?category=Sale+items

I opted for a cheap 2nd hand 2010 boardman road comp for £300 for commuting on, I got sick of watching the damage done by salt water and the hassle of washing down the bike post winter drenching. That said n+1 maybe kinesis 4s disc in the autumn for year round riding if they plonk full hydr breaks on.

How flat is your route?

As commuting ruins drive trains, if you can get away with a single speed or a hub gear, it's the way to go.

Personally, I would modify your Raleigh and use that, buy a nice weekender with your C2W.