Looking for a commuter bike to make the 6 mile trip to and from work. It’s Jersey, so the roads range from sh*tty to awful. Came across the urban line from Trek and am intrigued. Read a few reviews and am still intrigued. Anyone own a bike from this line? I’m mainly interested in the SoHo and Sport Urban lines. Thanks!
whiney
don’t own any of those bikes. i will say that i’m not convinced by most commuter bike lines - i commute on an old ten-speed univega, and it works great. lots to be found, if you don’t mind fixing one up.
thanks for the reply. I’ve done a few test runs on the road bike with
a backpack and it’s just not comfy at all. My fit on the road bike is
great, but throw a backpack on there and I’m miserable. I use a Mtb
bike now, but the commute is barely a mile each way. I’m moving to the
outskirts of town (Princeton), so the commute will be 6-7 miles each
way. I like the more upright positioning of the commuter bikes, and
also the disc brakes that you can get on some. Like many have
suggested, I don’t plan on using the commute as a training session.
Just a way to get from A to B. I know
there are a few companies that have “urban/commuter” lines, so I
thought I’d check out Trek’s first.
I’ve got the SU100 from 2007 (I think). It rides fine, backpack on is no problem. I’d suggest you put some fenders on to not have the dreaded line of water on your butt when there’s a puddle.
I use it for daily commuting (rain or shine) 3 miles each way, as well as for light mountain biking (have changed out the front fork to a good suspension fork, but only for the mountain biking, wouldn’t have done it for commuting).
did you put any panniers on it? I’m looking to ditch the backpack or go to a very light one. How are the stock components? Especially the wheels.
just to clarify, my fit on my 80s univega is nothing like my fit on my main road bike. partly because it’s a bigger frame (i took what was available), but i’m also set up to be far more upright. backpacks aren’t an issue, although your back can get really sweaty. (and i prefer backpacks to ‘messenger’ packs, but i seem to be in the minority on that).
have you tried putting slicks on your moutainbike?
haven’t tried the slicks yet–it’s a possibility. I just might get permission to buy a new bike and commuting everyday means I’ll be on the commuter more than my road bike. Not sure about the logistics of panniers on the mtb bike. Would love to have the front suspension on these roads 
I also hate messenger bags.
No panniers, I prefer the backpack. Stock components, the wheels are fine. I have had to change the rear wheel because the rim cracked, but that was due to mountain biking. The one thing I would change right away when you get the bike are the tires, they started getting flats (on the road not while mountain biking) pretty soon after I got the bike.
good point. I have the bontrager HardCases on my road bike, so I’d get something akin to the Armadillos for the commuter. did you throw fenders on there without any problems?
If I can pull it off, I’d love to keep 4 bikes in the stable :road, mtb (trails), commuter, and cross. No cross bike yet–that one will have to be found on craigslist or a garage sale
Putting fenders on the rear was no problem. The front was a bit tricky. I chose very wide fenders to cover the whole tire and minimize spray up onto me. So if you chose a fender that fits into the fork it’ll be no problem as all the necessary screw holes are there.
The dream commuter bike from trek is the Portland. That’s the one I would get.
Dave
see, i’d think that a good cross bike would make an excellent commuter bike. (assuming that you can keep int inside at work). sturdier than a road bike, faster than a mountain bike, and those cheater brakes let you stay more upright.
Where can you find a cheap fixie? Ive looked on craigslist and ebay, im not sure exactly what im looking for? There is a local guy selling a nikishi for $250 with new wheels/tires/etc. and that seems decent but i havent heard back from him yet. Also where do you get parts for fixed gear bikes?
The bike’s gotta stay outside at work regardless of the weather. I work in a lab and there’s no space for a bike. Can panniers be thrown on a cross bike? I’d really like to lighten the load that I have in the backpack. I did notice the portland, but I’m afraid that’s outta my price range. The “commuter” bike style is much closer to my price range (~ $600 when it’s all said and done).
fixies are kinda pricey right now, as the BSNYC’s fixed gear apocalypse seems to be behind schedule. cheapest bikes out there, aside from old huffys/murray bikes, are old ten-speeds. 27" wheels, etc.
might be cheaper to just convert an old road bike by yourself. Maybe a wheel with flip/flop hub? i’m not a wrench, but that’s I keep reading about on this forum and others.
I use a cyclocross bike with a rack and panniers. For me it’s the perfect commuter bike. Very tough, wider tires, comfortable fit and no backpack. Plus it has brakes on top of the handlebars as well as on the drops.
would you mind mentioning the specifics? It’s a setup I’m open to, but the price might prohibit it. Thanks!
Specialized Tricross that I got for a good price but new
Tubus rack
Ortlieb panniers.
I bought new but if I were willing to buy used I could have got it for a real steal
I actually bought it to go on a long touring vacation so I was willing to spend a bit more. Had I just been looking for a commuter bike, I would never have bought it. But now that I did, I am very happy I did. I much prefer it to those commuter bikes (and I tried a couple of them).
“own” may not be the right term, but I’ve been riding a Soho for a few weeks now as my city duty (1-4mi trips) bike. made some tweaks to get the positioning a tad more aggressive than stock (longer+lower stem, slight fwd rotation on bars), but otherwise am really enjoying it. dittos on comments regarding adding fenders (no matter what bike/brand) and/or a rear rack for hauling purposes. if I were to change anything on the Soho - and this applies to other bike options as well - I’d probably go for the widest possible rubber I can fit inside the chainstays/fork. for general bombproofing on the city streets I consider 38-40mm to be a minimum width. trying to be nimble and catlike in my handling with a backpack or panniers or what have you just doesn’t work as well as plowing straight ahead. that’s where (air) volume is your friend.
Carl