Commuting bike

Should probably add I'm 6 foot tall, and 14 stone...

4.5 miles with no hills is not a commute that requires anything more than the most basic kind of bike, but once you start riding you'll probably want to go on longer rides.

Ideally commuting bikes should be rugged with tough wheels and very puncture resistant tyres. (e.g. Schwalbe Marathon Plus.) I honestly don't think that there's anything better than a touring bike for this, although a hybrid (which is essentially a touring bike with flat handlebars) is a good option if you don't like drop handlebars.
I regard mudguards as essential as they protect both your bike and your clothes from road spray in wet weather. Lights and reflectors are a legal requirement when riding in the dark, as well as helping to keep you alive. A rack for carrying clothes, brief cases etc. will save you trying to carry these things unsafely on the bike or uncomfortably about your person.
Many commuters, particularly those doing short, flattish runs such as yours, prefer hub gears than derailleurs. Another option for trouble-free simplicity is a single-speed, which can be fixed or free, but that would limit the usefulness of the bike for other purposes.
As far as the two you are looking at are concerned, both would do the job and more, providing they can be fitted with guards and a rack. (In dry weather and with nothing to carry they'd do as is, of course.)

Have you looked at this one?

cyclestore.co.ukproductDetails.aspOpen ↗

Thanks very much for the feedback. I'm not a great fan of drop handle bars, basically I just want to go faster and not have to worry about maintenance too much.

At the moment 4.5 miles takes me 15-20 mins (so 13.5mph to 18mph) and I'd really like to get that down. I'm concious that there are other people who I see regularly going considerably faster, wearing lycra with 'proper' bikes, and I know that the equipment must help them out and it's not just a difference in fitness. 🙂

The thing that's stopped me going down to a local bike shop is I'm really bothered about things that you can't see - quality of the hubs, rolling resistance, 'puncturability' of tyres, strength of wheels. How do you measure any of these until it's too late and you've handed over the money and found out the problem a week or two later?

I wrote a long, helpful reply here and the bloody server went and bloody lost it.

So, what are you riding at the moment?

The price of a bike or component is a fairly good indicator of quality.

Shimano stuff is good even at the low end. Anything cheaper than budget Shimano is likely to be rubbish.

It's good to trust you local bike shop. Generally they will know more than you do and so can give you advice, and won't try to sell you something unsuitable if they understand your requirements. If you buy a bike from them they'll usually give you one free service and will be happier to deal with any problems.

Ruggedness and reliability don't come light. You're better off with strong wheels and puncture-resistant tyres (Schwalbe Marathon Plus) than real lightweights that can save seconds in a time-trial but can't cope with potholes and kerbstones. (BTW, why kerbstones? You shouldn't be riding on the footpath, ever.)

Why do you even want to spend less than 15 - 20 mins, twice a day, cycling?

If you pump your tyres up hard and lube your chain this will make a lot of difference. Bear in mind that a heavy bike is getting you fitter than a lightweight, and any improvement is down to you, not the bike.

edb49 said:

My budget is £500, I will only have to pay about £250 of this due to a UK tax initiative to make everyone green.

How does the scheme work? I am looking to buy a new bike in Australia but will be in the UK at the end of the year and paying half the cost sounds appealing! Can you point me to a website with more info? Thanks (and good luck with the bike shopping!)

teachie, I think you need to be employed in the UK to take advantage of it, see here:
cyclescheme.co.ukcyclescheme.co.ukOpen ↗

Don, I'm currently riding a Claud Butler Urraco mountain bike. Rear wheel is currently so bent and twisted that I've disconnected the rear break so I can make a decent amount of progress.

I'm one of those people that just likes to get where I'm going as quickly as possible, I'll walk to the shop as fast as possible to get a Sunday paper, even if I don't have anything to do for the rest of the day. I appreciate that going faster means it will be less of a fitness benefit.