Trek 1500 for commuting?

Soulcatcher said:

If anyone has a trek 1500, and thinks it would be good or not good for
this type of situation could you post your comments here.

Thanks
Lee

I don't have a Trek 1500. I do have a road bike with very similar
geometry, and it is an excellent commuting bike. The angles and
dimensions are relaxed enough to make it easy to cruise along, while
it is tight enough to be responsive and quick when I want it.

If it gets good responses on the quality of the components, and you
like how it feels,I'd go for it.

Quoted message said:

Here are the things I am looking for.

1) Speed, I don't want to take all night getting home.
2) Durability of the bike, I hate do maintenance every other day.
Minor upkeep every month or so I can deal with.
3) Comfort. I'm hoping that within a couple of months I can get the
one way trip time down to around 1/2 hour.

im eyeing the giant ocr3, or the trek 1000c

Soulcatcher <[email hidden]> wrote in news:o24cf0t3h6toe047iccd1c3rv45l4gvbcn@
4ax.com:

Quoted message said:

PS About what speed can an average person expect to cruise along on a
good road bike today (I haven't had a road bike since HS) I was
figuring right now with the shape I am in I could still hold a 12-15
mph pace on flat terrain, does that sound reasonable? And then once I
get in better shape I should be able to get about 16-18 for that 10
mile stretch.

When I commute, my average speed is dictated primarily by stop lights. Most
business areas have lots of lights. If your commute is less than an hour and
has lots of traffic, I would get a mountain bike or hybrid so you can see the
cars better. Get a set of heavy duty tires so you never get a flat in the rain
when you have a meeting in the morning. A road racing bike is not going to be
much faster because of the traffic lights.

"Soulcatcher" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

2) Durability of the bike, I hate do maintenance every other day.
Minor upkeep every month or so I can deal with.

Where do you live? Here in the Pacific North-Wet, if you're a daily
commuter, you'll probably want to clean your bike every week in the rainy
season, no matter what you buy. This newsgroup converted me to regular
bicycle hygiene.

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
Please replace earthlink for mouse-potato and .net for .com
Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

In article <[email hidden]>,

Dan Daniel said:

Soulcatcher said:

If anyone has a trek 1500, and thinks it would be good or not good for
this type of situation could you post your comments here.

Thanks
Lee

I don't have a Trek 1500. I do have a road bike with very similar
geometry, and it is an excellent commuting bike. The angles and
dimensions are relaxed enough to make it easy to cruise along, while
it is tight enough to be responsive and quick when I want it.

If it gets good responses on the quality of the components, and you
like how it feels,I'd go for it.

I have an older Trek 1500 and love my bike. Fits well, rides nice. This
year I installed a new 105 rder and a 13-28 freewheel (I'm not up to
pushing the 12-21 anymore).

Cheers,

Dave in Minnesota

Soulcatcher said:

Hi,

I'm thinking on picking up a good road bike to start riding
back and forth to work (10miles each way) on city streets. I am not
in the best of shape (37 years old, 195 pounds}, last worked out about
1 1/2 years ago when I used to ride to and from work (6miles then). I
love to ride, but all I have is a mountain bike now. I don't think
I'd like to ride it everyday as it is really slow and not very
comfortable.

Here are the things I am looking for.

1) Speed, I don't want to take all night getting home.
2) Durability of the bike, I hate do maintenance every other day.
Minor upkeep every month or so I can deal with.
3) Comfort. I'm hoping that within a couple of months I can get the
one way trip time down to around 1/2 hour.

If anyone has a trek 1500, and thinks it would be good or not good for
this type of situation could you post your comments here.

One of the things I'd check on is whether or not the 1500 has eyelets
for a rack. (I don't think it does, but I'm not really sure.) It's
easier to carry things like clothes, and sometimes notebooks and books,
to and from work on a rack.

Yes, there are seatpost racks available, but retrogrouches like me would
rather put weight on a rack designed to carry a bit extra, attached to
the frame at points that are designed to carry the load. Since you're
buying a new bike, why not get one that's designed to do the job than
retro-fitting something else the best you can later?

Besides, when you lose the load, the loss of the extra weight makes even
a touring bike (like a Trek 520) seem sporty by comparison.

Pat

Ken said:

Soulcatcher <[email hidden]> wrote in news:o24cf0t3h6toe047iccd1c3rv45l4gvbcn@
4ax.com:

Quoted message said:

PS About what speed can an average person expect to cruise along on a
good road bike today (I haven't had a road bike since HS) I was
figuring right now with the shape I am in I could still hold a 12-15
mph pace on flat terrain, does that sound reasonable? And then once I
get in better shape I should be able to get about 16-18 for that 10
mile stretch.

When I commute, my average speed is dictated primarily by stop lights. Most
business areas have lots of lights. If your commute is less than an hour and
has lots of traffic, I would get a mountain bike or hybrid so you can see the
cars better. Get a set of heavy duty tires so you never get a flat in the rain
when you have a meeting in the morning. A road racing bike is not going to be
much faster because of the traffic lights.

Some people, like me, find a road bike works very well for commuting.
This is inside a city where traffic lights and stop signs are at
almost every intersection. I just like the feel of the bike, the
position, etc. I have a "mountain" bike set up for streets, and still
use the road bike(s) most of the time.

On Wed, 14 Jul 2004 22:17:51 -0700, Soulcatcher <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

2) Durability of the bike, I hate do maintenance every other day.
Minor upkeep every month or so I can deal with.

I'd recommend a beater, then, unless the roads are pretty clean and
you won't be riding in bad weather. A discarded old "ten speed"
ought to do. Put tough tires and tubes on it. Make sure it's wheels
are well tensioned and true.

Quoted message said:

If anyone has a trek 1500, and thinks it would be good or not good for
this type of situation could you post your comments here.

I looked at the 1500 on the Trek site.
http://www.trekbikes.com/bikes/2004/road/1500.jsp
Those wheels don't look like tough commuting wheels. Also, I suspect
the bike doesn't offer room for larger tires, or fenders, both of
which you may want for commuting.

You could look into touring bikes such as the Fuji Touring or Jamis
Aurora, but I stand by my beater recommendation. As a bonus, they're
cheap (rescue it for free, fix it up for ten to forty dollars),
leaving you money to buy a fun bike (like the 1500) for when you're
not commuting.

Quoted message said:

PS About what speed can an average person expect to cruise along on a
good road bike today (I haven't had a road bike since HS) I was

Pretty much the same as an older road bike. The differences that
would affect speed are lighter weight (only matters on hills, and
not much even then), aerodynamics (aerodynamic frame/components
still don't contribute much), and gearing that gives you closer
ratios to keep you better in your optimum cadence (minor).
Unfortunately, no advance in breaking the laws of physics...you
still must provide all of your own energy.

Quoted message said:

figuring right now with the shape I am in I could still hold a 12-15
mph pace on flat terrain, does that sound reasonable? And then once I
get in better shape I should be able to get about 16-18 for that 10
mile stretch.

Sounds reasonable to me.
--
Rick Onanian

Soulcatcher said:

Hi,

I'm thinking on picking up a good road bike to start riding
back and forth to work (10miles each way) on city streets. I am not
in the best of shape (37 years old, 195 pounds}, last worked out about
1 1/2 years ago when I used to ride to and from work (6miles then). I
love to ride, but all I have is a mountain bike now. I don't think
I'd like to ride it everyday as it is really slow and not very
comfortable.

Here are the things I am looking for.

1) Speed, I don't want to take all night getting home.

Although your regular pace will be faster on a road bike, traffic lights
and stop signs affect your average speed more. It just won't make a big
difference.

Quoted message said:

2) Durability of the bike, I hate do maintenance every other day.
Minor upkeep every month or so I can deal with.

On the streets, the maintenance for the road bike and mountain bike
would be the same. The lowest maintenance bike you could get would be a
fixie. Bigger tires on the road bike along with tire liners or just
kevlar belts will reduce flats (i.e. 28c - 35c)

Quoted message said:

3) Comfort. I'm hoping that within a couple of months I can get the
one way trip time down to around 1/2 hour.

I think the road bike is very comfortable. Drop bars offer so many
positions for hands and posture that it's more comfortable than the
single position you have with flat bars.

Quoted message said:

If anyone has a trek 1500, and thinks it would be good or not good for
this type of situation could you post your comments here.

Thanks
Lee

PS About what speed can an average person expect to cruise along on a
good road bike today (I haven't had a road bike since HS) I was
figuring right now with the shape I am in I could still hold a 12-15
mph pace on flat terrain, does that sound reasonable? And then once I
get in better shape I should be able to get about 16-18 for that 10
mile stretch.

"Soulcatcher" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi,

I'm thinking on picking up a good road bike to start riding
back and forth to work (10miles each way) on city streets. I am not
in the best of shape (37 years old, 195 pounds}, last worked out about
1 1/2 years ago when I used to ride to and from work (6miles then). I
love to ride, but all I have is a mountain bike now. I don't think
I'd like to ride it everyday as it is really slow and not very
comfortable.

Personally, I would be leery of lightweight paired-spoke wheels on an urban
commuting bike, especially if low maintenance is a primary concern. Also, it
can sometimes be hard to get the bars high enough on a bike with race
geometry.

I think cyclocross or light-touring bikes make a better commuting choice
than racing-style bikes. Something that can take a rack and fenders (if you
plan on all-weather commuting), that puts you in a comfortable position for
operating in traffic, and that has robust wheels that can take a substantial
tire.

For something not too expensive (hundreds less than the Trek 1500) look at
something like the Jamis Aurora or Bianchi Crosscheck. You might lose a
minute or two to a racing bike, but as others have noted in city riding
traffic these things tend to even out.

I have a 26 mile RT commute that I usually do on a ti 'cross bike or a steel
touring bike. I also have a racing bike that I rarely commute on, but have
done so a few times. My total times on all three bikes are nearly always +/-
5% of average, even when the tourer is loaded up with panniers and a few
days' work clothes.

RichC