The sales of commuters bikes in the U.S. have grown quickly in the last couple years. Commuter bikes are those that include features useful for commuting to work or around town — like fenders, chain guards, storage racks, comfortable seats, lights and puncture-resistant tires. You may also be interested our reviews of folding bikes and electric commuter bikes and women’s commuter bikes.
Update: See our article Best Commuters Bikes For 2011.
Let’s take a look at some the best commuter bikes of 2010:
Raleigh Detour Deluxe 2010 Commuter Bike
The Detour Deluxe is designed specifically for commuters — it comes standard with a rack, fenders, a headlight and a comfortable seat. The aluminum frame is lightweight but strong enough to carry cargo around town.
The Basta Pilot light system is a nice addition for the commuter. Both the headlight and taillight is powered by the generator in the hub of the bike. The lights can be set to automatic. When you hit a dark patch the lights will automatically flip on and when you come out into the light again they’ll turn back off.
The Raleigh Detour Deluxe Commuter Bike is available from REI for around $740.
Electra Townie Euro 24D Commuter Bike
The Electra Townie Euro is a comfortable bike with many practical features for commuters.
It includes dynamo-powered halogen headlight, a battery-powered LED rear light, kickstand and an alloy rear rack with strap.
The bike’s geometry places pedals well ahead of the seatpost, resulting in leg movement that many people find more stable than other designs.
The tires have a Kevlar puncture-resistant casing and reflective sidewalls. Nice!
It’s available from REI for $700.
Giant Twist Freedom Commuter Bike
The new Giant Twist commuter bike from Giant features their “hybrid technology”. Basically, the bike intelligently adjusts to your pedaling power, making for a very smooth ride (you can read about all the details in this PDF).
The Giant Twist has two lithium-ion battery EnergyPaks for extended range. Giant says the charge lasts up to 70 miles in Economy mode, and the bike take four hours to recharge.
The entire range of Giant Electric Bikes are available from Bob’s Bicycles. They range in price from $1624 to $2,249.
Schwinn World Avenue One Commuter Bike
The Schwinn World Avenue is an affordable commuter bike that is built for comfortable urban riding. It has a large saddle, and a seat post with built-in suspension. The World Avenue also comes with Planet Bike fenders and rear carrier, a full chain guard, a kickstand and a bell.
The World Avenue is priced around $500 from Amazon.
Huffy Commuter Bike
If you’re looking for an inexpensive commuter bike, Huffy sell this commuter bike under $150. The bike comes standard with fenders and a rear rack. However, at this price level, bike components tend to be cheaply made, so owners may find that they need to pay for repairs and replacements quite soon. But if you are on a budget, and need an entry-level commuter bike, you might consider this one.
The Huffy Commuter bike is available from Sears for about $180.
The Kona Ute Cargo Bike
The Kona Ute is a good choice if you’ll be carrying cargo around town.
The Ute features a huge rack which is capable of carrying four panniers. This bike’s geometry is designed to make carrying groceries on your bike a breeze. It has an extended utility frame made out of butted 7005 aluminum for heavy load-carrying ability. It also comes with some nice additions like fenders and quality handlebar grips.
The Ute is available at Bike Sale.
Felt Cafe 8 Deluxe Commuter Bike
The Felt Cafe 8 Deluxe is a lightweight commuter bike, that Felt describes as “a real-world answer to bicycle commuting and any local store runs.” It’s priced around $600.
Biria Lite 3 Speed Trekking and Commuter Bike
Biria bikes are designed in Germany. The Biria Trekking Lite is a quality commuter bike for under $500.
This three-speed bike has Shimano Nexus internal gear hub. This means there is no external derailleur for shifting — it’s all internal for low maintenance and ease-of-use. The Trekking Lite includes a chainguard, kickstand, rack and fenders.
It’s available from BikeMania for $490.
More Commuter Bikes
You can also find a good range of commuter bikes at the Commuter Bike Store.
Bike Commuter seemed interesting to use for casual bike
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Handlebars level with the seat is a compromise between an aggressive position for mroe power and a more upright position for comfort. It’s a fairly common setup for brevet riders, tourers, and other forms of long distance riding.
As far as saddles are concerned, a Brooks B-17 or Selle An-Atomica would serve you well. They’re both expensive, but they’ll last you a lifetime and will end up being infinitely more comfortable than a gel-filled blob.
Keep in mind that bike positioning affects saddle shape as well, so if you go upright you want a wider saddle, and as you’re more hunched over you want a narrower saddle. The B-17 is right in the middle, which is why it’s a good match for a bike with the saddle at the same height as the handlebars.
HT mountain bikes make decent commuters but generally they’re far from ideal ones. The bottom bracket is higher than necessary, and they often come with cheap suspension forks that don’t really do much for the rider. On the other hand they tend to be relatively sturdy and can handle some weight, and V-brakes are simple and powerful.
John I would get a hard-tail mountain bike then buy a nice comfy saddle that will make your ride smooth. It won’t be as fast as a road bike but with now rear shocks you won’t be too much slower…
Mostly flat with some hills. You may be right about the handlebar/saddle height being even in order to make for a quicker commute.
I really appreciate the feedback!
@John
I’d have a hard look at relatively laid-back cyclocross bikes, like the Soma Double-Cross or Surly Cross Check, or a touring bike like a Surly Long Haul Trucker. Is your commute flat? Hilly?
28 miles round trip is a solid commute, so you’re going to want something reasonably fast. Drop bars are a good call if wind is ever a factor.
Ultimately the most important thing to keep in mind is fit. The bike has to fit you well. I tend to suggest more upright bikes to most people, but given the length of your commute you probably want to look at something where the handlebars and saddle are about at an even height, provided you don’t want to spend your entire day commuting.
Finally, one consideration is an e-bike. Then it really doesn’t matter what the bike looks like or how much it weighs… you can always juice the throttle 🙂
My office is about 14 miles away from my home. I was looking at road bikes, but those comfy seats on the commuters seem like the way to go. I have to take a combination of dirt trails and paved paths to get to work. I like to ride and will be riding on weekends, not just to work and back. Does anyone have recommendations as to what kind of bike to get? Commuter? Mountain?
The Schwinn World Avenue looked good. Just wanted a second opinion. Thanks.
I bought my husband the Detour Deluxe for $769 online. He works about 3 miles from home so he wanted something to get thim there comfortably. He rides to work 4 times a week and he loves his bike!
The best commuter bikes will only work best if the rider knows the right skills and techniques in riding a bike easily and properly. Check http://www.reviewsdigital.org/mycycling.html for tips in bike riding skills and techniques.