2022 Flat Bar Road Bike for Commuting (50-year old male)

[RayReddington]

Hello

New to the forum, so please forgive me if this question has already been asked.

I want to get a good quality flat bar road bike. My budget is ~ $1,500, but I'm comfortable paying more if this will get me something substantially better in some way.

I'm 50, overweight (by approx 20kg to 30kg) and live in Brisbane.

I plan to cycle from Redcliffe (using bike tracks as much as possible) into the Brisbane CBD for work five days a week. This is a decent ride (approx 70km to 80km return) because the route is not direct.

So far, I've looked at the Trek FX 3. I also checked out 99 Bikes, but I forgot the brand name of the bike they wanted to sell me - it didn't seem as nice as the Trek though!

Any advice/recommendations greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for any assistance you can offer.

[Retrobyte]

The Trek has good specs for the price. The 99Bikes option was probably the Merida Speeder 400 which is also well specced at that price point in a flat bar hybrid. I think either would be a good option.

What I would ask is your reason for leaning toward a flat bar bike? If you are concerned about the riding position or your current flexibility given you are starting out, I would say that a drop bar bike gives you more varied riding positions than a flat bar bike, and the average drop bar road bike is lighter than a flat bar bike so will be a better ride and a bit quicker than the flat bar bike. I rarely ride in the drops on my road bike, but I have that as an option if I want to, and the regular position with the hands on the "hoods" is akin to a flat bar position, plus I have other places on the bars to use for variety as well.

[RayReddington]

Thanks Retrobyte, really appreciate you taking the time to respond. You're right, it was the Merida 400. The name rings a bell now!

I guess the reason I haven't been thinking about a road bike is that I've got a fair bit of excess weight around my midsection (which I'm trying to lose by riding a lot and eating better). I think I might be a bit more stable (from a balance perspective) with somewhat wider tyres. Also, while I can ride a bike, I'm not a particularly skillful rider. I could see myself falling sideways off my bike at lights if I couldn't get out of the special road bike pedals quick enough. And probably lastly, me wearing road bike shorts isn't a great look.... and not one I want to subject people to in the morning in the city after they've just had breakfast! I think I would feel more comfortable in the sort of shorts the MTB guys use (still with a chamois, but not feeling quite as exposed as a road cyclist).

These are possibly fears (or rather concerns) that hopefully (once I become fitter and more skilled) from riding a flat bar bike I'll overcome. Perhaps my next bike (once I'm looking a bit more like a cyclist) will be a road bike.

[DavidS]

Nothing wrong with a flat bar, I got back into cycling on a flat bar. I have had a couple of flat bars and 99% of my riding is commuting. I also have a drop bar (not always lighter, but my drop bar is a steel frame so no surprise there). I am likely to retire my flat bar soon, it has 48,000KMs on it so you can't say that riding long distances on a flat bar is impossible, it is more than possible.

Flat bars are comfortable and great for commuting.

That said, I always go for a bike which suits me, that means is comfortable to ride. Different brands have slightly different geometry so a test ride is essential. I would say try both flat bars and drop bars and see what you like. It is you who will be riding the bike. In terms of tyre width, you can find both flat bars and drop bars which will take reasonably wide (or narrow) tyres. I like 28mm wide tyres and run them on both the flat bar and the drop bar. Also I use the special road pedals (I assume you mean cleats) on both bikes - this is entirely your choice, you can have pedals for shoes with or without cleats on any bike, just buy the right pedals.

I concur with you on the shorts, no-one needs to see me in lycra shorts. I may not be a fashionista but lycra shorts really are a fashion crime. I just wear normal shorts, no padding, and have a comfortable saddle. For me that is a Brooks, but you would need to find a decent saddle to suit. Your choice on shorts, and find a decent saddle which suits your rear end. Just as an aside, yes most of my riding is commuting, but I have ridden around the bay in normal shorts without problems.

One issue I had for a long time was constantly breaking spokes. A lot of bikes come with wheels which don't take kindly to a lot of weight. I am back over 100Kg now after 2 years not commuting, hoping I can get it back down nearer to 90Kg. My solution was not real cheap, but not too expensive, ProLite Como Tandem wheels. Ask about this as learning to replace spokes and true wheels is not my idea of fun.

The main thing is to find a bike you will ride every day. The last thing you want is to get a bike and get discouraged and it ends up at home most days.

Good luck.

DS

[Mozziediver]

+1 drop bars - I have both types, but prefer drops. I'm 90 kg and getting on in years and really need to move hands into different positions at regular intervals. The flat bar bike is OK, but I shortened the bars to about 60cm and added bar end extensions (Ergon GP3) to get enough variation.
I ride in loose hiking pants with some stretch - nothing special - and normal walking shoes with flatpedals.
Main bike is a touring bike, a bit heavy (steel) but strong 36 spoke wheels and wider tyres 36 mm, I think. The extra weight I justify as weight training, but I notice it most on the downhill sections where gravity kicks in!

[trailgumby]

Also, while I can ride a bike, I'm not a particularly skillful rider. I could see myself falling sideways off my bike at lights if I couldn't get out of the special road bike pedals quick enough. And probably lastly, me wearing road bike shorts isn't a great look.... and not one I want to subject people to in the morning in the city after they've just had breakfast! I think I would feel more comfortable in the sort of shorts the MTB guys use (still with a chamois, but not feeling quite as exposed as a road cyclist).

These are possibly fears (or rather concerns) that hopefully (once I become fitter and more skilled) from riding a flat bar bike I'll overcome. Perhaps my next bike (once I'm looking a bit more like a cyclist) will be a road bike.

'
Hi Ray, welcome to the forum!

You're not obligated to use clipless pedals, even with drop-bar road bikes, but they do have their upsides.

Besides being more efficient, your feet don't slip off the pedals when its wet, nor do they rattle off when riding over rough ground, such as the patchwork of pothole repairs that pass for roads after the extraordinary run of wet weather we've experienced on the east coast this year. With practice and concentration you will be fine with them - I started commuting with clipless straight away and as my tag says, I'm the ultimate gumby. If I can do it, so can most.

The only advice I would give is to practice clipping in and out on a grassy surface for as long as it takes you to feel moderately comfortable before venturing out on the road, especially the process of clipping out before you come to a stop. Most people clip out quite early while they are learning and that is not only OK it is recommended. Everyone falls over eventually, even experienced riders, so learning to turn that into a judo roll will go much easier on the grass. Practice with each side. You will favour one side, but being able to unclip either side first is prudent.

Using MTB clipless pedals and shoes to begin with is recommended, even with road bikes, as the release force can be dialled down much lower, and they are double sided so much less faffing about with clipping in.



It is often advised to go with single-sided pedals, so you can ride either flats or clipped in, but I would strongly advise against it as it leaves you in no-mans land - you never know which side of the pedal will be up, and SPD shoes don't grip flat pedals, so you will be distracted trying to figure out if you need to flip your pedal over while you should be paying attention to the road environment.

Nothing wrong with riding in MTB trail shorts on your roadie either.

[nickobec]

As somebody who is a bit older than you, regularly commutes, has done for well over a decade and my commute is 85km round trip, a little advice.

I started on a drop bar road bike, in baggy mountain bike kit and mountain bike clipless pedals. After a couple of years I started riding in full lycra because it is far more practical and road bike clipless pedals.

I have experimented with different bikes, flat bar, drop bar, time trial, various gearing options including singlespeed, flat pedals, cages, mtb and road clipless. Now most of my riding is on drop bar road bikes, set up for speed.

Commuting the full trip, 5 days a week is going to be tough. I will do a full week once or twice a year. And it took me a few years to build up to it that level. Most of my commutes in the first year were one way, leave the bike at work, ride home the next day. Even now it is twice a week.

So start easy and slowly work your way up.

Take you clothes and other stuff, to work on your non ride days, so you don't have to carry unnecessary load when you commute.

Wear what ever you feel comfortable riding in, over time this will change, particularly in summer.

Drink plenty of fluids.

Ride what ever you are comfortable riding, over time you might move to what is faster and more practical.

At my peak I was 95kg, never had an issues with my bikes, other than one wheel which I had to replace the spokes.

[brumby33]

G'day and welcome to the forum Ray, You said in your intro that you're going to do a 70-80km return commute that's quite a long way if you're just starting out.
Have you ever ridden that distance ever before?
Perhaps you could do some of your commute to start with on your days off and go a bit further everytime.

I'm not saying that you can't do it if you're relatively fit and healthy but that's a lot of distance to take on straight away. Perhaps you could mix it up with a bit of Public Transport and ride some of the way. Maybe ride via some railways stations so if you do find it's a bit much, you then have the option to put your bike on the train to work. Last thing you want to do is be late for work...and what if you get a puncture. By your distance reckoning, I say you're in for a 2.5 hour each way jaunt.

Tyres I would option for the almost puncture proof Schwalbe Marathon Plus maybe 700 x 38.

Make sure with your bike you get advice about lights, wet weather gear, maybe mudguards etc. Rack and panniers, you don't want to be riding those distances with a backpack, you'll be in a whole lot of discomfort in no time, invest with a rear rack and at least one waterproof pannier, 2 is better. About eh bike shorts, I'd advise to use them as they won't chafe, if you're concerned about the look, then wear ordinary shorts over them. You can also buy bike under shorts like undies and you don't wear jocks under them....the whole idea is to wick sweat and reduce the chafing.

Sorry for the long answer to your post but I know how it feels starting out.....so does everyone here.

Cheers

brumby33

[Thoglette]

I plan to cycle from Redcliffe (using bike tracks as much as possible) into the Brisbane CBD for work five days a week. This is a decent ride (approx 70km to 80km return) because the route is not direct.
...
Any advice/recommendations greatly appreciated.

What I always say: 32mm+ tyres, full mudguards and racks (no backpacks).

Over that distance, you're looking at 1.5 to 2 hours each way. You'll want a shower at work after that, too. You might want to consider an e-bike if your fitness is not up that level of effort. Especially if you've feeling ill and there's a head wind.

[Gordonhooker]

Hi Ray I came back into riding bicycles at 60 and carry a little extra weight probably 10kg loss would be good for me. I turn 70 next month and still carry that little extra but I am a lot fitter for riding my bike, I would suggest if you are carrying extra weight around your neck then a higher sitting position would be best as it can get very uncomfortable if you are on longer rides. If you are seriously thinking about drop bars make sure you do a few longer rides with them before committing to spending bigger $'s on the bike.

PS... I love the look of the Trek FX 3 and the specifications of the drive train, I am 1byX convert.

[Gordonhooker]

I plan to cycle from Redcliffe (using bike tracks as much as possible) into the Brisbane CBD for work five days a week. This is a decent ride (approx 70km to 80km return) because the route is not direct.
...
Any advice/recommendations greatly appreciated.

What I always say: 32mm+ tyres, full mudguards and racks (no backpacks).

Over that distance, you're looking at 1.5 to 2 hours each way. You'll want a shower at work after that, too. You might want to consider an e-bike if your fitness is not up that level of effort. Especially if you've feeling ill and there's a head wind.

-
Great post, Ray you may want to think about what Thoglette says about the ebike. The fitness level you are looking for can then be assisted by the battery when you really need it.

[bychosis]

Over my commuting years I rode all sorts of bikes and ended up with a flat bar roadie with disc brakes. Started with Dual suspension MTB, then fitted slicks, then a hardtail with slicks, drop bar and even a fixie. My commute was only 7km direct but during peak fitness was regularly detouring for up to 2hr in the morning.

+1 for considering an e-bike or planning on 1-3 days per week to start. 30-40km each way is a big ask especially when starting out. 4hrs commuting is a big ask. Park and ride might be an option as well.

Definitely wear what you want. I’ve ridden plenty and only rarely worn knicks and I don’t like tight fitting shirts either.

Commuting with clipped in pedals is better, but not essential. Tired legs appreciate not having to worry about locating on the pedals. The rigid shows that go with be better for your feet too.

[OnTrackZeD]

Commuting the full trip, 5 days a week is going to be tough. I will do a full week once or twice a year. And it took me a few years to build up to it that level. Most of my commutes in the first year were one way, leave the bike at work, ride home the next day. Even now it is twice a week.

So start easy and slowly work your way up.

There is alot of good advice here but this is the best as you are talking about minimum a two hour ride each way

You are talking about 400 k's a week, a seasoned rider would struggle doing more than 300 km a week for a prolonged period.

[baabaa]

Commuting the full trip, 5 days a week is going to be tough. I will do a full week once or twice a year. And it took me a few years to build up to it that level. Most of my commutes in the first year were one way, leave the bike at work, ride home the next day. Even now it is twice a week.

So start easy and slowly work your way up.

There is alot of good advice here but this is the best as you are talking about minimum a two hour ride each way

You are talking about 400 k's a week, a seasoned rider would struggle doing more than 300 km a week for a prolonged period.

Indeed.
I swapped from from decades of 20 ks per day commutes to a 32 k each way and found the distance hard going.
Day in day out during spring and autumn worked well and was quite fun and good for the body, but the chill of winter with the shorter dark days and then the heat and humidity of Sydney summers made the 10 trips a week of 32km a hard slog... then you have cars on the road, steep long hills if they are on the route and hate to say it but sometimes the super commuter fools on other bikes riding across the Sydney Harbour and Anzac bridges who take away the joys of biking.
My solution was to never race the distance, and the more relaxed you ride the easier your body feels and is at the end of the week. The time when I needed to go fast was often slowed by traffic anyway. But 90 /100 mins plus each way is not something I consider you should do to start out with - drive part of the way, bike the rest, bike back to the car/ bus/ train then drive or ride by bus or train the rest of the way home. RIde twice or three times a week or sometimes not at all. Work out a combo that is fun for you.

Re bikes - All modern bikes are good, very good and way better that what you or I or anyone here really need.
Having a good fit is the key and support this by keeping the running gear and the moving parts of the bike simple.
I ended up doing all my commuting on a single speed. Drop bars are good, flat bars are good, but having a bike from the start that you change to both types is even better. Nothing is set in stone. I now run a light steel go fastish bike with extra wide flared low drop mountain drop bars and it works for me.
Again bike fit, bike fit, bike fit.
My guess is you just need to start out and then the type of bike and the parts will works itself out - may take some time as I have plenty of bikes and still do not know what the one perfect bike for me.

[Mububban]

I'll add my voice to those saying 350km+ a week is HUGE and likely to cause injuries if you hit it too hard, too soon. Heck, most regular "serious" cyclists don't commute anywhere near that much in a week!

35km each way minimum is a lot. Is it flat, undulating or hilly? Any really nasty prolonged climbs in there or only short sharp efforts?
Bike paths or sharing roads with cars? A good set of bright front and rear lights could be literal life savers if on the road. And necessary for early/late winter riding in the dark.

If the budget will stretch, an ebike will see you doing 4-5 days a week easily (except maybe a sore backside!), whereas a normal bike might very well see you injured, and demotivated.

If you have end of trip facilities like a locker, consider driving maybe on Mondays, with a week's worth of frozen lunches and changes of clothes. Riding without a daily backpack is much better than riding with one!

And if you don't know already, practise changing inner tubes in case of punctures. With that many planned kms, flat tyres become a real possibility.

Good luck, have fun and stay safe!

[trailgumby]

I'm glad the others picked up on the detail about the number of kilometres, because I missed it.

When I started commuting at 44, trying to do 5 days a week for 20km each way smashed me. I couldn't do it. I ended up going into what I later learned was overtraining - not a nice place. Part of my problem with that was I had no idea about pacing- I simply smashed out a maximal effort (or tried to) each time I threw a leg over the bike because as a then-surfer, that's what you have to do on a shortboard and I didn't know any better. My journey has between 300 and 400 metres climbing, depending on whether I'm going to work or returning. I live at the top of a decent hill, so not insignificant

35km each way is about an hour and a half times two, depending on how much vertical your commute includes. You will need time to recover, so backing up the following day will be a challenge. I'd suggest every second day to start with, say Monday-Wednesday-Friday or Tuesday-Thursday. Every third week should be easier as well, to wash out fatigue.

Turning 50 sees significant hormonal changes for most males. When that number ticked over for me, it saw big changes in my ability to recover and back up after hard sessions, and I had to change my routine to allow for that. I can still do the big rides (100km+, 3,000m+ vert) but I don't jump back on the bike the next day any more.

This is not to try to discourage you. Commuting by bike is the highlight of my week, especially when the weather is as brilliant as it was this morning.

What we're each saying in our own way is to start with smaller goals and work up from there.

[Thoglette]

Commuting by bike is the highlight of my week,

Highlights of my day.

I used to do a 32km each way commute. Less effort and struggle than a 11km run (the local city-to-surf), at least for my route.

If I was not feeling much like riding, I could cut 10km out of that by catching a train for a section in the middle. And some days I just caught the bus or got a taxi (even just to the nearest train station-about 12km away from work).

Oh, my other standard comment is: do a few practice runs on the weekend when time is not a problem to check out the route(s). For my current commute I have a number of options to chose from, depending on my mood, the weather and prevailing traffic conditions.