Who's commuting?

Don't commute, but last time I owned a car I'd put 2700km on it when it came time to renew rego. Have an ebike with a rack now.
 
Rorschach said:
After spending a day bunting around Rottnest Island yesterday on a crappy rental ebike, I'm wondering whether I can make the jump from using my car to e-commuting.
My office is about 25km from home and currently takes me ~45 minutes to drive as the freeway is bloody awful.
My question is what are you commuting on, and how long does it go? Is it a viable alternative to a car?
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I commute on my Levo SL. 25km each way and takes about an hour. I now have two sets of wheels. The factory wheels with some Rekon Race tyres are for commuting and I have a nice set of I9 Enduro wheels for proper MTB.
I can sit on an average 28kph most days.
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But arse is slowly adapting to longer sessions in the saddle so can I get some recommendations for some clothing and hardware?

- Waterproof but breathable Jacket and Trousers
- Shoes (or covers)

- Bike rack that fit on a disc brake frame (Norco Search XR)
- Mudguards
- Panniers
 
Hambo said:
But arse is slowly adapting to longer sessions in the saddle so can I get some recommendations for some clothing and hardware?

- Waterproof but breathable Jacket and Trousers
- Shoes (or covers)

- Bike rack that fit on a disc brake frame (Norco Search XR)
- Mudguards
- Panniers
Click to expand...

No such thing as a waterproof but breathable jacket in a humid climate. Focus on staying warm with multiple breathable layers. I have seen spray jackets with windproof front and breathable rear panels. YMMV.

Sidi goretex shoes and gators. Silicon overshoes are a huge faff.

Old Man Mountain makes kits for fitting pannier racks to axles. You can get seat post collars with integrated upper eye mounts.

AliExpress has some good mudguards.

Ortlieb panniers are the gold standard.

Also, if you're riding in the rain a lot, make sure to wipe down and re lube you chain after each wet ride. I like Rock and Roll blue, but some prefer Squirt. If it's really monsoonal, try a thick synthetic gear oil like 70W 75.


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Hambo said:
But arse is slowly adapting to longer sessions in the saddle so can I get some recommendations for some clothing and hardware?

- Waterproof but breathable Jacket and Trousers
- Shoes (or covers)

- Bike rack that fit on a disc brake frame (Norco Search XR)
- Mudguards
- Panniers
Click to expand...
It depends if you want to wear what you ride in at work or have a full change of clothes.

I just ride in a pair of Specialized trail pants in winter and FXD work shorts in summer with knicks underneath.
Then I just wear a long sleeve mtb jersey, and base layer if it is cold and spray jacket if it's 3 degrees or below.
I don't bother riding in the rain as I get at least 3 ride commutes a week most of the time anyway but have got caught in the rain on the odd occasion and I just get wet and I have a change of clothes at work.
I have a back pack in winter and a bum bag in summer. A rack would be good but I just haven't got around to it. Maybe when I finally setup a light bike packing system I'll use a rack for my commute.
 
The choice in the rain is either wear waterproof clothing and get wet from the inside, or wear non waterproof layers and get wet from the outside. Personally I always preferred the latter as boiling in a plastic bag is the greater evil for me.

Shoe covers: BBB Hardware are the longest lasting and most weather resistant I have used. Again nothing will keep your feet totally dry, but these keep my feet warm during Tassie winters and are robust enough to last a couple of years of commuting and MTBing.

Racks: Tubus or Racktime (will find these on euro sites, which are well worth a look as they have a far greater diversity of luggage stuff) are good.

Panniers: As others have noted Ortlieb are the gold standard, but I've used a set of Ridesportz waterproof panniers for the last 15 years that I got off Velogear and they are still going strong. They appear to now have been rebadged as Azur and 99 bikes has them cheaper.

Fenders: SKS have plenty of options for sizing and are solid. Get a set with the extra lower mudguard flap section at least on the front as that will save your feet from getting drenched.
 
Hambo said:
But arse is slowly adapting to longer sessions in the saddle so can I get some recommendations for some clothing and hardware?

- Waterproof but breathable Jacket and Trousers
- Shoes (or covers)

- Bike rack that fit on a disc brake frame (Norco Search XR)
- Mudguards
- Panniers
Click to expand...


I ride in all weather, you cant beat the rain. Eventually it will get in. Wear light gear that doesn't get heavy when its wet and clean up when you get to work.
 
pink poodle said:
I ride in all weather, you cant beat the rain. Eventually it will get in. Wear light gear that doesn't get heavy when its wet and clean up when you get to work.
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I think this is the way to go - and being Cairns it's not exactly cold when it rains! I just need to keep the weight off my back and the rain out of my eyes.

If it's particularly shitty outside then I'll drive.
 
I keep a second set of cloths at work, so if I get caught in the rain I can start the ride home dry. Nothing worse then putting on wet riding gear. Same for super hot days.
In winter I will wear an extra layer to stay warm. We have pretty good end of trip facilities so i can hang things up to dry.
 
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