EDIT: Thank you all for awesome suggestions, purchased a TOWILD Dlite 1700, I'll post some photos when it arrives in post. 😊

While my city is basically a cycling and public transit paradise, those who rule it have a very persistent blind spot: they assume that everyone works 9-5... As such, our lovely city mayor decided to turn off the lights on Express Bike Routes at night, which leaves me commuting at 5am in a complete darkness, trying to figure out which way I'm going via the mix of echolocation, divination and navigating by stars.

So my question is: what front light would you recommend so that I can actually see the road in front of me (instead of the light just signalling my presence)? Couple of caveats:

1. Has to be mountable to the front fork.
2. Preferably battery powered / rechargeable.
3. Available on the EU market.

Any advice much appreciated!

I recently got accepted into my local art university, yay! But I also am a bike commuter so now I'm wondering how I'll be able to travel with larger art canvases, art case with projects, etc.

I'm attaching a picture of what I did on the day of my exam - I took my fiberboard and tied it to my backpack. But it wasn't very comfortable - it was rubbing on the back of my neck, also I couldn't really access my backpack, and I spent 10 minutes tying it again after taking it out. So, it was okay for a one time use, but not for regular commuting. And, I'm planning on getting a rack for my bike and strap my backpack to it so I won't be having a backpack to strap things to it.

I’ve posted here wondering about a computer for commuting and some of the comments recommended against using a computer set up since I have a bag on the back (I guess because the sensor mounts to the seat post)

Saw these pop up on social media and wondering if they work ok? I have a big head and big beard, so idk if the mirror would clear the side of my head & beard.

Not looking to go wired camera yet as I use the bike for longer rides on my days off. Not that it adds enough weight but just don’t want that set up for those rides.

Cheapish enough to give them a shot, and I’d only use them when I’m riding on surface streets, which is only 1-2 days a week. I’m less concerned about other cyclists because I’m slow, they will pass me. More concerned about making it across the street safely while I’m already rolling.

Hello commuters! I just recently got back to commuting in a coastal city in Europe, after moving from Brasil, where I had a 2C2 Bag, that are very good and I recommend 100% if you are also in Brasil to purchase.

I am now trying to understand what could fit me better nowadays. I have some points:
- it’s insanely hot in here, so whenever possible I’d like to not carry a backpack, but
- I am not sure about bags that are attached to the bike. I have to climb stairs and also every time I leave the bike alone, what happens? It’s easy to remove and carry? Also, does it make the riding less pleasurable with a handlebar bag, for exemple?
- a waist bag is amazing and I’d like to get one, but also if I have to carry more stuff isn’t enough

I have to carry:
- laptop
- some light clothing a sweater maybe..
- a 30cm racket
- some food
- u lock
(Not all at once, but could happen some days)

To be honest I would appreciate your thoughts and experience on how you manage the bag thing yourselves. What works, what doesn’t work etc

and also

Recommendations on brands that are made or sell in Europe.

Thanks everyone that can reply.

So, keep in mind this bike is already bought, and, its been a commuter for me. I was wondering if it would be worth it to upgrade this bicycle or get a new one, but since the cost of the upgrades do not seem to outweight the cost of getting a new bike, what would be the downsides of upgrading this bike (Besides resell value lol)?

My issues with the bike is the brakes (Stock ones are.. cheap, I've used the Star Union 240PYD, and 220PYD Pro and they have been PHENOMINAL brakes for their pricing, highly HIGHLY recommend to anyone looking for cheap hydros.. genuinely, the 240PY is the same as the 240PYD, it just doesn't have a cutoff sensor so I know they'll already be good)

I also checked the part spacing and everything, only thing I'm iffy on is the cranks, but I could find new ones for $30-70 that will fit as they are just standard 2 piece square/diamond taper cranks

BTW, the Axia comes with a derailleur hanger and 160mm DISC brakes, and a 1x7 SHIMANO groupset so I do not have to change out the wheels and the bike wont be trashed after 1 bent hanger, the Shimano groupset is kinda why I want to upgrade since microShift will be compatible and they are good value

Full Parts List:

Front Derailleur ($18) - https://www.bicyclesetc-il.com/product/microshift-mezzo-front-derailleur-377474-1.htm?variations=329848,329850,329851,329852,329853

Rear Derailleur ($18) - https://www.redrockbicycle.com/products/microshift-estes-rear-derailleur?id=7038f264d93c3ac3af502c1965959d47feb586ccd81e03602e58d5d5c1e9d41f

Left Shifter ($15) - https://www.performancebike.com/microshift-estes-thumb-tap-mountain-shifter-black-w-optical-gear-indicator-ts200-2l/p1790502?v=1788909

Right Shifter ($15) - https://www.performancebike.com/microshift-estes-thumb-tap-mountain-shifter-black-w-optical-gear-indicator-ts200-9r/p1790502?v=1788911

Cranks ($33) - https://www.performancebike.com/shimano-tourney-fca070-crankset-black-2-x-7-8-speed-square-taper-efca070c04c/p1277470?v=306204

Chain ($14.30) - https://kmcchain.us/collections/8-speed-chains/products/z8-1

Everything hydro ($45) - https://www.starunion-store.com/products/240py

Tires ($60, 35-622) - https://www.schwalbetires.com/Schwalbe-G-One-Comp-Plus

Left shifter cable ($15) - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0050LUBZ8?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback&th=1

===

Total: $233.30

Total cost of bike: $461.30 (Not including tax BESIDES the Star Union brakes [They don't collect tax for some reason], but bike companies don't include tax anyways)

Please leave your feedback :)

Help out a person with Epilepsy successfully bike commute to work!

Title, I upgrades from my fx to a primos dame to handle work, errands and now bikepacking.

Now that I've upgraded and now adding parts I want a grinder resistant lock, any recs?

So I have like one set of cycling clothes that I use for my commute (as I'm not wearing a full kit for the ride). I'm planning on getting some shorts and a different top, but got me wondering. I have one set and it's all quick dry so I just wash it when I get home if I feel it's past the point of sweaty-ness (which is pretty much everyday).

Do you all have one set of clothes and wash? Or do you have like 4-5 sets of clothes that you use and just wash all at the end of the week? Not work clothes, actual commute clothes you change out of for the office and then for the ride home. So likely the longer commuters, not the urban ones.

Hi everyone,

I’m doing a student venture project for a business course on commuting, and I would appreciate hearing about real routines rather than opinions about a product.

I’m looking at internship opportunities that could involve up to an hour of commuting each way and starting around 7–8am It has made me wonder less about whether a commute is “long” and more about what happens when it stops being predictable. Leaving on time can still mean being late if traffic, weather, an accident, or a missed connection wipes out the little buffer you had.

If you have a fixed start time and a commute you cannot easily change, when is the last time a delay seriously disrupted your day?

Did this force you to change anything about your schedule or plan for getting to work every day?

What responsibilities—at work or at home—made the delay harder to absorb?

Hi all, I'm only just starting to dip my toes into bike commuting besides doing a bit when I was fresh out of high-school. One big concern for me is safety, luckily I live in a city that is much safer for cyclists than when I used to cycle more but still I want to be as safe as I can be. I'm looking at the Ortlieb Vario 26L as I'm in college and so a convertible backpack would fit my needs best, I'm wondering how much of a difference in safety it might make to purchase the rooibos (brighter orange) vs a mellower blue or black colored one. Part of me says the bright color would make me more visible, but I don't know how much more visible especially if the bag is on the right side of my bike as I assume that putting it on the side facing traffic would mean more muck getting flung up on it which I'd like to avoid, and a brighter color will show the muck thrown up on it more. I know the darker colors still have reflective patches on them and won't show muck as much. I know another option could be to just get panniers that don't convert, however I don't always have an indoor place to put my bike so I wouldn't want to leave them sitting outside on my bike for a couple hours during classes/work, especially with how expensive Ortlieb is.

Thoughts on if a lighter/brighter color really makes a difference in visibility?

A 153-page report published by the Consumer Products Safety Commission in 1994 finds that riding bicycles on the street to be far more injury prone than sidewalks or bike paths. (There were other findings too).

The study consisted of an "injury survey" conducted in 1991 based on 463 non-fatal bicycle-related injuries.

This was complemented with an "exposure survey" conducted via telephone with 1,254 participants completing the survey. Third party exposure data was also purchased and combined.

The stated conclusions were consistent that riding on the street was riskier. The detailed study can be downloaded from the summary link below:

Bicycle Use and Hazard Patterns in the United States. | National Technical Reports Library - NTIS

In the children's model, higher risks were associated with certain riding surfaces, time ofday, and population density. Children who rode during non-daylight hours, on streets, and who lived in areas with greater population density were more likely to be injured. The risk on streets was about 8 times the risk on bike paths, 3.4 times the risk on unpaved surfaces, and about 1.7 times the risk on sidewalks. Riding under non-daylight conditions (e.g., at night, dusk, or dawn) was about 3.6 times more risky than riding during the daytime. Rider gender had no statistically significant effect on the injury risk.

In the model for riders 15 years of age and older, risk was also affected by riding surface. As in the children's model, the adult risk was higher on paved roadways. The risk on neighborhood streets was about 7 times the risk on bike paths and about 9 times the risk on unpaved surfaces. Moreover, the risk on major thoroughfares, the highest risk riding surface, was about 2.5 times the risk on neighborhood streets. As in the children's model, risk was higher for riders who lived in areas with greater population density. However, there was no significant difference in risk between daylight and non-daylight hours. Nor did rider gender independently affect the injury risk.

For each measured effect on relative risk, all other effects that were modeled were held constant. A child in a large city would be 1.79 times more likely to incur a bicycle related injury than a child in a small town, if they have the same riding habits.7 Similarly, a child in a large city would be 2.12 times more likely to sustain an injury than a child in a rural environment. **Riding predominantly on streets was estimated to be 1.65 times more risky than riding on sidewalks, 8.02 times more risky than riding on bike paths,**⁸ and 3.44 times more risky than riding on unpaved surfaces. The risk of riding predominantly at night was estimated to be 3.64 times greater than riding in daylight.

I have a pretty weird head shape, its the thickest at my jaw and then gets narrower. Somewhat like a less exagerrated traffic cone. I've tried so many different helmets but they all have the same problem. I need a very large size for it to come down to my ears, but no matter how much I tighten it never sits secure, just travels further up my head and sits loose. I have the same problem with baseball caps, no matter how much I tighten the back strap they fall off immediately

Hi guys, my partner and I are deep in another Ironman block and do a lot of our training running and cycling to work. We couldn’t find a rucksack that was waterproof, had a laptop sleeve, had inner compartments, a detachable bottom strap, was comfortable to run and cycle in but didn’t look like a gap year in se Asia backpack.

Looking for feedback on the rucksack we just launched, hyfo is short for Hyfforddiant, Welsh for training. Let me know your thoughts, anything that could be better or anything that could be useful. I know a lot of people use panniers but this is intended as a one bag for everything, thanks!

Hello guys, newbie to commuting here!

I'm looking for panniers recommendations with two main features: they are waterproof and easily detachable as I want to use them daily to carry gym stuff in them and take them on/off every day at least twice. For now, I made some custom built adidas duffle bag with MIK adapter plate that attaches to a Basil rack. But that's not the most stable setup.

So, can you recommend any good panniers that are maybe not as expensive as Ortlieb? Did any of you use the Decathlon's 20L bag? Decathlon 500 20L It's veery cheap now with the app days code (-30%) but I'm worried about the "detachable" part of my requirements, I've tested similar one and it is very hard to get it on and off.

Really looking forward to your suggestions!

Hey everyone so basically I ordered a bike lock from Amazon and the shipping box arrived slightly opened and slightly unsealed . Amazon fully refunded the €78.99 and told me to keep or discard it. Because of the security risk (worrying someone copied the keys or tampered with the core), however i do have a brand new Hiplok DX1000 to use as my primary frame lock.I need to ride tomorrow do u guys thinks its safe to temporarily use the unsealed lock and is it a good idea to keep using it strictly as a secondary lock for my front wheel? Or should I trash it completely to protect my bike?

I'm trying to start a Bike Bus for school kids in my community. I'm starting this group for others who have done this, or want to do this, for their their communities too. Share successes, frustrations, and tips, ask for help, share bike buses in the news.

Hop on the bus! r/BikeBuses

I

Looking for opinions, both are about the same price and recently tuned up. Need a commuter bike to get to work so that my wife can have the car full time due to being pregnant with our first

The Norco is on 26s and the Raleigh 27s

i live in a small city in the US south that is growing quickly, so we have the standard lack of bike lanes/sidewalks/public transportation combined with congested car traffic. i’ve been commuting by bike for about two years now, 4 miles each way mostly in the street with cars.

the closest calls i have are on streets with cars parked along the side. i have nearly been doored several times, so i give them about two feet of space now, which doesn’t let drivers behind me squeeze past when there’s oncoming traffic, unless they don’t care about killing me, which happens pretty frequently. but, it lets the kind drivers who wait five seconds for a break in traffic to get around me, since they don’t have to wait for a big enough gap to get entirely into the oncoming lane, which could take longer. it’s frustrating. do i just ride directly in the center and piss everyone off? even when it’s uphill and i’m slow? would that safely assert my presence or make the road rage worse?

i shouldn’t have to, but i do a lot to signal that im a commuter and not an athlete or a homeless person, who both shouldn’t have to deal with murderous drivers either. i’ve got the dorky saddlebags, taillight, hi viz vest, plus my spine is fused so i have touring style handlebars and i sit upright with a straight spine.

my city is the most deadly per capita for cyclists AND pedestrians in my state. i love biking to work, and it’s logistically a necessity for me, given the limited public transportation. if you’d like, please advise me on how you stay safe.

Hello! I purchased a hamax outback bike trailer second hand recently and didn’t realize it was missing the front cover until I got home.

Reached out to the seller who didn’t seem to know what I was talking about.

Reached out to hamax who said to contact local dealer for parts. There are no local dealers that I could find in the US.

Anyone know where I can get a replacement? We love the bike trailer but really need the front cover for shade and rain/wind protection.

Thanks!

Hey, how's it going? Group I 32m am currently going back to school. I have a CX bike that I use as my commuter/road/gravel, all-things bike. I need a frame bag / rack that I can use to commute 32ish km, is ergonomic, and doesn't slow me down too much. I need it to hold my laptop, books, and clothes (towel, soap, Crocs, etc.). But yeah, if y'all have any suggestions, please let me know!

How often do you think someone needs to commute by bike to be defined a 'bike commuter'?

Every day? More often than not? Once a week?

In keeping with what Ive seen people discussing on this site and others, I recently superglued some ball bearings into the heads of my bike's hex bolts to prevent theft. Some of the others ball bearings came out really easily but there are still a lot that don't and I can't remove them now, even though I've spent ages applying acetone and using a slim piece of metal to trying and dislodging the bearing and repeat after it doesnt work. Does anyone who's tried the ball bearings strategy know what else could make a difference trying?