Entertaining Denver and Minneapolis...

[Granth]

Hey guys, I don't believe I have asked this question on here before so maybe I can get some help from you all. I am about to graduate college and need a big change from my current situation. I live in a somewhat populated area, 54,000 people and 1,000 people/sq. mile, and want to check out Denver and Minneapolis. Both of these cities are 4-7x populated...but is something I desire. I grew up in south Orange County of Orlando.

Back on point. I want to move to either place and would hope to bike to and from work at least 6 months out of the year strictly by bike. I believe in my current shape (round haha) I could manage 15-25 miles round trip and potentially 30-45 once in better shape. I want to build a bike before I move that would allow this plan to go into action and not break my bank account if possible. I know very little about bikes aside from assembly and light maintenance. I am building a burrito in my spare time but as you may already know...that isn't a commuter bike hahaha.

Can anyone help me put together a parts list that may put me on the right direction? I am 5'10" roughly and ~280. I'm a big...short guy. If anyone has lived in either city, that would be awesome to get your suggestions. Minneapolis is fairly flat, i'm not sure about Denver. I would at least like some variability in gearing, 3 speed or similar......not some 28 speed like on these walmart bikes.

 

[Tweek]

In reality, you should be able to ride a bike almost year round in Denver, and it is an amazing city. Denver has some light hills, but nothing too bad. Also, Denver has been taking steps to become more bike friendly. I hope this helps.

 

[deorman]

As much as I like internally geared hubs for recreational use, derailleur gearing is much stronger and more easily maintained/repaired, and therefore more suitable for commuting and hard use in general.. The actual number of gears doesn't really complicate things, you just shift up or down as needed without worrying about exactly which gear it's in. If you spend 3 or 4 hundred in a bike shop, you can have a good bike with well indexed shifters that stop right in gear without fiddling with the levers. If, however, you decide to go internal, the newer 7-8 spd Shimano hubs have a pretty good rep for the most part, and stand much better chances than old 3 spd hubs of getting repaired if you have troubles. If you're riding someplace really flat, a one spd will work, once you figure out the right gear ratio. My somewhat experienced opinion :| , for whatever it's worth. :wink:

 

[Granth]

I'd like to build the bike in the next few months and test it where I live in the winter months. We have a "rails-to-trails" setup where they converted an old rail system into a bike path, super flat, super straight, and seems a good place to get some miles in.

-What frames are somewhat of a "go to" frame for commuters?
-Certain geometry that make better commuters?

I will look into the 8 spd shimano hubs. I don't plan on riding HARD, but I also don't want something that will go out of wack monthly.

 

[Korporal]

I've been in Colorado Springs for a few years. I ride all year with the aid of full fingered gloves and a hat beneath my helmet. Snow rarely stays on the ground for more than 48 hours and the temperature rarely drops below 25. Our weather benefits from the rain shadow of Pikes Peak while Denver's does not. However, Denver is far from a rainy city. 300 days of sun is an underestimate. Below freezing weather is short lived, and most precipitation passes in minutes.

Denver is sprawling. Land around Denver proper was cheap for a long time, so the city spread out rather than up. The center of the city has tall buildings, but they're not numerous. Because of the sprawl, the city has somewhat isolated neighborhoods and suburbs. It takes forever to get from one side of the city to the other. Don't take this to mean that the city sucks. There's tons of live music, plenty of restaurants, a variety of shops, things you'd expect from an urban center. Compared to other cities, it's White and outdoorsy. Compared to the rest of Colorado, it's ethnically diverse and full of pseudo-outdoorsy people. Real estates is expensive for the state, but on the lowish side of large urban areas because of the sprawl.

I've used a 10 speed in lieu of a car while I've been in Colorado Springs. My only complaint is that I'm not positioned well shoulder a heavy backpack. This isn't a really good complaint as racks, bags, and trailers work much better than a heavy backpack. I'm pretty sure that bike commuters on this forum ride what you see in the gallery. The link is to a forum for bike commuters. There's a monster thread with pictures of daily drivers. There are very few similarities. Get something you're comfortable on, or you won't ride it. Wider tires and full fenders help. As do lights and 36 spoke wheels. The goal is comfort and reliability.

I know almost nothing about Minneapolis.

http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php?20-Commuting

 

[C.S.]

As much as I like internally geared hubs for recreational use, derailleur gearing is much stronger and more easily maintained/repaired, and therefore more suitable for commuting and hard use in general.. The actual number of gears doesn't really complicate things, you just shift up or down as needed without worrying about exactly which gear it's in. If you spend 3 or 4 hundred in a bike shop, you can have a good bike with well indexed shifters that stop right in gear without fiddling with the levers. If, however, you decide to go internal, the newer 7-8 spd Shimano hubs have a pretty good rep for the most part, and stand much better chances than old 3 spd hubs of getting repaired if you have troubles. If you're riding someplace really flat, a one spd will work, once you figure out the right gear ratio. My somewhat experienced opinion :| , for whatever it's worth. :wink:

My advise is the opposite, so I'm probably not really helping...
Derailleurs are mud and dust collectors, have to be cleaned regularly. 7 and 8 speed shimano hubs don't get repaired, they get new internals, and are not as strong as a three speed. I would advice an old three speed Sturmey Archer (early eighties or older), because you can work on them yourself, with help from Sheldon Brown http://www.sheldonbrown.com/sturmey-archer/aw.html. Should be left in third gear when parked. I may be an old fool who just likes old stuff, but I do have experience riding and working on city bikes.
I use an average diamont frame, handlebar about two inches above seat height so I can oversee traffic (a bit), 28"x1 5/8"x1 3/8" (622x37 I think) tires, coaster brake and 48/19 gears. Works OK on flat roads, almost maintenance free and can be left outside at night.

 

[schwinnmesa]

I would get an old road bike and gut everything except for the front dérailleur (that way you'll have two gears) and leave the front brake on too. Chop-flop the handlebars and call it good. It would look awesome!

 

[Granth]

I will take all of this into consideration, I just need to find a base to build off of!

 

[deorman]

Derailleurs are mud and dust collectors, have to be cleaned regularly. 7 and 8 speed shimano hubs don't get repaired, they get new internals, and are not as strong as a three speed. I would advice an old three speed Sturmey Archer (early eighties or older), because you can work on them yourself...

We all have our own experiences and preferences as to what we'd rather deal with. In terms of older geared hubs, that I've actually used myself, I would agree that SA hubs are miles ahead of anything Shimano built. The old Shimanos are practically unserviceable beyond partial cleaning and lubing in my opinion, and they need it a lot more often than SA. I've worn out or broken more than one of them, whereas I've never had an SA go bad, and the ones I had were old before the Shimanos were made. As far as maintenance, just because you don't see condensation and dust gathering inside your hub doesn't mean it's not there, eating away at little pawls and springs, and pitting little tiny gears. Given a choice between shooting a spray can and wiping off the grime, or trying to keep track of and realign tiny little tranny parts, I know what I'd rather do. :lol:

As far as frame types, it's generally easier to set up good ergos for an adult with right-sized diamonds than with cruisers, (although that can be done), and they're quite often lighter as well. The important things in my mind for commuting are comfortable fit and straight tracking, and good brakes and tires. :wink:

 

[2Slow]

I lived in Minneapolis for a few years and Colorado Springs (an hour south of Denver) for 17 years and both are great bike cities. Both have bike friendly downtowns and miles or bike paths, the suburbs not so much. Weather wise, Denver is much better, as said here previously you can almost ride year round. Denver gets snow but it usually melts off in a day or two. In MPLS the snow just piles up all winter, and the cold is brutal. If you move to Denver you should have a couple bikes, a rat cruiser for Wednesdy night cruises and city use, and a MTN bike for the weekends in the mountains. Either could be used a a commuter depending on distance as the city itself is fairly flat.
Good Luck with your choice, you can't go wrong either way.