Which bike should I buy for commuting?

The bike itself matters less than whether the whole setup makes riding to work easy: whether you can store it, carry things, stay dry and lock it securely.

Step by step

1. Describe your actual commute.Distance, hills, road surface, whether there are steps or a lift at either end, and where the bike is stored. That description answers most of the question.
2. Start with a hybrid for most commutes.Upright position, reasonably light, room for mudguards and a rack, and tyres that handle British road surfaces. It suits the majority of commutes under fifteen miles.
3. Consider a road bike for longer, faster runs.Faster over distance and less comfortable on rough surfaces. Check it has clearance and mounts for mudguards, because many do not.
4. Consider a folding bike for mixed journeys.If part of the trip is by train, or the bike must live in a flat or under a desk, a folder solves problems no other bike does, at some cost in ride quality.
5. Consider an e-bike for hills or distance.It removes the arrive-sweaty problem and makes longer or hillier commutes realistic. It costs more, weighs a lot more, and needs secure storage and charging.
6. Avoid full-suspension mountain bikes for road commuting.Heavy, slow on tarmac and with suspension that absorbs your effort. A rigid or front-suspension bike is far more efficient on roads.
7. Budget for mudguards.In British weather they are the difference between arriving damp and arriving soaked. Check the frame has the clearance and mounts before buying.
8. Budget for lights and a lock.Legally required lights after dark, and a lock costing a sensible fraction of the bike's value. A gold-rated D-lock is the practical baseline in a city.
9. Sort out carrying things.A rack and panniers put the weight on the bike instead of your back, which is far more comfortable and much less sweaty than a rucksack.
10. Get the size right.Frame size matters more than any component. Buy from somewhere that will size you properly, and set the saddle height before the first ride.
11. Be wary of very cheap supermarket bikes.Heavy frames, poor components and often badly assembled. They are less pleasant to ride, need more maintenance, and put people off cycling.
12. Look at used and refurbished.A good used bike from a shop or a refurbishment scheme often beats a new bike at the same price, and the money saved covers the lock, lights and mudguards.

Tips

• Mudguards, lights and a lock are part of the bike, not extras. Budget for them.
• A rack and panniers beat a rucksack for comfort and for arriving less sweaty.
• Where you will store it and lock it should shape the choice as much as the ride.

Common mistakes

• Buying a bike with no mudguard clearance — A road bike without mudguard mounts is unpleasant for most of the British year, and adding clip-on guards later is a compromise that rarely works well.
• Spending everything on the bike and nothing on the lock — A weak lock on a good bike in a city is a short-term arrangement. Insurers and secure-parking schemes generally expect a gold-rated lock, and a stolen bike ends the commute entirely.

If it doesn't work

Questions people ask