Over the last 5 years, commuting by bike has risen 25%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

[phantom power]

Coolest commutes on two wheels
Over the last 5 years, commuting by bike has risen 25%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Dozens of companies have sprung up to fill the demand.

http://money.cnn.com/gallery/smallbusiness/2012/11/16/best-bikes-commuting/index.html

[wtmusic]

1. Cool bikes, not all are well-suited to commuting.

Fixies are trendy right now but suck for commuting any kind of distance. I noticed the experienced bikemakers also include a chainguard/fenders because they know commuters are dressed for work.

Where most of them miss, IMO, is in weight. A lot of newbie bikemakers jump into the fray with beautiful retro steel frames that push the bike's weight to over 30 lbs. Hauling an unnecessary 8-10 lbs to work everyday takes a lot of the enjoyment out of riding.

What I yearn for (and am going to build one day, dammit) is a cheap, no-frills carbon commuter bike. Once you've ridden carbon it's hard to go back.

[phantom power]

2. yeah, apply light-weight frames to a urban/commuter-friendly design

[cprise]

4. Never met a fixie rider who wasn't a complete idiot. n/t

[wtmusic]

5. Heh...I don't understand it myself.

There seems to be a significant macho element to it. In my bike club one rider makes a convincing argument for them as a training tool. Another just rode the Furnace Creek 508 (508 miles) on a fixie.

I tell him he's a wimp until he's done it on a "flattie" (after letting the air out of his tires). Pisses him off.

[cprise]

3. Interesting, but still going from nothing to almost nothing. n/t