Commuting by bike is, in our opinion, the best way to get to and from work. Whether it’s a 3 mile pootle along a canal, or a 15-mile early morning blitz on a road bike, not all commutes are made equal, but they do all equal fun.
And if you’re thinking about swapping the car, bus, or whatever for two wheels, it can be difficult to know what’s worth splashing the cash on and what you can actually just do without or on the cheap.
That’s where we come in. Collectively, there are decades (if not a century) of commuting experience between us at road.cc, and we’ve tested all the variables of a cycle commute.
What you want to spend your money on will depend on several things, such as the distance you’re riding, the terrain, environment (aka urban/suburban/rural or a mixture) and of course your level of fitness.
And while it may be tempting to go out and buy an S-Works SL8 for your ride to the office, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to enjoy commuting via bicycle. Even you’re using your ride to the office as part of a structured training plan, you still need to be mindful of the facilities your place of work has.
If there are no showers and you’ve just done a VO2 session on your way into the office, then it’s probably wise to invest in some excellent deodorant lest you want to risk an awkward meeting with HR.
Commuting on the cheap: where you can afford to be frugal
A frame/bike
If you’re just getting into cycling, or you want a dedicated commuter bike, you don’t have to spend a lot to get something reliable and comfortable. What kind of bike you want will depend on the type of commute you have. Is it mainly road? Are there rural lanes to contend with? Then a drop bar road bike might be most suited.
For urban riders, consider a step-thru frame or flat bar bike. Those who mix their terrain might want a gravel or hybrid frame to see them through. And there’s always the option of a folding bike if you also utilise public transport during your journey. But you don’t need to spend thousands to get something decent.
We recommend focusing on getting a bike that fits you well, and suits your needs over something flashy. The frame is the most important bit – the components can be upgraded/changed at a later point. So focus on that, and you’ll find cycling is so much more joyous.
We’ve got plenty of buyer’s guides to get your teeth stuck into, showing off our picks of the best hybrid bikes, road bikes for different budgets, and even electric commuter bikes.
Riding kit
Commuting less than say 30-45 minutes each way? You probably don’t need cycling-specific kit to ride in. This does depend on your bike, your route, and your work, though. I wouldn’t personally enjoy riding 10+ miles in a suit, but it can be done.
If you do want some cycling-specific kit, a few brands now do more ‘athleisure’ wear, combining a bit of style with on-bike ‘performance’ so you don’t have to look out of place in the office. And an added bonus? You won’t ever forget your trousers because you don’t need to get changed. Result.
Rucksack/luggage
If you’re riding through all-weathers and carry pretty important stuff like a laptop, then by all means, spend away. But, even if you want something with a good waterproofing rating, you don’t necessarily need to spend hundreds.
Places like Decathlon (and even Lidl’s famous middle aisle) offer some great rucksacks and pannier options for far less than other big named brands – and while we can’t comment on whether or not they’ll last quite as long as something that costs three times the price, they’re certainly worth a punt.
GPS unit/cycling tech
Unless you don’t know your route or you’re using your commute as a training session, there’s really no need to purchase a separate cycling GPS computer. If you do need a map, there are plenty of good mounting options for your phone these days, so that’s always an idea.
Power meters, heart rate monitors and the like are also something we’d probably not bother with for a commute – sometimes it’s nice to be ignorant about your fitness. And not everything needs to go on Strava, either…
When to invest: the bits we wouldn’t recommend going cheap on
Good gloves
I feel like a parent talking about the importance of a good pair of cycling gloves, but it will genuinely change your riding experience – particularly in winter. What you want to look for is a pair that is suitable for the season you’re riding in.
So for autumn/winter, something that’s weatherproof is ideal. And if you’re riding in really atrocious weather, we’d recommend a spare pair in case they haven’t dried out in time for the ride home.
You also want to consider dexterity. Not just important for taking photos for Instagram, it’s also key for keeping safe on the bike. You need to be able to control the brakes and gears with ease, so something like insulated mittens might not work for everyone.
When it comes to price, you could be looking at anything between around £30 and £70+ for big name winter gloves. But if you’re going to splurge on something to make your commute more tolerable in winter, we’d definitely recommend a good pair of gloves.
Waterproof jacket
Continuing with the miserable British weather theme, a waterproof jacket is an absolute must for commuting by bike in the UK. To be honest, it’s even worth carrying all-year-round as you never quite know (and nor do the weather apps) when it might randomly start raining.
> How to choose the right waterproof cycling jacket
And it’s an item we’d suggest you don’t scrimp on. You can thank us later when you’re riding home in a thunderstorm and you’re feeling smug because your t-shirt is still dry underneath.
The problem with waterproof jackets, or any waterproof kit really is the balance manufacturers have to find between breathability and waterproofness. You can’t have it both ways, unfortunately, so it’s about finding a jacket that keeps enough of the rain out without creating a sweaty mess on the inside.
This does unfortunately mean that you may have to spend quite a bit of money to find the perfect waterproof coat. Think a couple of hundred pounds for something that’ll reliably do the job and not need recoating after three uses.
Decent lights (and a backup pair)
The type of bike lights you want for your commute will depend on a few factors. If you’re riding during darker hours, you’ll want something that will illuminate the road in front of you – so think more of a headlight with a more powerful beam.
If you’re riding in urban, well-lit areas, there’s less of a focus on using the lights to see and more to be seen. This is where you can look at more subtle front light systems that don’t clutter the handlebars quite as much.
We’d recommend going for a rechargeable light, front and rear, so you don’t have to worry about batteries. And, just in case you forget to charge them, always carry a spare pair.
Depending on how bright of a light you need, and if you want any smart tech like a radar for the rear light, bluetooth integration etc, you are looking at around £30 to well over £100 for something really good and long-lasting.
Remember, it’s a legal requirement to run lights on your bike when it’s dark, and if you are riding in areas without street lamps, you’ll quickly regret skimping on the quality and brightness when you can’t see 2ft in front of you.
Tyres
With tyres, it’s not necessarily about spending more, it’s about being picky. You don’t just want the cheapest training tyre you can find. But equally, you don’t necessarily want the £100 performance road race tyre, either.
The ideal tyre for a commuter? Something with a strong sidewall and good puncture protection, that will probably be labelled as a winter tyre/all-season tyre if you’re sticking to road tyres. If you ride a gravel or mountain bike to work, it may well be worth looking into going tubeless for this reason; but for those on skinnier tyres, strong sidewalls are going to be your friend.
Yes, they might be a bit slower than you’d ideally like. But, the main priority is avoiding being stood on the side of a road at rush hour trying to fix a puncture. We’ve all been there, and it’s stress you don’t need on a work day.
For something that focuses on decent puncture protection, you’re likely looking at £40+ per tyre. It’s not ridiculous money, but it’s still twice as much as you could spend on a pair of cheap training tyres.
What are your top tips for saving cash for the bike commute? Let us know in the comment, and particularly good ones might just make the next update of this article…
13 thoughts on “You don’t need fancy kit to cycle to work: here’s how to commute by bike on the cheap, and when it’s best to invest”
Gloves: yes. For all but the
Gloves: yes. For all but the coldest UK weather I rate the Site KF320 (and equivalents), available for about £4 from DIY shops. The nitrile foam palm has a similar feeling to plush bar tape. They do smell terrible after a few rides, weekly wash definitely needed.
Rain. What I haven’t fully
Rain. What I haven’t fully worked out is that there is so much discussion about waterproof jackets, but so much less about waterproof trousers. Obviously if you are going for a ride, your shorts get wet and it doesn’t matter. But on a commute (being it cycling or walking) you don’t want to get wet legs.
Unless the rain is blowing
Unless the rain is blowing sideways, or I ride too fast through a deep puddle, my legs and feet stay fairly dry with proper mudguards and a big flap at the bottom of the front one, plus a rain cape.
I used to use Rainlegs, which kept my thighs dry while wearing a normal waterproof jacket instead of a cape, but I somehow lost them somewhere.
I generally commute in synthetic trousers that pass for business casual, and wool socks, so even if my trousers do get wet they’re dry after an hour at work.
Cold store PPE Gloves are my
Cold store PPE Gloves are my go to. Generally water proof, wind proof, cheap.
For a few years, I was very
For a few years, I was very fortunate – although the bad news was that my work was at the top of a hill, the good news was after my 30 minute 6 mile ride there was a swimming pool on site and I had my own office with a nice big fat radiator. I had a couple of lights pilfered.
When I started out, I was usually still glowing from the maximum effort of climbing the hill even after my so-called cool-down swim. My point is that with practice you’ll get fitter if you stick at it, a lot less sweaty and you’ll iron-out the wrinkles in your route and equipment.
As Brits we’re conditioned to believe that rain is a regular show-stopper. It rains less often than you think. Your “Lycra” trousers will absorb very little water and will dry off pretty quickly.
You can’t have enough lights, and they never been as light, bright and (sometimes) cheap as they are now. The Moon Aerolite or this one from Halfords is a combined front and rear light – you could have one helmet mounted and a pair on the ends of drop handlebars as “be seen” lights. https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-accessories/bike-lights/topside-helmet-light-448707.html
Although this piece is about swerving the fancy/expensive stuff, I can’t recommend SON dynahub wheels strongly enough for providing reliable lighting once the clocks change. https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/dynamo-wheels-front/
David9694 wrote:
ShutterPrecision and 2 different styles of Shimano one, and before them a Sturmey Archer *. No issues with any of them. Now it would be “why *not*?”
* Combined with drum brake. Got it mostly because cheap and “why not?”. Brake proved to be perfectly fine for commuting and I found the occasional maintenance easier that cantilever-brake-fettling. Only issue was that it was a bit of a cannonball – though for city commuting that’s bearable.
I had a Shimano one self
I had a Shimano one self destruct in about 5k miles. It was a particularly crap one, however, with no real seals. Apparently Shimano has over a dozen models, including my “non-series” version which is below Nexus level quality.
More expensive seems to
More expensive seems to largely equate to “better seal” (including even some kind of pressure-compensation system in the SON one IIRC!)
OTOH like any sealed system when maintenance is finally required it becomes much less a user-operation. Then again, if that gets you to the expected lifetime of the part… I guess it’s a bigger version of “cup/ cone and bearings vs. sealed bearing unit”. Shimano was still going for the former (at least the last – non-dynamo – hub I looked into).
Conflicting info on my Alfine *rear* hub – some suggest Shimano scrimp on lube- at least for wetter climates. Also that you can also keep it going longer by cleaning and re-lubing it sometimes. Others say that the thing doesn’t last that much longer, and it’s not worth it for the price, and maybe it doesn’t go back together quite as well… Result – I haven’t tried but I have no workshop to speak of.
Money / choice…
For a waterproof I prefer
For a waterproof I prefer something more like a mack, which is no problem if one is on a Sensible bike rather than some bit of sports confectionery. Something with a fully upright position also means no problem with normal clothes and by slowing down there’s no need to get sweaty: you can go 3 times as fast as walking for the same effort, so stop making a race of it and it makes dressing so much easier. A good hat with a suitable brim will keep rain off much better than a helmet, and if you’re not in a tearing hurry then a helmet made for sports related riding is far less relevant.
So my tip is go slow on a sensible bike, and it turns out you’ve probably got all the clothes you need anyway. Obviously not a great tip if you’re doing 20 miles and doubling with sporting training, but there’s a reason the Dutch don’t typically commute on sports bikes.
One thing I never considered
One thing I never considered with my commuter bike, is how difficult and expensive it can be to replace serviceable components on a mid range bike.
Riding all year round, components wear and need replacing and the cost and scarcity can be problematic as any delay in getting parts takes the bike off the road. I find that I now need two available bikes for commuting and a stock pile of parts, such as chainrings and cassettes.
Agree – with a commuter bike
Agree – with a commuter bike you don’t want/ have time to give it the care your leisure bikes get, but equally it’s getting lots of use and bad conditions.
My current balance point is an old hack (3 x 7 Dawes Galaxy, rim brakes) plus a Cube IGH belt drive bike. I mostly use the latter (almost zero maintenance) but where I need to leave the bike for time, the former (much less attractive). The Dawes gets cheap parts thrown on when they wear out (but more often, because cheap), the Cube only needs the odd wash and very irregular DIY (disk brake pads). BUT of course when the belt, sprockets or hub *eventually* go, it’s expensive. For the hub though I’m hoping it will be many years hence…
I agree. When I commuted by
I agree. When I commuted by bike a spare one was practically, if only occasionally, essential.
I always take some wet wipes
I always take some wet wipes with me to wipe away the clean up as best I can without a shower. Also good for if the chain comes off. This year I switched to a pannier after years of wearing a backpack. Definitely less sweaty and moves the wait off of your backside and hands. The only problem I had was punctures on the back tyre due to the extra weight on the back from the pannier and rack but with a new puncture resistant tyre I’ve not had any more so far.