Building a perfect commuter bike

And just like that it's nearly mid-January, yet winter remains somehow... undecided. On one hand, the lack of snow means less shoveling. On the other, my kids complain and keep asking when will the snow come.

The wet season with frequent rain/snow mix and road salt sprinkled all over "just in case" means that my bike requires frequent cleaning and chain maintenance. Because of this I started pondering about a hypothetical "what-if" scenario - if I could build a perfect year-round commuter bike, what would it look like?

Of course, a year-round commute means something very different depending on where you live. Those of you lucky to reside in the sunny Southern California may never need fenders, not to mention studded tires. But since I'm spending my winter in New England, let's focus on an all-weather bicycle.

Frame and fork

If I could afford it, my top pick would be a titanium frame, simply because it's virtually indestructible by elements. It doesn't rust so it doesn't need paint and any scratches can be simply buffed out with some fine grain sand paper. My second choice would be likely either a well-protected steel or even aluminum frame.

Titanium frames last a lifetime. Even when covered by road salt.

Regarding the fork, a rigid fork is all I would need. Suspension is really unnecessary in the city and just adds weight and complexity.

I would want the fork and frame to have all possible mounts for fenders, racks, lights, etc. Internal routing for electrical wires is certainly a good idea too.

Wheel size

Wheels for my ideal commuter bike would be certainly build around 700c rims but I think that the 26" MTB standard could also work quite well. The worst choice (apart of some tiny 16"-20" wheels) would be the more-and-more popular 650b format. Why? Well, it's all about...

Tires

Basically tire choices would determine what wheels I consider using and the major limitation comes from studded winter tires. There's plenty of them available in 700c size but studded, urban tires (i.e. without a very aggressive off-road tread) are essentially non-existent in 650b size. In general the 700c standard seems like the best choice - I can choose from everything starting at 23mm wide road slicks to a massive 3" wide MTB rubber, although I think that 35-38mm wide tires are likely to be the most optimal.

Studded urban tires - readily available in 700c size.

Drivetrain

This is the part that gets really messy and as such I would want to make it somehow impervious to dirt and mud. It seems to me that the best solution would be to use an internally-geared hub such as the 8-speed Shimano Alfine with a belt drive. This combination means that all gears are enclosed, with no chain cogs requiring frequent cleaning. The belt is completely maintenance-free and since it's running dry, it also means that no oiled, moving parts would be exposed on my bike. While some of you would prefer to just use a singlespeed, fixed drive, I like having at least a few gears to my disposal.

Internally-geared hub with a belt drive - the best choice for winter commute in the city.

Brakes

I would go with hydraulic disc brakes on such bike, simply because they provide plenty of power and modulation in all conditions. Also, they do not wear out rims like caliper brakes do. Being fully hydraulic they are also immune to any water ingress into cable housing (since there are no cables) so I can be pretty sure they will remain operational in our New England winter.

Shifters

To change gears I would prefer using a twist-type shifter (unlike a trigger type). It's simply because a twist shifter can still be operated with thick winter mittens (or finger-less gloves) on hands.

Twist shifters - usable even in thick winter mittens.

Saddle

The saddle on my bike would be likely from Brooks. They are made out of leather and aren't really maintenance-free (need to be protected from being soaked in rain) but provide supreme comfort that's hard to give up.

Pedals

Definitely not clipless pedals, since my commute isn't a race and I prefer riding in my work shoes to work. A simple, wide platform pedals would do the job. As a bonus, I would pick ones made out of plastic or some composite, but not aluminum. That's because metal pedals tend to act like heatsinks at low temperatures and cool down my feet too much.

Plastic/composite platform pedals - plenty of grip and "warmer" than all-metal options.

Accessories 

Full-length fenders are absolutely essential on commuter bike as well as at least one cargo rack. I would prefer a front rack and/or a basket, as that's the most convenient way of carrying an office bag or any smaller load on a bike. An additional rack in the rear could be useful for those larger grocery runs.

Finally, my super-commuter would certainly have both front and rear lights powered by a dynamo hub. This way I would never need to worry about spare batteries. My top choice for a headlamp would likely be a German-made Edelux, as it has a properly-shaped beam that doesn't blind other road users in the city.

 

SON Edelux - pretty much a golden standard for a proper bicycle headlight.

The last items that are likely good to have is a decent, stable dual-leg kickstand and an integrated rear-wheel lock.

That's pretty much it. What would your ideal commuter bike look like?