Commuting bikes in York / Yorkshire

Local Commuter Bikes (LCB)

What did your last slave die of? Twelve of the best bikes for everyday cycling.

Your local commuter, is a different beast to your long distance machine. Sure, it won't do the mileage, but if anything, it's going to get more abuse. In all likehood it's going to be asked not only to get you to work, but to the shops, the pub, the allotment and be expected to carry all manner of objects large and small - day in day out, in all weathers. It's a long suffering servant, and will it receive any thanks? No chance! A squirt of oil now and then and be witness to the sad shaking of heads in the shop as we inform you that its tyres are only pumped to 20psi (less than a car - shame on you!), when they should be at least 60 (fear not - the air is always free in Cycle Heaven).

So short distance commuters (AKA 'pub bikes', 'utility bikes', 'everyday bikes') are the proverbial beasts of burden of the bike world and like their equine forerunners, they come in a variety of breeds and which one you choose to employ depends on your own personal needs and style.  Below and in the side panels we introduce the three general types - which embody different ways to address the problem.

Breeds of LCB2: The Draught Horse
...is the big 'H' for heavy duty haulage. Bikes like the Gazelle Worker, Heavy Duty and (don't be fooled by the name) Miss Grace, are built for day to day loads, and loads of abuse. They will happily carry just about anything you can pile on to them - rider and two kids - no problem. Yes they weigh a ton, but suprisingly are actually light (and great fun) to ride. They also have a lot of street presence and are quite stylish, so you will get noticed (and respected). You can get a taster, by hiring one from our popular hire fleet at York Railway Station.

Breeds of LCB 3: The Thoroughbred. The alternative approach to the problem of everyday cycling is to keep things simple by going single-speed. Oddly enough, going single speed has become the perfect excuse to spend lots of money on a small amount of absolutely 'just so' parts to create the perfect bike in its purest and most aesthetically realised form. But beware - you will be joining a cycling tribe who are known for their fearlessness and nonchalant disregard for the laws of the road. We wouldn't presume to offer a complete bike here - but in Condor we have some of the most exquisite framesets in town (shown here as complete bikes for illustration purposes only). They also allow us to extend the equine metaphor just a little bit further: "Thoroughbreds are classified among the "hot-blooded" breeds, which are animals bred for agility and speed and are generally considered spirited and bold."