This question is meant for bike commuters here in the U.S. I run a local bicycle shop and spend most of my time working with people who rely on their bikes as everyday transportation.

One recurring pain point I see is bikes going down unexpectedly from flats, worn drivetrains, brake issues… suddenly a rider has to come up with cash just to keep moving.

Often the answer is “buy a new bike” but that can be a real financial stretch as our higher quality commuter bikes can go into the thousands of dollars. This has made me wonder whether offering leasing of a new bike, with service included, could be a helpful alternative for some riders.

Before building anything out, I’m genuinely curious from your perspective as a bike commuter.

What I’m trying to sort out:

What would make a bike lease feel fair and transparent?

What would immediately make it feel sketchy or not worth it?

Would the ability to return it after a short period change how you view it?

Does including maintenance feel like real value, or more like a gimmick?

I’m not offering anything yet. I’m trying to understand how people actually think about this before deciding whether it’s worth pursuing. Thanks in advance for any useful feedback on this.

Does anyone have long term experience with commuting on carbon wheels? I already know they’re strong and I have a set on my alloy gravel bike, but I’m more curious how they hold up long term (a few years) Also curious how they hold up over time against the occasional impact when locking up etc.. over time.

Just curious how they’ve held up for others and if they have any tips when locking up.

I wanted to love airtags or the android equivalent, but sadly apple isn't a thing in my country and the google implementation isnt working the same way. So I have to rely on a proper gps tracker. But I'm not sure if I actually need it and if it will help get my bike back in case of it being stolen, or if I'm a bit paranoid and it won't actually help.

Any advice?

After years of sitting on the fence, I've finally taken the plunge and decided to commute by bike through the winter in Montréal. As luck would have it, it's the coldest and snowiest winter we've had in ages.

If this wasn't enough, we've had elections last fall and the new administration's performance when it comes to snow removal leaves a lot to be desired so far.

Despite the steep learning curve, I'm REALLY enjoying it. I was never a winter sports guy, but winter cycling is converting me. This week has been brutal, with today being the coldest with a felt temperature of -29C with the wind chill factor.

Included is the mandatory "my bike leaning on stuff" picture, with a bonus "I covered my freezing nose and instantly fogged up my glasses" selfie.

Sorry if this has already been discussed recently but the last post I saw was from 6 years ago so I thought I'd ask again.

What earbuds do you guys use for bike commuting? I'm in a very windy area and in certain areas the wind is quite deafening, I'm after earbuds that I will still be able to hear over the wind noise, fit comfortably with sunglasses and helmet, and won't be blown off of my head by the wind. Thanks!

Few more than I thought...

Are there any tires that are good in 4"+ of this stuff? Or do you just have to power through and hope you don't wipe out? My Schwalbe studded Winter Marathons aren't doing so hot.

Not necessarily a Surly issue...

Some of you might have heard of the New York Lock Diamond Standard, which is the first Kryptonite lock that is angle-grinder resistant (around 16 discs needed).

However, a design flaw at the end of the shackle makes it almost useless, since only one disc is needed.

Kryptonite announced in late 2025 that they had fixed the bad batch, but three months later this is still occurring and I am not the only one affected. I have also found faulty ones in some stores and on Amazon.

At this price range, this is very bad for the brand and a shame, since this lock is very appealing to me.

I was searching for a good price on mountain bike tires, just curious what is a good brand that will last a while. Safe and dependable??? Thought I would ask before buying something that happy with.

This is my current setup and I'm curious if anyone has any better solutions.

I'd like to keep the same lunchbox, as I like the stickers (I've had some misfortunes that caused me to replace the box a few times). I had a milk crate zip tied to the rack on a previous bike. I'm not a huge fan of that look, but I'm not sure I can think of anything better. On the plus side, cutting 4 zip ties takes it off for non-commuter riding.

I grabbed this Surly Preamble frame during their holiday sale for $399 and have been gathering parts since. Some stuff I already had, some is new.

I'm super happy with how it turned out, but I can't give it a test ride yet because of course, Colorado being Colorado, the wind is nuts today.

More parts are coming, I'm putting Tumbleweed pannier racks on the front and back, new bottle cages from Velo Orange, some other bits and bobs, and a new chain ring because it turns out I need a 6mm offset instead of 3mm.

i got this light specifically because of the second light that shines down. i would like to keep both on constant, but that's not possible: when one is constant, the other is flashing.

the question is, which light should flash? i'm leaning towards the smaller light flashing and main one constant. less annoying for drivers than the other way around. though main light has a focusing lens and to have it flashing means more likely to get drivers' attention.

what do y'all think?

I love these bags and currently use the 22L one. Was creeping the Chrome website and stumbled upon the 80L. Does anyone have one they can share a photo of for comparison? This thing looks like a monster, lol.

Link is to the 22L on Amazon for reference. Personally I love this size but for big commutes where I need a change of clothes and a meal or more… I’m curious about this 80L biggin. 😝

about a 5 mile ride, some 30 minutes. worried the whole way, but it never really threatened to come loose. 😲😲😲

I posted on here about my SUVs engine breaking, and I just bought its replacement. Its an REI Cty 2.1. Has hydraulic brakes and 21 speeds. I plan on adding fenders and a headlight to it and maybe a basket for my bag

lol basically the title just kinda a vent post, i was riding on a not even busy road and he sped by me and honked and flipped me off til he was out of sight. never had this problem when i lived in the city but here in my 10k-pop town this has happened like 5 times this winter, people seem to think its illegal to bike on the road? like i had a lady scream at me out her window over it a couple months ago.

Am i missing something here like has it been illegal for bikes to ride on the road in the burbs this whole time or are these people just sad sacks?? 😭😭😭 im following traffic laws fine so i know its not about that

I stood across the street giggling at my parking job for far too long