You can commute to and from work on any bike you like but here are five that will make the trip a whole lot easier and more comfortable because they're designed especially for the job.
Nearly all urban commuter bikes are made from aluminium alloy which can be made into frames that are strong and relatively light. Most are equipped with rigid forks although you'll occasionally see front suspension as an option.
Suspension softens the ride for a little extra comfort and control but it's by no means essential and bear in mind that it always adds weight (not that weight is by any means the most important factor when choosing a bike for commuting).
Ride position
We all want to get where we're going quickly but an urban commuter bike isn't designed for all-out speed in the same way that a race bike is so there's no need for a low and stretched body position. Instead, an urban commuter bike is more about control and comfort, so the frame is shorter and the front end is higher so you'll sit more upright in the saddle, giving you a good view of the traffic around you and the road ahead.
Flat handlebar
Each of the bikes shown here has a flat handlebar, as opposed to a dropped bar like you'll find on a race bike. Again, this helps give you a more upright body position. Flat handlebars are usually wider than dropped bars too, making steering a little easier, and the brake levers and gear shifters are always within reach. Most people find it a little easier to control the bike in traffic with a setup like this.
Rack
You might be perfectly happy riding to and from work with everything you need for the day in a pack on your back – plenty of people do that. For heavier loads, though, you might want to consider a rack and panniers on the back of your bike. Two of the bikes here come with a rack already fitted. If you want to add a rack yourself there are ways to fit one to pretty much any bike, but a frame that's equipped with rack eyelets makes life easier, so check whether they're there before you make your choice.
Mudguards
Two of the bikes here have ready-fitted mudguards but most don't, so mudguard eyelets are another consideration.
Lots of people do without mudguards but they will keep you and the bike drier when riding on wet roads. That's especially important if you're going to be riding in your everyday clothing rather than changing once you get to work.
Brakes
All of the bikes shown here feature disc brakes. We've not chosen them for that reason – there are plenty of good rim brake bikes out there – but this is a reflection of the way the market has been heading lately.
One of the big advantages of disc brakes is that they're less affected than rim brakes by wet conditions. This can be useful on a bike that you have to ride at a particular time of day regardless of the weather.
Cycle To Work Scheme
Most of the bikes shown here are priced well under £1,000, the most common credit limit on Cycle to Work Scheme purchases.
The Cycle to Work Scheme, which is arranged through an employer, allows you to save at least 25 percent of the cost of a new bike by paying for it from your pre-tax income. You pay through salary sacrifice, generally over 12 months, and you save on income tax and National Insurance on the payments.
You can also include accessories in the £1,000 – a helmet, lock, lights, and so on. The most expensive bike here is £800, leaving you plenty of scope for other essentials.
We've reviewed each of the bikes shown here. There's a link to the original review at the bottom of each write-up along with a link that'll help you find a local dealer. Clicking on the bike name will take you directly to an online retailer.
B’Twin Riverside 920 — £599.99
Who could imagine a big old lump of a hybrid – with 38mm tyres and a suspension fork and weighing north of 13kg – being any fun to cycle? Anybody riding something like that is in for a slog, right? Thankfully, nobody told those crazy French cats about accepted wisdom because in the B'Twin Riverside 920 they've managed to put together an incredible bike that combines all the practicalities of a hybrid, with a fun and enthusiastic ride and almost unlimited potential.
The first thing that hits you about B'Twin's Riverside 920 is just how reactive it is. For a big and relatively heavy bike, you can get it up to speed without any real effort, and weaving in and around parked cars or street furniture is exciting and direct.
Crucially, even if the Riverside 920 isn't necessarily quicker than other bikes, it at least feels lively and willing. This is a really rewarding bike to ride.
Read our review of the B’Twin Riverside 920
Goldhawk Rodax — £1,400
On paper, a £1,400 handmade Reynolds 520 steel flat-bar bike with a 1x SRAM drivetrain and matching hydraulic brakeset is pretty enticing. In reality, the Goldhawk Rodax is as close as you'll get to the perfect off-the-shelf urban speed machine. With a ride that marries quick control with instant power transfer and – believe it or not – impressive levels of comfort, all it needs is to be set up to your personal preference and then... enjoy.
The Goldhawk Rodax is probably the most exciting and fast flat-bar bike I've tested since the (aluminium) BMC Alpenchallenge first appeared half a decade ago. The two bikes themselves couldn't be more different, but the fact that the (steel) Rodax shares the same eagerness to get up to speed is, in itself, quite an achievement. Factor in a forgiving, smooth and sublime ride, as well as that responsive performance under power, and you have an experience that is almost unbeatable.
Of course, that smoothness is down to one major ingredient: steel. Steel bikes might not be as instantly reactive as aluminium (although this one gets pretty close), or as clever as carbon, but for an all-round bike that you can live with, it's hard to beat. In this case, the insulating quality of the steel frame deals with lumps and bumps very impressively. It handles big hits and potholes particularly well – you can't ignore them but you're not left counting your teeth. Meanwhile, small surface imperfections do rumble their way up the front, which is noticeably stiffer than the rear end, but this could be assuaged with a slight increase in tyre size.
Read our review of the Goldhawk Rodax
Saracen Urban Cross 3 — £749.99
Saracen pitches the Urban Cross 3 as a machine designed to tackle city streets, and it does that very well with its secure and comfortable ride. But it's got a lot more potential, and with a very competent spec including Shimano hydraulic disc brakes and Deore gears, it's a fantastic all-round leisure bike.
The first sensation that hits you after jumping aboard the Urban Cross is how easy everything feels. The front end is particularly relaxed. That might be to do with the Suntour 75mm suspension fork, which goes a long way to help you survive an army of speed bumps, even at speed (you can lock it out when you don't need the travel). The suspension seatpost works well too.
Cruising is a relaxing experience and getting up to speed is no great chore. While stability trumps excitement with this Saracen, climbing is actually pretty rewarding.
The custom butted and formed 6061 aluminium alloy frame is mountain bike-inspired and nicely finished. It comes with a few useful commuting extras, such as mudguard and rear rack mounts.
Saracen's Deore components are super-reliable, easy to operate and durable, while the jewel in the Urban Cross 3's crown is the Shimano M365 hydraulic brakeset. Outright power is always there but the real beauty is how you can apply it so smoothly.
The Urban Cross 3 is a safe, comfortable and secure way to ride to work. Expand your horizons slightly at the weekend and you've got a plucky little hybrid that is far more capable than you might imagine.
Read our review
Find a Saracen dealer
Claud Butler Quest 11 — £640
This is a smart looking sports hybrid with a aluminium frame and carbon bladed fork. It rides very well, though it could do with lighter wheels to make it nippier. It's specced with a single chainset and the not-so-common Shimano Metrea rear mech and Ultegra shifter, which provide super-smooth and reliable shifting.
You'll be pleasantly surprised by how smoothly the Quest gets up to speed and how well it rolls along at a comfortable cruising pace. It's tough, strong and swift rather than racy fast, providing the easy ride you want from a hybrid but with more than a spark of excitement bubbling underneath.
The frame is made from 6061 aluminium multi-butted hydroformed tubing and has mounting points for both a mudguard and a rear rack, which will come in handy for commuting. There are dedicated seatstay bosses and eyelets for four-point rack fixing if you need to carry more weight, though the mudguard will have to share the dropout eyelets. You get mudguard eyelets on the fork too.
Riding in traffic, the width of the flat handlebar (68cm) might give you cause for concern, but you can trim it down if that's an issue. A 42T chainring mated to an 11-32T cassette means you don't get the ultra-low gears of some rivals, and that might be a problem if you want to tackle long, steep hills or savage short ones. There are workarounds, but all involve extra money.
The Shimano BRM-315 flat bar brakes feel powerful on long descents and, although at the cheaper end of Shimano's hydraulic disc brake options, they give no cause for concern.
The wheels are strong and dependable side rather than light and responsive while the 32mm Schwalbe Delta Cruiser K-Guard tyres are well known for their bombproof durability and offer a high level of protection from punctures.
The Quest 11 will prove to be a good base bike should you want to upgrade it as you use it, but there's no need to rush out and do that any time soon. Add lights, mudguards and a rack and you'd be sorted for commuting in all weathers – as long as your route isn't too hilly – and still have money left over from £1,000.
Read our review
Find a Claud Butler dealer
Cube Touring Pro — £593.99
It's called 'Touring', yet it looks like a shopper; expect performance somewhere in between and you'll find the Cube Touring Pro is stable, surefooted and has a surprising turn of speed. Probably most important of all, it's very, very comfortable. In fact, with its rear rack, dynamo lights, kickstand, mudguards and chain case, it's a lifestyle bike that's truly easy to live with.
Because of the nature of the Touring Pro's geometry, the front end feels tall, which provides a high riding position that is good for a commanding view of the way ahead and gives you an enhanced road presence. The slight downside is that communication between the wide handlebar and front wheel feels a little long-distance at first, and initially you may find the Touring Pro just a little unresponsive. This calms down with use and actually improves with speed.
And speed isn't out of the question. This may look like a relaxed cruiser but it boasts great balance, so out-of-the-saddle efforts are possible.
The frame is made from double butted aluminium with an SR Suntour NEX suspension fork providing 50mm of travel. In conjunction with the 40mm-wide tyres, the fork certainly does a decent job of keeping the front end untroubled by irregular road surfaces. Rough tarmac is easily smoothed out and this bike can also handle moderate off-road routes, such as parkland paths and gravel tracks.
The Touring Pro features Shimano Altus shifters and Altus/ Acera derailleurs, teamed with a Shimano Tourney triple chainset. Everything works fairly securely, although gear changes can be a little clunky at times. The 48x36x26T triple is combined with a 12-32T 8-speed cassette, meaning you get gears that are low enough to tackle hills, even with some weight attached to the rear rack.
Assuming you use the Touring Pro to its full potential as a daily workhorse and carry a bit of weight all year round, the Tektro M285 hydraulic discs will serve you right, especially in poor weather. They're not perfect, though, and a heavily laden Touring Pro on a damp descent should still be ridden with caution – these Tektros will scrub off speed surely enough, but there's not a lot of outright power.
Overall, this is a fine leisure and commuting bike with a generous spec.
Read our review
Find a Cube dealer
Boardman Urb 8.8 — £800
The Boardman URB 8.8 is an impressively quick and fast-handling hybrid-style bike that's quick off the mark. It's also great value although new riders may find the ride quality just a little too harsh.
This is a bike designed to race through the urban jungle. The small rear triangle and relatively short chainstays allow for ultra-efficient efforts away from standstill and the ability to hit a high-speed cruise with ease. Climbing is suitably rewarding too: more inclined to promote dancing out of the saddle than simply spinning or grinding gears.
Handling is lively and direct but never falls into the realms of flighty, the bike simply goes where you want it to without ever having to be asked twice. If your hometown is blessed with smooth roads and a lack of potholes then this is the bike for you. On rougher roads the URB 8.8 can at times feel a little harsh, despite the 32mm-wide Vittoria Zaffiro Pro tyres at least nodding towards a spot of bump insulation.
With a hydroformed aluminium frame and matching alu fork, the Urb 8.8 is a cool looking bike while mudguard and rack mounts add practicality for year-round commuting.
With a 1x11 SRAM NX1 gearset and SRAM Apex chainset, hydraulic disc brakes, tubeless-ready wheelset and a retail price of a penny off £700, the URB has plenty of long-lasting excitement. The choice of 44T chainset with 11-42T cassette suggests this is a machine ready for the long haul and suitable for a lifetime of cycling duties. The biggest sprocket at the back will cope with fairly serious climbs, or you can make use of the rear rack mounts and carry a bit of weight without fear. The Tektro hydraulic disc brakes scrub speed off reasonably well but there's not quite enough power to bring the bike to a halt really quickly.
This is a thoroughly impressive package that would blown the mind of a hybrid buyer 20, 10, or possibly even just five years ago. It's a super-stiff, super-quick flat-bar road bike masquerading as an urban warrior that just falls down a little on comfort
Read our review
Find a Boardman dealer
B'Twin Hoprider 900 — £549.99
The Hoprider 900 isn't a light bike, but if your commute isn't too hilly it rides really well and is excellent value, equipped with just about everything you could need for cycling to and from work.
This is less a 'bike' and more a 'total cycle commuting solution'! It comes fully loaded with features, emerging from the box complete with rear rack, hub dynamo lighting system, frame lock, front suspension fork, kickstand, hydraulic disc brakes, mudguards, 38mm Schwalbe Marathon tyres and even a chainguard to keep your tapered turn-ups oil-free.
At a total weight of nearly 19kg, this is a heavy bike and it feels it when the road starts to rise, but that mass isn't all bad news because the Hoprider 900 is also fantastically stable even at speed and it offers a supremely inspiring base from which to navigate the urban jungle. If you're at all nervous you'll appreciate the stability when checking over your shoulder or signalling.
The Hoprider 900's aluminium frame is quite responsive and turns effort into forward motion with impressive efficiency. Indeed, despite being accessorised to the max, and having a hub dynamo, disc brakes and mudguards (all things that can easily cause irritatingly inefficient rubbing sounds) the Hoprider 900 cruises along silently.
B'Twin has specced some very decent components. The Shimano Alivio/Deore/Altus drivetrain is bombproof and works well, which is good because you'll probably make the most of its 27 available gear ratios. Meanwhile, the Shimano BM-M315 hydraulic discs have enough stopping power to handle a laden Hoprider 900, even when travelling fast.
A Suntour fork offers 63mm of suspension to take the edge off minor potholes or patchy parkland paths. It can also be locked out, if front stiffness is your thing. The voluminous Selle Royal saddle offers loads of cushioning while other road insulation comes via the excellent Schwalbe Marathon tyres with reflective sidewall strips and puncture protection: a perfect piece of speccing on a bicycle of this type.
And let's not forget those other practical extras, either. The rear rack comes with bungees and a clip. The dynamo system puts out 30 Lux of LED light at the front and a constant red LED glow at the back.
The kickstand comes in surprisingly useful, and while the frame lock might not deter committed ne'er-do-wells, at least it's an extra reason why they might choose to nick the bike parked alongside instead.
B'Twin has worked its customary speccing magic with the Hoprider 900, offering a fantastically fulsome trekking/commuter bike package with a fine riding experience at an astounding price. For those who need a bike to carry kit to work on a reasonably flat commute, you won't find anything better. If only B'Twin could also work its magic on the weighing scales, it would be perfect.
Read our review
Find a B'Twin dealer
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