Comments on: Redline R540

By: Moe

Moe — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:16:10 +0000

I’ve been testing Redline’s top of the line (fitness line) R550. I’ve attached a seatpost rear rack to carry my clothes and lunch to work. Yes, R550/540 may not be your rainy day commuter, but they are sure fun to commute with during fair weather days!

By: Paul

Paul — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:11:29 +0000

I guess everyone wants a bike that reflects their personality. It you’re sporty get a Redline R540 and get a messenger bag.

By: Paul

Paul — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:06:48 +0000

Yes, this is not a bike optimized for commuting, but it could be used for commuting. Just as a Ferrari could be used for pizza delivery, it’s just not optimized for it.

By: Mike Myers

Mike Myers — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 02:11:47 +0000

I work with a woman who does all of her riding on an old steel Trek MTB, complete with really fat knobbies. She doesn’t go offroad. For a while now, she’s been talking about getting another bike, so when I saw an ad for the Raleigh Detour Deluxe(a fully specced commuter bike) I showed it to her. Her response? “That’s a grandma bike.”. Not everybody’s willing to ride a bike which screams functionality.

By: Dial Tone

Dial Tone — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 19:51:03 +0000

Do I spot Tifosi sunglasses?

By: Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 18:27:12 +0000

Thanks, Jen…that sums it up beautifully! There are a lot of different kinds of commuters (and bikes to go with them) out there, and not everyone wants or needs all those accessories.

By: Jen

Jen — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:27:35 +0000

Hello, siouxgeonz: maybe the idea here is also that, a good deal of the time, a person is only going to have, either by preference and/or money issues, etc., one bike. So I’ve enjoyed this site because it is more about how people use bikes of all stripes for their commutes. I agree that once you’ve got the bike, you’ve got to outfit it for the kind of commute and life style you’ll be leading with your bike. The accoutrements you mention are the standard set, but they may not be necessary for everyone. Just my two cents.

By: RL

RL — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:57:30 +0000

Tad and Sioux,

The rear drop outs have rack eyelets on them, they’re just not brazed on. You can easily run a Wald rear rack like the one I have on my 925.
http://www.bikecommuters.com/2008/04/23/banjo-brothers-market-pannier-and-the-wald-215-rack/
That rack will mount on the eyelets then onto the rear of the brakes.

“doesn’t look like much of at all for the real commuter”

Dude…any bike can be a real commuter. There are plenty of people that ride road bikes, fixies, and mountain bikes that don’t have any of the items you mentioned that would be considered a “real commuter” but some how they manage to do just fine.

Also if you check out Redline’s site, they call this bike a “fitness bike.” So don’t be so stuck on a commuter bike needs to have fenders, chain guards and stuff, cuz if you do, you may miss out on other bikes that could serve the same purpose and have awesome performance.

By: siouxgeonz

siouxgeonz — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:24:02 +0000

commuter bike?
fenders?
rack?
chain guard?
lights?

Doesn’t look like it has much at all for the real commuter. I’ve been trying to figure out what the perception of “commuting” is when I see bikes like this being called “commuter” bikes… perhaps recreational rides if you don’t want to look like you’re trying to go fast… but still feel the need to?

By: tadster

tadster — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 10:59:00 +0000

Looks like a nice bike! I’m looking forward to a lady’s opinion because my wife is in the market for a commuter/recreational bicycle.
Doesn’t look like the R540 has rack braze-ons, does it?