What to do? What to do?!!!!
Discussion
I'm gonna start commuting 8 miles to the station, with a 2 mile ride at the other end. I'm trying to get back into biking after an absence of a few years. I've given my 2003 Specialized Rockhopper A1 Pro Disc a service and stuck some 1.50 slicks on it. I haven't even attempted the 8 mile ride yet, I've been sticking it in the back of the car then on the train for the 2 mile ride at the other end!!! 
I have always loved mountain bikes (road bikes do nothing for me I'm afraid) and really fancy getting a 1.5K hardtail and sticking some slicks on it, but then again I'll be mostly using it for the road. If I get a road bike I'll be limiting what I can use it for, at least the MB can be used offride if I fancy it....
The Specialized frame is just too small and tight for long commutes (I'm 6ft 1in and have the 17 inch frame because I originally just used it for chucking about off road for short periods) I feel very cramped, so I'll be passing it down to my other half.
I feel like such a wimp talking about 20 miles a day being some mega ride!!!
But should I get the 19 inch frame, skinny slicks, SPD's, and bar ends for the commute, or just stick to a good 1K hybrid or road bike.
Can I finally point out that I love my toys and will blow money on such things as expensive mountain bikes at the drop of a hat. Telling me to keep the rockhopper is not an option!!
Cheers guys....
I have always loved mountain bikes (road bikes do nothing for me I'm afraid) and really fancy getting a 1.5K hardtail and sticking some slicks on it, but then again I'll be mostly using it for the road. If I get a road bike I'll be limiting what I can use it for, at least the MB can be used offride if I fancy it....
The Specialized frame is just too small and tight for long commutes (I'm 6ft 1in and have the 17 inch frame because I originally just used it for chucking about off road for short periods) I feel very cramped, so I'll be passing it down to my other half.
I feel like such a wimp talking about 20 miles a day being some mega ride!!!
But should I get the 19 inch frame, skinny slicks, SPD's, and bar ends for the commute, or just stick to a good 1K hybrid or road bike.Can I finally point out that I love my toys and will blow money on such things as expensive mountain bikes at the drop of a hat. Telling me to keep the rockhopper is not an option!!
Cheers guys....
Moutain bikes do make good commuters. But there are a couple of problems with your thinking.
Firstly, a 20-mile commute is a proper ride and you should plan accordingly. Secondly, a hardtail is the right choice of beast but a top end one is not.
It's good that you are prepared to splash some cash 'cause you'll be fed up with changing tyres etc.. after a few weeks and want something dedicated.
If you want a top end HT then go for it and keep it for the brown stuff. Personally, I would build up a steel HT with proper mud-guards, pannier rack, rigid forks, Avid BB-7 cable discs, single speed gearing (if you have a resonably flat route), flat bars (more space to put lights), bar ends and a set of 700c x 32 wheels and tyres (Mavic Speed City are 700c in size but with disc ready hubs).
Mud-guards are essential - quite frankly it p***es me off seeing other cyclists caked in road grime and dripping wet get on a train and then sit down messing up a seat. It is ignorant and selfish behaviour and shows cycling in a very bad light.
The pannier rack is (imoho) essential to prevent lower back and chest injuries. Any ride over 5-miles and you're better off putting the weight on the bike rather than on you.
BB-& cable discs are the best cable discs available and work aswell as a lot of hydraulic discs. They are easier to maintain and more powerful than rim brakes. They also have better 'feel' than hydraulic brakes.
700c x 32 tyres fit into a '26-incher' mtb frame. They're faster on the road which is where you're riding. Schwalbe Marathon Plus are a touch pricey but bullet proof. They're not as fast as many but cope easily with tow paths and bridleways as well as tarmac - without puncturing. I've even run a set on my XC bike and run it over the flinty paths of the North downs with no problems.
Mavic Speedcity wheels are just cool.
Rigid forks (cromo ones not carbon fibre) cause you don't need suspension on the road. The 32 sized tyre will provide enough cusioning against road buzz.
Now, you could build up a bike from scratch (an On-One Inbred is a good frame to start with). Or buy a built up Hybrid. Edinburgh Cycle Co-Op's range of Revolution bikes are good value and based around mtb geometry. Chris Boardman bikes have been very well received in the press - although snobbery tends to cloud riders judgement - available from Halfords.
Finally, accessories. You will need lights, at least two front AND rear; helmet; proper riding clothes; tool kit to take with you; and a good quality lock(s). The idea of riding a fast high end mtb to work is great until someone nicks it. People don't tend to have a lot of respect towards bikes so it can also be damaged by a third party. A friend of mine was talking about buying an original Lambretta to commute round London on - until he saw the condition and the lack of respect given to the bikes where he was going to park it.
I suppose what I have rambled on about is this - Do it, but do it on something fit for purpose and that you won't cry over when it gets damaged.
Happy hunting.
Firstly, a 20-mile commute is a proper ride and you should plan accordingly. Secondly, a hardtail is the right choice of beast but a top end one is not.
It's good that you are prepared to splash some cash 'cause you'll be fed up with changing tyres etc.. after a few weeks and want something dedicated.
If you want a top end HT then go for it and keep it for the brown stuff. Personally, I would build up a steel HT with proper mud-guards, pannier rack, rigid forks, Avid BB-7 cable discs, single speed gearing (if you have a resonably flat route), flat bars (more space to put lights), bar ends and a set of 700c x 32 wheels and tyres (Mavic Speed City are 700c in size but with disc ready hubs).
Mud-guards are essential - quite frankly it p***es me off seeing other cyclists caked in road grime and dripping wet get on a train and then sit down messing up a seat. It is ignorant and selfish behaviour and shows cycling in a very bad light.
The pannier rack is (imoho) essential to prevent lower back and chest injuries. Any ride over 5-miles and you're better off putting the weight on the bike rather than on you.
BB-& cable discs are the best cable discs available and work aswell as a lot of hydraulic discs. They are easier to maintain and more powerful than rim brakes. They also have better 'feel' than hydraulic brakes.
700c x 32 tyres fit into a '26-incher' mtb frame. They're faster on the road which is where you're riding. Schwalbe Marathon Plus are a touch pricey but bullet proof. They're not as fast as many but cope easily with tow paths and bridleways as well as tarmac - without puncturing. I've even run a set on my XC bike and run it over the flinty paths of the North downs with no problems.
Mavic Speedcity wheels are just cool.
Rigid forks (cromo ones not carbon fibre) cause you don't need suspension on the road. The 32 sized tyre will provide enough cusioning against road buzz.
Now, you could build up a bike from scratch (an On-One Inbred is a good frame to start with). Or buy a built up Hybrid. Edinburgh Cycle Co-Op's range of Revolution bikes are good value and based around mtb geometry. Chris Boardman bikes have been very well received in the press - although snobbery tends to cloud riders judgement - available from Halfords.
Finally, accessories. You will need lights, at least two front AND rear; helmet; proper riding clothes; tool kit to take with you; and a good quality lock(s). The idea of riding a fast high end mtb to work is great until someone nicks it. People don't tend to have a lot of respect towards bikes so it can also be damaged by a third party. A friend of mine was talking about buying an original Lambretta to commute round London on - until he saw the condition and the lack of respect given to the bikes where he was going to park it.
I suppose what I have rambled on about is this - Do it, but do it on something fit for purpose and that you won't cry over when it gets damaged.
Happy hunting.
Black5 said:
Sounds like you've already decided and you just want some gratification that you should go ahead.
Sounds like a waste to me. £5-700 on a Hybrid or MTB I can understand, but £1500 to ride to & from work?
I'll second your opinion on that. It is a waste of money for such journeys. It'd be fine if you were doing hours worth of off-road on a weekend, but for this?Sounds like a waste to me. £5-700 on a Hybrid or MTB I can understand, but £1500 to ride to & from work?
I plumped for a Trek Hybrid - perfect for the journey I do, and nowhere near as visually nickable as the other bikes parked up at work.
Actually - thats a possible issue - where do you work, and what are the cycle parking facilities like?
Yeah, do you know what, the more I think about it the more a hybrid looks the best bet. I can stick risers and proper tyres back on the Rockhopper and that can be for off-road chucking. I've been looking at the Scott Speedster, basically a road frame and wheelset but with flat bars and I think slightly relaxed geometry. I should imagine this will be nice and light, definately what I'm after.
By the way, security is not an issue, it will be very secure at work and will never be left in public....
By the way, security is not an issue, it will be very secure at work and will never be left in public....
Edited by Hollywood Wheels on Wednesday 31st October 12:52
smiffygas said:
One of the bikes I'd been looking at! I had a Cannondale Super V before which I loved, before I got fed up with full sus. Would the Badboy be a suitable bike for all that road mileage though? Very very cool bikes. Commuter bikes are for pansies, I think you should blow you whole budget on a really nice HT with a spare set of built up wheels and tyres. It won't roll so fast, but you'll build fitness and leg muscle mass quicker with the extra resistence, and you'll still have a nice bike to play on at the weekend. Man up and buy right.
Hollywood Wheels said:
smiffygas said:
One of the bikes I'd been looking at! I had a Cannondale Super V before which I loved, before I got fed up with full sus. Would the Badboy be a suitable bike for all that road mileage though? Very very cool bikes. WildCards said:
Commuter bikes are for pansies, I think you should blow you whole budget on a really nice HT with a spare set of built up wheels and tyres. It won't roll so fast, but you'll build fitness and leg muscle mass quicker with the extra resistence, and you'll still have a nice bike to play on at the weekend. Man up and buy right.
Yep - I use a Giant XTC Zero for commuting 32km round trip. Have a set of Shimano/Mavic wheels for slicks and a nice set of Hope/Mavic for knobblies. Hydraulic brakes and 80mm forks, combined with heavier duty wheels make it pretty handy in the city.Riser bars make it more comfortable and I just change the wheels for a half-decent off-road bike when I'm after an HT fix.
Only problem is that the mtb gearing is a bit short for road use, but nothing too bad.
mk1fan said:
Rigid forks (cromo ones not carbon fibre) cause you don't need suspension on the road. The 32 sized tyre will provide enough cusioning against road buzz
Do you have any experience of aluminium forks on a road bike ? I've seen a bike with rigid forks, but I would have thought they would be harsh ?BOR,
My Scott has ali rigid forks. My comment was more don't use carbon rigid forks on a commuter that'll be carrying load than hailing cromo forks as the only alternative.
Yes, rigid forks are harsher than suspension forks but you don't need suspension on the road. It just absorbs some of the power you put into forward motion.
My Scott has ali rigid forks. My comment was more don't use carbon rigid forks on a commuter that'll be carrying load than hailing cromo forks as the only alternative.
Yes, rigid forks are harsher than suspension forks but you don't need suspension on the road. It just absorbs some of the power you put into forward motion.
mk1fan said:
Chris Boardman bikes have been very well received in the press - although snobbery tends to cloud riders judgement - available from Halfords.
Tried the £699 hybrid version of these today (can't remember model name....) and was impressed. I must admit though that I'm leaning toward the Cannondale Badboy with 28 rims, I think it would be a good bike for me. I wouldn't be using the bike everyday, so I don't necessarily need a frame for racks or mudguards, clip-on ones would be acceptable. The shortlist at the moment is....1) cannondale Badboy 28
2) Scott Speedster
3) Scott Scale 35
Very different bikes I know....
It will take you only a week or two to get used to the 8 mile ride, and a month or two after that you'll be laughing that you were ever scared of it.
40 mile rides are just around the corner. You just have to work up to it.
Personally I wouldn't commute on a mountain bike. I used a road bike to get to college and back, 15 miles each day, 25 minutes each way
Mountain bikes are slooowwww......
40 mile rides are just around the corner. You just have to work up to it.
Personally I wouldn't commute on a mountain bike. I used a road bike to get to college and back, 15 miles each day, 25 minutes each way
Mountain bikes are slooowwww......Parrot of Doom said:
It will take you only a week or two to get used to the 8 mile ride, and a month or two after that you'll be laughing that you were ever scared of it.
You're absolutely right! I remember when I was at Uni.........not a pot to p1ss in, and all I did was ride my bike all day around Devon. It was a £110 piece of hi-ten cr*p, but a 20 mile off-road ride was nothing to me. I had old tracky bottoms and a jumper on, p1ss-wet through, but I loved every second of it.... However, now, 13 years later (and 3 stone heavier...), even the thoughts of riding that distance on road on a modern lightweight bike whilst wearing proper gear terrifies me! I must stop being such a wuss....
I was in this quandary re: a good commuter bike (15-20 miles a day) seven years ago.
My GT had just snapped a chainstay, and I was on the lookout for a fully rigid MTB frame to build up (suspension is wasted in London).
I don't know why I didn't just pick up a relatively new Orange P7 frame off eBay (which is what I'd do in your shoes) but the
previous year's Cannondale CAAD3 Martyn Ashton Trials Replica frame was sat gleaming in a shop window, with 50% off its £700 list price.
Very stiff, super-light and based on the proven M900 'Beast of the East' geometry.
Took it home, and wrapped the lairy graphics up in old inner-tubes to keep the thieves at bay. Rode it like that for a year, until I changed jobs and could
park it indoors all day.
I'm still in love with this bike, it fits me perfectly and couldn't be any faster or lighter now.
It's cost me £2k.
Worth every goddamn penny!
My GT had just snapped a chainstay, and I was on the lookout for a fully rigid MTB frame to build up (suspension is wasted in London).
I don't know why I didn't just pick up a relatively new Orange P7 frame off eBay (which is what I'd do in your shoes) but the
previous year's Cannondale CAAD3 Martyn Ashton Trials Replica frame was sat gleaming in a shop window, with 50% off its £700 list price.
Very stiff, super-light and based on the proven M900 'Beast of the East' geometry.
Took it home, and wrapped the lairy graphics up in old inner-tubes to keep the thieves at bay. Rode it like that for a year, until I changed jobs and could
park it indoors all day.
I'm still in love with this bike, it fits me perfectly and couldn't be any faster or lighter now.
It's cost me £2k.
Worth every goddamn penny!
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