Mountain Biking - Can you ride a mtn bike on a city street?

Hello and please excuse my ignorance if this is a dumb question. It's been about 20 years since I rode a bike. Now I'm living close to work...it's approximately 3 miles. I decided to ditch the car and bus and just bike it in instead. I looked at the hybrids and tried one. However, I felt it was kind of weak and frail. I wobbled around quite a bit. I'm not sure if it was because the frame or tires were very thin and light. In other words, I didn't feel very comfortable.

Now I would like to try a mountain bike instead. I haven't taken a test ride yet. I thought I would ask this forum first. Therefore, how does a mountain bike feel on a city street. I know by just looking at the bike that it's sturdier than a hybrid.

I also heard that you can buy a mtn bike and then just swap tires or something? Is that correct?

Every salesperson I've talked to told me that the hybrid models would be suited for me but when I tried it out I just didn't feel safe.

Any help would be appreciated.

BTW, the last bike I had had no speeds and a big banana seat. :D

Absolutly you can ride a MTB on the street. If you wind up using it almost exclusively on the street you can get a pair of slick or semi-slick tires for it and it will feel even nicer. That being said I would probably recomend staying with a hardtail frame for street, no need for the extra suspension and pedal bob.

Hello and please excuse my ignorance if this is a dumb question. It's been about 20 years since I rode a bike. Now I'm living close to work...it's approximately 3 miles. I decided to ditch the car and bus and just bike it in instead. I looked at the hybrids and tried one. However, I felt it was kind of weak and frail. I wobbled around quite a bit. I'm not sure if it was because the frame or tires were very thin and light. In other words, I didn't feel very comfortable.

Now I would like to try a mountain bike instead. I haven't taken a test ride yet. I thought I would ask this forum first. Therefore, how does a mountain bike feel on a city street. I know by just looking at the bike that it's sturdier than a hybrid.

I also heard that you can buy a mtn bike and then just swap tires or something? Is that correct?

Every salesperson I've talked to told me that the hybrid models would be suited for me but when I tried it out I just didn't feel safe.

Any help would be appreciated.

BTW, the last bike I had had no speeds and a big banana seat. :D
A mountain bike would be great for you! Here is why:

1) You can buy slicks for it.

2) You can buy a suspension seatpost to take the edge off things

3) You can be more "cool" with a mountain bike.

Hello and please excuse my ignorance if this is a dumb question. It's been about 20 years since I rode a bike. Now I'm living close to work...it's approximately 3 miles. I decided to ditch the car and bus and just bike it in instead. I looked at the hybrids and tried one. However, I felt it was kind of weak and frail. I wobbled around quite a bit. I'm not sure if it was because the frame or tires were very thin and light. In other words, I didn't feel very comfortable.

Now I would like to try a mountain bike instead. I haven't taken a test ride yet. I thought I would ask this forum first. Therefore, how does a mountain bike feel on a city street. I know by just looking at the bike that it's sturdier than a hybrid.

I also heard that you can buy a mtn bike and then just swap tires or something? Is that correct?

Every salesperson I've talked to told me that the hybrid models would be suited for me but when I tried it out I just didn't feel safe.

Any help would be appreciated.

BTW, the last bike I had had no speeds and a big banana seat. :D
Tires:

http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/TI707A26-Hutchinson+Top+Slick+Tire.aspx
http://www.bikeparts.com/search_results.asp?ID=XR1081
http://www.bikeparts.com/search_results.asp?ID=MA2160
http://www.bikeparts.com/search_results.asp?ID=MA1041
http://www.bikeparts.com/search_results.asp?ID=TG2303
http://www.bikeparts.com/search_results.asp?ID=WT1241

Dual Tires:

http://www.bikeparts.com/search_results.asp?ID=HL5321

seat posts:
http://www.jensonusa.com/store/sub/145-Seatposts.aspx

your best bet for tires would probobly be the maxxis hookworms since they come in 2.5, and it sounded like you liked the feel of wide mtn bike tires.

Absolutly you can ride a MTB on the street. If you wind up using it almost exclusively on the street you can get a pair of slick or semi-slick tires for it and it will feel even nicer. That being said I would probably recomend staying with a hardtail frame for street, no need for the extra suspension and pedal bob.

Exactly. I ride my hardtail mtn bike everywhere. To the store, the bike shop, the gym. I just throw on some 1.5" tires and head off.

Hardtail/Softail? Slim tire, wide tire, slick tires? Sounds like I've got alot to learn. Instead of bothering everyone here on this forum by asking basic questions how bout giving me a site where I can learn more for myself. That way I won't get bamboozled by a shady salesperson. Thanks. :)

A Hardtail is a bike with only a front fork (or sometimes not even that). A softtail is a bike with rear suspension , otherwise known as a HT (Hard Tail) and FS (full suspension).


The best way to learn is just to use the search function on this forum. Enter a term and see what posts pop up and read them.

Road bike = long road trips
Race bike = very fast commuteing
Comfort bike = comfort
Mountain bike = Stability

I would say that if a mountain bike is built for people slaming into rocks and ditches then it must be stable.
If it is built for people goine 40K downhill in the wet then it must have good brakes and traction from the tires.
Buy a brand name from a bike store and not a box store
I have a cheap Iron Horse (A known brand name) and my wife just got a Haro (known brand name). We know those bikes are going to stop on a dime and last a long time.

Mountain bikes have the big tires and brakes which make them safe on the roads. It slows them down a bit but the security is worth it.
A person has enough to worry about with the traffic then have to worry about the bike not being able to take the rough parts of the road or side walk.

Good luck and have fun trying the bikes out

If you ask this same question over in the Road Bike forum most would likely recommend a hybrid or a road bike for your intended purpose.... ;)

Not to mention, MTBs on the road gives you: no risk for flat tires when you pass railroads, hit bumps, etc. Even hitting glass is usually fine. They do great in snow and on ice, also. MTBs are pretty much the only bikes ever sold in Sweden nowadays (and everyone has a bike - not just some people - everyone) for that reason and the added coolness factor of them (much easier to sell and market than the traditional road bikes).

I have an old road bike a mtn bike and a dropped bar hybrid (or turing bike). Ride what you like, where you like.

Joe

Ooohh, so now we have a goodie two shoes user entering the mtb world, great first post. It's been a while (actually, I only come occasionally and only see the newbie's aol'ing it up. Sorry to the rest of you goodie-two shoe newbies.:D Just kidding.)

As for using MTB on streets - go for it. Speed (with right tires), strength and price, you dont have to pay much to get a reliable mtb. 300 can get you a pretty decent workhorse :D. A little extra money paid to a bike shop goes a lot farther than the little less you pay for a department store bike. I'm not assuming that you are going to get a department store bike, but it's a mistake I made, and I had to pay for.

Every salesperson I've talked to told me that the hybrid models would be suited for me but when I tried it out I just didn't feel safe.

BTW, the last bike I had had no speeds and a big banana seat. :D

Those salesmen at Walmart sure know their bikes.
.
.


Therefore, how does a mountain bike feel on a city street. I know by just looking at the bike that it's sturdier than a hybrid.

I have an Ibex 450 mountain bike and I ride it on the road in the winter on the same routes as my road bike. It's just better in the snow, ice, and the sand they dump on the roads.

Ooohh, so now we have a goodie two shoes user entering the mtb world, great first post. It's been a while (actually, I only come occasionally and only see the newbie's aol'ing it up. Sorry to the rest of you goodie-two shoe newbies.:D Just kidding.)

As for using MTB on streets - go for it. Speed (with right tires), strength and price, you dont have to pay much to get a reliable mtb. 300 can get you a pretty decent workhorse :D. A little extra money paid to a bike shop goes a lot farther than the little less you pay for a department store bike. I'm not assuming that you are going to get a department store bike, but it's a mistake I made, and I had to pay for.


I know that some local bike shops will switch the tires for you and then you just pay the difference. But would you recommend I keep the stock tires and also get tires that are more suited for street riding. What is the disadvantage of using the stock tires on the street? Will I ruin the pavement or something? :D

You will only wear down the knobbys on the tires and slow yourself down. Slick tires will be much better than knobby tires for your intended purpose. I'd only recommend keeping the stock tires if you think you'll ever try riding unpaved trails. They'll uselessly take up space in your home if you never use them.

I decided to try commuting with my Kona Blast on knobbies this part Thursday. It's 25km to work from home and we have a great bike trail network here in town so I figured why not. I also took my trailer with me because I had to get my daughter from daycare.

The 25km run was such a pain because of how inefficient I felt with the knobbies. I met a workmate who was riding his hybrid Kona Dew Deluxe and he was killing me on the roads. The knobbies, the gearing and pulling the trailer made me very slow. My cadence was relatively high but I was moving SLOWLY. I'm in pretty good shape and I didn't feel tired, I just felt slow.

That night I went to Mountain Equipment Co-op and bought some 26 x 1.5 Tioga City Slickers.
http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=669975&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=12783&bmUID=1119752049173
http://images.mec.ca/media/Images/Products/Cycling/1807270s.jpg

My first test with my Kona with the City Slickers was Friday morning. I met a buddy of mine who is a roadie and we went out to do a 35km ride. I obviously could not keep up with him (better bike, better rider) but at least I felt more efficient with the lower rolling resistance. My next commuting test will be next Thursday and Friday (I have to take the car the other days because of picking up and dropping off kids). I'll reduce my commute by about 3-4 km because I've decided to drive to the bike path. The roads from my place to the bike path are not very bike friendly (no paths, lots of cars)

My one complaint was that it was a serious pain in the arse to get the knobbies off the rims and don't look forward to swapping back and forth between the two sets. Other than that I'm looking forward to reducing my gas consumption by 20%+ percent wihle the weather is good.

Hello and please excuse my ignorance if this is a dumb question. It's been about 20 years since I rode a bike. Now I'm living close to work...it's approximately 3 miles. I decided to ditch the car and bus and just bike it in instead. I looked at the hybrids and tried one. However, I felt it was kind of weak and frail. I wobbled around quite a bit. I'm not sure if it was because the frame or tires were very thin and light. In other words, I didn't feel very comfortable.

Now I would like to try a mountain bike instead. I haven't taken a test ride yet. I thought I would ask this forum first. Therefore, how does a mountain bike feel on a city street. I know by just looking at the bike that it's sturdier than a hybrid.

I also heard that you can buy a mtn bike and then just swap tires or something? Is that correct?

Every salesperson I've talked to told me that the hybrid models would be suited for me but when I tried it out I just didn't feel safe.

Any help would be appreciated.

BTW, the last bike I had had no speeds and a big banana seat. :D
Like you, after many years I decided to get back into biking for its aerobic benefits. Running was killing my knees. I wanted a bike that I could use to ride on the streets and get to the tennis courts. Since most of my friends had mountain bikes, that's what I went for. I got a Giant Rincon. It is a hardtail. After riding on knobbys on the streets, believe me, you will want to change them to street tires. Your handling will improve as well as your speed. As I rode more and more on the streets, I realized that the Rincon was heavy and starting to hold me back. After about a year, my LBS took in my Rincon and made it possible for me to upgrade my bike to a hybrid. I got the Giant Cypress SX. It is a cross between a mountain bike and a road bike. Giant describes it as, "a road bike with flat bars." This bike is perfect for me. To repeat, all of my riding is done on the streets. With the Cypress SX, my average speed increased immediately and cycling is much more enjoyable. My freind and mechanic at my LBS commented that I should have gotten a road bike to start with in the first place. I am glad I went the route I did to rediscover the fun of biking again. Perhaps you should indeed start off with a mountain bike. Ride it and have fun. If you get more into biking, you can always upgrade your bike to a hybrid or ultimately a road bike. Good luck.

Fretman.... go for it!

but DO NOT get a walmart type bike and put some good city type tires on them. Also, get the fit right! If you're leaning too far over ....or the top frame bar nearly castrates you then you its not fitting right!

I commute to my university and am absolutley loving my Continental Town and Country tires http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/Tire/product_23376.shtml ... They're awesome on the roads and on some easier earth

Oh yeh and since you're newbie bookmark this site...it has awesome info
http://www.mtbr.com/

My one complaint was that it was a serious pain in the arse to get the knobbies off the rims and don't look forward to swapping back and forth between the two sets. Other than that I'm looking forward to reducing my gas consumption by 20%+ percent wihle the weather is good.

I'm gonna throw this out there, because this is an idea I had for my MTB.
I was thinking I could get a second set of wheels made, and just pop the wheels in and out depending on my riding. Of course, this would involve buying not ony the wheels, but a second det of disc rotors, and another cassette, but as far as convenience goes, it would be awesome.
Assuming you could spend an extra say, 300 bucks on that, would it work??

Sure it'd work. I've thought about it too, but I opted for a cheap used rigid mountain bike. I just keep road ready tires on that bike and leave my main bike alone. A lot cheaper than $300. :)

Fretman.... go for it!

but DO NOT get a walmart type bike and put some good city type tires on them. Also, get the fit right! If you're leaning too far over ....or the top frame bar nearly castrates you then you its not fitting right!

I commute to my university and am absolutley loving my Continental Town and Country tires http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/Tire/product_23376.shtml ... They're awesome on the roads and on some easier earth

Oh yeh and since you're newbie bookmark this site...it has awesome info
http://www.mtbr.com/
The Continental Town and Country are very dependable tires for riding a mountain bike on the streets. Our local police department equips all their patrol bikes with these tires. For a smaller cross section and faster riding street tire, the Geax Street Runner is another option.

ANSWER TO THE LYRICS GAME

If i'm not mistaken is that Gavin Rossdale, the singer of Bush, then again i could be wrong

You will only wear down the knobbys on the tires and slow yourself down. Slick tires will be much better than knobby tires for your intended purpose. I'd only recommend keeping the stock tires if you think you'll ever try riding unpaved trails. They'll uselessly take up space in your home if you never use them.

Wear down the knobbys? The sides of the tires will start to crack up of old age way before the knobs wear down. I agree slick tires are nice, but they are by no means something you "need". On my rigid MTB, I've biked on the same tires for well over 10 years (45 min to 1 hour a day, including winter) without them showing much wear on the knobbys. On my road bike, I did wear down the slicks enough to buy new tires, but never on my rigid MTB with MTB tires.

10 years on one set of tires has to be some sort of Guiness World Record.

Front wheel got stolen at one point, but rear wheel is still going with the same tire. It looks absolutely horrible on the sides, but the knobs are in great shape :)

Someone recommended that I get a set of rims and tires for city riding therefore making it easier to switch back and forth if I ever decide to do some off-road biking. I wonder how much a set of rims and tires would set me back?

Wear down the knobbys? The sides of the tires will start to crack up of old age way before the knobs wear down. I agree slick tires are nice, but they are by no means something you "need". On my rigid MTB, I've biked on the same tires for well over 10 years (45 min to 1 hour a day, including winter) without them showing much wear on the knobbys. On my road bike, I did wear down the slicks enough to buy new tires, but never on my rigid MTB with MTB tires.

The rubber in tires hardens over time and you lose a lot of the grip characteristics that are found in the rubber composition (vs. grip from tread pattern). There's a good chance you see cracking on the tires and I suspect under less ideal conditions (rain when it first starts mixing up with the crap on the road) you are riding a set of tires that can be considered pretty dangerous.

For cars I believe car manufacturers recommend that tires be changed after 6 (or 8 yeas forget which exactly) regardless of mileage.

Perhaps you should buy a new set of tires just for safety's sake.

My wife just bought a Haro yesterday. She likes the feel of a mountain bike and the store took the time to let her take test drives with different "stems" till she found one just right. She opted for a 120mm stem that goes up at a 45 degree angle. That puts her handle bars in a more upright position rather then leaning forward. It only cost $10 extra and see got to custom fit a mountain bike to have her feel just right.
You can too with the right bike shop.
There are many different tires you can try also.
I use steel studs in the winter and have been considering them on the wet roots and rocks after a rain. Just not sure just yet.
Happy shopping

For what it is worth, I ride a mountain bike on the streets 80% of the time. The rest of the time I get out to the trails (it would be different if I didn't have to work).

A mountain bike will work fine for riding 3 miles to and from work. 3 miles is a relatively short distance, so the knobby tires will be fine. But, you will notice a difference if you switched to road tires. I use Bontrager Select Invert tires (http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/Tire/product_87037.shtml), which my local bike shop recommended to me. They are great. They are much more efficient than the knobby, mountain biking tires when riding flat pavement.

As for having a second set of rims to make switching tire sets easier...I think it may be best to wait on that. It sounds like right now you are just going to be riding on the road mainly. You may never need to switch your tires for a different function. There is no need to spend the extra cash unless you know you were going to be changing them often.

For instance, if I knew I was going to come home every night from my commute and want to ride trails, I probably would get sick of changing the tires all the time and set up an extra set of rims, gears and tires. But since I only really trail ride on the weekends, it's not too much trouble to just switch out the tires on the one set of rims.

Believe me, there are some things it is worth learning to do on your own. Changing tires is one of them. I remember the first time I tried it. I struggled and it felt like it took forever, but after having done it for a while, it's become second nature.

For what it is worth, I ride a mountain bike on the streets 80% of the time. The rest of the time I get out to the trails (it would be different if I didn't have to work).

A mountain bike will work fine for riding 3 miles to and from work. 3 miles is a relatively short distance, so the knobby tires will be fine. But, you will notice a difference if you switched to road tires. I use Bontrager Select Invert tires (http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/Tire/product_87037.shtml), which my local bike shop recommended to me. They are great. They are much more efficient than the knobby, mountain biking tires when riding flat pavement.

As for having a second set of rims to make switching tire sets easier...I think it may be best to wait on that. It sounds like right now you are just going to be riding on the road mainly. You may never need to switch your tires for a different function. There is no need to spend the extra cash unless you know you were going to be changing them often.

For instance, if I knew I was going to come home every night from my commute and want to ride trails, I probably would get sick of changing the tires all the time and set up an extra set of rims, gears and tires. But since I only really trail ride on the weekends, it's not too much trouble to just switch out the tires on the one set of rims.

Believe me, there are some things it is worth learning to do on your own. Changing tires is one of them. I remember the first time I tried it. I struggled and it felt like it took forever, but after having done it for a while, it's become second nature.

That makes sense. I'll forgo the extra rims and tires for now. I'll just have to buy a mtn bike that's capable of accepting some street tires when the time comes.

If you ask this same question over in the Road Bike forum most would likely recommend a hybrid or a road bike for your intended purpose.... ;)

Ha Ha....Yep !

I commute on both just to mix it up.
The road bike is definately eons faster but the MTB has its good points.
In an In-Town, urban situation the uprightness and ability to
jump curbs(MTB) and stuff is a plus and more comfortable. If I
was going to convert my MTB to be an urban commuter Id go 1.5 high Pres.
slicks and mount a small rack on the back. If the posters commute is only
3 miles, the MTB might be a better choice.

The rubber in tires hardens over time and you lose a lot of the grip characteristics that are found in the rubber composition (vs. grip from tread pattern). There's a good chance you see cracking on the tires and I suspect under less ideal conditions (rain when it first starts mixing up with the crap on the road) you are riding a set of tires that can be considered pretty dangerous.

For cars I believe car manufacturers recommend that tires be changed after 6 (or 8 yeas forget which exactly) regardless of mileage.

Perhaps you should buy a new set of tires just for safety's sake.

We all feel things are of different value to ourselves, but since I haven't noticed any difference in grip when I ride my old bike with the old tires and when I borrow my fiancé's much newer bike with new tires, I don't really buy that as an argument for bike tires. A car is so much heavier and travelling so much faster than you do on a bike that I don't think the comparison is valid. Theoretically, it's absolutely true, but in reality, the times I have crashed on my old MTB, it's been either ice/snow or sand on the asphalt that caused it. Slicks and/or new tires wouldn't have made much of a difference then. Just avoid that stuff and you're fine. It would be a different story on my road bike that I used to race on, but I take better care of that bike in general also. An MTB makes for a great "works-all-the-time-with-virtually-no-maintenance" bike (just like many other non-MTB bikes with wide tires, for that matter).

Still, I do plan to change the tires as I don't want to puncture the tube which is starting to show on a few places. I've said this the last 4 years, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. No puncture yet, but I know I'm pushing my luck, so you're right - I should buy new tires for safety's sake as having a puncture isn't what you want down a hill or in a turn (or just for the sake of being on time for where you where going). If someone else (on a road-only used MTB) wants to change tires for another reason than when you see an increased risk for puncture, that's perfectly fine by me. It's just not one of those "have-to-do" things. Certainly, when looking for either an MTB or some other bike for road use like the OP did, my experience has been that I've punctured every other type of bike and tire fairly frequently (starting some 35 years ago) but I don't even think I've heard of an MTB that punctured on the road.

To the OP: go for a bike with MTB tires or some heavy duty road tires. The rest of the bike doesn't matter that much as long as you feel comfortable on it.

You might want to check out this article:

http://www.faughnan.com/touringbike.html

Summary:



I've commuted on racing/touring bikes, hacked together 10 speeds, and "cross bikes" (a cross between a mountain bike and a road bike). After 21 years of bike commuting in snow, ice, wind, and baking heat, I think that a bike commuter basically needs a very serious touring bike. There are alternatives, of course. A mountain bike is best in snow and ice. A cross or hybrid bike, with its upright posture and heavy wheels, is nice for short rides in heavy traffic, when wind is not a factor. For most commuting beyond 10 miles, however, both mountain and hybrid bike fall short. The mountain bike is simply too tiring to ride, with the small wheels, low pressure tires, and single hand position bars (though one can add aero bars). The cross bike is close, but in the end the upright posture is a killer. Even a mild headwind is very frustrating, and the riding position is inefficient.

A serious touring bike is made to go across the continent with few complaints. It must be very reliable, very strong, comfortable and efficient. The touring bike is lighter than a cross or mountain bike, but wider tires and strong wheels make it heavier than a racing bike. Here are the things I look for in a serious commuting/touring bike:

* reliability
* performance
* relaxed diamond frame geometry
* drop (rams horn) bars
* down tube or bar end shifters that can switch from index to friction shifting
(fancy brake/shifter combos seem to complex, potentially finicky and unreliable)
* sealed bearings.
* 21 speeds or more



* fender mounts and clearance
* built-in rack mounts
* strong wheels. Some use tandem wheels, others use larger numbers of heavy duty spokes (Beckman uses 40 in the front and 48 in the rear)
* comfortably handles 700x38c tires, cyclocross tire capacity would be nice.
(I prefer Presta valves, but Schraeder is more common.)

There's a downside to a serious touring bike. Prices for a quality touring bike start at $600.00 and range to over $2100.00. Hybrids are often available for $300 to $500. In bicycles, as in computing, you pretty much get what you pay for. I think it's hard to turn a hybrid into a true touring bike (though this is debated). Even if you replace the bars and change the brake levers, shifters, cables, etc. -- you may still be stuck with an inapprorpriate hybrid frame geometry. Lastly, bike thieves tend to be less interested in bikes with drop or upswept handle bars; they like their bars flat.

For further reading, How to Commute by Bicycle is a League of American Bicyclists article of interest and Paul Dorn's Commuting Tips site is so good that you should read there first (he's kind of a professional commuter). On the other hand, for pure touring, how could one do better than Ken Kifer's Bicycle Camping and Touring?

So I test rode a mtn bike on the streets today. It definitely felt more stable than the hybrid from yesterday. On flat surfaces I didn't notice too much of a difference. Mind you I only went about 3 blocks. However, going up hill was a different matter. On the mtn, my thighs were burning. On the hybrid, I got up without too much of a burn.

ANSWER TO THE LYRICS GAME

If i'm not mistaken is that Gavin Rossdale, the singer of Bush, then again i could be wrong
nope :D

nope :D

I am thinking that it is Radiohead, creep?

Sorry for the hijack, I commute, 2.74 miles, on my azonic steelhead singlespeed with holy rollers. It's a blast.

Now I would like to try a mountain bike instead. I haven't taken a test ride yet. I thought I would ask this forum first. Therefore, how does a mountain bike feel on a city street. I know by just looking at the bike that it's sturdier than a hybrid.

I also heard that you can buy a mtn bike and then just swap tires or something? Is that correct?


You sure can. If you want to get more involved you could use my Commuter (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=545751#post545751) for ideas.

I am thinking that it is Radiohead, creep?

ding ding ding

you win!

Sure you can. I'm taking mine to Boston next weekend for an all around the city trip.

Thanks for all the help!

I actually do commute on a 1993 MTB. As you have noticed it has some advantages over hybrids and other types of bikes.

OK, first of all, AVOID DISCOUNT STORE BIKES AT ALL COST! (Sorry for the yelling but this is VERY IMPORTANT)

Now, after you get a decent MTB, you'll have to throw some extra bucks in order to convert it to a city MTB bike and at least, buy the following:

1. Security stuff: Reflectors for you and your bike, front and rear lights, a bike lock and a good helmet.
2. City riding stuff: Change the tires. As some people has said above, get some slicks or semi slicks. Remember to read some reviews before you buy. You may also want to buy some fenders and a pannier for carrying your stuff.

After you've done it all, you can ride confidently on the street.

Take care and happy commuting,

Ricardo :o

I actually do commute on a 1993 MTB. As you have noticed it has some advantages over hybrids and other types of bikes.

OK, first of all, AVOID DISCOUNT STORE BIKES AT ALL COST! (Sorry for the yelling but this is VERY IMPORTANT)

Now, after you get a decent MTB, you'll have to throw some extra bucks in order to convert it to a city MTB bike and at least, buy the following:

1. Security stuff: Reflectors for you and your bike, front and rear lights, a bike lock and a good helmet.
2. City riding stuff: Change the tires. As some people has said above, get some slicks or semi slicks. Remember to read some reviews before you buy. You may also want to buy some fenders and a pannier for carrying your stuff.

After you've done it all, you can ride confidently on the street.

Take care and happy commuting,

Ricardo :o
Add in a helmet and you're set. Maybe a lock

I know with a mountain bike I can ride over rocks and take bumps and potholes with more confidence than a hybrid bike but if I switched my mtn bike tires with some slick tires does that mean i can still do the same type of riding? For example, would I still be able to jump a curb or ride over rougher street sections with slick tires? Or does all that type of riding depend on the frame and not the tires.

Hardtail/Softail? Slim tire, wide tire, slick tires? Sounds like I've got alot to learn. Instead of bothering everyone here on this forum by asking basic questions how bout giving me a site where I can learn more for myself. That way I won't get bamboozled by a shady salesperson. Thanks. :)

You're getting all the help you need right here. Watch out for Raiyn though. Moose piss? Oh, if it's a flat ride, and you want to be incredibly hip, get a BMX cruiser (24" wheels). The coolest single speed commuter, in my somewhat less than humbe opinion. On a more serious note, don't get a hybrid. You want 26" wheels, so you have the most options available. If you absolutely must have a hybrid, you can get them used really cheap, since a lot of people buy them so they'll have something in the garage to trip over while they collect dust. The best of intentions gone astray.

MTB are great if you actually intend to ride the bike off road. However, it you are going to buy one to simply change the tires you are probably looking at the wrong kind of bike. There are several good “city bikes” out there that have solid frames and will get you around on asphalted or concrete much more efficiently. If you think that you’ll like doing a bit of trail riding at times and get some utility out of it then go with the MTB. Not sure of your price range but some good “city bike” alternatives might be:

1. Jamis Street Perfomance bikes (http://www.jamisbikes.com/street_intro.html I have never been on one but I have heard many good things about them);
2. Konas’ Dew series (http://www.konaworld.com/shopping_cart/FrontEnd/Products/bikes_category.aspx?categoryid=182 look under “Asphalt”); and
3. Rocky Mountains’ City bikes (http://www.rocky-mountain.com/bikes/2005/city/index.aspx).

I don’t believe that any of these bikes will feel week and frail if you give them a test ride. Good luck with your shopping!

MTB are great if you actually intend to ride the bike off road. However, it you are going to buy one to simply change the tires you are probably looking at the wrong kind of bike. There are several good “city bikes” out there that have solid frames and will get you around on asphalted or concrete much more efficiently. If you think that you’ll like doing a bit of trail riding at times and get some utility out of it then go with the MTB. Not sure of your price range but some good “city bike” alternatives might be:

1. Jamis Street Perfomance bikes (http://www.jamisbikes.com/street_intro.html I have never been on one but I have heard many good things about them);
2. Konas’ Dew series (http://www.konaworld.com/shopping_cart/FrontEnd/Products/bikes_category.aspx?categoryid=182 look under “Asphalt”); and
3. Rocky Mountains’ City bikes (http://www.rocky-mountain.com/bikes/2005/city/index.aspx).

I don’t believe that any of these bikes will feel week and frail if you give them a test ride. Good luck with your shopping!


I can second this. My buddy got a Kona Dew Deluxe. The bike has a lot of common components with my Kona Blast including the same Deore derailleur components. He really likes this bike.

Wear down the knobbys? The sides of the tires will start to crack up of old age way before the knobs wear down.

Agreed, knobbies wearing out on the road really isn't the problem. But increased rolling resistance, vibration and decreased traction (on smooth surfaces, you want the maximum amount of tire touching the road) are - You can commute on knobbies, but slicks (or semi-slicks) make such a huge difference that I might say you almost "need" them.

And for the record, I ride back and forth to work on my full-suspension mtb. When some kid blows by me on a track bike that weighs half what mine does, I just remind myself of the extra-healthy workout I'm getting. It usually works.

You're getting all the help you need right here. Watch out for Raiyn though. Moose piss? Oh, if it's a flat ride, and you want to be incredibly hip, get a BMX cruiser (24" wheels). The coolest single speed commuter, in my somewhat less than humbe opinion. On a more serious note, don't get a hybrid. You want 26" wheels, so you have the most options available. If you absolutely must have a hybrid, you can get them used really cheap, since a lot of people buy them so they'll have something in the garage to trip over while they collect dust. The best of intentions gone astray.

Do most mtn bikes come with 26" wheels?

Yes, the vast majority of them do come with 26" wheels. Some bikes come with 24" or 29" wheels also.