Mountain Biking - Mtb on the road

Who here uses their mountain bike for riding on the road? Who uses a road bike for road riding? Do you have a seperate set of mtb wheels with road slicks? If you use two different bikes, do you try to keep the fit similar between the two?

I juat parted out my old commuter and now I am using the Rockhopper in my sig for commuting and winter trail riding. I have a set of slicks but haven't been using them due to the snow/ice around here. I am currently using a set of Kenda Alpha Bites which are cheap and have a relatively aggressive tread with a continuous center tread that rolls rather quickly. I have studded tires on the other wheelset right now.

I also have a road bike...I didn't try to make the fit similar, I just adjusted the fit so I was comfortable on each bike.

I use my bike on the road for communiting.

I use mine about 50/50 each.

I avoid rodes like they are the black plague...I hate setting my two wheels on concrete...

I avoid rodes like they are the black plague...I hate setting my two wheels on concrete...

I feel the same way when I'm on the trail bike but when it comes to getting to work, I prefer two wheels on the road rather than four!

Instead of a extra set of wheels, I keep an old Nishiki MTB with smooth tires for riding rails to trails paths and the rare road ride. It's probably a lot cheaper than a second set of disc specific wheels and tires.

I just run some closely spaced knobbies aka fast rolling XC tires.. they are usually fairly smooth and roll decent on the street.. the python tread pattern looks like it'd be a good compromise. or if your more street the bontranger connection trail are nice on pavement. I currently run some mythos xc on the street and dirt, they roll pretty well and are cheap. the pavement wears them quicker though.

My "road bike" is one of my mountain bikes. It has a rigid fork, 1.75" slick tires, fenders, a rack, lots of lights, reflective tape on the cranks, fenders, and watter bottle cages. I use it for mountain biking as well when I go for "scenic" rides where I make frequent stops to look for birds and for rides with my younger brother. Both of these rides are slow paced and the lack of suspension doesn't bother me. I also tend to carry lots of stuff on those rides so having a rack w/rack bag is nice.

My mountain bike is strictly for dirt (Niner SIR single speed 29er). But my commuter bike is technically a mountain bike - it's a Surly Karate Monkey with Big Apple 2.3 x 29 slicks. Single speed mountain bike gearing doesn't work well on pavement. The solution is called a "dingle-speed" - 2 rear cogs, 2 chainrings, same difference in teeth. One gear ratio for road, then you loosen the chain and swap it to the other set of gears for dirt. I might do that to the Monkey some day, but right now it has a 1x9 setup.

My XC bike sees only road for much of the year. It has indeed started to take on some geometric attributes of my road bike; I flipped the stem, and probably won't be flipping it back when it comes time for my spring off-road races, since my XC racing and commuting setups are similar. In terms of rider position, it's probably about halfway between my road bike and my vpfree.

In the winter, I run a SS MTB with studs for when it snows. Once the snow is gone, I'm back on my converted roadie SS. I save my mtn bikes for the trails for the most part.

i ride my MTB bike on the road daily. swap out the nobbies for a set of holy rollers every m-f. i wouldn't really call it 'commuting', more like playing on my way two and from work.

just pedaling your MTB up the road would be kind of dumb. when i wanna do that, i ride the road bike. trashing through the city jumping off everything i can find, now thats dang near as fun as hitting the trails.

well I use my bike for both, road or MTB doesnt matter because im not racing on the road. On the new year (1/1/07) there is a group ride organized by Kayuh Lasak organizer for a round island trip via road, Im using my Anthem because I dont have a road bike, haha

Wow. I am apparantly just a learner. A padawan. My bike is a stock mountain that I have a rack, fenders and panniers mounted on. Same factory tires it came with in April. I wonder what Im missing out on...

Wow. I am apparantly just a learner. A padawan. My bike is a stock mountain that I have a rack, fenders and panniers mounted on. Same factory tires it came with in April. I wonder what Im missing out on...


its no longer a mountainbike after you add fenders, panniers and a rack. what the heck are panniers anyways?

what are you missing out on? take that stuff off your bike and go ride the living crap out of it.

I Have an old GT Karakorum K2 with Ritchey Slicks that I used for my commuter. Come Summer time I'll be putting the Slicks on my Rocky Wedge to Commute with as well. They're pretty darn fast with slicks, and for city riding, don't give up a lot of speed compared to a road bike.

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/7482/gtleft1af.jpg

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT. Wrong answer.

OK, you're right, I just imagined my commute time and general effort level is the same on a road bike or MTB with slicks :p

Or, you ride at such a sedate pace that the enormous difference is not something that you could possibly notice.

Yeah that's it :D

I think it's because I'm so strong, that I don't notice the difference ;)

I think it's because I'm so strong, that I don't notice the difference ;)


i'd just run with that one!

i'd just run with that one!

:lol:

i have been carfree for a few years now. since the mountain won't come to me, i have to ride TO the mountain. that means--YIKES--roads!

i recently found a bike that allows me to ride to the mountain comfortably and then enjoy the mountain once i get there.

i got this baby for xmas:
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c267/sweetdaddyroses/CT_Limited_SatSliver.jpg
REAR BRAKE Avid Juicy 5 hydraulic disc, G2 Clean Sweep 160mm rotor
BRAKE LEVERS Avid FR-5
FRONT DERAILLEUR Shimano M-581 LX, 31.8mm clamp, top swing, dual pull
REAR DERAILLEUR SRAM X.0, 9-speed, mid cage
SHIFT LEVERS SRAM X-9 aluminum trigger
CASSETTE / FREEWHEEL SRAM PG-950, 9-speed, 11x34t
CHAIN SRAM PC-971 w/Power Link
CRANKSET Truvative Stylo, 2pc crank/BB
CHAINRINGS 48Ax36Ax26A w/chainguard
BOTTOM BRACKET Truvative GXP, sealed outboard cartridge bearing, 68mm shell
PEDALS Wellgo M-20, alloy LSL bearing
RIMS Specialized Crosstrail Disc, 700c, 32h, double wall w/ machine sidewalls and eyelets
FRONT HUB Specialized Stout disc, sealed cartridge bearing, high/low flange, 32h
REAR HUB Shimano M-525 disc, 32h, QR
SPOKES DT-Swiss competition,1.8/ 2.0mm, stainless, brass nipples
FRONT TIRE Specialized Borough XC, 1.9" w/ aramid bead, 120TPI, dual compound
REAR TIRE Specialized Borough XC, 1.9" w/ aramid bead, 120TPI, dual compound
TUBES Specialized 700c, presta valve
SADDLE Specialized Body Geometry Rival, hollow Cro-Mo rails
SEAT POST Specialized Pavé, FACT carbon w/ Zertz inserts, 27.2x350mm
SEAT BINDER Specialized forged alloy

i immediately put shimano pd-mx30 XC platforms: http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c267/sweetdaddyroses/Shimano_PD-MX30.jpg
and a cateye micro wireless 'puter on it.

it's the best of both worlds!
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c267/sweetdaddyroses/10ldhipy.gif
ride on!

the crosstrail limited--pictured above--comes stock with these features:

# RockShox Reba SL fork, 29er w/ motion control
# Specialized OS carbon XC rise bar
# Avid Juicy 5 hydraulic disc brakes
# SRAM X.0, 9-speed rear derailleur
# Specialized Crosstrail Disc rims, double wall w/ machine sidewalls and eyelets
# Specialized Borough XC tires, 1.9" w/ aramid bead, 120TPI, dual compound

i love it!

I commute on my Fisher HooKooEKoo. I put some Kenda SmallBlock 8's on it not long ago and I really love them on the pavement. When I'm not going to ride the trail with it, I pump them up to about 70psi. They're some smooth rolling pavement tires due to the (pinky to mouth) ONE MILLION SMALL RAMPED KNOBS. Very light too.

When I need more traction than those tires can deliver, I just ride my Jamis.

When the weather is really bad, sometimes I change out the rear on my HKEK for a Kenda Knarly.

Since I started the thread I better add my set-up. Unfortunately I live in an area that doesn't have much for off-road riding. I find that a road bike isn't the most comfortable ride for me so I settled on this:

http://www.gtbicycles.com/pavement/catalog/detail.php?id=1994&country=usa&brand=pave

I put a set of Conti Grand Prix 26 x 1.0 (just a little faster than the stock Tioga City Slicker Pro 26 x 1.25) and removed the two smaller front chain rings to make it a 1 x 8. I have plans to switch the front fork to a rigid set-up. I will say that the bike is on the heavy side (which I think I'll loose some weight with the fork swap), but it is comfy. I also swaped the stock riser bar with a Kore flat bar. At least if I ever venture to an area with off road trails I'll still have a bike for it with the swap of some tires.

Mtn bike for the trails, dedicated commuter/beater for getting around town.

Even with slicks etc, my mtn bike is still slow on the road compared to my commuter, which is slow compared to a road bike. Its a simple fact.

When I had the chance to commute (50km round trip) I found the knobbies to be too slow. I bought some slicks and this made the ride a lot more fun.

//

Pete's description of a recumbent rider is pretty funny.
http://www.houston-recumbent-bike-club.com/2%20Johncandersonontrike_small.jpg (http://bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=253178&p=3522282)

http://www.ritcheylogic.com/web/Ritchey~Logic/Ritchey~Site/web/EN/main/product/roadcomp/tires/RoadTires_TomSlick.html

Best MTB road slicks - rolls very fast, but can grip on its side.

My bike is so advanced that when I leave the dirt and hit pavement, it morphs into a perfect 700c road machine.

If I ever even think about Dungeons and Dragons, Star Wars conventions, or being really fat, while slicing pavement then my damn bike morphs into a recumbent and I gain 180 pounds, instantly grow a really patchy grey beard, my complexion becomes an Exxon Valdez diorama, I become socially ********, and begin posting in the Foo forum.

Fortunately for me, I have never had that happen.

Yet.

hmmm....

http://bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=253178 #23
http://bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=250966&page=2 #37

It apparently gives you amnesia,too.

I become socially ********, and begin posting in the Foo forum.

I guess I'm socially retarted in your eyes:)

If you have to ask...
What is wrong with Foo?

I use my mountain bike to ride to friends houses etc. it's FS so long rides are no good. I just got a road bike for christmas, will prob use that more often.

I currently run some mythos xc on the street and dirt, they roll pretty well and are cheap. the pavement wears them quicker though.
+1 (slick version)