Commuting - Bike decent for commuting - Your thoughts and recommendations??!!

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emptgrave
05-12-08, 08:49 PM
I ride fairly regularly now on the road. Just did my first century last week.

I now live 7 miles from work.
I don't want to use my road bike for daily abuse/commute.

I have thought about getting an old road bike to play with, but

I found a 06 Diamondback Sorrento MTB for $10 at a garage sell with a broken derailer.
For $25 I fixed it.
Kinda above a Wal-Mart bike, but not up to bike store level.

Would a bike with shocks be frustrating to commute with as I assume it takes a lot of the power to the shock and not the road?
I will change the tires to non-studded ones.
Should I change the Handlebars as well.
Thought about just selling it and making a small profit to get another roady.



Your thoughts and recommendations??!!

d2create
05-12-08, 09:17 PM
I'd say use it for a while and see how you take to it.
With the long road miles you are able to do on weekends, a 7 mile commute is peanuts and can be done on any bike. Change those tires and you should be good to go. Changing things like bars, seat, etc will come in time. If you think it's worth it.
Andy_K
05-12-08, 09:19 PM
For $35 investment, you may as well try it for a while. I don't like suspension on a commuting bike, and being a road rider, I don't expect you'll find yourself liking it for "comfort" value, but who knows? I suspect you'll find yourself yearning to be riding something you like better.

ShadowGray
05-12-08, 09:32 PM
Well, I've biked 7 miles in one go including a nasty hill with a hardtail mtb with knobbies, and it's not that bad of a ride. Don't know how much the shocks come into play, but I don't think it would take too much out of you ride, especially with slicks instead of knobbies.
tjspiel
05-13-08, 01:22 AM
I ride a rigid mtb with studded tires about that distance in the winter and I used to ride it in the summer once in awhile.

With knobbies/studs it's definitely not as fast as a road bike but you can certainly do it. I'd try it for awhile and see if it suits you. If the frame isn't that great then I don't know that I'd invest a lot of money and time into it. Of course if you're the type that enjoys tinkering it might be worth it to you anyway. On the other hand, you might find tinkering with an old road bike to be more rewarding in the long run.