borghe

Hello all... I'm actually not that much of a newbie. I managed to log almost 900 miles last year from April to June. After June things came up that forced me to stop, but I'll get into that a bit later.

My commute is a 29 mile roundtrip ride. After doing it for about a month or so last year I had my ride time down to ~55-60 minutes each way depending on the wind. My bike is a late 90's Rockhopper with 26x1.95 knobby tires and admittedly hasn't been maintained in some time (90's?). The bike worked to get me to and from work fine although starting up again this year my butt is hurting, though IIRC that went away just fine last year after a short time.

To really make this a full time commitment I need to cut that ride time way down. I have to pick my daughter up from school twice a week, and typically have commitments to running my own business outside of my full-time job at least once or twice a week. My car ride to work is usually 25-30 minutes in congested traffic, so if I can get my ride time to just 40-45 minutes it is feasible for me to commit to this daily. I was able to commit to it three days a week last year, the other two days being the school days, so committing to it five days shouldn't be a problem if I can get my ride time down.

So a little bit about the commute. It is on city streets that vary from beautifully paved to pothole ridden. Of course varying hills are in there as well. The ride is fairly safe and quiet from a traffic standpoint. With me on the trip I have my work clothes, lunch, and laptop in a backpack. Admittedly I haven't had a flat yet with very rugged tires and 900 miles, but reading more on here I realize it will be an eventuality.

So my question to you folks is what I can do to get my ride time down. My first preference is to retrofit the bike vs. buying a new one. I'm working under the assumption that I can retrofit the rockhopper to make it more of a hybrid/commuter for a considerably less sum than it would cost me to buy a new bike capable of what I need. To get my time down to 40-45 minutes I need to maintain an average speed of 20-22mph. That simply isn't going to happen as the bike is now. I don't know if it's the gearing, the tires, or just in need of a tune up, but with no tailwind and a relatively flat road I am only keeping at 18-19mph. Introduce a mild incline or headwind and that will routinely dip me under 15mph. For this to be a five day a week sort of thing I can't have that. Would changing the tires out have a big performance gain? Changing the gearing? Relubing and cleaning the entire bike? Comfort obviously plays some role here as it is 14.9 miles each way, but comfort is relative, speed isn't. So basically is it worth it to work on this mountain bike to get to a maintained speed of 20+mph or should I really just be looking at a new bike?

As for clothing, currently I take two sets of riding clothes along. a pair of shorts, shirt and socks in each. By the time I get to work the first set is soaked through in sweat and with no way to dry them I wear the second set on the route home. Would moving to wicking gear allow me to use only one set of riding clothes in a day? Would it dry with relative ease during the day to ride home in?

I want to do this full time. For my health, the environment, and my pocket book considering gas will hit $4/gallon this year as a high, and likely $4/gallon next year as a regular amount. Unfortunately I need to be able to do this with minimal impact to my time on the days when I have a relatively tight schedule I need to maintain. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

AndrewP

I dont think anything you do will cut your time much below 50 mins. Changing tires to 1.5" slicks will have the most impact. Next most effective way of reducing time is to find a route with fewer inersections for which you have to slow down. Keeping clothes, shoes, belt, towel, lock and computer at work will make the ride easier but wont save much time. Computer files are much easier to carry on an SD card or send them attached to an Email. Carry the things you have to carry on the bike and not on your back. SPD pedals and shoes will give another small improvement, by allowing you to pedal at higher rpm. Walmart sells comfortable soccer shirts at a fraction of the price of fancy cycling jerseys - dont ride in cotton. Are you wearing regular shorts or spandex cycling shorts - use the latter.

Psydotek

Slick tires should be able to your speed. Make sure to keep them pumped up relatively high (not over their max but close to it).

What's the biggest chanring and smallest sprocket you have on the drivetrain? I don't know too much about mountain bikes but i don't remember them coming with very large chainrings, at least not 50t big rings. You can probably put on a bigger one to pick up some speed if you are finding yourself in the highest gear combination and still feel like you could pedal harder/faster.

The best (but potentially the most expensive way) would be to get a dedicated road bike though. However if you search EBay and/or craigslist you can easily find very inexpensive older roadbikes that may just need afew replacement parts.

For clothing, it's totally worth it to invest in a set of dedicated cycling clothes then just change into normal clothes at your destination.

modernjess

To be honest, I don't think you are going to acheive and sustain your goal of speed with a that mountain bike no matter what you do to it. A new bike may be more than you bargained for, but it sounds like you are really commited (Cheers!), and so I would argue it's a very worthy investment in the long run.

I would recommend a road bike frame geometry, not a light weight racer, but perhaps a touring, or cyclo-cross style frame, or a nice steel road frame with eyelets for fenders and a rack.

Factors that are going to help you sustain the speeds with a bike of this type are: OVerall lighter weight bike, much better gear ratios, more efficient pedaling position, 700cc wheels, thinner higher pressure tires. Other things that I think help in the speed department, drop bars (more aerodynamic, more hand positions), clipless pedals, using a pannier instead of a backpack. There are plenty of threads and discussions on BF covering the topic of which bike.

Yes wicking fabrics help, they dry much faster. They are pretty available and inexpensive. Try it and see.

borghe

so it's sounding like it might be tough to turn this mtb into a fast bike.. hmm.. ok, here is a completely newb question. (sorry). If it is running 26" tires, is it at all possible to switch out to 700cc tires?

CBBaron

Running some good high quality tires and reducing your aero profile by lowering and narrowing your handle bars will help improve your speed but asking for a 20-22 average with an MTB is going to be tough riding.
This would be easier on a decent road or light touring bike. The narrower handle bars and low position afforded by drops improves the aerodynamics.
Even more expensive and faster is a good recumbent.
My rough guess is that you can gain 5 min or so with your current bike and some mods. A road bike might gain you another 5 min which would be pretty close to your time constraints.
The only way I can average over 20 MPH is with my recumbent. I ride a Bacchetta Strada . Something like the Giro or RANS Force would make the ride very comfortable and doable in your time frame on a daily basis.
I know a number of riders can average 20+MPH with slick tired MTBs or road bikes but I can't.
Craig

SDRider

Yes, your butt will adapt and it will stop hurting once you get used to being in the saddle again. As for the bike, I'd get it tuned up or, if you're handy with a wrench, do it yourself.
I'd look into getting a rack if your bike has rear eyelets for a rack rather than carry all that gear on your back. I ride a road bike and I carry a polo shirt, underwear and socks along with my lunch, keys, wallet, etc. in a very small shoulder pack. I can't imagine lugging all the stuff you carry on a daily basis.

Get some smooth tires and you should be able to pick up 1-2mph. Keep them properly inflated and set your fork to the stiffest setting if it's adjustable (I'm assuming it has front suspension).

Yes, get some decent cycling clothing. I also use lightweight running specific t-shirts sometimes. When I get to work I'm pretty sweaty so I just shower and drape my cycling clothes over my computer and pump under my desk and by the end of the day they are completely dry. Cotton would never dry fully in the same period of time so I never wear cotton clothes when cycling.

I ride 3 days a week, 10 miles one way. My best time is 35 minutes hitting most of the lights green and keeping a pretty good pace. My commute is all hills, up and down throughout, about 750' of climbing one way.

I ride a bike because I enjoy it and it keeps me in shape. Saving money on gas is simply a bonus.

CBBaron

It might be possible but it wont be easy and wont gain you much. Slick high pressure tires on your 26" wheels will roll about as well. A bigger difference would be using a narrower handle bar and aero bars where possible. (Aero bars are the ones used in time trials where your arms rest on the handle bar and your hands are out in front. This lowers your body and improve aerodynamics.
I think a light touring/cyclocross bike or recumbent will improve your comfort and speed alot easier than trying to do it with your current bike. It still will take an effort to meet your time requirements.
Craig

SDRider

No.

Bklyn

I tend to agree with the general gist: a road bike is your best bet, but a you can get a good used steel bike with 25c wheels that will be perfect for a commute. (Comfort, as you point out, is to be considered.)
Can I ask where you're riding? City? Suburb to city? Rural routes?
Are you — um — in good shape? You will be.
Good luck!

Brian Sorrell

By the time you change out the necessary parts of the drivetrain, get more aero handlebars, get new tires, etc., you'll have invested a whole lot of money in trying to make your bike do something that it's not designed to do. 20mph+ is a lot on a road bike, let alone on a MTB. If you're in good enough shape to maintain those kinds of speeds on the MTB, imagine what you'll do on a well tuned road bike? If it were me, I'd look for a light touring bike (that's what I have) or a cyclocross bike on craigslist or eBay, and get a rear rack for all that stuff you're carrying. It might take a while to find the right deal on cl or eBay, but be patient and something will come along that is far more cost effective and comfortable than retrofitting the MTB.

Bklyn

One more thing. Clean the drive train. Go buy some Simple Green and some Pro Link (or other good non-wax-based lubricant). You haven't tuned it up since the 90s? You won't believe how much easier the bike will be to ride. That should be your first step. Truly.

georgiaboy

I am in agreement with others who posted that your present bike may not have the ability to average 20 mph over a 30mi roundtrip commute. You would only end up wasting your time and money trying to get something from your present bike that's not possible. If you are riding on pavement now, go ahead and get the slicks.

Can you acheive your goal? Yes. Continue to read this board and educate yourself. You are not far off from reaching your objective.

Find answers to questions like:
What's the difference between road, touring, and cyclocross bikes?
What is a good range of gear inches for my particular commute?
Will I need to carry items with me on my commute?

There's alot more to learn. In fact, no one will ever learn everything.

As far as purchasing a bike of Craigslist or Ebay, fall is a great time to score a deal.

Good luck fellow commuter!

unhookt

Slicks are an easy upgrade and will definitely improve your speed. I am riding a '96 Gary Fisher montare (until my new LiteSpeed Firenze comes in!) 19 miles each way to/from work, and I'm coming in at right around an hour depending on which direction the wind is blowing. Over the life of the bike, I have also upgraded the seatpost to a carbon FSA, the big chainring to a 44T, and the saddle to a Specialized Rival, shedding some weight, but I believe this to have had very minimal impact. I use SPD clipless pedals and really wouldn't recommend trying to ride regularly - for whatever reason - without them.

My tires are Serfas Barista 26x1.25. $20 each at the LBS. They're very puncture resistant, even at 80 psi. Give 'em a look.

dalmore

I average about 65 minutes for a similar length commute. I have 5 bikes that vary from a cf/titanium frame lightweight road bike to a fat tired, low geared 32 pound folding bike. Times are similar for all 5 bikes because I spend anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes waiting at intersections with an average of about 14 minutes.

That said, I cast my vote for working hard on your route to avoid intersections. Then work on your bike.

Ginny

My vote is a used but good touring bike.
Mine is 17 pounds, 700c tires and I can average 22 mph on flats.

Where are you in the country?

borghe

In milwaukee wisconsin. my route basically consists of a bunch of modest roads coupled with around 3-4 absolutely brutal hills. fortunately my hill ratio is pretty even in each direction so whatever I lose going uphill I gain back going downhill.

at this moment I'm not going to bother upgrading the rockhopper. I will keep riding it a couple times a week to work, improve my fitness level, and save/search for a decent cyclocross. I am interested in a road bike to keep my speeds way up, but it seems like a cyclocross is better suited to throw on some fenders, a rack and some panniers and then get rid of that backpack.

I really do want to make this a lifestyle change. I am tired of being a slave to the fuel pump. I wish I had more noble goals as some of you suggest, but really I just cringe at every gallon going into the tank thinking of at least 10 better uses for it. I originally looked at mass transit, but here's the kicker. My 15 mile commute on my current mtb is 33% FASTER than if I were to take the public bus system. wow!

Buglady

Whatever works for you I think everyone can relate to "OMG I just burned how much $$????"

I beat the bus most days myself. It's a good feeling

cyccommute 

Butt calluses. You need butt calluses, boy! It comes with riding. The real trick is to keep riding, then you never need to toughen that tender hide

First, you are doing 15 mph on a heavy bike with knobbies. And you need to go faster? 15mph that bike is almost superhuman! Heck, trying to do over 20mph on a skinny tired bike in traffic would be nearly superhuman! Get up earlier if you need more time. Think of your bicycle commuting as your time...not as just another stress riser in your day. Enjoy the ride. Laugh at the idiots in their cars. Look at the birds. If you keep it up, eventually people will accept it as your schedule. If you allow it to be just more stress on your already stressed out life, you'll give it up and just become another zombie trapped in the glass and steel coffin.

It's a fact of life. Bicycles are underpowered vehicles. They have these weak little 1/4 horse power engines that don't do well when the load has to be lifted. Hills happen and they will slow you down. You can stand up and honk on them but be prepared to pay the price. The engine doesn't have unlimited power

If you want to do 20+mph, a new bike...preferably something in Unobtainium red...is needed.

Do you have a stairwell in your office or a closet? Be creative. Just make sure they are out of anybody's way. I hang my clothes in a stairwell where I keep my bike. Clothes are dry when I'm ready to go home. Don't ask permission. Beg forgiveness

borghe

understand that I am not really in traffic. all of the roads I am riding on are either very lightly travelled, have wide shoulders/parking lanes, or both. Thankfully I have the ability to keep going and only face a traffic light every 7-12 blocks give or take.

and while I can leave earlier, the morning commute isn't the problem, it's the afternoon commute. That is the one where I have to be home in time to drive to pick my daughter up from school, or I have to get stuff shipped out for my business, etc. I may have a little bit of leeway with my full-time work schedule, but in lieu of that I just want something where I know "This is as fast as I can do it". As for taking time for myself, even at my fastest it was 1:50 ride time.. That is PLENTY of ime for myself in a day I just need to make sure I have time for the other stuff that needs to be done.

apocalypse

Is an electric motor for your bike out of the question? You could use it just on the hills to keep you from sweating up and to help decrease your time.

It doesn't have to be an all or nothing situation.

Niles H.

A few thoughts:

• Some clothing does dry very quickly -- not only that, but it is reasonably comfortable when wet or damp.

• If you really want to improve your speeds dramatically, you might look into fairings and body socks. Especially at higher speeds (including those nearing 20mph), air resistance is what you are fighting against the most. It is consuming far more energy than tires (assuming they are reasonable -- good slicks with decent pressure) and other sources of friction or resistance. Many people who switch to fairings or body socks notice a major jump in average speed.

• Air is often regarded as very light, but a cubic meter of air actually weighs more than people tend to think; and it behaves much more like a fluid, and slows you down more than most people tend to assume. If you can be more fish-like and slippery when moving through it, it helps enormously.

• You could look into a faired recumbent. A Tour Easy (Gold Rush or something similar) with fairing makes a great commuter. There are some Tour Easy websites and newsletters that could almost certainly answer questions and provide some useful information.

caloso

20 mph average over a 29 mile course on a mountain bike? Very impressive.

Bklyn

Are you from the future or something?

caloso

Body sock? You mean a skin suit?