Archeomason

Up to now I've been 99% MTB-er and the rest road rider (on the MTB). I've recently been considering commuting to work. Unfortunately I'm somewhere in the neighborhood of 18 miles from the office. I would like to use the bike that I have now (Kona Blast) as my budget is pretty low however given the distance it seems kind of inefficient. I'd be perfectly open to a road specific bike if it fits the limited funds.

I thought of two options to improve things in order to make the commute viable:

1: Since I have a stock and upgraded wheelset I could permanently fit the stock wheels with high pressure road slicks and a second cassette then switch the wheels out for the different riding I do.

2: I could get an inexpensive ($200-300-ish) road/commuter bike and ride that one.

My question is, of the two, which option would honestly be best with a limited budget? My main goals are to get into good shape for Mtbing and save money on gas etc. With such a distance, the fastest way of getting there would be best.

In the end, is option 1 going to appreciably improve my speed or do I just really need a road-specific bike? If it's option 2, any possible bike suggestions? I'd be happy with used to help the budget.

Thanks for any input...

aluckyfiji

my honest opinion is find a beater bike,
1) you dont want your good MtB to be stolen (I am not saying that it will, but it is a possibility)
2) the rain, hence the name-beater
3) 18 miles one way on a MtB is long, right now I am on my MtB, and it is only 2.2 miles and I am wanting to get a beater bike or something else. I just feel really slow and heavy
4) you can never have to many bikes

Places to look for a cheap commuter, ebay, pawn shops, theift stores
Hope this helps

Urbanmonk

He's right. Don't waste too much money on a bike that will see all the elements seasons have to offer; rather, buy a beater and make it funcional. You can buy a older used roadster (nothing noteworthy) for $50 or less. Add fenders, new tires, lights, and oil'er up--she's ready to go. This will be more comfortable than the mtb, especially after 18 miles. I bought a new $250 hybrid, which was very comfortable, but after adding fenders, rack, ect. for commuting, it came to $450. Now I have added a Cannondale Cylocross to my growing stable. It is half the weight of the hybrid, and it is so light and smooth--the best of all worlds. My advise: buy a beater for commuting to and from work and save your money for the things you really enjoy. Oh, a road bike will give you a better workout. Good luck!

Urbanmonk

xrmattaz

A road bike would provide the better workout???

I commute daily on me old Specialized Stumpy, circa 1990. With high pressure fatter tires/1X7 setup with DuraAce rear and one thumb shifter. Moustache bars, of course! 8^) Regularly tow the BOB trailer, as well.

Fourteen years ago...this was my MTB racer!

Now THAT's a commuting workout!!

(if'n I was to sell this bike....she'd go for no more than $100., yet she's not for sale, but there are others out there just the same....)






Oh, a road bike will give you a better workout. Good luck!

Urbanmonk[/QUOTE]

kurremkarm

I think that if you can enjoy an 18 mile commute it will be fine but if the commute becomes a chore you will hate it. Since it's such a distance if you want to make this work you need to equip for it, IMHO, that means a nice light bike with drop bars and prolly around 700x28 tires, with fenders to keep the sludge off and a rack to transport stuff.

Think touring bike or an older road bike from the days when they were designed to work with fenders.

MichaelW

The Blast is a no heavyweight, and has rack and fender fittings. It makes the basis for a good-enough commuter bike. Fit some 1.25" slicks and you will go pretty fast.
You may want to alter the riding position, it seems to have quite a high bar. If you can get the bar about 1-3" below the saddle, that is usually the best location for extended road riding.
The sensible alternative to your roadified MTB would be a light-touring bike. Like a racer, but with fittings for rack and fenders, and with clearance for 28mm tyres+fenders. I ride one of these, and they are sensible, practical machines, and lack thief-appeal.
In reality, the difference in efficiency between the two is very small. Slick MTB tyres can be just as efficient as 700c commuter tyres. As long as you are comfortable on your MTB, then use that.

When people compare MTBs to road bikes, they usually mean $1500+ lightweight bikes with racing wheels. That is not an option for you.

pinerider

I have done my entire 28 mile commute on both my MTB and road bike and found no big difference in comfort. (I usually just ride a 7 mile partial commute and drive the rest). I can carry more on the mtb with panniers and ride in the rain with fenders. However, this MTB is fairly high geared and I can ride at a good pace. My other MTB that I'm using this winter has smaller chainwheels and I wouldn't think of trying the 28 miles on it - It just won't go fast enough with the gearing it has. With the right gearing and slicks on a MTB, it's not a whole lot slower than a road bike.

I would give it a try with the slicks and spare wheels, see how it goes. Beater bikes have their places, but dependability can be questionable. 28 miles is quite a distance and you don't want to get stuck somewhere in between Comfort could be an issue as well.

Daily Commute

Consider switching to road tires at first to see if you can stick with commuting before you decide to buy a new bike. You don't want to spend much money until you know it is worth it to you.

As to slicks, a guy in my office rides to work on a mountain bike with slicks. He has crashed a few times when driving conditions were merely mediocre. I prefer a tire with at least a little grip.

No matter what you do, don't forget the expenses above and beyond the cost of the bike itself. You may need to buy lights, fenders, a rack and saddle bags (or messenger bag or back back), rain gear, cold gear, etc.

Urbanmonk

If you are going for practicality in rain, snow, road sludge, etc., a beater is the way to go. If you want a great workout, without arriving like you just took a bath, get an old road bike and fixer up. If you want to get a workout and hate the day you decided to commute on your mtb (as someone posted earlier) then try that. Do what works best for you. Everything has its place. We all have our opinions, but no one here is an expert on anything but their own particular world. Good luck!

Urbanmonk

purple hayes

I've got a Kona Blast (1 mo. old) and a road bike and right now, I'm using the Blast to commute. I find it easier to handle the shifters and brakes on the Blast with thick gloves on and it's dark when I leave in the morning and dark when I come home at night and I like the MTB better for dark riding.

I just added slicks last night and rode in on them this morning. I can't comment on whether they made me faster or not because I had a fierce headwind to fight this AM.

When it's warmer out and gets lighter earlier and stays lighter later, I'll be switching back to the road bike.

FWIW - My commute is 30 mi. round trip.

Dchiefransom

Maybe a tire with inverted tread would be better for less than ideal conditions, but much better than knobbies.

papagoth

...and I have been doing it for 7 years now. That averagesclose to 200 miles per week with weekend rides included. The biggest problems I find are the extreme weathers - like last night we got 8 inches and recently it hasn't been above single digits wind chill standing still! But, with that said, I will tell you what I do as I think it applies to you quite well:
1. First try it with a second set of wheels with NARROW (1" - 3/4") high pressure 26 inch tires. Go for the armadillos if you have city glass commuting, they are amazing. I have found that in 18 miles I only add about 7-10 minutes to the commute on my mtn bike over the road and hat is with mtn gearing. If you run larger rings up front, it will be even less. The elements can be easily controlled with fenders and frequent cleaning.
2. A road bike will be faster, but then you are also in the league of maintaining two bikes. If this is an option you go down, try to set it up as close to your mtn bike as possible - position wise. ( I have a road bike for good weather and a mtn for bad or winter riding - more control as you tend to slide more on ice, extra sand/salt...)
3. Consider what you need to bring to work - clothes, food, shoes... I carry everything in a backpack on my back every day - except shoes. Many people prefer to haul this on the bike instead - very easy on a bike with rack tabs. Also I am able to bring the bike into the building and it sits right next to me all day = no theft problems. A big factor here in New York.
4. You are going to sweat a lot and if you are in a city - get dirty with road grim and exhaust fumes. Can you shower or clean up at work? I just do the "french" thing in the restroom sink. Luckily, I don't have bad oder, but I do sweat more than the average person - so a towel is usually swapped out per week for myself.

18 miles each way will take you an hour or less on a road bike if you are in decent shape, a little longer if not. But, doing this commute will build a VERY strong base that you can count on every year when training season starts. I.E. you WILL get faster overall.

Most important - get strobe lights on front and back - also, forget fashion, get the loudest clothes you can for the ride. No matter what, they always say, "but I didn't even see you". Yeah, and I was looking at them right in the eyes.

Best of luck and welcome!

NYC/NJ commuter

GreenFix

[QUOTE=Daily Commute]
As to slicks, a guy in my office rides to work on a mountain bike with slicks. He has crashed a few times when driving conditions were merely mediocre. I prefer a tire with at least a little grip.
QUOTE]

Are you refering to tires with siping to move water away from the tread?

I think it is a bit of an urban myth that slicks do not have grip. The traction of a tire depends upon two things. First the rubber compound and second the amount of rubber in contact with the ground. Maybe you want a little siping in the tread for water shedding, but that is about all you would need on pavement. The road conditions up here (New Hampshire) are not great. Broken pavement, sand left over from the winter, and debris from the forest is pretty much the rule, and I have never had problems with slicks. I have run true slicks and slicks with a little siping for water, and the only set I have had a problem with are the tires with the siping, but that is probably because they are made of a significantly harder rubber than the true slicks. I have found the worse road hazard in the rain is road paint, and I do not think there is any tire desgined to handle that.

natted4

My commute used to be 14 miles through Norfolk, and I used a beater mountain bike with 100psi 26" road slicks. I eventually found that I preffered riding My steel tourer, since the gearing was more appropriate for the road, but the guy I sold the beater to still uses it to commute every day as well. Besides lights, lid and fenders, a rear rack can make the commute more enjoyable, getting the weight of your gear off of your back and minimizing sweat buildup.

Daily Commute

As to the slicks/tread debate, I have reached the end of my knowledge and can't add to the other comments on this section. The point of the forum is to give ideas from different perspectives, and it appears to be working. As an experienced mountain biker, I'm sure Archeomason can figure things out.

When it comes to buying a beater for the commute or tricking up his mountain bike, I think at-work storage could be the decisive factor. If he has a safe place to store the bike inside, it makes the mountain bike option easier. He could then spend his $250-300 to buy the stuff to make the commute safer and more pleasant. If he has to park outside, he probably wouldn't want to use his expensive mountain bike.

Archeomason

Thanks for all of the great suggestions.

Yeah, I'm fortunate enough to have a cycling friendly office (it is an environmental resource firm). I can park my bike right next to me in my office. It sounds to me like I'll try things out to see how they fit with some simple road slicks and then just go from there... Thank you very much everyone.

nathank

well i haven't read all the replies...

but the mountain bike with slicks is what i would recommend UNLESS
a) you don't have a secure place to park
b) you will ride in the rain and don't want to mount fenders
c) want a rack and don't want to mount/unmount for MTBing

of course you can add removable fenders to the mountain bike. and you may not necessarily need a rack (my rack that i've been riding with for years broke last September and i've been riding with a backpack since -- it broke when i removed it so a visiting friend could ride in on the trails)

i have 5 bikes (full suspension race MTB - '02 Specialized FSR, full suspension Freeride - '02 RM Slayer with 125mm, hardtail commuter, road race bike, and old old mtb bike for city commuting where theft is a problem - '89 Specialized Stumpjumper rigid).

my commuter is my "old" mountain bike - a '97 Norco hardtail that i ride with non-aggressive mountain bike tires... center strip little tread, outter lots of tread and in the winter with studded tires. i personally prefer the MTB for commuting to a road bike as it is better for curb-jumping, stair-riding, bumby roads, shortcuts on a gravel/dirt path, etc.

my road race bike i rarely commute on as i have to ride a longer route b/c of roads...

although i could buy a "beater" 10-speed but the hardtail is just as fast.

probably the only real negative with your setup is that after mountain biking you will have to ride a dirty bike to commute, but that's not so bad.

i say put the slicks on it go --- i also have done long-distance touring on this same hardtail with 100psi slicks - awesome! about the only real "loss" if you have high-perssure tires is you don't have that super-aero position of a road-race bike, but many commuters with road bikes ride sitting up so the advantage is moot.

naisme

Get a beater, convert it to FG. You'll acheive all in one fell swoop. Riding fixed will improve your spin, add to your skills on the MTB, offers better handling and control.
You don't say if the route you'll be taking has any opportunity for some trail riding. The route I take has several opportunities for some off roading single track fun, so when I ride my MTB to work I ride with semi-slicks, so I can do a little off road. I don't usually hit the trails on the way to work, for obvious reasons, but on the way home? I've added hours to the ride home.