Andy_K 

A couple of days ago I created a long-winded, narcissistic thread about my recent frankenbike build (an '89 RockHopper with drop bars and skinny tires). I've been commuting on this bike for a couple of weeks. It's been fun to ride and seemed kind of zippy, but I secretly suspected I was going slower than it felt most of the time. Being a geek, I couldn't keep myself from putting a computer on it to get some data, so I did that this morning and holy cow! This beast is actually fast. Well, it's fast by my standards at least. I made a 7-mile trip this morning in just under 25 minutes (actual moving time), so about 16.8 mph. That same route usually takes me around 28 minutes at an average effort on my "fast" commuter. I've managed as much as an 18 mph average on a commute when I was in my best condition (which I'm not now) and pushed myself to my limits (which I didn't today). As a point of comparison, I took my road bike out for a 42-mile trip on mostly flat, uninterrupted rural roads this weekend and averaged 16.6 mph.

Granted, I happened to hit near perfect conditions this morning -- no bike traffic, most of the lights were green, near-zero wind and I gave it a good effort. Even so, I was very surprised at the results.

I guess it really is all about the engine.

Yo Spiff

Vroom, Vroom!!

JReade

Nice rockhopper, I've got an 89 hardrock I've been sitting on.

However, the comparison to the road bike raises my eyebrow... testing them in situations that vary greatly doesn't really lend much credibility...or something else is amiss if the engine can't move a road bike faster than a mountain bike with drop bars.

Andy_K 

Well, I could have gone faster on either bike, but the differening settings generally should have favored the road bike. You're right that's not a good apples-to-apples comparison. I was just trying to convey an idea of what the engine is like. Of the two, I still think the road bike is faster but not by nearly as much as I thought.

I mean, I'm comparing this:



with this:



Just look how much faster that LeMond is!

But seriously, I would have thought that just the tires (26x1.25 Panaracer T-Serv vs. 700x25 Continental Grand Prix 4000S) would have made a big difference.

thenomad

I refuse to believe you.
I like my reality better. Road bikes rule!

alexaschwanden

Great project.

Andy_K 

But the RockHopper is a road bike now.

mtnbud

Funny you mention how fast your commute was today Andy. For some reason, my commute was extra-quick this morning also. I felt like I was flying. I was riding the same bike as always, but my speed was much faster than normal. Lately, I've been frustrated as I look down at my bike computer and see my current speed. For some unknown reason, my speed on those same stretches of road was significantly higher today.

Perhaps by some sort of strange alignment of the stars or something, conditions converged to supply optimum cycling conditions this morning. I believe they call it kismet?

Like your Rock Hopper BTW!

Andy_K 

That or three consectuive days of nice weather is giving our legs a boost we haven't experienced in a long while.

aggiegrads

Did you make sure that your computer was re-calibrated to 26" wheels?

mtnbud

Agreed! It seems like the last month Oregon had so many dry days in a row was January!

Spld cyclist

That's what I was wondering!

Andy_K 

Ha, ha. Yes! I also checked the total distance against what I knew to be the actual distance for this route. Surprisingly, the value listed for 26x1.25 tires in Cateye's manual got it to within a tenth of a mile, which is also a decent guess for how accurately I know the distance.

MK313

Nice rides! Those are two of my favorite bikes ever (The rockhopper model specifically & the LeMond line in general)

Chris_in_Miami

Nice work Andy! Despite my repeated attempts to pawn off my 90 Rockhopper frame on other people, I may end up keeping it and building it up like this again. It's a very nice frame and surprisingly light and nimble.

Andy_K 

Yours is much better looking than mine, or is that just because I know about all the scruffy, pealing decals and faded paint on mine that doesn't show up in pictures but can't see them on yours?

Whoever designed the RockCombo for Specialized is probably asking where we were 23 years ago.

Chris_in_Miami

The paint on mine is a disaster, the previous owner regularly parked it on a bike rack with the down tube over the rack. The paint on the fork and seatstays is just as bad.

commo_soulja

hey Chris,

What brand is your front rack? and where did you buy it from? I've found a similar one from Velo Orange but to spendy and blingy for my tastes. TIA

rykard

could it be the position is better on the Rockhopper?

sm1960

Where did you get those handle bars?

JReade

I put slick tires on my 2009 Hardrock, and I rode that to work one day. The gearing and then the Aero position were the two limiting factors, as I was ~2-3 mph slower than on my road bike during the trip.

Chris_in_Miami

That's a cheap Sunlite Gold Tec rack, they're about $12 and attach directly to the cantilever bosses. Not pretty, but functional enough.


That's a strong possibility, and I believe that the longer top tube has him in a more aero position.

ThermionicScott 

Maybe you're used to working harder on the Rockhopper, and the tires "feel" slow enough that you continue to push yourself each time you ride it.

Andy_K 

The bars on the Rockhopper are Salsa Poco that came off my Cross Check. The bars on the LeMond are Salsa Bell Lap. I think I got both from Universal Cycles.

pallen

and the wind, and the red lights, and the traffic Looks like a great do-everything bike!