converting old mtn bike for road use
05-18-07, 10:00 PM
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converting old mtn bike for road use
I recently bought a new hardtail Trek and love trail riding, but I don't always have time to load up and head to the trails. I was wondering if it is possible to convert my old dual suspension mtn. bike (Mongoose dr60) for better road use by putting on smaller rims and tires. I know the gearing is probably not as high as a regular road bike but it does OK. Just trying to road bike a little without having to buy another bike.
05-18-07, 10:15 PM
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05-18-07, 11:36 PM
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Put some slicks on and you should be good to go.
05-19-07, 06:45 PM
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The best thing to do is to put narrow slicks on it. The narrower the tire, the more PSI you can run, and the less rolling resistance you will have. You may not even need smaller rims (I didn't):
https://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html#width
I run nashbar brand 1.25 slicks on my commuter (MTB frame), and love them. You can usually find store-brand generics for very cheap, and they work as well as the high-price ones.
As far as converting the bikes; the gearing will be fine. Even road bikes rarely use the largest gearing. However, full suspension is not that great. With narrow tires, it will still be better than the hardtail with knobbies, but you will also lose a lot of power through the suspension. Just so you know.
https://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html#width
I run nashbar brand 1.25 slicks on my commuter (MTB frame), and love them. You can usually find store-brand generics for very cheap, and they work as well as the high-price ones.
As far as converting the bikes; the gearing will be fine. Even road bikes rarely use the largest gearing. However, full suspension is not that great. With narrow tires, it will still be better than the hardtail with knobbies, but you will also lose a lot of power through the suspension. Just so you know.
05-19-07, 11:08 PM
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Originally Posted by DevLaVaca
The best thing to do is to put narrow slicks on it. The narrower the tire, the more PSI you can run, and the less rolling resistance you will have. You may not even need smaller rims (I didn't):
https://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html#width
I run nashbar brand 1.25 slicks on my commuter (MTB frame), and love them. You can usually find store-brand generics for very cheap, and they work as well as the high-price ones.
As far as converting the bikes; the gearing will be fine. Even road bikes rarely use the largest gearing. However, full suspension is not that great. With narrow tires, it will still be better than the hardtail with knobbies, but you will also lose a lot of power through the suspension. Just so you know.
https://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html#width
I run nashbar brand 1.25 slicks on my commuter (MTB frame), and love them. You can usually find store-brand generics for very cheap, and they work as well as the high-price ones.
As far as converting the bikes; the gearing will be fine. Even road bikes rarely use the largest gearing. However, full suspension is not that great. With narrow tires, it will still be better than the hardtail with knobbies, but you will also lose a lot of power through the suspension. Just so you know.
