DMora13

I am about two months into biking to work and really loving it.

I used to run, play basketball and other activities, but my knees started to go bad on me. I struggled to find something to stave off the weight gain and satisfy my urge to gasp for air.

Then a friend gave me his Gary Fisher mountain bike. Now I find myself visiting bike shops on a weekly basis and obessing over what kind of gear I need, don't need, or would be cool to have. I don't have time to ride recreationally, but I often come up with excuses to run errands that are a good distance away.

My Gary Fisher works well, but I get a little speed envy as all the road bikes zoom past me. My next bike will probably be a hybrid. Right now I'm trying to figure out if I should get new tires that might be more commute-friendly (and faster.) and bring back the treads when the weather gets Chicago-y.

I'm looking forward to the Chicago weather we all know and dread. One, it will clear the road of a lot of obstacles. Two, I want to see how I handle that challenge.

After a month or so of constantly surfing this site, I decided it was finally time to join.

Danny

mrhedges

welcome. get full fenders if your going to ride all winter trust me i've ridden ever winter these last 5 years excpet last year when i was in new orleans

East Hill

Hi Danny, it's certainly possible to squeeze a little more speed out of the MTB by getting some slicks fitted on it.

Welcome to BikeForums, and don't hesitate to send me a PM if you have any questions .

East Hill
Forum Moderator

bikinpolitico

Welcome, Danny. Congrats on success in biking to work.

If you are interested, you might check out the accessories article I wrote about making your bike more useful for transportation: https://austinbikeblog.org/?p=211

mark youngdale

I'm new to the forum myself and agree that slicks will give lesson the road resistance. You could also see what the thinnest tire you could put on your bike. Maybe you might want to look at the cyclocross bike rather than a hybrid-check it out and see for yourself if this type of bike would fit your needs.
welcome
Mark

mark youngdale

I meant to say a slick tire will lessen road resistance not lesson road resistance. Editing is always a good idea. Thinking back to it I am assuming you have a 26" tire. See if you can get a 26x1.5" tire to fit on your rims. I was advised that using clipless pedals also increases the efficiency of you pedaling because you get power both from the upstroke and the downstroke. Just ideas, hope they help.
Mark

ilmooz

Welcome to the forums!

DMora13

Thanks for the help, everyone!

I bought some Michelin City tires that are slightly thinner (1.8") than my current ones (2.00") and am getting ready to switch them out.