Originally Posted by
irclean
I have a 90's era MTB with slicks that I like very much. Somehow the frame geometry combined with those 26" tires make me feel like I can throw the thing around like I did my BMX back in the 80's.
Really? Which bike? I have a Kona Lava Dome that I don't have storage space for so it's going on loan to my best friend as an urban assault bike with North Road Bars and Big Apple tyres. The best thing about that BMXability is that you can use it to keep a bike upright if you hit diesel, loose gravel or a pothole.
That being said I prefer my hybrids for commuting and my MTB for short jaunts or to transport my toddler around.
This all depends on the geometry of the individual bike imo. The distinction between a hardtail MTB and hybrid is extremely arbitrary.
BTW I was under the impression that messengers predominantly used fixies with really short chainstays. Of course bicycle messengers are unheard of in these parts - it's probably just a stereotypical view that I have (sort of like those who think that because I'm Canadian I live in an igloo).
That's the stereotype, yes. Bike mix varies city to city, but a lot of messengers REALLY value good brakes. A classic courier MTB for working New York is an old bike from when top tubes were long, an extra long stem and bars cut down short, aerospoke wheels (because they don't get damaged when you lock them in a hurry - NOT for speed) and the power train converted to single speed (because you don't need gears in NY and people will steal your shifters and derailers.) In SF where I worked (a long time ago) the fashion was*definitely* for keeping your gears.
As for "really short chain stays":
- remember, that's a 26 inch wheel! If the chainstays were any shorter the rider's weight would be too far back for agility and safety. These chainstays would be short even for a 700c track bike.
(The Lava Dome was the first mass production bike with a sloping top tube and the first with straight forks - a very influential design that rides like a demon.)