Originally Posted by
lunchbox1972
I actually have an 01 Rockhopper that I use to commute sometimes.. I put some 26x1.95 slicks on that bad boy and I really enjoy riding it on the streets. I usually use my road bike though, anymore.
I have an updated drive train on my Rockhopper and I have to say that the wheels, XT hubs and Mavic rims, made a huge difference in how fast it rides. I've thought about putting a rigid fork on it, or one with a lockout, and use it for commuting.. I ride the raod bike instead.
To make a long story short, I almost prefer commuting on the MTB. It's more fun to ride, It's plusher than the road bike and with the current drivetrain I make pretty good time on the bike, plus I can hop curbs and speed bumps on the MTB.. Not that I can't on the road bike, it's just not as fun. I also have a better seating position to ride in traffic on the MTB, more upright. The slacker head tube angle gives it more stability in traffice as well.
I'll have to dig through my Garmin logs, but I have averaged about 18-19MPH to work on the MTB and I can be a bit faster than that on the road bike.. It's about a 9.5 mile trip, each direction. The road bike is more efficient for me, but the MTB is more fun. I have also never gotten a flat while commuting on my MTB, but I have gotten them on the road bike. Now that I'm running Gatorskins that should be a thing of the past..
Nice! For reference mine is the FS A1 Comp with disc brakes and the (crappy) Judy fork. Black with blue and yellow. Here it is prior to commuter-izing it...
What you have done with yours is pretty much the point I was at with my Rockhopper before deciding to just go with a road bike.... I don't believe mine has the XT gear though. I thought it was all LX stuff. Or are you saying you swapped it out FOR XT components?
Anyway, I'd love to hear the specifics of what you've done. I'm by no means ditching my Rockhopper and will likely continue to ride it on weekends and maybe use it for commutes where I have more cargo than usual. At this point it's a street/light off-road bike and if I ever do any mountain biking, I'll just get a new bike for that.