Mountain Bicycle for Commuting
i love your bike.
05-08-17, 06:28 PM
#27
Disco Infiltrator
Join Date: May 2013
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I've been riding without fenders for a year now. I'm really looking forward to having some...some sort of lightweight chain guard would be nice too so I don't have to roll up or tuck my pants in my socks when I ride with jeans or layers on.
I think for now I'm going to stick with the knobby tires and discs since I wrecked on a cheap pepsi promotional bike with knobbs and rims going down the gravel driveway...it's a 30-40 degree gravel slope just getting out of the property and onto the road, so the more traction the better. I don't mind going slower on the road...maybe it'll motivate me to find trails instead. It'll be a learning experience.
I think for now I'm going to stick with the knobby tires and discs since I wrecked on a cheap pepsi promotional bike with knobbs and rims going down the gravel driveway...it's a 30-40 degree gravel slope just getting out of the property and onto the road, so the more traction the better. I don't mind going slower on the road...maybe it'll motivate me to find trails instead. It'll be a learning experience.
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05-09-17, 03:13 AM
#28
Full Member
I wanted a mountain bike with a ridged fork. I ended up with a Giant ATX lite and put a Jones H loop handle bar on it. I must say that is the best commuter bike ever.
05-09-17, 06:31 AM
#29
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Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Lancaster, PA
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I was strictly a mountain bike rider from childhood through about 2 weeks ago (25 years or so). After getting back into cycling last year and riding my mountain bike on the road for a few hundred miles last summer, I recently made the switch to a more road-friendly bike (Fuji Cross Comp - a gravel bike).
The difference is night and day. I'm much faster on the new bike and much more comfortable too given the additional hand positions that accompany drop bars. I was a bit nervous switching to drop bars but the anxiety was unfounded. I'm still fairly upright on the hoods (moreso on the flats), and the drops are great when I encounter a headwind. If I were to commute via bicycle, I'd absolutely go with a gravel bike.
The difference is night and day. I'm much faster on the new bike and much more comfortable too given the additional hand positions that accompany drop bars. I was a bit nervous switching to drop bars but the anxiety was unfounded. I'm still fairly upright on the hoods (moreso on the flats), and the drops are great when I encounter a headwind. If I were to commute via bicycle, I'd absolutely go with a gravel bike.
05-09-17, 07:06 AM
#30
ambulatory senior
Join Date: Dec 2016
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Nearly any bike will do the job. With your budget, you will definitely get something that works well and is durable and reliable.
As to which style bike is best, it's hard to say, and the answer may change as you gain more experience. I say definitely give a "gravel" or "allroad" bike a try.
If you ride mostly on paved surfaces, you won't want a knobby tread on your tires. That's a huge energy suck.
I agree about fenders. You'll be impressed with how much water they keep off you and your bike. But aluminum fenders can be tricky. Take a look at the plastic fenders available. You don't have to spend a lot on fenders. I happen to like SKS Chromoplastic fenders which seem to have the advantages of both aluminum and plastic, but really, and fenders will do.
As to which style bike is best, it's hard to say, and the answer may change as you gain more experience. I say definitely give a "gravel" or "allroad" bike a try.
If you ride mostly on paved surfaces, you won't want a knobby tread on your tires. That's a huge energy suck.
I agree about fenders. You'll be impressed with how much water they keep off you and your bike. But aluminum fenders can be tricky. Take a look at the plastic fenders available. You don't have to spend a lot on fenders. I happen to like SKS Chromoplastic fenders which seem to have the advantages of both aluminum and plastic, but really, and fenders will do.
05-09-17, 04:56 PM
#31
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Sacramento, CA
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Bikes: 2017 Surly Cross-Check. 2020 Specialized Turbo Vado 3.0, 2002 GT Dyno Roadster, 2002 Rans Stratus, 2020 Giant Fathom 2, 2011 Trek Pure Sport
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I ended up buying the Surly FlatBar Cross Check
05-14-17, 10:54 PM
#33
Mostly harmless ™
Join Date: Nov 2010
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- Slightly smaller wheels allow for a slightly smaller dimension of the whole bike - which is important when (if) using (smaller) elevators, carrying bike up tight stairways, or storing it at home.
- More room for both mudguards and wide tyres - good for snow.
With slicks it's not that much slower than a hybrid, or a road bike. For me, a difference, with some average effort that doesn't result in sweating, on about 11 km commute (flat terrain) between a road bike and a 26" MTB with slicks is about 5 minutes. The more traffic lights and stop-go traffic, the smaller the difference.
