Hello all,

I'm looking to purchase a bike that will allow me to commute 10 miles a day (5 miles each way) to work. The route will be on standard city streets with typical traffic, debris, and pot holes. However, I'd also like to use the bike on bike paths in local parks (some are paved, some are just dirt trails) and maybe even try some off road biking.

Problem is, it looks like I need a bike that will do 3 different types of jobs. Would a mountain bike cover all of these requirements, or would I be better suited with something else?


Thank you for any guidance,

-Mike

Over 5 miles the difference between an MTB and a hybrid will be marginal. Make sure you fit some slick med size tyres and you will be fast enough. You can do without suspension and most of the decent modern ridgid MTBs are really classed as "street" bikes and come with full rack and fender eyelets.
Some people compare the ride of an MTB with fat knobbly tyres against a road bike with skinny high pressure ones but the real comparison is the MTB with 1.5"slick tyres vs an road/hybrid with 28-32mm commuting tyres.

Sure. Swap the flat bar for a trekking bar and the knobbies for street tires.

Thanks for the replies guys. All this stuff is new to me - but definitally something I'm interested in. I've been browsing the forums for a bit now and I see some people saying things that a MTB would be uncomfortable to ride on a street.

Can you tell me the main differences between a MTB and a Hybrid?

Like I said, I'd like to use it for commuting but also leave myself open to trying some trails. I think there is a single track near here too.

Thanks a lot,

-Mike

There is another solution, but it will cost a bit more. Get a mountain bike and purchase a second wheelset. Keep street tires on one set and knobbies on the other. That way, when you want to go from trail riding to street riding (or vice versa) you can just change out the wheels. Very quick and easy transition.

Depends on the bike. Some hybrids are basically just mountain bikes with slick tires and a rigid fork. Others have bigger differences like road-sized wheels (700c).

It seems to me like a rigid mtb might work for you. Even better if you had a second wheelset for swapping tires. If you start doing a lot of trail riding and eventually feel you need a front suspension, that is a pretty easy thing to add later on.

A hybrid is meant to be a cross between a mountain bike and a street/bike path bike.The main differences between a hybrid and mountain include ride position, tires and wheelsets. The riding position on a hybrid is more upright than on a mountain bike. This upright position is more comfortable to some riders for short trips.

The wheels are a 700c as compared to a 26" wheel on a mountain bike. A comfort bike will also have 26" wheels. The tires on a hybrid are normally directional with light tread instead of the knobby tires that come on mountain bikes.

Thanks a lot for the quick replies. I'm learning quite a bit. I found a few threads where people are saying they really like the Trek SU100 and SU200 bikes. Would those be considered hybrids or a specialized bike? The more I think about it, I will mostly be riding on roads in a city enviroment and probally riding trails less than 10% of the time. Would the added weight of a mountain bike be a hinderence to me? IS the SU100/200 a MTB or something else?

I read that hybrids are good for people looking to ride every once in a while, but if you plan on riding daily to stay away from them. Is that true?

Thanks,

-Mike

" (some are paved, some are just dirt trails)"

Kind of depends on the dirt trails. If they are hard packed, dry & level, you can pretty much treat them like pavement.

You've hit upon a sort of hybrid sub-category called urban bikes or city bikes. Other examples are the Cannondale Bad Boy, Novara Buzz, and Marin Muirwoods/Novato/Point Reyes. They tend to be very mountain bikish, but with rigid forks, slick tires, and gearing that is more appropriate for street riding. If you put knobby tires on them, they can probably be decent off road bikes.

The mountain bike is the ONLY bike that will do all 3 jobs well. Hybrids sound good because they are supposed to be a mix between mountain and road. In fact they are just slow road bikes. Commuting 5 miles on a mountain bike with 2" slick tires is a breeze. In fact I just did that a few hours ago and my mtb is sitting here in my office.

I also ride my mountain bikes just about every morning of the year, usually 25-30 miles on unpaved gravel and dirt roads. I have passed 25,000 miles since i started and am having a blast. My road bike is fun to ride on smooth paved surfaces, but that is about the only place i would want to ride it.

I had a hybrid for a few months but like i said, i mainly found it to be a slow road bike. A hybrid is completely worthless off road. A 2" slick tire on a hardtail mountain bike makes the ride very nice and plush, yet still pretty fast.

Thank you for the replies. I'm sort of leaning towards the SU200. The more I think about it I really wont be spending a lot of time doing off road trails and such. Would the Trek SU200 https://501main.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=828 be sufficient for commuting 10 miles? What about for longer rides, would I be wishing I got a dedicated road bike?

Thanks,

-Mike

I have the same commute. A stock MTB will work just fine. Really.

Could you recommend a good MTB in that case then, please? How much of a price difference are we looking at? I'm assuming you would put slicks on it?

Thanks,

-Mike

I've used an older Specialized Hardrock for commuting on streets and paths (both paved and dirt) and it's worked great. It's about 5 miles each way for the usual trip, and it hasn't let me down yet. I just switched to slicks from the knobbies that came with it, and it should be even easier to pedal now. It did great at the little bit of off road use I tried with it too.

What is your price range?

500 or less if possible. I could do more however.

Look for a used model. $500 buys a good deal of bike in the used market. New- not so much. My first year of commuting was on a bone stock Cannondale F-600 (lights added, of course). I'm still beating the tar out of it, year round.

There are probably a lot of good options, but I am more familiar with the Trek line. I just bought a Trek 6000 for $659 SRP. YOu can probably find it cheaper than that. The 6000 was appealing because it offers the same frame as their $1000 + bike. I bought it for the frame and will upgrade it over the years as money allows and stuff wears out.

There is only one aluminum frame above the Trek 6000 frame in the Trek line.

Would this https://eddys.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=12131 or 05 Specialized Hardrock Sport or this 07 Hardrock sport https://eddys.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=9620 still be a better choice for me over the SU200? They are cheaper but I see what you're saying about the MTB being more versitle. Are these to cheap to even consider?

Thanks a lot,

-Mike

Get a Trek 820 and put some Kenda Kross tires on it. You'll be set to go. IMHO.

I use the same setup except I have an 11 year old Trek 830.

Can I mount a rack, fenders, etc on the 820 frame? Can you lock the front suspension? I looked on the trek site and can't find anything about it having that stuff.

Thanks,

-Mike

A mountain bike won't serve well as a commuter.
A commuter bike must be equipped for the bad weather: fenders, a chain guard, lights, etc.
It's much easier to put a good chain guard on a bike with the internal hub like Shimano Nexus, and it is 8-speed now with the wide range of gears.

Look what is popular in bike-friendly Japan: https://babelfish.altavista.com/babel...og%2fcity.html

What about Fuji Kyoto?
https://www.fujibikes.com/2007/bikes.asp?id=369#
or Bianchi Milano: https://www.bianchiusa.com/07_milano.html
I think Milano is better because it doesn't have a suspension seat and fork.

What about this one? Seems like a good deal...but I have no idea if it is.

https://centurycycles.com/itemdetails...ogId=1&id=2094

Thanks,

-Mike

Hybrid is a pretty catch-all term. It can mean a MTB with rigid fork and slick tires,it can mean a road bike without drops,it can mean a sit-up bike with suspension and wide saddle. Lots of folks knock them for commuting,I do the majority of my commuting/riding on them and never had a prob. A MTB with slicks would be a good choice for what you're looking at doing. For road use,try to find one that has front suspension that can be locked,or go rigid. A cyclocross bike would also be an option,but I can't think of any within your budget. You could always go used,but if you're new to cycling buying new at a good shop will mean it shouldn't have anything worng with it,will have a warranty,and you'll be fitted properly by folks who know what they're doing.

I wouldn't recommend the Trek SU's. They have aluminum forks which are going to give a harsh ride. I'm in the process of swapping the alum fork on my Big Buzz for carbon because it was bothering my carpel tunnel riding it everyday. For lower-priced MTB's I would go with Marin or Kona or REI's house brand Novara. They tend to be well done up for the price.

Barabaika: just curious of you read the part of the OP's post where he talks about wnating to do trails? No way I'd go trail riding on my Milano. And I don't believe Shimano recommends Nexus hubs for off-road use. Also,with proper fenders and a leg strap,chain guards are just extra weight. And I wouldn't commute on anything that didn't have disc brakes.

I would have to disagree. I have records for the past 20 years (didn't keep records before that but been riding for another 10) to show that mountain bikes make excellent commuter bikes. 69% of my commuting has been on mountain bikes.

As for equiping them with fenders and lights:





Without the mountain bike I never would have been able to commute during our particularly brutal winter this year





By the way, those are knobbies on the mountain bike. I don't put slicks on my mountain bikes since I like to take off into the woods occassionally on the way home.