Advice on Commuting/Trail bike
08-05-09, 04:01 AM
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Advice on Commuting/Trail bike
Am looking at getting a bike to commute to work and so I can just grab it in the afternoon and go for a ride. Have a road bike now and with all the gear and the clipless pedals, it just is not convenient to go for a ride as often as I would like.
I think I want to get something that is primarily going to be easy to get to work, about 4 miles with some hills and a few potholes, that I can also throw a pair of knobbies on and do some easy trail riding. Nothing technical, just something that can get thru the woods once in a while.
I was at my LBS and was looking at the Specialized Crosstrail. I was also looking at the Kona Dew Plus. Am looking for advice on similar type setups and recommendations. I have a Trek now for the road, wondering if they have a setup that fits this bill as well.
Thanks in advance,
Joe
I think I want to get something that is primarily going to be easy to get to work, about 4 miles with some hills and a few potholes, that I can also throw a pair of knobbies on and do some easy trail riding. Nothing technical, just something that can get thru the woods once in a while.
I was at my LBS and was looking at the Specialized Crosstrail. I was also looking at the Kona Dew Plus. Am looking for advice on similar type setups and recommendations. I have a Trek now for the road, wondering if they have a setup that fits this bill as well.
Thanks in advance,
Joe
08-05-09, 07:02 AM
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Honestly it sounds like you need 2 more bikes. You have a nice road bike. So get something setup for commuting and quickie rides. I like old-school steel 27" 10-speeds. You can beat the cr*p out of them and they'll keep running. They're cheap to buy and fix and wheels are easy to come by. For trail riding, find a decent used MTB. So instead of buying 1 new bike - go find 2 nice used bikes! :-)
08-05-09, 07:26 AM
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If you think putting on your clipless shoes is inconvenient, why do you think you'll "throw on a pair of knobbies" when you want some off-road fun?
Here's what I think: buy a slightly cheaper beater and buy an extra set of (also cheap) wheels. (Ebay is full of cheap wheelsets.) Keep road/commuter tires on one and knobbies on the other.
Changing wheels is way easier than changing tires.
Here's what I think: buy a slightly cheaper beater and buy an extra set of (also cheap) wheels. (Ebay is full of cheap wheelsets.) Keep road/commuter tires on one and knobbies on the other.
Changing wheels is way easier than changing tires.
08-05-09, 08:10 PM
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I think I am going to go back to the shop and test ride some of these. They have a big sale this weekend. See what feels right.
08-06-09, 10:48 AM
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With the clipless pedals, I meant that they can be a little tough when crossing traffic from a stop. Mine are one sided SPD and they can be a little tricky to clip into under pressure. Top heavy.
I think I am going to go back to the shop and test ride some of these. They have a big sale this weekend. See what feels right.
I think I am going to go back to the shop and test ride some of these. They have a big sale this weekend. See what feels right.
08-06-09, 10:52 AM
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Consider getting some "campus" pedals: you can use them with clipless shoes or normal shoes. Lots of commuters love them.
08-06-09, 12:00 PM
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08-06-09, 01:25 PM
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With the clipless pedals, I meant that they can be a little tough when crossing traffic from a stop. Mine are one sided SPD and they can be a little tricky to clip into under pressure. Top heavy.
I think these two quotes are related - if you're having trouble with single sided spd's, you're also going to have trouble with single sided spd's that's a platform pedal on one side.
I'd suggest you go with double sided spd's. If you really really want "campus" style pedals, I've heard better things about this style being in a predicable position when you put your foot back on the pedal:
https://www.rei.com/product/764688
As for the bikes, general advice as well as my own opinion is that a cheap bike with front suspension is pretty crappy - they can't put a decent suspension on it at that price and other components are crappier in exchange. You're better off with a rigid frame but big tires, like the Kona Dew Plus you mentioned or a Specialized Globe Vienna.
Though I think that if you're used to riding a real road bike, you may find any bike with bigger tires annoyingly slower.
