mathewsaunders

So, I pan on selling my car and everything next year, buying a sailboat and living on it and only using a bike to get around. So here's my question, what bike would make the perfect (in your opinion) cross-over bike? (I don't know if that's what they're called, but what I mean is a bike that's really good for both commuting, and mountain biking.)
Any information at all would help HUGE!
Thanks for reading.

cehowardGS

I have no recommendations, I just wanna tell you that buying a boat, living on it, and using a bike to get around, sounds like a SUPER ADVENTURE!!

You go guy!!

mathewsaunders

Haha thanks man! I'm super pumped on it!

ryanwood

that sounds awesome, it sounds like you are looking for a hybrid. A hybrid is a bike that takes a mountain bike type geometry, and roadifies it. Roadification involves things like narrower road style tires, comfort grips, slightly higher gearing, and sometimes they even lose the front suspension.

A hybrid sounds like just what your looking for, but there are several things you should consider:
-the type of riding, for instance will you be riding off road where you might want front shocks?
-weight, are you going to be carrying the bike and groceries on and off the boat? If so, you will want to keep an eye on weight
-rear rack, you may consider purchasing a rack with some sort of pannier or basket to aid in carrying loads, and if that is the case you will want to make
sure that the bike is compatible with a rear rack
-fenders, if you are riding in a wet environment, there will be lots of splashing of water off the ground onto you and your clothes, so if you want to avoid that,
you will want to consider fenders.

With all of those things in mind, you can really just walk into any bike shop and request a test ride on a bike that fits your needs. I am a big fan or Raleigh hybrid bikes, that is what got me started on bike commuting. They have a pretty wide range of bikes for good prices.


P.S. You are living out my dream, and as soon as I can convince my wife (this is the hard part) I will be joining you

Santaria

My recommendations are bias. Hybrids are nice, I'd recommend a single-speed. Lower maintenance, one less thing to rust in the sea air. Go with something like a Surly Karate Monkey that can take a rack, has mechanical disc brakes and is steel. Depending on the size of your sail boat, you might also consider a folder for easy storage.

SlimRider

You're looking for either a hybrid, a cyclocross bike, or perhaps even a hardtail MTB. Since you'll be on, in, and near salt water, you're gonna need an aluminum bicycle.

I would suggest either the Cannondale Quick CX 1 or CX 2.

www.cannondale.com/2012/bikes/recreation-urban/recreation/quick-cx/2012-quick-cx-1-21051
The Cannondale Quick CX 1 ~ $1,550

www.cannondale.com/2012/bikes/recreation-urban/recreation/quick-cx/2012-quick-cx-2-21057
The Cannondale Quick 2 CX ~ $1,100

www.konaworld.com/29er_hardtail.cfm?content=kahuna_deluxe
The Kona Kahuna Deluxe - 29er ~ $1,700

www.konaworld.com/mtb_trail_allmountain_hardtail.cfm?content=kahuna_deluxe
The Kona Kahuna Deluxe - 26er ~ $1,700

- Slim

PS.

* Salt water won't hurt it that much, but dirty or muddy salt water will kill it! If you see a layer of film develop over some aluminum portion of the bike, don't keep wiping it off. That's your protective surface layer of aluminum oxide. It will protect the aluminum metal beneath that layer from further oxidation.

Whenever you see dirt, mud, or sand on your bike, wipe it off immediately!

jeffpoulin

If he's spending the money to live on a sailboat, and wants a corrosion resistant bike, why not get one with a titanium frame? The cost of a titanium bike pales in comparison to the boat, so I'm assuming the cost is not a big obstacle here.

no1mad 

1. How big a boy are ya?
2. How big is your piggy bank?

With careful selection of tires, the Dahon Flo X20 would be a nice solution.

mathewsaunders

Haha, yes I am very fortunate that I have a wife that is just as pumped as I am on this whole thing! We cannot wait! Don't worry though man, get her to go on sailnet.com (a really awesome site for sail forums) and just read the stories of the people doing it. There's this one couple and they absolutely love it! You can find they're stuff on www.hobosailor.com

mathewsaunders

And as for my story, I am neither filing for bankruptcy nor rich as hell. But I am working in Fort McMurray right now, and well, the average household income here is 150k + so I am not doing to badly. By next summer, every single bill we have will be paid off, our car will be sold, and we will be living on a boat, probably in Victoria somewhere. I also have a couple of companies which make me a pretty penny every month without me having to do anything for it, so residual income while on the boat will always be coming in. As for the bike, I do plan on that being my only means of transportation so I will need something SUPER comfortable, but I for surely want to be able to hit up trails. So my budget is no more than $2000. I have been looking at a '12 Trek DS 8.3 (Gary Fisher Collection) and that's really got my attention. Also from no1mad, that Dahon Flo X20 is beautiful, so I'm going to continue diong research on that. As for me, I am about 200 lbs, 6 feet and I will want to be able to carry groceries and such on the bike.

Mathew.

mathewsaunders

And that Cannondale Quick CX 2 is nice man! Thanks, I'm checking them out now.

idc

Generally as an all-purpose bike I'd go with a cyclocross bike, but if you don't mind flat bars as opposed to drop bars, a regular hybrid will also suffice. Either of those two will give you enough range for fast-enough road biking, if that is an intention, as well as decent riding on unpaved surfaces (but not hardcore mountain biking). However you'll want to check that the model you consider has mounts for racks and probably fenders too. Since you want to carry groceries and such you could look also at a touring bike, although it'll be heavier and they're generally made from steel (durability, heavier loads) so will be more susceptible to rust.

Actually in the long-term I would actually suggest getting more than one bike, because bikes just aren't that expensive compared to most forms of transportation, and different bikes can do different things a lot better. For example, if you are relying solely on your bike for on-land travel you might have occasions where you won't want to worry about locking it up and therefore prefer a folding bike, especially for short distances. There are plenty of places I wouldn't want to lock up a $2000 bike. If you end up riding only on relatively flat land you might opt for a single-speed/fixed gear.

But I wouldn't get a second bike until you've ridden the first one (whichever you buy) for awhile. Then you'll have a better idea of what you like/don't like. In fact you could even start off with a cheaper one first and then get a nicer/more customized one once you know what you like. Virtually every style of bike (folding, cyclocross, touring, commuting, etc) has a range of models at a wide range of prices, and generally you do get more when you pay more. A good cheap starter option would be a hardtail mountain bike with slicks. It wouldn't be that fast but would do everything else fine.

Santaria

+1 to idc.

It's why I recommended the Surly Karate Monkey. Its an all-around 29er SS that was designed and (is) ridden by guys who know crappy salt - Minnesotans. The fact that you've got no DR to worry about adjusting on the fly, or corroding, combined with a rather inexpensive disc brake system on a steel bulletproof frame/fork that can take abuse and has rack/fender abilities means you get a solid bike for just over $1k and some change. If you can get one with the Mr. Whirly crank, you get an overbuilt BB that should last for at least a few seasons of riding. Wheels aren't race-grade, but I never had any problem. I'm 6' 183-175 depending on the time of year. My KM had zero issues handling me at 285 though, so I know from experience that its just an amazing bike.

roashru

some boating supply stores sell bicycles but they are all folding ones.
https://www.westmarine.com/
https://www.defender.com/

dealing with salt mist will be a challenge.

richard4993

I would second tou going for that DS 8.3. My Utopia is pretty much the current 8.4 just with mechanical discs and I love the bike. I wanted a Marlin originally but i decided to settle for the Utopia because the store didn't have my size in stock and i couldn't be happier with the bike. Excellent quality and is able to handle all types of terrain and is FAST!

CYCLINGISMYLIFE

I agree with you but i would think if you are willing to spend the money go with the trek 8.5 ds



If you’re looking for that one perfect go-anywhere bike, Dual Sport is it—equally adept on road or off.[/B]

MichaelW

Salt corrosion, storage space and cleanliness are going to be issues.
Is your sea the rough, sea-spray kind? Aluminium or titanium frame. Titanium bolts.
Storage: Can you fit a full sized bike for every member of your family? Do you need folding bikes?
Cleanliness: Are oily bikes in narrow spaces going to transfer dirt to clothing and sails? Think about belt drive.
Hauling stuff: You will probably need a general purpose trailer as well as rack and pannier or basket.

sudo bike

Firstly, I just wanted to say, that's amazing. I've been looking into that for years, and it's something I've always wanted to do, but have resigned myself to the fact that it ain't happening until retirement. Good on you.

As far as the bike, it depends what you mean by "mountain biking". If you mean dirt roads and trails, I'd go with a touring or cyclocross bike.

nashcommguy

Get a trailer. Seriously. They're available on ebay for 100.00US shipped. One grocery cart equals a trailer load. Very simple to assemble. They're blue/yellow or red/black. Pump the tires 10 psi over recommended limit. They'll be fine. Got one in the spring and have done several shopping trips w/it. I live rural and it's over 30 miles rt to and from the nearest sizable grocery store and it has performed very well.

Afa as multi purpose bikes go my considered opinion is this: Take the 2000.00 limit and split it down the middle. Get 2 bikes. One for recreational and one for commuting. Keep your designated utility/commuting bike off of the trails because if you've only one bike and have a major mechanical you're SOL. Off-roading is tough on comps, especially rims, hubs, etc.

My arsenal of bikes is 4. They're all set up and able to be used as commuter/utility bikes as I do very little recreational cycling. My daily rt commute is 42.4 miles, so on the weekends I want to rest. Once in a while I take my fg for a good rip, but usually it's a metric century on a 3 day weekend or something like that.

Anyway, good luck on your search and congratulations on your pluck and ingenuity.

wphamilton

I think space is such a premium on a sailboat and since your wife needs something also I'd be looking seriously at folding bikes. Maybe additionally something used or inexpensive to keep tied up around the dock somewhere.

SlimRider

Hey there Mathew!

I've got several more candidates here for you to consider:

www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/town/urban_utility/transport/transport/#
The Trek Transport + ~ $1,390

www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/mountain/dual_sport/ds_series/8_5_ds/#/us/en/model/details?url=us/enbike
The Trek 8.5 DS ~ $1,050

www.koga-america.com/worldtraveller.html
The Koga-Miyata World Traveller ~ $2,990


www.koga-america.com/chela-trailer.html
The Koga-Miyata Chela Trailer ~ $1,390

- Slim

fietsbob

forget big wheels, unless you go with an SandS coupled bike
or like Ritchey Break away , a similar function..

DaHon paid Tom's license fee to use that break down mech
for china made complete bikes, which go in a travel case,
reduced to something the size of the wheels 29 by 29 by ? depth, ..
That Flo, or the Tournado, a 700c wheel road bike, add racks etc for tours..

think about something like a bike friday or other folding bikes,
& a watertight deck box to stow it in to reduce the exposure to
corrosive at sea conditions ..
and perserve the below deck space for other things.

A friend is in a Live-aboard, tied up in one of the marinas, here,
he modified the bow railing to hang his diamond frame bike over,

He has had to put on his wetsuit and go find his bike
on the bottom a time or 2 when the plan went awry..

treebound 

How big is the boat and what style is it?
Do you plan on keeping the bike onboard, or on-shore in a locker or storage space?
Are you planning on a voyage, or just using the boat in mainly local waters?

I've got more questions than answers. I looked into living aboard years ago, but slips had a long waiting list where I was living at the time, and what I could afford wouldn't have had room for a regular bike below deck. If I were to look at it again today I'd probably look at a BikeFriday style of bike for general purpose use. If I also wanted a MTB it would probably be full suspension and I'd be looking for some on-shore storage close to the marina.

Post a pic of the boat if you could, it will help resurrect my daydreams.

Greyryder

Get both a commuter and a mountain bike. Then, you can refer to their storage area on the boat as "The Hangar Deck."