Hello all,

quick question. Should i consider making this bike a commuter? Max one way trip would be 10mi. Mostly city streets. But i will be using it more to get around town and stuff. What do you guys think?

Specialized

or this one...

Specialized Rockhopper

They are both excellent all around bikes. Fun to ride. They go fast enough and are versatile.

Throw slicks on them and easy enough to commute ten miles. I used to ride an equivalent era Schwinn for fourteen miles.

I have always loved these bikes. Make sure they are in decent a shape. Maybe get a friend who knows bikes to come.

Good to hear! Now, i forgot to mention. Can I add a rack to these bikes???

They are both ~20 years old and size small. Assuming they are in working order and fit you, go have fun. They will definitely take racks and fenders.

I really don't understand the penchant for scouring Craigslist for 80's MTB's to use as commute rides. 1980 was almost 40 years ago. $145... really? $100?... I don't know... even allowing for some haggling... you're going to need road tires. That's $35. Each! And if its a real MTB the gearing is going to suck for commuting. I'd sooner buy a road oriented BSO... new... for ~$175, but if I were going to go used I'd be looking at touring bikes.

H

I agree. Even in the UK, which is general has crap bikes compared to the continent, we get stuff like this:

Hoprider 500 City Hybrid Bike B'TWIN - All Bikes Cycling - On sale at Decathlon.co.uk

Disregarding tax for the Americans out there ... that's a £160 or roughly $250 new bike that would be excellent for commuting!

It short, what's going over there.

I vote yes! 10.5 miles one way every day.
[IMG]Commuter RockHopper by superissimo_83, on Flickr[/IMG]

Either bike would make a great commuter. I'd get the cheaper of the 2 and throw on some slicks. Slicks don't run $35 each. Used touring bikes are hard to find and tend to command a premium.

Used vintage mtbs make great commuters.

Too expensive! If you could get a trek 7.x for around $200 or less, that would be a decent deal for all the time and hassle you spend on craiglist. Or, just go buy a fuji absolute for around $350 at performance bike. Once you stat commuting on bike, you will need this and that, which will soon amount hundreds of dollars and make the initial save on the bike insignificant.

A vintage mountain bike, lightly used, with slicks, will make a great commuter. $100 is a bargain in the south bay. If either one fits, buy it and don't look back. MTB gearing is fine- you're not racing.

o.O I don't understand why anyone would advocate getting a BSO over an older quality mtb for commuting... most BSO's that would even fit the bill tend to have front shocks etc and are even worse for commuting out of the box than an unmodified 80's mtb IMO. Wait.. was this satire?

Or if you get supremely lucky and find a Bridgestone CB on the cheap, the Box of Crap (C&V game) came through at exactly the right time, parts bin supplied almost all the rest. Then I think 60 bucks in tires and it was done.. so <$100

Why is that supremely lucky? I don't think I've seen them going for more money than similar bikes. Or did someone pay you to take it away? :-D

I've been commuting on a newer version of the Hardrock for a while now, and it's a great bike for it. I've replaced parts that have worn out with ones I liked better as I went along, don't worry about the bike not being able to hold up.

I vote "yes" also - 80s and 90s non-suspended steel Mountain Bikes with skinny tires are monsters for GP use and commuting. I used a Performance M303 for a couple of decades. Brisk, fast and convenient.

lulz! I just find it a superior comfy upright commuter bike versus say my miyata ridge runner (which is a fine commuter). Is there a serious dislike of CB's? They seem almost cult status to me.

I use a 1990 Trek 7000 MTB as a commuter and it is great. I've completely rebuilt it at this point, but even in the raw state I found it in it was a fun ride. Whether the rebuild was worth it is another story, but it wasn't about the money anyway.

I have a commuter Marin, and an older trek mountain bike.
love them both, but its all about what you like..

Use the hybrid Marin for grocery runs and when i want a slower comfy ride with the wife.
and if i gotta go 10 miles plus i prefer my trek, this bike rides sweet for long rides

consider the gears too ..
my trek i have 24/34/44?
the marin 28/38/48?

the trek is the only one i get into top chain ring
depends on how you like to ride ...

I'm too late to see the first link but I like the second IF it fits and works well. I put a few thousand commuting miles on a similar Hardrock and it was a great commuter.

Would this be a better option????

It is only $300-330.. and has larger wheels...and new of course haha

Raleigh Bicycles - Talus 1

650B wheels, so the tire selection is not as good as either 700c or 26". 7-speed Tourney grip shifters, which are not nearly as good as the older Deore trigger shifters (IMO). Crummy crank (non-replaceable chainrings, not that I ever replace my chainrings). All in all, just a cut above a BSO. I'd rather have the old steel MTB...

A hundred dollars for a Rockhopper is a great deal, you can't go wrong even if you have to change a few parts. The bike is a little beat and one of the wheels has already been switched out so that may be a blessing. I would buy that over the Raleigh that you posted.

I love the look of this. Especially the tight tire fender clearance. I would buy two (one for me and one for my wife) for great all around bikes.

Actually my wife is thinking to steal the late 90s early 00s rock (hard- or -hopper) from her mom that she just got for $65!

I just had a friend in Charleston get one for $80 and he is in love with it and bike commuting. Score one for a convert!

@joeyduck - Thanks. I rather like it too. The tires are 2.3 and are actually too big for the PB fenders as advertised but I made them fit!

Last week I swapped forks so it looks like this now. Sort of a mish mash but I like the softer ride on my hands and the disk is great! Discussion here: https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/...-up-front.html
[IMG]P1020526 by superissimo_83, on Flickr[/IMG]

[MENTION=124730]SJX426[/MENTION] Looks nice. I have never really spent time on any suspension to speak of, I will check out you thread. My father in law has an old beater GT I use on the island when I visit them, but that is only a few km at most on a weekend.