Too Rough for a Road Bicycle Thinking about Mountain Bike as Commuter?

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  Halo375 on 14/06/2017 - 21:32

  What surface are you riding the length of your journey? If you're on roads or concrete - get something with skinny high pressure tyres for the least resistance and highest speed. If you're on gravel, grass, dirt or sand then get a mountain bike.

  If you want to hop off curbs then get a bmx.

  • 

    String name on 14/06/2017 - 21:58

    Bicycle lane on a road the entire way.
    Haha, might need two bicycles to cover all the bases.

    • 

      Euphemistic on 15/06/2017 - 21:37

      Yes, you do need more bicycles.

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  trongy on 14/06/2017 - 22:52

  +2

  I have commuted on a mountain bike. They are heavier and slower than road bikes. I preferred the more upright position when riding in peak hour traffic because it gave me better visibility and manoeuverability. I didn't care about high gear ratios, because I'm fairly short legged and not a powerful rider.

  Mountain bikes are geared lower than road bikes because they are designed to be ridden off road on rougher and steeper terrain, at lower speeds. Knobby tyres also add a bit of drag.

  The highest gear ratio on that bike is with the 38 tooth larger front chain ring and the 11 tooth (small) rear. There's no easy way to get a higher gear ratio, I'll try to explain why.

  11 teeth is the smallest commonly used gear on rear cassettes. It would be good to be able to increase the size of the front chain rings. Mountain bikes cranks usually have a 104mm bolt circle diameter (BCD) - that's the spacing of the chain ring bolts from the centre of the crank. Road bike cranks traditionally have a 130mm BCD or these days a 110mm BCD(so called compact cranks). To get a higher gear ratio, you could either fit a road bike crank or a bigger chain ring to the mountain bike crank.

  There are problems with either approach.
  Road bike cranks are made to fit a 68mm wide bottom bracket on a road frame. Mountain bikes typically have a 73mm wide bottom bracket. I was able to fit a mountain bike crank to a road bike frame with a 2.5mm spacer on either side. However you are not going to be able to fit a road bike crank into a 73mm wide MTB frame. If you can find an mountain bike frame with a 68mm bottom bracket you are in luck. Cranks are not cheap however…

  What about getting a bigger chain ring for the 104 BCD mountain bike crank? Well 38 teeth is the largest commonly made size for 104 BCD so you need to head into custom part territory. A quick google found this one for example. Note that it is a narrow wide chain ring - it has specially designed teeth that will not derail, so you can remove your front derailleur and small chain ring. If you can find a large 104 BCD chainring that's not narrow wide, you would also have to fit a lager inner chainring. From memory, the Shimano systems are designed to work with a 14 tooth difference between the large and small chain rings, 16 teeth difference at the limit.

  Any of these changes would probably also require a chain that's a few links longer.

  • 

    Euphemistic on 15/06/2017 - 21:55

    I thought 104BCD was standard for MTB triple rings,which means you should be able to get a 44 tooth fairly easily.

    I run a 36 tooth single front ring on my MTB and typically don't find myself needing a higher gear except for down hillls. That is with 26" wheels and 2.1 tyres. I'm not an overly strong rider though, but can get to 30-35km/h with it fairly comfortably, a little more if I work hard and it tops out around 45 at max cadence.

    • 

      trongy on 16/06/2017 - 23:06

      You're right. I had totally forgotten that 44 teeth chainrings are common on triple chain ring cranksets.

  • 

    String name on 16/06/2017 - 12:43

    Very informative post. Judging by what you've said, it really isn't that common of a modification to do to MTB and I should probably look at other alternatives.

    • 

      Euphemistic on 17/06/2017 - 20:03

      It is a pretty common change. A lot of riders weren't that keen on 2x10 gearing and opt to change to 3x10 by switching the crankset. More drop back to a single ring, but that reduces your gear range a bit.

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  2ndeffort on 14/06/2017 - 23:16

  +3

  Cyclocross bike (sometimes called CX bike) or Gravel bike is the best of both worlds. Essentially a tougher version of a road bike with slightly wider tyres, disc brakes and an endurance geometry (more upright position). Still has drop handlebars and shifters but doesnt have weighty expensive things you wont need riding on bikepaths like suspension. Have a look on bikexchange for something like this https://www.bikeexchange.com.au/a/cyclocross-bikes/giant/nsw… Heres a link to a search for cyclocross bikes so you can search for a bargain https://www.bikeexchange.com.au/s/cyclocross-bikes?option-va… there are some pretty cheap versions from sellers like Reid or some super expensive competition versions from the big pro bike companies like Trek and SPecialized.

  You might even be able to get a runout version of a carbon framed one. That Silverback MTB does not look like a good option for a commuter bike to me, if you are only riding on bikepaths or bikelanes on roads why would you want or need suspension forks. On roads you need to lockout the suspension basically nullifying why you have it. They are heavy and require servicing and replacement parts. If you arent using the suspension it provides then why put up with the extra weight and cost.

  Cyclocross bikes are meant to be ridden in pretty harsh environments, have a look at the racing they put these things through http://www.uci.ch/cyclo-cross/ucievents/2017-cyclo-cross-uci… jumping a gutter or bunnyhopping a tram track should not be a challenge for a CX bike.

  • 

    Euphemistic on 15/06/2017 - 21:39

    Apparently some cyclocross bikes are very twitchy in the handling. They are designed to be raced and feature geometry that isn't the best for other uses. This type of geometry probably isn't suited to being able to sit more upright in traffic. Make sure you try properly before buying one.

    • 

      trongy on 16/06/2017 - 23:15

      Yes, twitchy is correct. My current commuter is based on a cyclocross frame (this one) with flat bars. It is much more twitchy than I expected, compared with my previous commuter MTB with slicks.

      According to a reviews, some of the newer cyclocross or gravel grinder frame geometries are are designed for general riding rather than racing and are less twichy.

  • 

    String name on 16/06/2017 - 12:50

    … That Silverback MTB does not look like a good option for a commuter bike to me, if you are only riding on bikepaths or bikelanes on roads why would you want or need suspension forks. On roads you need to lockout the suspension basically nullifying why you have it. They are heavy and require servicing and replacement parts. If you arent using the suspension it provides then why put up with the extra weight and cost.

    Appreciate the straightforward opinion on the bike regarding my wants.

    jumping a gutter or bunnyhopping a tram track should not be a challenge for a CX bike.

    I didn't know of CX bikes, but this is exactly what I had envisioned to suit my needs! I'm leaning towards getting one of these now; they look fun and strong.
    Would I need to consider swapping out tires too?

    • 

      2ndeffort on 16/06/2017 - 15:30

      Most CX bikes come with tyres meant for a bit of dirt/gravel road riding. They are normally pretty good on road. I've been on typical road bunch rides where within the group of 40 or so cyclists there are 2 or 3 on CX bikes with the rest on roadbikes and the CX guys seem to keepup OK. Last time I did this every once in a while one would nip off road onto the dirt footpath next to the road, keepup with us for a bit then bunynhop the gutter back onto the road.

      The frames for CX Bikes aer normally wide enough to accomodate 32 - 26 wide tyres. The guys at the shop should help with a recommendation. If I was buying a bike new I would demand the guys at the shop sell it to me with whatever tyres i wanted. Bike shops have a bit of play in their figures and they expect people to do a bit of haggling. At the very least I would be demanding they put on the tyres i wanted (actually i would be after the saddle, pedals, stem length and a discount but that's just me).

    • 

      trongy on 16/06/2017 - 23:43

      +1

      Would I need to consider swapping out tires too?

      There's a huge variety of widths and tread patterns available. If they bike you want doesn't have the tyres you want, consider swapping. It sounds like you would favour a wider tyre which would cushion your drops better.

      As a guide, my CX bike specifies a maximum tyre width of 40mm. If you like wider tyres, pay attention to the frame's tyre capacity when bike shopping.

      • 

        2ndeffort on 19/06/2017 - 15:09

        Yep the 26 in my post was a typo, meant to be 36

  • 

    SHilton on 01/08/2017 - 18:35

    What about something like this:

    http://www.bikeforcedocklands.com.au/a/gravel-bikes/scott/vi…

    Seems like it might tick all the boxes and is at a good price.

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  mranderson978 on 14/06/2017 - 23:59

  I would have thought a hybrid would be better, but that's just me. My advice is to take the bike you enjoy riding the most.

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  rambutann on 15/06/2017 - 08:11

  +4

  I commute on a done up $20 1990's solid mountain bike.

  Bash into anything. Go anywhere. Nobody wants to steal it. Solid times.

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  TheBilly on 15/06/2017 - 16:46

  Have a 26km commute one way which started on a 29er mountain bike and also used it for trail riding on weekends. Some issues with this were:

  1. Tyre wear - Big nobs wear down very quickly on hard surfaces
  2. Drag - Average speed is very slow (13kmh - 16kmh)
  3. Maintenance - mtb'ing and commuting required regular lube, gear set and brake maintenance

  Bought road tyres for MTB - 35mm wide, this solved issue 1 and 2 above, issue 3 was a constant and a new issue arose where I had too constantly change tyres on Friday night for weekend mtb rides.

  Threw in the towel and went and bought a road bike and put Continental GP400 S2's on it, no more issues. Whilst you can't do jumps, I do hit bumps in the road and footpaths at speed and also ride some gravel etc. and it holds up fine.

  Moral of the story, buy a bike for it's purpose and use it for that purpose - if you want to jump, go mountain biking, if you want to commute, commute. You'll buy a MTB commute a day or so do a few kerb jumps and get over it.

  Cyclocross bikes, I don't understand so I can't comment. But I have passed many people who ride these and I am not very fit. So it makes me wonder, if you want to go slow, why not just ride a mountain bike to go slow and in the off chance you want to got MTB ing on the weekend you can at least do one activity well.

  • 

    String name on 16/06/2017 - 12:59

    Threw in the towel and went and bought a road bike and put Continental GP400 S2's on it, no more issues. Whilst you can't do jumps, I do hit bumps in the road and footpaths at speed and also ride some gravel etc. and it holds up fine.

    I think this option might be best if I buy a bike from a store. My main goal is to commute on the road, so I should just accept road bike as the best style to get.

    • 

      Euphemistic on 16/06/2017 - 17:38

      Although, as you state your commute is pretty short, in reality any bike will do. It is more important that the bike you choose is one you really want to ride. What you probably need is about 5 bikes so you can take your pick - works for me!

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  Euphemistic on 15/06/2017 - 21:53

  How long is your commute? I started commuting approx 6km on my cross country dual suspension mountain bike with knobbly tyres. Gradually over the years I upgraded. The first upgrade was slick tyres, improved speed, but like above switching tyres for weekend bush rides got old quickly. Tried a hardtail MTB for a while, then a roadie, now I'm between roadies and riding a flat bar roadie which is nearly as quick.

  The first time I hopped on an old steel road bike I was surprised how much quicker it was than the mountain bike. It as heavier than my MTB, but due to the aero and skinny tyres I could fairly easily drop 2min off my 17min commute, and consistently keep over 1min off the best times on MTB.

  There are plenty of times I am bored on the roadie and wanted to hop kerbs etc, don't want to rush but want to have fun. I treated my cheap old roadie pretty rough and it took it, but it's a lot harder to wheelstand and muck around on. But the roadie is faster if I don't have a lot of time.

  End of the day I now have a fleet of bikes so I can choose play, speed, bush, road, geared or single speed.

  Interestingly my fixie bike provides the most consistent commute times as I need to keep the cadence above where it is hard work to pedal - riding slower is harder. On the geared bikes I can slow down to suit my energy levels and still spin easily and times vary a lot more.

  • 

    String name on 16/06/2017 - 13:18

    My commute is a bit less thank yours.
    I probably would have gone through the same process had I bought the MTB, following on with modifications and other bikes later on.

    There are plenty of times I am bored on the roadie and wanted to hop kerbs etc, don't want to rush but want to have fun.

    This is definitely me on my commute haha. I'm glad there are some alternatives mentioned that might take a bit more abuse!

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  Zippy7 on 17/06/2017 - 22:30

  I think its important to get a bike you are happy with and enjoy riding.
  I've had a few bikes for commuting, suffered upgraditis many times.
  At the moment, I'm on a flat bar roadie and enjoying it.
  I really wanted to upgrade to a drop bar roadie, but can't justify the money when I am enjoying the flat bar for commuting.
  When the bike isn't so fun to ride, then upgrade to something else :)

  • 

    Euphemistic on 18/06/2017 - 07:39

    "When the bike isn't so fun to ride, then uograde to something else"

    Don't you mean "add another one to the fleet"?

    • 

      Zippy7 on 18/06/2017 - 13:38

      Add another one if you have the space, or sell it and buy a new one if you don't :)

      • 

        Euphemistic on 18/06/2017 - 18:29

        No. Add another one and keep the first, or sell it if your partner will leave (and you don't want that to happen, it is nothing to do with available space ;)

      • 

        Zippy7 on 18/06/2017 - 20:17

        Partner gets cranky with too much clutter in the house.
        Keep partner happy and you get to go out on rides "in peace", instead of coming back to trouble :)

      • 

        Euphemistic on 18/06/2017 - 21:39

        @Zippy7: see, it's not about the space is it? Seems like your N=N+1 and S=S-1 are balancing out at a fairly low number. Mine are somewhat higher having 6 bikes of mine and a bunch of others for family and/or flipping in the garage.

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  String name on 30/06/2017 - 13:17

  UPDATE

  Thanks everyone for all the comments.

  I was blown away with all the different flavours of bicycles that exist, making it a tougher decision!
  Even more so, with the collective and in depth knowledge the community possesses.

  I just picked up a Giant ToughRoad SLR 2 (2017) as I felt like it was a good mix of tough and commuter that I had in mind.

  Happy riding!

  • 

    Euphemistic on 01/07/2017 - 18:14

    +1

    Nice, a mountain bike with skinny (ish) tyres and no suspension for a weight penalty.

  • 

    Euphemistic on 02/08/2017 - 10:57

    +1

    Update from me: I sourced a 2015 Giant Roam very cheap as it has a damaged, but rideable frame. I'm waiting for the new frame to arrive, but I've currently got a disc braked flat bar bike with skinny tyres. Goes pretty well too, but the suspension forks are next to useless and pretty heavy. New frame and fork will solve that.