Hey all,
I've been cycling for just over a year now and my daily commute has been about 10.6km each way.
I'm moving homes soon and my commute will increase to about 18.5km each way.
Currently I have a Trek Zektor 2 (commuter) and am wondering if upgrading to a road bike will decrease my travel time?
Thanks in advance
Are you on a bike track or mixing it with cars and traffic lights?
Sorry, should've clarified. Probably about 85% bike track.
Then you might knock off a minute or two. Personally I would stick with the commuter. The wider tyres will help cover most weather conditions.
Thanks for the input!
@StevenUniverse: If there's any upgrade path, it definitely would be towards a pedal-assisted model.
Not to convert it fully to a motorbike, but enough power to help cycle over hills and make the journey more enjoyable. That gives you the option to take alternate routes and go exploring different paths each time.
It depends on number of things including the track, gradient, your level of fitness and how good a rider you are. I have seen a good rider on commuter essentially leaving roadies behind.
If your path involves steep gradient, you will certainly save sometime.
Can you not borrow bike from a mate and try it one day?
Good idea, I'll probably go look at renting one. Thanks for the input!
My commute is mostly flat, 85% on bike track and 15% road.
Commuter is better. I havent ridden a commuter but I have done 50km commutes (25k each way) on both my road bike and hard tail mtb with 40mm slicks put on. The difference in time was negligible (3-5 minutes at most) but the comfort on the MTB was way better. It had better access to brakes and gears as the road bike has drop bars and that becomes quite annoying in cycle paths as you are dodging and weaving. I then tried another commute but this was via a motorway and I have to say the road bike was significantly quicker, but also susceptible to more flat tyres.
Hey, thanks for the input. Seems like the general consensus is no or not by much.
Not worth it for sure. Particularly as you have a decent bike already. If it were like a Kmart bike to be upgraded, then it would be worth it based on straight quality. But from what you've got to a road bike is a waste of money. I have friends with flat bar commuters that join road bikers on weekends, have no issues keeping up. You will find that the 2 minutes you'll save over that distance might just come from changing your tyres, if you really want to save the 2-5 minutes. You can even save that 5 minutes from doing squats and deadlifts at the gym.
BMX
with tuffs
.
And spokey-dokeys
My commute is a around 7km. Road bike to MTB comparison is only a couple of minutes. Road bike average speed is around 27km/h, MTB 24-25. Stupid single speed BigW fat bike was around 20km/h.
I have several bikes and switch it up because it doesn’t really make that much difference, it is more about comfort and features like mudguards and disc brakes. My current main commuter bike is a flat bar disc brake roadie (like the Zektor) which is fast and comfortable. I don’t ride roads for fun or in group rides so don’t think I need a drop bar roadie.
Need a poll option for yes faster, but not much.
Road bike to MTB comparison is only a couple of minutes.
Based on the data provided the time difference is 75 seconds
Thanks :P when I said a couple of minutes I guess I really meant close to one minute. A strong headwind can make even more than 1 minute difference on the same bike.
I track all my commutes using gps and have found the most consistent times are on a fixed gear bike. It is most comfortable to ride at a consistent cadence and there are no gears to change down if I’m feeling a bit slack.
I find road bike quicker. On the roadie I average around 33kmh on flat ground the MTB usually hangs around the 26-27 mark. But I get a few hills on the way as well so quicker up them and down as well for that matter
If you're on a Trek Zektor already, there's probably not much point in upgrading. It's close enough to a flat bar roadie, and has commute-friendly hydraulic disc brakes. Still, you could try one for a day to see if there's much difference.
My commute is fairly similar: 19km each way, the majority of which is on bike path with moderate hills. I was on a road bike, but moved after 10 years to a gravel bike. Gravels are essentially a hybrid for roadies too scared to admit they're using a hybrid, but still sportier than a commuter. I moved for wider tires and hydraulic brakes. After putting heavier commuter tires on I'm about 3-5min slower, but a lot more comfortable and safer in winter.
I did this test and for me it didn't worth changing comfort and posture for the time gain. I got a 4yr old rockhopper that is my commute bike for 9km one way since the start. After 1year realised I don't do much mountain anymore and I changed to a thinner tube. Perfect! Don't need to kill myself anymore to maintain "nice" speeds ( follow the roadies). I got about 4min earlier , not much but the speed/satisfaction is much better.If you care for comfort, just don't go with the thinner ones. Also,If you got some jumps here and there it's just so much better
Thanks for all the replies, I'm going to hire a road bike (within my purchase price range) when I move and see if the time it could save is worth investing!
turn to the dark side and you won't go back… speed is addictive.
I think the key question is what speed do you go on a typical flat, clear section? If its 20-25kmh, then the roadie won't be that much different. But if you're doing >25kmh, the roadie will put you in a more aerodynamic position which does make a difference - particularly above 35kmh (e.g. going down a smallish hill and maintaining that speed).
the roadie will put you in a more aerodynamic position which does make a difference
To gain an aerodynamic improvement you need to position your self so that your arms are parraell to the ground, basically almost horizontal body position.
it depends on the weight of the bike, but even then, it is very minimal.
A road bike would make you feel faster though :)