Mountain bikes on the road

[XitUp]

Just rode my new Trek 4500 disk home from work.

21.95km
1:09:01

Av moving speed 20.15kph

So slow. So much hurt.

I was crying out for skinny wheels and high psi. The wind didn't help either, especially with no drops to hunker down on.

Just thought I'd share my pain, I think I need a long shower now.

[Mars]

I think this has just convinced me to buy one of the hardtails within my price range (indicated in this thread: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... ) WITHOUT selling my skinny wheeled bike to fund a higher-spec one.

[XitUp]

That's the thing, I've got two skinny wheeled road bikes (admittedly, they are old Pugs) but I still chose the tractor.

[Sheets Tabuer]

Tell me about it, when I bought mine I thought I'd be up hill and down dale

Getting the bugger out and every footpath has one of those stupid gates you step into, close and step out again so no way of getting your bike over without ropes and climbing gear.

Mind you it is so slow and hard to pedal on the road I'd guess I get one hell of a workout and I do 20 miles now without breaking a sweat (well I do but you know what I mean)

According to the computer I avg 13mph ouch..

[aka_kerrly]

Softies....

Try riding a 14inch dual slalom hardtail with a 30t chain ring an 2.3inch tyres on road, I survived 25miles on road an it felt like doing 100s on a road bike.

A good compromise is a cross country specification hardtail, air shocks with lockout function, triple chain ring set up and 1.5 semi slicks

[Sheets Tabuer]

Luckily mine has all that except slicks, I have something akin to JCB tyres on mine

[XitUp]

Got a triple and lockout forks.
If I was planning on using it on the road more I'd get slicks for it.

I'll stick to using my road bike on the road.

[ewenm]

Think of the fitness benefit!

[GG89]

If it's what you're used to it's no problem. I haven't ever rode a road bike before. Recently finished a rather hilly 26 mile cycle for blood cancer in under 1 hour 55 on my Trek 6300 with chunky tyres. Took over many road bikes on that run. Will be investing in a road bike for next summer though; As one of the lycra clad warriors said to me on the charity run "god mate, that must be like riding with a fatty on the back"

[exgtt]

Agreed, but i love wheeling the old war horse out in the thick on winter. Riding through the gritty slush with tyres that can handle the excellent hydrolic brakes (and seeing van drivers look at you like your mad @ 730am). The brakes on my road bike are adequet at best, and the tyres are suicidal at -0'c. Good brakes + wide tyres and mountain bike riding position are lovely in the cold stuff on the commute.

Unforgivable elsewhere.

[The Restorer]

ewenm said:

Think of the fitness benefit!

+1

[XitUp]

Yeah, we'll be buying a house closer to work soon so I'll try to start commuting by bike every day.
After the last few winters we've had I think I'll be cracking the mountain bike out for a fair chunk of them. Just need some lights and mudguards. Oh, and a rack. Having my bag on my back was a pain in the arse.

Although I'm turning one of my old Pugs into a fixie and was considering putting a few screws through an old solid tyre I've got to make an ice bike.