Dunn Goofed, I bought the wrong bike
Discussion
6 months ago I bought my Cube Attention SL 29er in a 17" frame as a get fit/ride to work bike.
Bike cost just under £700 new.
I did not ride it during winter, so aside from a test ride was unused.
last week started my fitness training and after 5 days I realised I have bought the wrong bike, I should have bought a cyclocross bike.
Bloody idiot!
After a week what I was really really missing was the speed of my specialized allez road bike.
29er was never going to be in same league ever, I knew this, realised all I needed was a slightly less extreme road bike with discs, say a cyclocross bike running 32/35mm wide tyres.
Bike cost just under £700 new.
I did not ride it during winter, so aside from a test ride was unused.
last week started my fitness training and after 5 days I realised I have bought the wrong bike, I should have bought a cyclocross bike.
Bloody idiot!
After a week what I was really really missing was the speed of my specialized allez road bike.
29er was never going to be in same league ever, I knew this, realised all I needed was a slightly less extreme road bike with discs, say a cyclocross bike running 32/35mm wide tyres.
Hate to say some of us told you so back in September but...
To repeat the advice then, rolling resistance is down your tyres and not the size of your wheels. Something slick and supple, in any diameter, will roll better than something knobbly.
Trade off how fast you want to roll on road with how much grip you want off-road in mud, and choose a tyre accordingly.
To repeat the advice then, rolling resistance is down your tyres and not the size of your wheels. Something slick and supple, in any diameter, will roll better than something knobbly.
Trade off how fast you want to roll on road with how much grip you want off-road in mud, and choose a tyre accordingly.
There's more to the speed than the tyres, a CX bike will put you in a better position for efficient pedaling that will leave you with less control on rough ground.
Tyres, fit a longer stem, lower it, and add some drop bars and you won'd be too far away. You might have issues with the brakes, but keeping your existing brake/shift setup would be OK.
You might find that swapping the wheels for some road bike wheels would help (if they fit?) as they'll be lighter, but I doubt that'll be necessary.
Failing that sell it and buy the best CX bike you can find on Gumtree/ebay with the proceeds.
Tyres, fit a longer stem, lower it, and add some drop bars and you won'd be too far away. You might have issues with the brakes, but keeping your existing brake/shift setup would be OK.
You might find that swapping the wheels for some road bike wheels would help (if they fit?) as they'll be lighter, but I doubt that'll be necessary.
Failing that sell it and buy the best CX bike you can find on Gumtree/ebay with the proceeds.
Do the forks lock out?
I don't know anything about the distances or route you ride, but I find that MTB type bike make better commuters than road bikes.
The more upright position is a bonus for being able to see and helps you to be seen. The only downside is the slower speed - but this isn't THAT much slower on a commute - and the wide bars.
To make the position a little more 'aggressive', buy a cheap set of flat bars, and add some decent length bar ends. If you also hacksaw an inch or so off each side, you'll be able to thread through traffic a little easier.
And the added weight will get you fitter, quicker. Then you can enjoy passing fully lycra'd up Roadies. Like I do. On my Brompton...
I don't know anything about the distances or route you ride, but I find that MTB type bike make better commuters than road bikes.
The more upright position is a bonus for being able to see and helps you to be seen. The only downside is the slower speed - but this isn't THAT much slower on a commute - and the wide bars.
To make the position a little more 'aggressive', buy a cheap set of flat bars, and add some decent length bar ends. If you also hacksaw an inch or so off each side, you'll be able to thread through traffic a little easier.
And the added weight will get you fitter, quicker. Then you can enjoy passing fully lycra'd up Roadies. Like I do. On my Brompton...
Edited by Kell on Monday 25th April 10:38
Kell said:
And the added weight will get you fitter, quicker. Then you can enjoy passing fully lycra'd up Roadies. Like I do. On my Brompton...
Are you me? I love passing roadies on my Brompton.OP, I commute through the winter and when the weather is wet on a 29er. I pump the tyres up to 65 psi and have moved the seat to give a fairly roadie style seating position relative to the cranks. My commute takes about 10% -15% longer on than on the road bike for a similar amount of effort.
I use original tyres too, but they're about knackered now after two long winters of abuse. Kenda things with small knobbles. They used to make a lovely "army lorry" buzz on the faster bits!
paulrockliffe said:
There's more to the speed than the tyres, a CX bike will put you in a better position for efficient pedaling that will leave you with less control on rough ground.
Tyres, fit a longer stem, lower it, and add some drop bars and you won'd be too far away. You might have issues with the brakes, but keeping your existing brake/shift setup would be OK.
You might find that swapping the wheels for some road bike wheels would help (if they fit?) as they'll be lighter, but I doubt that'll be necessary.
Failing that sell it and buy the best CX bike you can find on Gumtree/ebay with the proceeds.
Change the tyres to those Hyper Voyagers first. It'll be much cheaper. Then think about all that if you feel you still need to.Tyres, fit a longer stem, lower it, and add some drop bars and you won'd be too far away. You might have issues with the brakes, but keeping your existing brake/shift setup would be OK.
You might find that swapping the wheels for some road bike wheels would help (if they fit?) as they'll be lighter, but I doubt that'll be necessary.
Failing that sell it and buy the best CX bike you can find on Gumtree/ebay with the proceeds.
I run these on my hardtail - http://www.wiggle.co.uk/continental-speed-king-ii-...
I'm just outside the top 30 of people riding along the seafront even though I'm a massive blob of lard on my heavy h/t with these tyres.
I'm just outside the top 30 of people riding along the seafront even though I'm a massive blob of lard on my heavy h/t with these tyres.
Kell said:
I find that MTB type bike make better commuters than road bikes. The more upright position is a bonus for being able to see and helps you to be seen.
I'd agree with that. I recently had a holiday in Northern France where we occasionally cycled along some smooth tarmac back roads and I had a sudden hankering after a skinny-tyred hybrid. But then I got back to the smoke and did one commute on the MTB and immediately remembered why I'd bought it.Kell said:
The only downside is the slower speed - but this isn't THAT much slower on a commute
There's not much in it. Someone here suggested 10-15% which for me is five minutes give or take. And I do sometimes have fun making the more rubbish roadies really try hard to open up a gap in Regents Park. Put the Vittoria hypers on and went for spin yesterday.
massively better, no road bike zoom zoom, but it cruises much better and faster.
It's not a pain in the arse keeping the speed up now.
small argument going on at work with the ride to work scheme and some arbitrary internal rules.
Need to win with out painting a target on my back.
massively better, no road bike zoom zoom, but it cruises much better and faster.
It's not a pain in the arse keeping the speed up now.
small argument going on at work with the ride to work scheme and some arbitrary internal rules.
Need to win with out painting a target on my back.
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