Should I swap my MTB for a road bike ??

[qureshia]

Hi all

I have recently started commuting to work 3 days a week (12.5 miles each way, reasonably flat - Manchester)

I have a half decent mountain bike (circa £800 new) half suspension, which I have fitted with road tyres and SPD’s. I’ve never used it off road in fact it has pretty much sat in the shed for the last 4 years …

My question is…would I be better to swap it for a road bike?

I am not very fit and perhaps a little over weight but I do find the gearing means I can never get over 26 mph (down hill) and I cannot really find a really good (head down) riding position on the long straights.

I was thinking of getting something carbon

Is there such a thing as a bike swap shop ???

[dtmpower]

How about fitting a larger gearing or converting your current bike to singlespeed ( or fixed )

[ewenm]

Required number of bikes = n+1 where n is current number of bikes owned.

So swap for a road bike?
Add a road bike?

[Dunk76]

ewenm said:

Required number of bikes = n+1 where n is current number of bikes owned.

So swap for a road bike?
Add a road bike?

Precisely

yes dear, I do need to keep the black bike (the MTB) when I get the roadie in a few months time... and I'll certainly need both when I get the folding bike - in case, erm, one breaks down or something.

[dtmpower]

ewenm said:

Required number of bikes = n+1 where n is current number of bikes owned.

So swap for a road bike?
Add a road bike?

Indeed

[qureshia]

well that is it then....

search is on for tasty road bike....

[curlie467]

Good man, my shed is bursting with bikes (only a small shed mind). I will be in the market for a proper roadie soon also as my current one has straight bars and like the general consensus it is much more fun to buy another bike than to change the handlebars to drops!

[croyde]

Out of interest, if I were to convert my multi speed Giant to ss would I have to buy a different back wheel due to the amount of space taken up by the rear cassette.

[magpie215]

N+1 is about right

I have 2 singlespeed hacks one an mtb the other a flat bar old raleigh racer also a wet commuting mtb bike a dry commuting specialised sirrus bike.

must resist adding any more :-)

[Dunk76]

magpie215 said:

must resist adding any more :-)

Nah, rubbish - make yourself up something classic and Italian

http://www.campyoldy.co.uk/frames.htm

I would have done by now, but they're all too small for me

[anonymous-user]

magpie215 said:

N+1 is about right

I have 2 singlespeed hacks one an mtb the other a flat bar old raleigh racer also a wet commuting mtb bike a dry commuting specialised sirrus bike.

must resist adding any more :-)

Your username is very apt!

[qureshia]

You evil lot

I started this thread with a question - should I swap my MTB for a road bike ?

A couple of hours later and I have listed my B&O speakers on ebay with the intention of using the money raised to buy a second bike

[captainzep]

Hybrid?

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...

[dtmpower]

croyde said:

Out of interest, if I were to convert my multi speed Giant to ss would I have to buy a different back wheel due to the amount of space taken up by the rear cassette.

Nope - you can get a single speed cog and spacer kit to fit on the cassette freewheel that allows you to move the cog for chain alingment.

I bought me kit from Charlie : http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/COMPLETE-SINGLE-SPEED-KIT-ch...

email him your bike details and he will make up a suitable kit for you.

[option click]

qureshia said:

You evil lot

I started this thread with a question - should I swap my MTB for a road bike ?

A couple of hours later and I have listed my B&O speakers on ebay with the intention of using the money raised to buy a second bike

That's the spirit!
A second bike is easy to justify. The third and fourth are much more difficult.
actually, the other half doesn't know about the fourth one yet...