|   Mountain bike for the street | Zakk006
Sep 27, 2001 8:42 AM | | I am getting in to riding road bikes because my knees won't take running much longer, but the problem is that road bikes are way too rough.
The pavement where I live is fairly rough in places, so a road bike basically beats me to death. I tried a friends mountain bike and it soaked up all the nasty bumps just from the tires alone (it has a rigid fork)
So, the question is: Since most of the higher end mountain bikes come with suspended forks, do you think that would help or hinder performance on a street ridden bike?
I don't care about high rolling resistance of fat tires ect....because a good workout is the goal any ways.
I may eventually go off road here and there, but what current bikes would you guys recommend for the street? What would you look for first? Light weight? rigid frame and fork? Disc brakes?
Thanks for your opinions |
| re: Mountain bike for the street | Swamp Monkey
Sep 27, 2001 10:06 AM | | You can equip a mountain bike with low rolling resistance tires that are readily available everywhere. Front suspension is definitly a plus if your not trying to break any road speed records. Personally I think the most important part of the bike is the frame. Get something that you find comfy and can upgrade. Have someone fit the bike to you(like your Local Bike Shop), you can save alot of bux buying from the net, but when it comes to service you cant beat your LBS.
Try some Cross Country trail riding, it's a hell of a workout and you get to leave the civilized world behind... nothing like the smell of the woods... ahhhhh. |
| re: Mountain bike for the street | Kudzu Kannibal
Sep 27, 2001 11:12 AM | | Get you a bike, actually a front fork that has lockout on the suspension (don't go full, that would be a waste). That way you can adjust for different conditions, on or off-road.
Otherwise, you can do what I did with my old beast, a prehistoric GT Rigid Offroad, and put slicks, a new stem and handlebars. It's my strength trainer for doing triathlons and still held it's own offroad with the knobby tires.
My suggestion and this is just from a few people I know, by all means I don't own one or am a big fan, is Cannondale with a Fatty front.
Good Luck to you and in your case...
"May the pavement have little mud" |
| re: Mountain bike for Urban Duty | Urban Gorilla
Sep 27, 2001 1:07 PM | | Cannondale's (hardtail) mountainbikes equipped with their proprietary "Headshok" comes to mind. Some models have lockouts, which would be a definite plus if you like sprinting from stoplight to stoplight, or mixing it with motor-vehicle traffic like a bike messenger late for a pick-up.
Personally, I'd choose a cyclocross bike. Very capable bikes for urban warfare. Cannondale has one with a Headshok, but oh so pricey. Lemond makes one (steel), and so does Redline (aluminum). If money is no object, check out Litespeed's Appalachian (ti) or Independent Fabrication.
Think globally, ride locally. |
| re: Mountain bike for the street | SteveF
Sep 28, 2001 10:41 AM | | Well, before you buy a new bike (not that buying a new bike isn't fun!) try bigger road tires on your road bike and run them at lower pressure. (80-90psi, depending on the size of the tire and the size of you) I personally wouldn't ride anything smaller than 26-28c on the frost-heaved, pot holed roads here in Michigan, and run bigger than that on some of my bikes. Of course, some modern road frames have very limited clearance for bigger tires, so make sure you have room. Nashbar has the Panaracer Pasela TG on sale right now (or at least did last week) and this is a fantastic tire! I have 3400 miles on a pair of 32c's with no flats, and I ride over all sorts of crap. I have 35c's on my Surly Crosscheck and they're great tires for rough roads and railtrails. Another good-sized, nice riding tire is the Rolly-poly, made by Panaracer for Rivendell Bicycle Works. See it here: http://www.rivendellbicycles.com/webalog/
I have a set of these on my Heron. It's not as flat-resistant as the Paselas, but it's a great riding tire. Also available in a tougher version called the Ruffy-tuffy. Good luck! Steve |
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