New bike advice

[Phenian]

I am loooking to buy a bike to ride fairly seriously but don't have serious money to spend. Can
anyone offer any advice on the key components, especially identifying where the real value comes in
(or point me in the direction of a decent website, book, magazine...). I am quite happy to buy
second-hand and am not bothered about this year's model etc but would like something that is going
to be reasonably fast.

Thanks in advance.

[Peter Clinch]

phenian wrote:
> I am loooking to buy a bike to ride fairly seriously but don't have serious money to spend. Can
> anyone offer any advice on the key components, especially identifying where the real value comes
> in (or point me in the direction of a decent website, book, magazine...). I am quite happy to buy
> second-hand and am not bothered about this year's model etc but would like something that is going
> to be reasonably fast.

What sort of riding do you have in mind? Off road, on, with luggage or not, just for recreation or a
practical bike too?

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net p.j.clinch@dundee.ac.uk
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

[Arthur Clune]

phenian <phenian@iclway.co.uk> wrote:
: I am quite happy to buy second-hand and am not bothered about this year's model etc but would like
: something that is going to be reasonably fast.

More info needed. On road or off? Racing or not? Do you want to carry luggage?

[Phenian]

I have a reasonable MTB but am doing more on road cycling and finding it a struggle so want
something for road use, possibly something I could race with once I have built up some raod
experience. I don't intend to tour with it but occassionally will want to take some luggage.

"Arthur Clune" <ajc22@york.ac.uk> wrote in message news:bihv7l$rpc$2@pump1.york.ac.uk...
> phenian <phenian@iclway.co.uk> wrote:
> : I am quite happy to buy second-hand and am not bothered about this
year's
> : model etc but would like something that is going to be reasonably fast.
>
> More info needed. On road or off? Racing or not? Do you want to carry luggage?

[Andy Koppe]

> I have a reasonable MTB but am doing more on road cycling and finding it a struggle

Did you try slicker tyres and higher pressure? Knobbly tyres and low pressure are the main reasons
why MTBs feel sluggish on the road.

Andy

[Tony W]

"Andy Koppe" <a n d y @ d c s . e d . a c . u k> wrote in message
news:bii8jb$9qt$1@scotsman.ed.ac.uk...
> > I have a reasonable MTB but am doing more on road cycling and finding it
a
> > struggle
>
> Did you try slicker tyres and higher pressure? Knobbly tyres and low pressure are the main reasons
> why MTBs feel sluggish on the road.

Significant reasons, yes -- main reasons, questionable.

MTB gearing is, typically, significantly lower, tyres significantly wider and the riding position
significantly more upright -- and less 'efficient' than a road bike.

T

[Peter Clinch]

Tony W wrote:
> "Andy Koppe" <a n d y @ d c s . e d . a c . u k> wrote in message

>>Did you try slicker tyres and higher pressure? Knobbly tyres and low pressure are the main reasons
>>why MTBs feel sluggish on the road.

> Significant reasons, yes -- main reasons, questionable.
>
> MTB gearing is, typically, significantly lower, tyres significantly wider and the riding position
> significantly more upright -- and less 'efficient' than a road bike.

I'd go with "main": the Brompton runs 100 psi Marathons and despite being sit up and beg so quite
comedic on the aerodynamic front and gears that are in no way designed for speed (3 speed SRAM hub
with 18% reduction from Brompton's standard), I can *easily* maintain higher speeds on road than I
can manage on the MTB with 2.1" knobblies. The MTB gearing does go a lot lower, but on the big ring
it's still a whole lot harder to spin out than the Brom. The knobblies make it great fun in mud and
capable over rocks, but really do suck the life out of the thing on the road. The only time I ever
ride it on the road is getting to some off-road!

Also the case that one of the easiest ways to change to slicker tyres is get a second set of wheels,
rather than physically move the tyres over each time. And if you're slotting in a different wheel,
might as well have some smaller cogs and jumps between them on the road wheel. That will make it
vastly better on the road, and I'd be surprised if the OP's MTB won't take a rack if he wants to
move stuff. Damn site cheaper than a new bike too, though it won't do road racing. But there again,
he can spend the new bike money on a racer if he later decides it's the route for him, rather than
straight away.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net p.j.clinch@dundee.ac.uk
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

[Phenian]

I have tried both but the biggest problem with my current bike is the gearing and I don't want to
mess with it too much as I want to continue taking it off road, just want to do more serious on road
cycling too.

"Andy Koppe" <a n d y @ d c s . e d . a c . u k> wrote in message
news:bii8jb$9qt$1@scotsman.ed.ac.uk...
> > I have a reasonable MTB but am doing more on road cycling and finding it
a
> > struggle
>
> Did you try slicker tyres and higher pressure? Knobbly tyres and low pressure are the main reasons
> why MTBs feel sluggish on the road.
>
> Andy

[Peter Clinch]

phenian wrote:
> I have tried both but the biggest problem with my current bike is the gearing and I don't want to
> mess with it too much as I want to continue taking it off road, just want to do more serious on
> road cycling too.

If you want a new bike don't let me stop you, but a second back wheel with higher/closer gearing and
the same number of stops would be a lot cheaper! You wouldn't get as high as a real road machine as
your front chainwheels will stay the same, but maybe worth looking into.

If you have sus forks that don't lock out these will slow you up on the road too, but might be an
excuse to upgrade them for something that will lock out *and* do the rough stuff better.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net p.j.clinch@dundee.ac.uk
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

[Angus Paxton]

"Peter Clinch" <p.j.clinch@dundee.ac.uk> wrote in message news:3F4DB18F.7080705@dundee.ac.uk...
> phenian wrote:
> > I have tried both but the biggest problem with my current bike is the gearing and I don't want
> > to mess with it too much as I want to continue taking it off road, just want to do more serious
> > on road cycling too.
>
> If you want a new bike don't let me stop you, but a second back wheel with higher/closer gearing
> and the same number of stops would be a lot cheaper! You wouldn't get as high as a real road
> machine as your front chainwheels will stay the same, but maybe worth looking into.
>
> If you have sus forks that don't lock out these will slow you up on the road too, but might be an
> excuse to upgrade them for something that will lock out *and* do the rough stuff better.
>

OK, that said, any recomendations for a hardtail mtb _geometry_ that's going to be more useful on
road than a "standard" mtb geometry? I was thinking steeper would be better (though I don't know
why). Any suggestions (steel or titanium)?

I'm thinking I want to go down the hardtail mtb w/ road wheels+gearing as a commuter, then at the
weekends just swap over the wheels and go off road. Eventually, when I've rid m'self of the 2st lard
wrapper around my belly, I might try and make some of the commute off road. It'd be nice if someone
came up with a way of easily changing forks too, so I could swap between soft & hard noses.

I already have a full susser but it's a heavy lump and you can't work out of the saddle :-)

Ngus.

[Simon Brooke]

"phenian" <phenian@iclway.co.uk> writes:

> I am loooking to buy a bike to ride fairly seriously but don't have serious money to spend. Can
> anyone offer any advice on the key components, especially identifying where the real value comes
> in (or point me in the direction of a decent website, book, magazine...). I am quite happy to buy
> second-hand and am not bothered about this year's model etc but would like something that is going
> to be reasonably fast.

There *appear* to be some real bargains to be had on ebay. But, of course, second hand bike bits may
well be knackered and you don't really get a chance to inspect before you buy, so it's a bit risky.

--
simon@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; ... exposing the violence incoherent in the system...