Commuter bike? Giant Innova? CRX? FCR? OCR?

[nerdag]

Mostly they do. The XtC has a top gear of 44x11 (ratio of 4), this corresponds roughly to 53x14 including the bigger wheel diameter. On roadies, the 53x12 is mostly used on fast downhills, even the 53x14 is a bit hight for level riding and suitable cadence. So once you have skinny slicks on the lightweight MTB, it will be no slouch on the tarmac.

Keep in mind, though, the circumference of a 26" wheel is smaller than a 700c wheel, so for a given gear ratio at a constant cadence, the MTB will be slower.

That being said, a slicked up MTB can come very close to a roadie in terms of average speed on tarmac. I can get within 1km/h on my MTB with slicks to my typical average roadie speed (27-29km/h on the MTB, 28-30km/h on the roadie).

 

[jur]

Keep in mind, though, the circumference of a 26" wheel is smaller than a 700c wheel, so for a given gear ratio at a constant cadence, the MTB will be slower.

Yeah I tok that into account with the ratios I quoted.

Robalert:

Do these 2 cases you compare have the same width tyres? If so, and there is still a big diff, it should be due to bike weight.

For a given bike, you contact it at 3 points, handlebars, saddle and pedals. If the relative positions are the same for 2 different bikes, the weights are rougly the same (say within 1kg) then I should not be able to detect a difference. A pro would, I suppose.

I have a CRX2 and a SS Innova with the same width tyres, and they are close to the same weight; these feel quite similar to me wrt flat riding.

 

[cluster blaster]

thanks for the review of the SKS...

I was planning to get some on my MTB

not many shops seems to stock them... may just need to order them from the netti site

yes, they are daggy, but i suppose that makes them less steal worthy

If you're afer full-length fenders, then another brands to have a look at: Zefal and PlanetBike. Better get the real thing, do not waste your money on those clip-ons that won't work...

They don't look bad at all. I now like the look of the bike more than before. I colleague of mine since then got himself full fenders on his commuter bike too. Way to go!

I also had to have them ordered, they did not have them in the shop that's close to my place... However, I always saw some full-length fenders at CheekyMonkey, at the Central (Sydney).

 

[cluster blaster]

thanks for the review of the SKS...

I was planning to get some on my MTB

not many shops seems to stock them... may just need to order them from the netti site

yes, they are daggy, but i suppose that makes them less steal worthy

If you're afer full-length fenders, then another brands to have a look at: Zefal and PlanetBike. Better get the real thing, do not waste your money on those clip-ons that won't work...

They don't look bad at all. I now like the look of the bike more than before. A colleague of mine since then got himself full fenders on his commuter bike too. Way to go!

I also had to have them ordered, they did not have them in the shop that's close to my place... However, I always saw some full-length fenders at CheekyMonkey, at the Central (Sydney).

 

[moommoom]

you have both the Giant CRX2 and Giant Innova?

If so which is the better of the two do you think?

Yeah I tok that into account with the ratios I quoted.

Robalert:

Do these 2 cases you compare have the same width tyres? If so, and there is still a big diff, it should be due to bike weight.

For a given bike, you contact it at 3 points, handlebars, saddle and pedals. If the relative positions are the same for 2 different bikes, the weights are rougly the same (say within 1kg) then I should not be able to detect a difference. A pro would, I suppose.

I have a CRX2 and a SS Innova with the same width tyres, and they are close to the same weight; these feel quite similar to me wrt flat riding.

 

[daithi]

I've been riding a giant xtc2 for a year and just fitted road tyres. This changes the gear ratios - i constantly feel like I need another gear. Do you have any advice/insight you can share on the set-up that would solve thios problem?

 

[gclark8]

Change the crankset to one with 28/38/48 teeth. The cheapest option may be Shimano Deore and a bottom bracket.

However, if the old crankset has removable chainrings check the BCD, it should be 110mm, 48 tooth chainrings are readily available in many brands.

Is this the bike? http://www.giantbicycles.net/au/030.000.000/030.010.000.asp?year=2006&model=10033

 

[artemidorus]

I've been riding a giant xtc2 for a year and just fitted road tyres. This changes the gear ratios - i constantly feel like I need another gear. Do you have any advice/insight you can share on the set-up that would solve thios problem?

Do you mean that you need a higher top gear, or that the gaps between your gear ratios are too large?

 

[jimmay2000]

I also ride 32's. Great for commuting and fast enough to keep with the bunch of social riders. I cannot complain. Pitty the new "drop-bar" bikes are so impractical when it comes to tire clearance.

I also considered fenders daggy. When I was a kid my bikes always came with fenders and I hated it. I used to chop them to pieces, slowly - piece by piece so my parents would not notice how much I took care of my new bike )

Now, some years later, when I started to commute, I realised that some fenders would be nice - something to protect my back side from the dog poo... And so I went from "dirt boards" to "mudguards" and ended up with full-length fenders - SKS. The full length SKS are the best so far and the only ones that actually do work. I ride in the rain and do not have mud behind my ears. I would never go back to those "clip-on" things that do not work. I have also noticed that the fashion police don't ride much when it rains )

I'm just looking to upgrade my 'clip ons' - even the website says they are "90% effective". The biggest change that I noticed when I had them put on, was that water ofd the road was no longer directed *straight onto my feet*.

I used to have to wheel my bike through the small backyard, and our dogs' poo had not always been picked up. One morning a turd got picked up by my front tyre. When I started pedalling, my bike was transformed into a poo slinging machine - it was throwing pieces of this poo forward a good few metres. Now all I have to do is come up with a use for such a device ...

 

[daithi]

Change the crankset to one with 28/38/48 teeth. The cheapest option may be Shimano Deore and a bottom bracket.

However, if the old crankset has removable chainrings check the BCD, it should be 110mm, 48 tooth chainrings are readily available in many brands.

Is this the bike? http://www.giantbicycles.net/au/030.000.000/030.010.000.asp?year=2006&model=10033

Hi george. No, it's an earlier model....i now realize. 2004 i think. I had though of just changing the large ring but it seemed there would be problemes shifting. It hadn't occured to me to change the whole thing. I wonder if you have a link to a site where i can find a tool to calculate the impact of this?

best

Daithi

 

[gclark8]

Your LBS will have the Shimano Book, it will give the exact part no of the crankset, bottom bracket and matching front derailleur. Deore is my suggestion for 9 speed MTB, not too expensive.

Change in gearing,
current top gear, 11-44= 4:1
new top gear, 11-48= 4.36:1,
effectively, one more gear, (12-48=4:1)

I find 11-48 quite fast enough on flat and some downhill roads. One of the most noticable changes is the middle chainrng, the new 38 tooth ring, this makes the bike much more flexible to ride, less left hand shifting.

 

[robalert]

I've owned my CRX for a little while now and it is a great bike... pretty much as quick as road bikes and with barends, it climbs well

I used R500s with 28C for commuting and swap over to R550 with Michi Prorace2 23C for weekend riding

I am still using my old MTB for commuting but things are starting to wear on it and I think I am overcapitalising on it. Once the tyres go on it, I'll retire it, strip the good parts off it and get a farrago or innova...

Anyone own a farago or innova, how do you find commuting on it?