How many people here use a mountain bike for their commute?



zhair

New Member
Mar 21, 2020
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Hello everyone,,
There are real differences.

Weight is one, but I don't think it's the biggest one. Weight matters a lot up and down hills, as well as during acceleration (like after a light or stop sign). It matters a lot less during long straightaways.

Also, asphalt will straight-up eat up quality MTB tires. Like hybrid or roadie commuters often use touring tires, which last forever even if they're hybrid tires. Like most Schwalbe Marathon models last forever and a half. By comparison, actual quality MTB tires use much softer compound, and they get chewed up when they're not on dirt.

If you're on a cheap MTB, though, you probably have tires that are designed more for road endurance than off-roading. This is because designers know most cheap MTB's get used more on streets than on trails. So don't necessarily sweat that.

That said, regardless of the quality of your tires, you also have worse traction because of those tires because of the tread.

And the geometry is different. Road bikes straight-up offer better geometry for speed. Remember, aero matters way more than weight for straight, flat speeds.

And you get energy loss from your suspension. This can often be negated on a hardtail, if your front fork has a lockout. But lots of MTB forks have no lockout, and I don't think you can lock rear suspensions on full suspension bikes. Energy loss from your suspension isn't huge when you're on a straight, already at speed, and at a good cadence. It can be large when you're putting a lot of torque into the pedals, though, like when you're attacking a hill or launching yourself after a stop.

That said, really **** everything I just said.

What trumps all of that is your comfort and what actually keeps you commuting every day. The best bike is the bike that makes you want to ride, period. If you need the cushy ride and relatively relaxed riding position of a MTB to enjoy yourself and commute to work, who cares about anything else.

I have a decent road bike in my garage which isn't top-of-the-line but checks all the purist checkboxes. I commuted with it for years. I was Doris McLycra.

I also have a hybrid sitting inside my house that I actually use now. I enjoy riding that 1,000x more because it just suits my circumstances and my style far better. I also enjoy riding it way more.

Some people also think X or Y type of bike universally sucks because they've only ever used a bad one. But my road bike was entry-level, and my hybrid was the highest trim level of that model, so it has nice components. I also baby the latter way more because I'm more experienced with maintenance now. So my hybrid shifts like a dream compared to what I experienced with my roadie, which is really nice with how up and down my commute is.
 
I think you are missing some points here.

1) Even non lockout forks can attain less travel with higher air pressure. Also the amount of return can be adjusted.

2) My MTB is not an upright position. Yes, no drop bars like my roadies but I do feel as if I am laying across the top of my MTB in somewhat of an aero position. I guess you have yours set up differently.

3) I've ridden my MTB into work a few times and I swapped the tires to a more narrow version with slick and higher pressure. Didn't have any traction issues on the road. I don't think any decent quality tire will lose traction needed on commutes unless you are riding across a dirt trail. On the road, I had no knobbies and traction was not a factor at all. I'm sure a smooth center with knobs on the side would not lose any traction vs full knobbies.

4) Road bikes are actually quite comfortable when set up correctly. Both my MTB and roadbikes are set up nicely so no way could I say my MTB is more comfy than my roadbikes. Not even an issue.

5) I have 2 roadies, a roadie tandem, and an MTB. All switch gears rather nicely. That is a matter of maintenance and being a decent mechanic. I have had other riders complain about triples and I have to say, yeah if you lack skill, your bike is going to suck at shifting or one needs to pay more attention to the bike that does not switch like a dream. Nothing like riding with another cyclist who complains about having a set up like mine saying they suck and are inaccurate at shifting. Meanwhile the entire ride they are having problems switching, chain rub, and overall a noisy drivetrain.
 
Hello everyone,,
There are real differences.

Weight is one, but I don't think it's the biggest one. Weight matters a lot up and down hills, as well as during acceleration (like after a light or stop sign). It matters a lot less during long straightaways.

Also, asphalt will straight-up eat up quality MTB tires. Like hybrid or roadie commuters often use touring tires, which last forever even if they're hybrid tires. Like most Schwalbe Marathon models last forever and a half. By comparison, actual quality MTB tires use much softer compound, and they get chewed up when they're not on dirt.

If you're on a cheap MTB, though, you probably have tires that are designed more for road endurance than off-roading. This is because designers know most cheap MTB's get used more on streets than on trails. So don't necessarily sweat that.

That said, regardless of the quality of your tires, you also have worse traction because of those tires because of the tread.

And the geometry is different. Road bikes straight-up offer better geometry for speed. Remember, aero matters way more than weight for straight, flat speeds.

And you get energy loss from your suspension. This can often be negated on a hardtail, if your front fork has a lockout. But lots of MTB forks have no lockout, and I don't think you can lock rear suspensions on full suspension bikes. Energy loss from your suspension isn't huge when you're on a straight, already at speed, and at a good cadence. It can be large when you're putting a lot of torque into the pedals, though, like when you're attacking a hill or launching yourself after a stop.

That said, really **** everything I just said.

What trumps all of that is your comfort and what actually keeps you commuting every day. The best bike is the bike that makes you want to ride, period. If you need the cushy ride and relatively relaxed riding position of a MTB to enjoy yourself and commute to work, who cares about anything else.

I have a decent road bike in my garage which isn't top-of-the-line but checks all the purist checkboxes. I commuted with it for years. I was Doris McLycra.

I also have a hybrid sitting inside my house that I actually use now. I enjoy riding that 1,000x more because it just suits my circumstances and my style far better. I also enjoy riding it way more.
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Some people also think X or Y type of bike universally sucks because they've only ever used a bad one. But my road bike was entry-level, and my hybrid was the highest trim level of that model, so it has nice components. I also baby the latter way more because I'm more experienced with maintenance now. So my hybrid shifts like a dream compared to what I experienced with my roadie, which is really nice with how up and down my commute is.

Thank you my issue has been solved,...
 

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