rek <
[email protected]> wrote:
> Mark_pringle wrote:
> > My MTB is too slow, on flat ground with no wind, in high gear, I can pedal like a madman, and
> > all I can get is around 42 kmh. I know a road bike is the way to go if you want speed, however
> > I love a MTB for its many uses, and seating position. Is there anyway I can go faster without
> > taking roids. Can I get a bigger crank, or should I just be happy with cruising at around 35
> > kph ?
> No need for a whole new crank, a new big ring should be all you need. However as you go bigger,
> you'll likely need to get a bigger middle ring as well .. otherwise the extreme jump in ring size
> shifting to/from the middle to the big will make the operation clumsy or worse. Shimano publish
> 'official' specs as to the capability of their front derailleur in this regard on their site.
> Another option might be to get wheelset which is 700c rims laced up to mountain bike hubs. This
> will mean you travel further for every revolution of the wheel. The other benefit of doing this is
> that you get to be able to use thinner, high-pressure road tyres. This will probably only work in
> select circumstances as there will be issues with brake blocks (I suspect it might only be viable
> if you have discs), and also clearance with your bike's chain/seat stays and front fork crown
> (assuming a hardtail)
Doesn't anyone try the simple things first anymore?
Try some high pressure slicks. You don't need new wheels and even if you did, shoehorning 700c
wheels on to an MTB frame wouldn't be worth the effort.
You can get 26" tyres in widths from 1". I recently got some Conti SportContact tyres in 26" x 1.3
(32-559 metric). The max. pressure on those is 85psi but you can get other similar tyres that will
do 100psi.
You might need new tubes too and you'll probably need something better than the average MTB mini-
pump to get to 85psi. High pressure tyres will definitely increase your speed, compared to knobbies.
Cheers.
--
Nick