New winter commuting bike - singlespeed or MTB

davidmiller

I have a really nice summer bike that I commute on when the weather gets nice and do a few sportives. Getting back into it I initially bought a £200 raleigh as I was not sure I would continue and then a secondhand £30 mountain bike for when I take the kids off-road. So, I have n't taken the kids off-road much but would like to try to do a lot more in 2009.

The £200 Raleigh winter hack is coming to the end of its lifetime just as the ride2work scheme re-opens so should I:-

(a) by a Specialsied cross single speed for winter commuting to save all the hassle of gears hopefully with fewer punctures (born optimist, maybe with the right tyres) or

(b) up-grade the mountain bike and commute on that in winter. I can then get rid of 2 bikes, go back to having just two and make some room in the garage

My straight run to work is 10m over some really crappy roads so I often go round a 13 m excursion. They are building a (mis-)guided bus link that should be open next winter with a (smooth?) cyclepath that would make it more like 7-8miles. I guess hauling a "heavy" MTB that far would n't be too bad, in fact I might feel the benfits come summer??

Not sure which way to go. If I decide on the MTb then i'll need to think about what model too.

Cheers,

DM

il_principe

Dooooooooood, get the Singlie!

Case closed.

lost_in_thought

jashburnham wrote:

Dooooooooood, get the Singlie!

Case closed.

Yep, spot on.

Nick6891

i would get a single juts because MTB is alot of maintenance in the winter with the gears as they dont really mix with the salt and other crap that you get on the roads too well, SS are much easier to keep clean and keep running better

cjcp

Get the MTB if you have kids. I commuted on mine for a few weeks over the winter 15 miles each way (a 2001 Spesh Rockhopper - weighs as much as a Mini, and, yes, you certainly feel the benefits when you get back on the road bike. ), but it's now used to take the kids around the Park etc.

Also, I've never found gears to be a hassle in the winter.

bigmat

The gears would have to be pretty knackered to have less than one working so not sure that is a good argument for a single speed! Relatively maintenance free though, encourage good pedalling technique, lightweight etc. MTB on other hand a bit more flexible for uphills, available cheaper so less worries re theft and provide a good workout due to the hefty weight (well mine does anyway, must be about 15kg!)

Both good options really, I've gone the beaten up MTB route but as above plenty of votes for single speed. One day when I'm really bored I might start a thread on the pros / cons of different types of commuter bikes...

bomberesque

+1 for the singlespeed

throw some nice schwalbe pucture resistant tyres on it (I have 32mm .... Marathons, I think) and make sure you keep the pressure up and they shouldn't let you down. I have not had one puncture all winter, although I'm bound to have 2 tomorrow having just said that :roll:

I find deuralliers to be a hassle if you are commuting and so not maintaining the bike regularly. as I am not keen on Singlespeed on the road (and my commute is a long straightaway, so lots of constant cadence) I went with an Alfine hub, which has been superbly behaved so far (since last november). it goes about 130km per week come rain shine, salt or snow, gets a squirt of oil every month and seems happy with that.

DiggingDeeper

I have just cancelled on order on a Specialized Tricross Singlespeeder - not cos it's a bad bike, I really wanted it.

I wanted to do part of my journey on the canals and use the single speed thing to get my cadence up.

How realistic is the going out with kids compared to the commute (ie how serious and how often). If the kids biking is pretty tame off road, the tricross will handle it no problem (very easy to carry afterall).

I cancelled because of the cost was upsetting my wife (very badly) and that my existing commuter is actually very good. I have started to go single speed on my triple chainset - (so for training I don't need to buy a new bike, just don't change gear on the existing)

IMO MTBs are hard work to do your mileage on. So given your choice of 2, providing the kids stuff is not too serious it would be the Tricross for me.

prawny

Why not get a singlespeed MTB? I quite fancy one. Nice and relaxed position when riding with the nippers and no gears to go wrong, lighter than a standard MTB too. Have a look at the Charge single MTBs mmm trendy 8)

I don't mind riding my mtb to work if I need to and thats 20miles each way and my MTB is a heap!!

roger_merriman

Nick6891 wrote:

i would get a single juts because MTB is alot of maintenance in the winter with the gears as they dont really mix with the salt and other crap that you get on the roads too well, SS are much easier to keep clean and keep running better

road grot is nasty but MTB's gearing is unless it's a very cheap and nasty bike more than hard enougth for the job after all they are made for playing in grot...

bigease

I would go for the Specialised Singlecross...............

Mostly because I already have. I now ride it fixed and absolutely love it. Are you by any chance in the Cambridge area. That is my neck of the woods and I work quite close to the (Mis) guided busway.

I can't wit until it is finished just to get rid of the road works!!

MrChuck

roger merriman wrote:

Nick6891 wrote:

i would get a single juts because MTB is alot of maintenance in the winter with the gears as they dont really mix with the salt and other crap that you get on the roads too well, SS are much easier to keep clean and keep running better

road grot is nasty but MTB's gearing is unless it's a very cheap and nasty bike more than hard enougth for the job after all they are made for playing in grot...

+1
From some of the posts on here (the forum, not this thread necessarily) you'd think that gears just seize up at the sight of a bit of muck...

edhornby

why don't you convert the raleigh hack into a single speed ?? then you could get a feel for whether you'd ride a single speeder, and if not you've not really lost much - get a new mtb on the cycle2work :-)

davidmiller

bigease wrote:

I would go for the Specialised Singlecross...............

Mostly because I already have. I now ride it fixed and absolutely love it. Are you by any chance in the Cambridge area. That is my neck of the woods and I work quite close to the (Mis) guided busway.

I can't wit until it is finished just to get rid of the road works!!

Yeah, I work on the Science Park and live in Swavesey. Your SS looks really nice. Does it have a flicky thing on the hub to switch between freewheel and fixed?? Which mudguards did you fit?

Cheers,

DM

bigease

I work on the Business Park and live in Orwell. it does have the standard flip flop hub, and came with an 18T freewheel, but I run it as a fixed and now have 15T sprocket on it.

The Mudguards are the SKS Cromoplastic 35mm ones so they will go over the standard 32mm tyres the bike came with although I have put on some 25mm tyres for commuting, as they roll much quicker.

Keep an eye out and you may see me morning or evening. I ride in every day.

davidmiller

bigease wrote:

The Mudguards are the SKS Cromoplastic 35mm ones so they will go over the standard 32mm tyres the bike came with although I have put on some 25mm tyres for commuting, as they roll much quicker.

I presume you mean the 700 x 28-37 mm ones or are they even larger. I think I heard they were a pain to fit??

I'll watch out for you.

Cheers,

DM

bigease

Yes that is the right size. They were a breeze to fit. no hassle at all.

Nick6891

roger merriman wrote:

Nick6891 wrote:

i would get a single juts because MTB is alot of maintenance in the winter with the gears as they dont really mix with the salt and other crap that you get on the roads too well, SS are much easier to keep clean and keep running better

road grot is nasty but MTB's gearing is unless it's a very cheap and nasty bike more than hard enougth for the job after all they are made for playing in grot...

ye you are not going to get them all failing, but i had the joy of going down hill the other week, and i dont normally go into the top ring as i have quite a hilly commute, but for this one time i decided i would, so i changed up and then at the bottom of the hill, the shifter had that much crap in it that it wouldnt change back down

I had to finish my way there and go back on the top ring, which wasnt actually too bad, just had to push harder on the hills, but when i got home and took it apart it took quite abit of freeing up before i got them working again. But its just a re-acuring problem now, but thats more cos i just stay on the middle ring and dont change often enough, its not really an issue when your out, its just more maintenance as i find myself having to take it apart and give it a really good clean every week

biondino

edhornby wrote:

why don't you convert the raleigh hack into a single speed ?? then you could get a feel for whether you'd ride a single speeder, and if not you've not really lost much - get a new mtb on the cycle2work :-)

This seems like the best idea to me. Though to be honest, if you are going to have just one bike to ride in the winter, I think going single speed is foolish - what if you want gears? I've just bought a fixie (not that I've been able to ride it yet cos of broken rib grumble grumble), but only because I also have a geared alternative.

Can you not ride the nice summer bike on winter days when it's not raining/snowing/roads covered with grit and salt? I've ridden my Focus more than my winter bike this year as it's that much more fun!

Rich158

prawny wrote:

Why not get a singlespeed MTB? I quite fancy one. Nice and relaxed position when riding with the nippers and no gears to go wrong, lighter than a standard MTB too. Have a look at the Charge single MTBs mmm trendy 8)

I don't mind riding my mtb to work if I need to and thats 20miles each way and my MTB is a heap!!

+1 for the Charge, the Duster eight is a very nice bike.

If you want to ride with the kids a mtb is the way to go. It's the way I did it with mine, and nothing got them more enthused about riding than getting muddy in the local woods

davidmiller

Head says the cyclocross singlespeed, hHeart says the MTB. Interweb says you can buy two bikes together on the ride2work scheme :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

prawny

DavidMiller wrote:

Head says the cyclocross singlespeed, hHeart says the MTB. Interweb says you can buy two bikes together on the ride2work scheme :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

There my friend is the answer