Can I do a sportive on my Mountain bike?

Han2130
Han2130 Posts: 30
edited January 2010 in Road buying advice
Hi. I've entered the Hampshire Hilly Hundred in May but I only have a Mountain bike. I've never done a sportive before. Do I need to think about a road machine or can I get away with just putting slick tyres on my Mountain bike.
Cheers in advance.

Comments

  • softlad
    softlad Posts: 3,513
    ride whatever you are comfortable on. Slick tyres on an MTB will do just fine...provided you can stay happy on the bike for several hours...
  • Han2130
    Han2130 Posts: 30
    Cheers. That's good to know. I dont want people to laugh at me. I'd have to sell loads of stuff to get a nice road bike,
  • softlad
    softlad Posts: 3,513
    Han2130 wrote:
    Cheers. That's good to know. I dont want people to laugh at me. I'd have to sell loads of stuff to get a nice road bike,

    believe me, at a sportive you'll see plenty of things much funnier than a bloke on an MTB.. ;)

    but if anyone is ignorant enough to laugh, just make sure you finish in front of them.....
  • skyd0g
    skyd0g Posts: 2,540
    +1 you'll be fine on a slicked MTB
    I'd suggest you invest in a good pair of padded bib-shorts. 100 miles is a long time in the saddle on any bike. :wink:
    Cycling weakly
  • bobtbuilder
    bobtbuilder Posts: 1,537
    People will be begging to borrow your lower gears by the end. :D
  • markos1963
    markos1963 Posts: 3,724
    Seen a BMX on the Norwich 100 so I'm sure a MTB fitted with slicks will be fine( probably faster than some blinged up roadies)
    Norfolk, who nicked all the hills?

    http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3013/243 ... 8d.jpg?v=0
    http://img362.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 076tl5.jpg
    http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/3407 ... e001af.jpg
  • sicknote
    sicknote Posts: 901
    On the London to Cambridge last year a guy did it on roller blades :shock:
  • barrybridges
    barrybridges Posts: 420
    You'll probably be at a bit of an advantage as it's likely to be a little more comfortable and also you'll have the advantage of lower gears!
  • mroli
    mroli Posts: 3,622
    I would suggest getting bar ends (if you don't already have them). 100 miles in the same hand positions can get a bit jarring and bar ends will at least give you an alternative hand position.
    http://www.georgesfoundation.org
    http://100hillsforgeorge.blogspot.com/
    http://www.12on12in12.blogspot.co.uk/
  • Heckler1974
    Heckler1974 Posts: 479
    I fitted tri-bars to the flat barred rodie I had to do London to Paris on and that worked nicely, it's good to have a different lower position, particualrly if you're cycling into a head wind.
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    Every year at The Bike Tour of Colorado(7 day event - maybe 500 miles) there is a guy who does the whole thing on a Schwinn Stingray bike(5 spd., a banana seat, and tassel's
    coming out of the grips). He's a collector of them. Says he has a couple dozen or so.
    So ride what you like.
  • plumpy
    plumpy Posts: 124
    Plenty of people do sportives on hybrids or slicked MTBs. Run what yer brung and good on yer. No-one will laugh, but a few guys on Italian carbon wearing tiny little caps under their helmets may burst into tears if you go past them in the last 25.
  • mroli
    mroli Posts: 3,622
    I guess the other thing to say is - if you have never ridden a road bike before, it is well worth doing - just to note the difference. You could do one of the Evans "ride its" and hire one for a minimal fee (as part of your training?) and get a good idea of what the difference is. The most important thing for completing the sportive will not be the type of bike your ride, but how many miles you have in your legs.

    Also - if you ride your MTB - lock out your suspension!
    http://www.georgesfoundation.org
    http://100hillsforgeorge.blogspot.com/
    http://www.12on12in12.blogspot.co.uk/
  • blorg
    blorg Posts: 1,169
    Tri-bars are a very good idea, just make sure you practice on them a fair bit before the ride (they take a bit of getting used to) and don't go near them if you are riding near other people. When on your own they are great.

    You may also have an issue with your bars- many MTB bars (presuming OS 31.8 clamp) taper very quickly from the stem leaving you with not enough room to clamp the tribars. I found this when I got a small set for my own MTB (as I have 30km on the road to get to the trails and the MTB position is just the most un-aerodynamic ever.)

    If you can get your hands on a road bike though it's worth it, they are just so much better to cycle on the road. Most of it is the aerodynamics of the position, more even than the tyres or the lockout IMO. This is not to say you can't do it on the MTB, you can, just a road bike would be faster and more enjoyable.
  • passout
    passout Posts: 4,425
    It will be fine. I'd get some decent slicks and some bar ends - I'd also move the grips in a bit temporarily if you feel the bars are too wide for on-road. I wouldn't get tri bars as you may not ever use them again. At least with bar ends you can use them off road too. Tyres are the main thing though.
    'Happiness serves hardly any other purpose than to make unhappiness possible' Marcel Proust.
  • nickwill
    nickwill Posts: 2,735
    blorg wrote:
    Tri-bars are a very good idea, just make sure you practice on them a fair bit before the ride (they take a bit of getting used to) and don't go near them if you are riding near other people. When on your own they are great.

    You may also have an issue with your bars- many MTB bars (presuming OS 31.8 clamp) taper very quickly from the stem leaving you with not enough room to clamp the tribars. I found this when I got a small set for my own MTB (as I have 30km on the road to get to the trails and the MTB position is just the most un-aerodynamic ever.)

    If you can get your hands on a road bike though it's worth it, they are just so much better to cycle on the road. Most of it is the aerodynamics of the position, more even than the tyres or the lockout IMO. This is not to say you can't do it on the MTB, you can, just a road bike would be faster and more enjoyable.

    Tri bars are banned in a lot of sportives and discouraged in many others. They are potentially lethal for group riding. As regards riding a mountain bike in a sportive, why not give it a go? I think contrary to previous advice, you will find it much less comfortable than a road bike. The upright position will put more stress on your lower back and backside, and the inability to change hand positions will tell after 100 miles. Then there is the extra weight!
    Having said all that, I've even seen mountain bikers get round the Fred Whitton so it can be done.
    Good luck!
    http://lakescyclist.wordpress.com/
  • boneyjoe
    boneyjoe Posts: 369
    Make sure you tuck in behind some roadies, so they do all the work - and then sprint past them in the last 100! :wink:
    Scott Scale 20 (for xc racing)
    Gary Fisher HKEK (for commuting)
  • blorg
    blorg Posts: 1,169
    If you are sensible with the use of the tri-bars (which means not using them in close proximity to other people) I don't see the problem. Get bridged "draft legal" ones that join over the top.

    Obviously if they are banned in the sportive you are doing don't use them, but I have never done a sportive or indeed audax where they have not been allowed (I know they are banned in PBP which I plan on doing next year.) You might want to check out whether they are allowed.

    They will make a phenomenal difference, probably more than anything else you can do other than getting a road bike. They will make you substantially faster as well as more comfortable over a long distance, and give you another few hand positions. They are entirely usable for long long distances, I have done up to 850km over 4 days on them 75% of the time (solo ride.) More comfortable than drops.

    Nickwill is entirely right on the comfort thing, I have done longish rides on my mountain bike (75-100km) when it was to snowy to use the road bike and you do really suffer from back stress and a lack of hand positions.
  • nickwill
    nickwill Posts: 2,735
    blorg wrote:
    If you are sensible with the use of the tri-bars (which means not using them in close proximity to other people) I don't see the problem. Get bridged "draft legal" ones that join over the top.

    Obviously if they are banned in the sportive you are doing don't use them, but I have never done a sportive or indeed audax where they have not been allowed (I know they are banned in PBP which I plan on doing next year.) You might want to check out whether they are allowed.

    They will make a phenomenal difference, probably more than anything else you can do other than getting a road bike. They will make you substantially faster as well as more comfortable over a long distance, and give you another few hand positions. They are entirely usable for long long distances, I have done up to 850km over 4 days on them 75% of the time (solo ride.) More comfortable than drops.

    Nickwill is entirely right on the comfort thing, I have done longish rides on my mountain

    bike (75-100km) when it was to snowy to use the road bike and you do really suffer from back stress and a lack of hand positions.

    That's sensible advice if you are going to use them. I would suggest that you check the regulations, because I've certainly seen them outlawed on several events.
    http://lakescyclist.wordpress.com/
  • blorg
    blorg Posts: 1,169
    Had a quick look on the HHH website, there is nothing about aero bars being banned and a number of riders were using them last year. They allow recumbents which are also not great in a bunch :)

    http://sportivephoto.thirdlight.com/thu ... &stamped=1
    http://sportivephoto.thirdlight.com/thu ... &stamped=1
    http://sportivephoto.thirdlight.com/thu ... &stamped=1

    If you can try a road bike though that would be better again. Good luck with the ride.
  • passout
    passout Posts: 4,425
    Saw these & thought of you:
    http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/mountain- ... -pair.html
    'Happiness serves hardly any other purpose than to make unhappiness possible' Marcel Proust.
  • JamesB
    JamesB Posts: 1,184
    + 1 again to using an MTB, like you I started out my sportive `career` on an MTB with slicks (and Pace rigid fork`)---I even rode LEJOG on it and it was just fine, :) (better evn as with discs on country lanes much better control)
    as others say fit barends and slicks. After a bit I bought a road bike (or two! :D ) and if you go down this route you`ll notice the difference, faster and more comfortable , less jarring as frame built lighter as don`t have to deal with rough terrain
  • Han2130
    Han2130 Posts: 30
    Thanks for all the advice. I do have bar ends on my bike but I can't lock out the suspension fork. It's only a short travel one though. I'm really looking foward to the ride now. Will put in some good training miles in between now and May. Might start to save up for a road bike. Thanks again :D
  • JamesB
    JamesB Posts: 1,184
    IMHO --If you can`t lock out fork worth considering a rigid one either steel or carbon, lighter and will help when out of saddle hill efforts

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