Converting my MTB into a Roadbike

max丨mo

So with the imminent arrival of my new MTB I wish to convert my Kona Cindercone MTB into my commuter bike. I plan to get rid of the god awful forks and purchase some carbon or light alu rigids, maybe on-one or exotic?

I would also love some new wheels, but would have to be cheap (about £100 for the pair) - don't mind 2nd hand.

And also any ideas for a bar/stem combo better suted for road riding? Was looking at the exotic stuff - seems cheap for how light it is.

I currently use Schwalbe Marathon tyres when commuting, which seem very fast, but I think are quite heavy die to the puncture protection.

My main aim of this exercise is really to shed a ton of weight from the bike, and to enjoy quick acceleration on the open road.

I should also note that my bottom bracket is knocking and probably full of grime and rust so would like to change to a new crankset, maybe SLX, but as I always outgear myself on fast bits and cant spin the pedals fast enough to keep momentum going, should I be looking at some larger chainrings / smaller cassette cogs?

I would take the cranks off and regrease the BB but Im not sure its worth me buying all the tools needed for this job especially on this crappy FSA stock chainset which came with the bike (and probably has seen around 6000 miles use)

Current Spec:-

Drivetrain - XT mechs, SLX shifters, 11-32 cassette and cheapo FSA crankset
Wheels - heavy stock Sun rims and shimano M475 hubs - must be 2kg+ at least
Brakes - Avid Juicy 5
Forks - Marzocchi MZ Race - probably about 2kg+
Bars/stem/post - Kona stock stuff - heavy
Pedals - DMR V8 Flats (looking at venturing into the world of SPDs!)
Saddle - Charge spoon

Would love any input/opinion on converting this bike to road use, and advice from people who have done the same sort of thing. Should be getting a Giant Anthem in the next couple of months for off-road duties.
Oh and just to add I would only want to spend about £200-£250 on the upgrades, and the current weight of the bike is approx. 30lbs
I'm hoping to achieve under 24 or 25lbs, reckon its possible?

Andy B

Under 24 lbs, no chance on your budget, even with 2nd hand kit.You'd maybe save 2 or 3lbs max.

Just replace what's broken.

Spending (loads of) money on commuter bikes is not a good idea IMHO, it'll get nicked sooner or later.

max丨mo

My bike is secured in a pretty safe place at work, so not much chance of it getting stolen *touches wood*

And I think I can lose about 3lbs from the fork alone so I don't think my estimate is that out.

Any other (positive) advice?

Daz555

My advice - be careful how much you spend on converting your MTB into a commuter - new fork, wheels, tyres, crank set, stem, bars, etc......you can find yourself creeping up and up towards the cost of a decent road or hybrid machine. You might end up better off if you sold your MTB and put the money towards a new bike.

If it was me I'd just fix what was broken and get some slicks on it.

TheeAdder

Decathlon have some 700c MTB wheels with 6 hole disk hubs for a bargain £30, down from £70.

Adder

max丨mo

I did toy with the idea of selling the bike and buying a hybrid but it seems I would not get a lot for it, and I have grown quite attached to the bike to be honest.

I appreciate your advice to "not bother" but I am looking to lighten the bike and upgrade it anyway so humour me if you like with your ideas..

My first priorities are to get a new chainset that gives me a couple of higher gears for faster speeds, and to lighten the wheels.

Thanks for the link to the 700c wheels, hadn't thought of going down that route, would I encounter any fork compatibility / clearance problems with those?

supersonic

I don't see a pair of 100 quid wheels making any difference - just put some slicks in what you have. Most weigh 2kg plus anyway.

Exotic is good, light cheap stuff, but I'd save more towards better wheels.

max丨mo

Yeah you're probably right, I'll stick to the wheels I've got and once I've upgraded the wheels on the Anthem I could always stick the stock Anthem wheels on which might be marginally better.

I'm thinking of the exotic stem which is a bargain £15 odd! And a set of their scandium bars, and one of their cheaper seatposts.

I'm happy with my tyres but I should experiment with some lighter slicks I guess.

And that just leaves a new chainset with more teeth. Am I right in thinking this is the only way to enable me to pedal faster?

pastey_boy

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/mountain- ... black.html
http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/mountain- ... inset.html
http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/forks-rig ... ks-26.html
http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/mountain- ... skins.html
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SET-Cycle-Stem-Ha ... 33558e632e

max丨mo

Cheers Pastey! Was looking at that chainset too, but after adding the cost of a new bottom bracket the price is creeping up to SLX territory..

Awesome looking tyres though, at 350g each compared with my Schwalbe Marathons 750g each!! there's a 800g saving already (1.76lbs)

Definitely going to consider trying them out.

Was looking at getting some P2's second hand from ebay but was tempted by carbon as they seem to be considerably lighter..

Can't view the ebay link at work but will do once I get home.

Thanks for the links, appreciated mate

DCR00

Why not go for 2nd hand ?

Ive upgraded nearly all the kit on my Rockhopper (bars wheels) for a few hundred quid (full xt gearing and brakes, SLX chainset, race face stem & bars, Yutakk seat, Easton seatpost)

supersonic

Exotic carbon fork is the one to get - 90 quid, very light.

The scandium bar isn't any lighter than their stock alu ones though.

Why not weigh what you have?

butcher of bakersfield

As above, you can spend a lot of money on various parts, especially when you're looking into ultra light components (making a big hole in your wallet but minimum weight savings). It may well be easier to purchase a bike built for the job.

Forks are going to have a big effect and lighten up the front end a lot. Weight can be saved on tyres, but a set of slicks will speed the bike up phenomenally compared to nobblies (and puncture proofing may not be a bad idea for commuting, bleary eyed at 8am in the rain). Bigger chainset for higher speeds. You may not have an out and out race machine, but it'll be a decent commuter.

max丨mo

Thanks guys,
So shopping list looks like this:-

eXotic Carbon fork - disc only - 760g - £85 (~1200g saved)
eXotic alu bar+stem - approx 300-375g for both depending on whether I go riser or flat - £25 (~200g saved)
Continental gator slicks - 350g each - £37 for pair (~800g saved)
seatpost - to be decided - approx £20 (~50g saved)
Chainset with bigger rings - to be decided, probably SLX - approx £80 (~200g saved)

That should come in under £250 and save me an estimated whopping 2450g (5.4lbs)

Note I am only estimating weight savings right now, but I plan to remove and weigh what I have now when I get a chance, to get a more accurate figure. (Thanks Sonic)

Also considering trying out some Shimano SPDs and shoes, which should save another chunk of weight (especially from my feet!)

This is just plans for now as I won't make any final purchases until I know for sure my new Anthem is actually happening!
Will keep you posted.

Any more suggestions are very welcome

baba123

shimano m520 for pedals

Salsa

I'd take a different approach, just ditch (sell) all your drive train bits & get a big ring for the crankset, a rigid fork, a new cheapo BB then just SS it. My oldskool (1993) commute/shopping Marin MTB with run of the mill parts weighs 24lb (26lb with pannier rack).
I put some Continental slicks on it, a Tioga carbon bar, DMR SS kit, 44t Salsa chain ring, a set of 540 SPDs & a rack amongst other things. All of extra the bits I needed cost me less than £120 from sales, friends & lbs spares.

max丨mo

I don't think SS is an option for me, my commute takes me up and down some very steep hills, and I am after out and out pedalling efficiency.

This bike would also remain as my hardtail for blasting around less rough trails. Thanks for the suggestion though.

John Stevenson

Bear in mind that a lot of mountain bike frames won't take too big of an outer ring. The chainstays are shaped to squeeze into the gap between tyre and chainset and often curve into the place where a 48 or 50 ring wants to sit.

The Conti tyres pastey_boy recommends are great - I have them on my Frankenbike - but they drop the wheel size enough that you really do need a big outer ring.

Alternatively - and I have only just discovered this so I haven't tried it - there's this 9-26 cassette. That would give you a 120-inch top gear, which should be enough for anyone.

Edit: Ah, but it needs a special hub, or at least a special freehub body. All starts getting a bit complicated then!

njee20

As suggested above if you're getting new wheels I'd definitely get 700c rims, then stick on some proper 23 or 25c clinchers. Will preclude you from going off road though, unless you also keep your existing wheels.

There isn't an SLX chainset with bigger rings, just get the Deore as linked to above.

nick1962

Did the same thing myself and as already said you can spend a lot if not careful!
Slick light tyres and tubes run at high pressures really do make the biggest noticeable difference for lthe least money but you have to straike the right balance between that and puncture resistance.
Would definitely recommend the Exotic carbon fork and alu stems.
Got a carbon bar from on one in the sale more for pimp value than weight saving.
Also got the 48 big ring Deore chainset already recommended but I added a road Tiagra cassette on the rear for only a £10 from CRC.Just check your front/rear derailleurs are compatible with any changes but you should be ok.
Actually got my wheels off e bay Element XSM 1which can be used with v brakes or disc under a £100 but a bit pricer now-lowish weight too about 1800g I think.
http://www.xerowheel.com/prod_detail.as ... =29&pid=32
Oh this may sound obvious but not much gained in spending a heap of money on lightening your bike if you then hump a ton of weight to work and back in your backpack-Plan ahead and leave shoes ,clothes, towels etc at work.

I have got a pair of Merlin handbuilt Mavic XC 717 wheels on Shimano Centrelock LX hubs and a pair of Shimano centrelock 160mm rotors in excellent condition that will be well within your price range. PM me if interested

Harry182

If dropping weight is a priority then I reckon Salsa is onto something. (My fully rigid SS'd mtb weighs about 20-lbs without trying.)

For a less extreme route (and for free weight savings) ditch the front mech, small and middle chainrings and front shifter. I rode around very hilly San Francisco for a summer on this set up with few problems.

Also, I wouldn't bother replacing the crank or big chainring (unless it's worn out and then you're replacing your cassette and chain too). Assuming you have a 44x11 top gear you should be able to hit around 45-mph before you spin out the pedals.

simon_e

Looks like a lot of expense and effort just for the sake of it. If you want a road bike buy a road bike. If you prefer flat bars then look at some of the hybrids based on road frames e.g. Specialized Sirrus or something secondhand in the local paper classifieds.

Otherwise put some slicks on your MTB and just gerronwivit. My old Kona lives on the 42T outer ring with a 11-28T cassette. Schwalbe City Jet 1.5" tyres work well. I've replaced them with 1" Specialized All Condition Pro now but although they're lighter they don't seem to roll much better and they are not as comfortable.

Replace your crankset if it's worn, it will only chew chains otherwise. I wouldn't bother spending much, a standard square taper set is good enough. If you're desperate to spend some money the one thing I'd change is forks, something like P2s would be adequate and you'll have more money to spend on something worthwhile. Otherwise you're just throwing money away on something that will never be as good as a half decent road bike.

max丨mo

Ah I see, I did wonder if a large chainring would fit, and I was concerned about the extra weight and cost of replacing the large ring.

So the smaller cassette looks absolutely ideal for my needs, higher gearing AND lower weight, what more could I ask for.. am going to scout around for availability. Thanks!

Going to stick with 26" wheels as I will still want to use the bike for more than just commuting sometimes, the gators look like a great tyre choice though.

max丨mo

Maybe I should have used a different title as I am misleading some of you. I am not really wanting a road bike, I am simply wanting to convert my hardtail into a more "road-friendly" bike now that I will have a full-sus for most off-road duties.

I am not looking to sell the bike, but to simply change or upgrade what I have.

I have been using slicks, or semi-slicks, on the bike for over a year now, as stated previously.. Schwalbe Marathons. Although these are heavy they roll amazingly fast.

Could something like a chain too long cause you to spin out of gears? There's no way I'm doing 45mph when I'm running out of gear. I wonder whats causing the problem. I'm pretty sure my top gear is either 11-42 or 12-42 at the moment.

And yeah ditching the two smaller rings and the front mech/shifter is certainly an option, but wouldn't I need some kind of chain guide then? Sounds like a plan though.

Thanks for your input Nick it sounds like I am trying to do exactly what you have already achieved. Will check out the link.

Quirrel

I saw someone on one of these forums using 700c rims on deore disc hubs, looked the business

simon_e

Max|mo wrote:

Could something like a chain too long cause you to spin out of gears? There's no way I'm doing 45mph when I'm running out of gear.

Gearing is related to front & rear sprocket sizes and wheel circumference only. Spinning out on 12x42T would be low 30s mph unless you're a 180rpm track rider. The 48T chainset would help if you really need bigger gears.

Tall (fat) tyres help if you're looking for higher ratios, my 26x1.5" City Jets raised the gearing noticeably compared to the 26x1" Specialized.

The Rookie

I run a 700c frame (itself a not light 1835g) fitted with mostly MTB kit and it comes in at under 24lbs easily enough (in fact its just on 22lbs with rack)

Onza smart guy forks can be had direct from Onza off ebay for about £45 delievered, at just 850g that's a good saving, I also run mine as 1x9 which saves over half a pond of shifter/cables/rings and I use a cheap (but light) road mech as a chain guide. I run WTB slickasuarus tyres, just 450g each for 26x1.3 and schalbe 26x1.0 tubes are just over 100g each. I was running a heavy rear wheel (ex spesh) but just lucked into a just over 1kg rear wheel for just £4.75!.

As for cranks, back to basics, I use a square taper and old Deore ones.

Simon

max丨mo

Thanks again for your comments.
I will be sure to check out the light tubes, and the onza forks.
My plans may have been put back/changed somewhat as lastnight I noticed my rear wheel has a lot of play in the hub and is wobbling from side to side a fair amount.

So now I will have tro reprioritise my actions!
It's so easy for me to just say to hell with it and buy a new pair of wheels, but I guess I should buy myslef a few tools and try and service the hub itself.
It's a Rear Shimano M-475 hub, I believe its cup and cone, I'm currently reading the park tools guide to servicing hubs.

Hopefully the bearings will be shot and I can justify a new wheel or two!
Cranks are also becoming a problem, I can literally feel them grinding and they sound like crap.

Just want my cranks and my wheels to spin smoothly!

tsenior

dont be afraid of the hubs, i'm a novice mechanically speaking and did these on bike No.2 no problem: just need the right spanners, suitable cleaner and some grease as long as the bits are not worn out..

similar project to you but on a runaround i got off ebay which will get some light off-road use on my commute/pub trips

only i'm not willing to spend any money so am scrounging only!

BigShot

Max|mo - when I dug my bike out of the garage I remembered the problem that helped seal its fate many moons ago. It had a wobble in the rear wheel. If held by the tyre it moved side to side very easily.

My LBS fixed it and fitted a new gear cable housing and gave me change from £10 (or was it change from £20?). Either way it was completely reasonable for both jobs and saved having to learn to fix hubs when I simply didn't have the time.
That was down to a bit that had sheared off the narrow end of the cone and according to LBS man it was a very easy fix.