MTB onto the road question

AndyF16

Don't mean to be heretical, but I'm a bit of a technical buffoon - apart from the obvious (but only just discovered :oops: ) locking out of the forks, can anyone suggest any other settings or minor/cheap mods to make an Orange G2 more suitable for commuting on when the fancy takes me please?

also, can anyone recommend a good set of mudguards to deal well with spray rather than mud, which I don't really mind when I do offroad with her?

thanks

Andy!

get rid of the chunky tyres for some semi slicks and run them at higher pressure. Save your off-road tyres for off-road and make your life a lot easier.

Mudguards: plenty of recent threads about them so best look at one of them.

You may also want to consider panniers for carrying stuff and maybe looking at your stem or bars to get a more efficient road position if you don't plan on going off-road for a while.

Ryan Jones

mainly slicks, though i find if you've got decent suspension up front lockout never gets used as roads tend not to be very smooth in these parts, dunno how it figures around you.

I like the crud catcher mudguards seem unbreakable and keep the cack off you, hence why my commuter runs them.

ratherbeintobago

While it's not really a cheap mod, there seem to be a few people about *cough* on other fora *cough* who run 700c rims laced to MTB hubs for commuting - much reduced rolling resistance, and clearance seems not to be a problem with 25mm tyres.

Andy

AndyF16

ratherbeintobago wrote:

While it's not really a cheap mod, there seem to be a few people about *cough* on other fora *cough* who run 700c rims laced to MTB hubs for commuting - much reduced rolling resistance, and clearance seems not to be a problem with 25mm tyres.

Andy

whoa! that's almost rocket science where i'm concerned dufus here should have said i'd slung a pair of armadillo hemisphere 1.95s on already @ 60psi - nowhere near 700x25s but it does help a little I reckon - any other suggestions gratefully received though?

zeroseven

Interesting. What are the smallest width slicks I'd get on my 06 Stumpjumper....no idea what the wheels are.

waddlie

AndyF16 wrote:

Don't mean to be heretical, but I'm a bit of a technical buffoon - apart from the obvious (but only just discovered :oops: ) locking out of the forks, can anyone suggest any other settings or minor/cheap mods to make an Orange G2 more suitable for commuting on when the fancy takes me please?

also, can anyone recommend a good set of mudguards to deal well with spray rather than mud, which I don't really mind when I do offroad with her?

thanks

Step 1 - Fit Conti Gatorskins.

Step 2 - Put your seat up.

Step 3 - Get a new front mudguard. When you're up to speed in the wet on slicks you'll get a facefull and Crudguards are pretty useless unless you've got one of them neoprene doodads on your forks. If you're thinking about a new front mudguard (and who isn't at this time of year), a Topeak DeFender M1 will keep you cleaner and dryer than the usual attach-to-the-downtube shenanigans.

YMMV. HTH.

mattyboy199

i run DMR moto tyres pretty much all year round, they have a good rolling resistance i try to keep the tyres inflated to 50psiwhen on raod.

altern_8

i would of said,a good excuse to buy a bike for commuting on,throw in the cycle to work scheme and her indoors might just go with it

aahjnnot

I commute on my bike to get fit, as training for my off-road excursions, and because I love being on my bike, whatever the weather. So I don't bother making any changes: my knobbly tyres and unlocked forks build up my stamina, and I ride so fast that on rainy days I'm grateful for the spray to cool me down. My only concession to commuting is a hefty backpack with a built-in suit carrier that's heavy enough to make hills more difficult; that's just what I need to build up strength and stamina for the real mountains so I deliberately choose the steepest way home.

If I wanted to make commuting easier, I'd drive to work.

jon1993

i do tonnes of commuting i run on kenda kwick roller 1.2s go upto 85psi they do the job perfect
a new cassette could be a quick mod get a smaller one then you have more range at newfound speed
take a fue spacers and put them on the top of your head set dropped bars less air resistance =more speed
loose all weight that you dont need always adds a fue mph
When commuting clothing is a majour factor baggy clothes dramatically reduce speed.

hope this helps

soy_sauce

fully or semi slick tyres with max pressure is a must, IMO.

higher saddle height will help.

lockout for the fork only help when you are going up the hill.

Chronicbint

What tyres are good for wet weather but still offer some grip on the road. Full slicks would be quite dangerous I expect?

mattyboy199

Chronicbint wrote:

What tyres are good for wet weather but still offer some grip on the road. Full slicks would be quite dangerous I expect?

I have 2.2 DMR moto tyres on my MTB they work well on road & still pretty good off road to an extent, all depends on how wet it is. The 2.2's doesnt make my bike look stupid either.

DCR00

Waddlie wrote:

AndyF16 wrote:

Step 3 - Get a new front mudguard. When you're up to speed in the wet on slicks you'll get a facefull and Crudguards are pretty useless unless you've got one of them neoprene doodads on your forks. If you're thinking about a new front mudguard (and who isn't at this time of year), a Topeak DeFender M1 will keep you cleaner and dryer than the usual attach-to-the-downtube shenanigans.

YMMV. HTH.

I bought one of these

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_210163

Fixes into the bottom of the steerer. Mudguard clips on and off easily enough. And your MTB looks like a motocross bike !

cee

It really depends on the length of your commute...and the density of traffic

Mine is 4 miles each way.....

I have done the commute on both my Orange Crush with Panaracer Fire xc 2.1....
and also on a borrowed hybrid thing with 700cc wheels and proper road tyres.

My commute is mostly in central edinburgh (Comiston Road to Top of Leith Walk)

There was no discernable difference in time between the two....

I can see longer commutes with more free flowing traffic beng a bit quicker on slicks.....but for me...the cost and hassle of swapping tyres over 4 or more times a week is just not worth it.

AndyF16

aahjnnot wrote:

I commute on my bike to get fit, as training for my off-road excursions, and because I love being on my bike, whatever the weather. So I don't bother making any changes: my knobbly tyres and unlocked forks build up my stamina, and I ride so fast that on rainy days I'm grateful for the spray to cool me down. My only concession to commuting is a hefty backpack with a built-in suit carrier that's heavy enough to make hills more difficult; that's just what I need to build up strength and stamina for the real mountains so I deliberately choose the steepest way home.

If I wanted to make commuting easier, I'd drive to work.

Fair enough, you're obviously more hardcore than I; my question was how could I make my (27 mile each way) commute quicker and/or more efficient - not asking how soft I'am, ever thought of dragging an old earthmover tyre behind you on a piece of anchor chain?

gtd.

I quite like Michelin City Protek Plus got a set of the 26 x 1.85's on my old Terrago I've just converted into a hybrid commuter. those and a second hand road triple crank set 30-42-52 have made it a much quicker bike

I've used those tyres in dry, rain, snow etc. on road and pavement only time I've had a problem was in torrential rain when I took a short cut across some mud and went over