Mountain biker seriously considering a big commute!

JayKingFunk

Hello,

I've never ventured over to this part of the forum before being as that I've only really used my bike for riding off road for fun!

I have used it for commuting in the past but no more than 4 to 5 miles a day.

With petrol prices constantly rising and the appeal of getting fitter, I'm seriously considering commuting to work on a bike.

The distance is 14 miles on road with a fair few hills.

I'm thinking of getting a cheap road bike to get me started and maybe trying it on a weekend first to see how hard it will be!

I'm not super fit but do regular sports and exercise, mountain biking being the biggest one!

Just wondered if there are any experienced commuters on here that could offer advice and to tell me if you think a 14 mile commute is doable or if you think I'm just nuts?!

Thanks in advance, J.

woodford2barbican

it'll be fine. Guy in my office does 20 miles each way, he just eats a lot.

MaxwellBygraves

The distance is fine but invest in the road bike.

pastryboy

I started out as a near-novice cyclist doing a commute of 14.5 miles each way on a mountain bike with nobbly tyres.

It was very, very hard for a while but it's doable and gets easier to the point that it's no effort at all.

meanredspider

I do 15 miles each way on the route elevation below (works out at 2100ft of elevation gain a day). Perfectly do-able - especially on a road bike (I started on a Focus Variado). Get some good clothes and some good tyres (I swear by Conti Gatorskins)

Mr Plum

Road bike is deffo the way to go.

EKE_38BPM

28 hilly miles is definitely doable, but you'll feel it at first.

Roadbike: Get one. I would suggest a triple (three chainrings, that should be nice and familiar to a mud plugger like you). Or maybe a compact.
SPDs: Wear them. Again, you're probably used to it. They aid efficiency and you'll want all you can get.
Weight: Carry as little as possible. I used to carry everything I need (shirts, socks, underwear) in on a Monday and bring the day's dirty stuff home each day. You will be at your freshest after a weekend off, so it makes sense to carry the most weight then.
Panniers: Preferable so that the bike carries the weight, not you.
Mudguards: Fit them. Good for the wet days. Keeps the dirt off you and makes the bike easier to keep clean.
Lycra: Wear it. Not the flappy stuff you probably wear. I heard a stat that said above about 14mph most of your energy goes into overcoming wind resistance, not friction losses, so the most aerodynamic clothing you can get would be better than flappy stuff.
Tyres: Go for thin (23-25mm) slicks at high pressure. I use Continental Gator Skins, but others swear by other brands/models. Forget your low pressure knoblies. I'm assuming your commute is all on the road.
Saddle: Not that a proper mud plugger like you would, but don't get a big, hugely padded one. They are fine for popping down to the shops or a pootle around the park with the kids, but when you are spending 10 hours plus on it a week, all of that padding will restrict blood supply to your nether regions and could lead to chaffing. Not something you want. I use a Selle Italia Flite Gel Flow and I felt fine after doing 150 mile rides, but saddles are very personal. I love that saddle and would buy another but it might not be right for you.
Fit: You spend more time in one position on a roadbike than you do when you are getting dirty in the woods, so riding a bike that fits you is much more important to prevent injuries. You may need to spend the first few weeks making tiny adjustments to saddle height/angle, cleat position, handlebar height/angle etc. Carry a multitool so that you can make these adjustments on the road.
Sleep: You'll need more than usual. This may not be so true as you get used to the distance.
Food: You'll need more than usual. Eat the right stuff. Food is fuel and you wouldn't put cheap supermarket petrol in an F1 engine, right? Porridge in the morning works really well. Keep hydrated too.
MTFU: Get some. There will be days when you need it.

The general advice (that few newbies take) is to ease into the commute. 2/3 days a week at first, then 4 days a week, then the full on 5 days. That way its less of a shock to the system and you'll get used to it without getting those annoying little injuries.

Have fun.

Drysuitdiver

MaxwellBygraves wrote:

The distance is fine but invest in the road bike.

why?

put a set of slicks on the MTB rims and away you go. Full susser you might have a problem but a hardtail and front sus is fine , although i do lock mine out

I have done marylebone to leytonstone ( 10 miles) plenty of times on a MTB with knobblies with no probs. and that includes pentonville rise which i thought would be rubbish to ride up.

the MTB has just as good gearing as the road bike.


I have a road bike for weekend fun on road and use a mix of both in the day for commute

ride_whenever

II agree with both of you. It's the sort of distance you could happily knock out on a mtb with nice big slicks run reasonably firm, but based on my experience (jumping into a 6 day a week 17.5mile commute on a slicked mtb) you'll be a lot happier on a roadie. They're just more pleasant for riding on the roads as the position is more efficient, but I'd fit the biggest tyres you can for added comfort and forget the mudguards.

GPierotti

i'm considering a 10 mile commute to work too! i would never use my MTB though, even if i changed to slick tires i cant imagine it being even close to the speed or efficiency of my road bike.

EKE_38BPM

Drysuitdiver wrote:

MaxwellBygraves wrote:

The distance is fine but invest in the road bike.

why?

put a set of slicks on the MTB rims and away you go. Full susser you might have a problem but a hardtail and front sus is fine , although i do lock mine out

I have done marylebone to leytonstone ( 10 miles) plenty of times on a MTB with knobblies with no probs. and that includes pentonville rise which i thought would be rubbish to ride up.

the MTB has just as good gearing as the road bike.


I have a road bike for weekend fun on road and use a mix of both in the day for commute

10 London miles is much easier than 14 Yorkshire miles. You've obviously never seen Yorkshire hills and comparing Pentonville rise (I assume you mean Pentonville Road between Kings X and Angel) to a proper hill is just silly. Really really silly.

Road bikes are lighter, more efficient, more comfortable and faster.
The clue is in the name, they were designed for use on the road.

You are attempting to adapt a hardtail for use on the road by putting slicks on it and locking out the forks. You probably put bar ends on too so that you have more hand positions.
To me, that is as dumb as me putting flat bars, knobbly tyres and a suspension forks on my roadbike so that I can go offroading.

You could drive your kids the 1 mile to school in a 4x4 but its not what it was designed for, so only an idiot would do it.
4x4 and MTBs have a place and on the road for long journeys isn't it.

JayKingFunk

Thanks for the advice people!

I used to commute on my MTB with slick tyres but it was a ball ache changing them all the time + I'd rather not wear out the shiny expensive bits of my MTB on the road!

I was thinking of trying just a few days at first and maybe a do the first attempt on the weekend so I don't have the worry of getting there on time and then working all day.

My other concerns are: I can get changed at work but I can't shower anywhere! What do people do to overcome the sweat factor other than good deodorant?!

Cheers, J.

snooks

Drysuitdiver wrote:

MaxwellBygraves wrote:

The distance is fine but invest in the road bike.

why?

put a set of slicks on the MTB rims and away you go. Full susser you might have a problem but a hardtail and front sus is fine , although i do lock mine out

I have done marylebone to leytonstone ( 10 miles) plenty of times on a MTB with knobblies with no probs. and that includes pentonville rise which i thought would be rubbish to ride up.

the MTB has just as good gearing as the road bike.


I have a road bike for weekend fun on road and use a mix of both in the day for commute

Let's be realistic Marylebone to Leytonston ain't exactly "hilly" now is it?:)

When I put slicks on my MTB I lasted a few weeks until I upped the size of the chain rings as I would run out of top speed.

Then I was commuting 13 miles 2-3 days a week. Slicks were much easier than nobblies, bigger chain rings were easier than small, my road bike was the fastest and easiest, but Twickers to Southwark isn't hilly either. But it was still hillier that my commute from Stratford to Southwark now

snooks

EKE_38BPM wrote:

You are attempting to adapt a hardtail for use on the road by putting slicks on it and locking out the forks. You probably put bar ends on too so that you have more hand positions.
To me, that is as dumb as me putting flat bars, knobbly tyres and a suspension forks on my roadbike so that I can go offroading.

You obviously haven't see the East London potholes, they can snap a wheel in two, I once got lost for three days trying to get out of one

My slick wheeled, flat bar, rusty MTB, cost about £100 to get on the road, it's rigid with no sus, and is not much slower than my road bike. Yes it's heavier, but within 1mph of my pb on my road bike, it will also take a lot more potholes than my road bike will...anyway back to reading about the receptionist

iclestu

pastryboy wrote:

I started out as a near-novice cyclist doing a commute of 14.5 miles each way on a mountain bike with nobbly tyres.

It was very, very hard for a while but it's doable and gets easier to the point that it's no effort at all.

+1

I started doing 13 miles each way not on a mountain bike with nobblies but on a heavy bso. I weighed over 17.5 stones at the time and hadn't exercised in years. I started doing it 2 days a week but built up to doing it everyday within a couple of weeks. Nearly 2 years later I have never looked back. I just made sure I had plenty time and told myself I'd stop for a rest if i needed to or push it up a hill whenever i felt like it as long as I got there under my own steam.

Just make up your mind your gonna do it and you will. It will probably be easier than you thought it would be.

The very, very hard I do agree with but I would add that I never once felt it was not possible or do-able and from the get-go it was also very very rewarding.

iclestu

Ooooo and i should add its LOTS of fun. Your day starts and ends when you walk into or leave the office rather than when you get home. Its your commute but not as you know it! It really does feel like YOUR time!

bdave262000

As has been said, ease yourself into it, start with 2-3 days a week and build up from there, my commute is a 25mile round trip and had been commuting a year before I built up to five days.

A hard tail MTB is absolutly fine, I was using my Trek 4300 with Armadillo's for about a year and a half and had no problems (not all of us have the space or money for two bikes). I have upgraded to a flat bar road bike recently and although quicker and more efficient its only knocked off about 8min of time each way (55min down to circa 47min for 12.5 miles in London traffic).

The best advice I got is to pack your stuff the night before and have your bike ready to jump on and go.

Marcus_C

As others have said, yes a MTB with slicks is capable of a commute like thatm but if you've even half convinced yourself to buy a road bike don't let anyone change your mind. Out of interest where are you commuting from/to? have you got a route? Not all of us are from London.

Failing a road bike there is always the option of a crosser, they can be hard to find for less than about £300 but they're good onroad and a blast on what you'd usually take your MTB over, not to mention infinite bragging points!

EKE's advice is all good, and ignore that comment about forgetting the mudguards, there's more muck on a yorkshire commute than on a good trail.

Paulie W

EKE_38BPM wrote:

10 London miles is much easier than 14 Yorkshire miles. You've obviously never seen Yorkshire hills and comparing Pentonville rise (I assume you mean Pentonville Road between Kings X and Angel) to a proper hill is just silly. Really really silly.

Road bikes are lighter, more efficient, more comfortable and faster.
The clue is in the name, they were designed for use on the road.

You are attempting to adapt a hardtail for use on the road by putting slicks on it and locking out the forks. You probably put bar ends on too so that you have more hand positions.
To me, that is as dumb as me putting flat bars, knobbly tyres and a suspension forks on my roadbike so that I can go offroading.

You could drive your kids the 1 mile to school in a 4x4 but its not what it was designed for, so only an idiot would do it.
4x4 and MTBs have a place and on the road for long journeys isn't it.

14 miles is not a long journey - it's no more than an hour even on a MTB. If you can afford a road bike and you have space to put it then sure buy one, but trust me a MTB with slicks is not going to make this commute that much harder (and if you're used to the MTB ride position then the transition to road bike will probably make it feel harder).

MaxwellBygraves

If your journey is entirely on-road, then it makes sense to get a proper road bike. It's what they are for! Why bother trying to modify a bike built to do something else (something that it does extremely well) when you can get a road bike which will be considerably better.

If you are commuting in London, Drysuitdiver, perhaps you should try commuting in say Yorkshire or the Lakes!

CiB

JayKingFunk wrote:

My other concerns are: I can get changed at work but I can't shower anywhere! What do people do to overcome the sweat factor other than good deodorant?!

Have at your disposal a roll-on deoderant, face flannel, towel and a tub of soap with the squirter on top. Mine was 80p from Morrisons for a ½ litre pot. You can keep this all in a drawer or cupboard somewhere at work - no need to drag it home every night.

Arrive at work, spend a few minutes winding down from the ride - take this opportunity to log your miles on our Stats board, see below - and then occupy a toilet for 5 minutes having a good strip wash. Then get dressed. I do this on the back of a 20 mile run in and no-one's yet turned away in horror.

cee

Another top tip....Wet Wipes.

Also...

How far are your off-road rides...I am not sure that people who have never ridden off road really conceive how much easier riding on the road is compared to off....even with nobby tyres....

I reckon that 10 miles off-road (not bridle paths....or otherwise flat gritty pathways), is worth 20 on on the road easy.

Yes a road bike will be faster, lighter, less effort than the mountain bike with nobby tyres, but if you are used to riding any kind of distance regulary off-road, then just go for it.

CiB

Yep. 10 miles at an easy 15mph is 4 minutes per mile, so 40 minutes. Go a bit faster - 17mph avg - and it's only ~3½ minutes / mile, so 35 minutes. Or get it over with in half an hour at 20mph. Is there anyone on here who can't do a 40 minute bike ride without needing energy gels, recovery drinks, a good lie down afterwards? Pfft. I sometimes reckon we make too much of this riding a bike for an hour business.

cee

CiB wrote:

Yep. 10 miles at an easy 15mph is 4 minutes per mile, so 40 minutes. Go a bit faster - 17mph avg - and it's only ~3½ minutes / mile, so 35 minutes. Or get it over with in half an hour at 20mph. Is there anyone on here who can't do a 40 minute bike ride without needing energy gels, recovery drinks, a good lie down afterwards? Pfft. I sometimes reckon we make too much of this riding a bike for an hour business.

agreed.

Aidy

Beginning to ponder a 21 mile (42 mile round trip) commute...

CiB

Mine's 21 miles. Pretty easy after a bit. 5 days per week is a bit too much (and I can't do 5 anyway), but it's entirely doable. 1h 5m on v good days, 1h 10 - 1h 15 on others.

I'd kill for a 10 mile commute though.

Aidy

CiB wrote:

Mine's 21 miles. Pretty easy after a bit. 5 days per week is a bit too much (and I can't do 5 anyway), but it's entirely doable. 1h 5m on v good days, 1h 10 - 1h 15 on others.

I'd kill for a 10 mile commute though.

Yeah, I'm doing 17.5 now, and it's okay, but there are days where I wish it was shorter so I had a bit more time in the evenings.

vorsprung

Last few years I've been doing a 15 mile each way hill commute in Devon. 5 days a week
Before that it was a 35 mile across Exmoor but not every day

A lot of people have said "Get a road bike"

I wouldn't quite put it like that. Get a reliable bike that is easy to maintain. I started on a single speed with drops and marathon+ tyres.

I've had 1 puncture in 15,000 miles with the marathon+

Last year I got a Cotic Roadrat with Alftine. This has clearance to take ice tyres which were essential this year. Gears also make it easier (read: slower) on days that you feel a bit pooped.

Drysuitdiver

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Drysuitdiver wrote:

MaxwellBygraves wrote:

The distance is fine but invest in the road bike.

why?

put a set of slicks on the MTB rims and away you go. Full susser you might have a problem but a hardtail and front sus is fine , although i do lock mine out

I have done marylebone to leytonstone ( 10 miles) plenty of times on a MTB with knobblies with no probs. and that includes pentonville rise which i thought would be rubbish to ride up.

the MTB has just as good gearing as the road bike.


I have a road bike for weekend fun on road and use a mix of both in the day for commute

10 London miles is much easier than 14 Yorkshire miles. You've obviously never seen Yorkshire hills and comparing Pentonville rise (I assume you mean Pentonville Road between Kings X and Angel) to a proper hill is just silly. Really really silly.

Road bikes are lighter, more efficient, more comfortable and faster.
The clue is in the name, they were designed for use on the road.

You are attempting to adapt a hardtail for use on the road by putting slicks on it and locking out the forks. You probably put bar ends on too so that you have more hand positions.
To me, that is as dumb as me putting flat bars, knobbly tyres and a suspension forks on my roadbike so that I can go offroading.

You could drive your kids the 1 mile to school in a 4x4 but its not what it was designed for, so only an idiot would do it.
4x4 and MTBs have a place and on the road for long journeys isn't it.

No i grew up in North wales where we have real mountains riding the 5 miles all uphill from Sandycroft to buckley teaches you a few things how to ride that you never forget even 25 years later. the fitness level was what killed me when i started riding my bike in london . pentonville road exactly ewhere you say was a biggy for me and it was a breeze.

I ride my MTB with XC knobbly tyres all over the city and all over the countryside at the weekend if not on the road bike at the weekend.

I use the road bike to commute sometimes, but prefer the MTB. its gretat scalping a roadie on an MTB.

jimmypippa

I use a light tourer for about that distance (Peak-district to outskirts of Stockport 25-mile round trip)

It is pretty suitable for that sort of commute. I know of several other people on my route all with road bikes, doing similar or greater distances.

Panniers were a revelation, as my back wasn't sweaty.

Stevo_666

14 miles is doable even with hills if you're in good shape (and if you're not, you soon will be), though you might want to take the odd day off. Not sure I like the idea of no showers if you're riding that far, but that's up to you. I'd get yourself a road bike - or at least something with no suspension like the one in my sig - so you don't wear out your MTB doing the daily grind.