Full suspension road use
Oliver3129
Posts: 6
I want to buy a mtb but have to use it for work only about 4 miles a day is a full sus bike suitable for using on the road or stick to a hardtail .
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No, a full rigid will be best. Suspension usually takes a bit of a hit to get it moving (stops it bobbing while pedalling) so on the road it just doesn't move.
A hybrid bike with a nice compliant carbon fork will do a better job of damping out some of the harshness. Or a hardtail with slick tyresTransition Patrol - viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=130702350 -
A decent FS bike (not a supermarket or other low end BSO) will be fine, it wants a pedal platform in the shock damping to avoid wasting energy bouncing the rear suspension up and down, you always want an XC to trail biased FS to keep the on road handling fairly reasonable, but for 4 miles almost anything would be fine (my neighbour used to do 2.5 miles on a Norco 8" travel DH bike.
You have no punctuation but I assume the 'only' refers to the 4 miles and not that that will be the 'only' (sole) use. If you are only using it on road then an FS is a waste of money as would be an HT as RMSC states.Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.0 -
Sorry about punctuation .
My main use will be bike parks and trails centres, just need to use bike occasionally for work with a round trip of between 3 to 4 miles.0 -
If it's only occasionally going to work, and only 2 miles each way, then get a bike most suitable for the parks/trail centers, as on balance, a rigid will be a pain at trail centers, where as you can ride pretty much anything for a two mile commute. Ok a hard tail, and even more a full suspension won't be able to keep up with Road bikes, but what does that matter if your only going 2 miles to work and only now and again.0
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Sorry about punctuation .
My main use will be bike parks and trails centres, just need to use bike occasionally for work with a round trip of between 3 to 4 miles.
Your commute is pretty short. Buy a bike to suit the weekend riding best. It won't be perfect for commuting but it will get the job done. Better for it to be brilliant at what you enjoy and just ok for getting to work.Transition Patrol - viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=130702350 -
As rock monkey says - buy what is best for your weekend riding - it will easily handle a short commute.Framebuilder
Handbuilt Steel 29er https://goo.gl/RYSbaa
Carbon Stumpjumper https://goo.gl/xJNFcv
Parkwood:http://goo.gl/Gf8xkL
Ribble Gran Fondo https://goo.gl/ZpTFXz
Triban:http://goo.gl/v63FBB0 -
For that short a commute I wouldn't be too concerned. I've used my Nomad for 40 mile round trip commutes on the road with no issues. Lock the shock and off you go.Bird Aeris : Trek Remedy 9.9 29er : Trek Procaliber 9.8 SL0
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I commuted all of last year a similar distance on my Ridgid mtb. This ended up wearing out,from new, an Xt chainring, chain and cassette . Both sets of Avid brake callipers had to be replaced because the screw in pad retaining pins seized. It also finished off a rear hub and a bottom bracket.
I also ended up having to keep swapping from nobblies to slicks with puncture protection between the week and weekend.
If it is occasional and good weather only you might be ok. For anything else my advice would be to buy a nice bike for trails and something cheap as chips for the commute.0 -
Everything there are consumables bar the brake calipers and hub. I replace the chain, cassette and (less regularly) chainring regularly on my bikes - these things wear out. As do BB's. Unlucky about the rear hub but if it wasnt a very good wheel then you can see why its died - riding in bad weather wont help either.I commuted all of last year a similar distance on my Ridgid mtb. This ended up wearing out,from new, an Xt chainring, chain and cassette . Both sets of Avid brake callipers had to be replaced because the screw in pad retaining pins seized. It also finished off a rear hub and a bottom bracket.
I also ended up having to keep swapping from nobblies to slicks with puncture protection between the week and weekend.
If it is occasional and good weather only you might be ok. For anything else my advice would be to buy a nice bike for trails and something cheap as chips for the commute.Framebuilder
Handbuilt Steel 29er https://goo.gl/RYSbaa
Carbon Stumpjumper https://goo.gl/xJNFcv
Parkwood:http://goo.gl/Gf8xkL
Ribble Gran Fondo https://goo.gl/ZpTFXz
Triban:http://goo.gl/v63FBB0 -
4 miles a day is nothing, you don't need slicks. I did 38 miles a day on my full suspension mtb for three weeks when my road bike was out of order, it was tough but not bad enough to consider slicks.Transition Patrol - viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=130702350
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Everything there are consumables bar the brake calipers and hub. I replace the chain, cassette and (less regularly) chainring regularly on my bikes - these things wear out. As do BB's. Unlucky about the rear hub but if it wasnt a very good wheel then you can see why its died - riding in bad weather wont help either.I commuted all of last year a similar distance on my Ridgid mtb. This ended up wearing out,from new, an Xt chainring, chain and cassette . Both sets of Avid brake callipers had to be replaced because the screw in pad retaining pins seized. It also finished off a rear hub and a bottom bracket.
I also ended up having to keep swapping from nobblies to slicks with puncture protection between the week and weekend.
If it is occasional and good weather only you might be ok. For anything else my advice would be to buy a nice bike for trails and something cheap as chips for the commute.
They are consumables but commuting particularly through the winter accelerates that wear considerably. Even if you can be arsed to maintain your bike nightly at home ( which many people probably dont ) often you have to leave it sodden wet at work and covered in crap and road salt etc. Like I say if it is good weather / occasional it is all good if it is more that that then I wouldn't reccomend using a full susser for commuting. The maintenance costs will more than likely add up to the price of a cheap hack bike. Not to mention the benefit of having full.mudguards which won't fit on a full susser.0 -
4 miles a day is nothing, you don't need slicks. I did 38 miles a day on my full suspension mtb for three weeks when my road bike was out of order, it was tough but not bad enough to consider slicks.
The need ( for my commute ) was for puncture protection not specifically slicks. Broken glass, metal slivers etc. Maybe it is just Sheffield but I was picking up too many punctures with nobblies.
However I would add I was saving myself 45 mins + overall a week commuting on MTB slicks timewise plus any time spent fixing punctures and I wasn't wearing down expensive off road tyres. It was still worth swapping the tyres which takes something like 15 mins for the pair.0 -
Don't worry about consumables wearing through commuting. Whether you're commuting on your mtb or a separate bike you're still getting through the same amount of parts.
Just go tubeless and carry a co2 inflator. Less punctures and when you do get one it's less effort to reinflateTransition Patrol - viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=130702350 -
However I would add I was saving myself 45 mins + overall a week commuting on MTB slicks timewise plus any time spent fixing punctures and I wasn't wearing down expensive off road tyres. It was still worth swapping the tyres which takes something like 15 mins for the pair.
So you're obviously not doing anything like the 3 miles a day the OP is proposing...0 -
However I would add I was saving myself 45 mins + overall a week commuting on MTB slicks timewise plus any time spent fixing punctures and I wasn't wearing down expensive off road tyres. It was still worth swapping the tyres which takes something like 15 mins for the pair.
So you're obviously not doing anything like the 3 miles a day the OP is proposing...
He Said 4 miles a day. My commute was 4.3 miles (albeit with a 700ft drop in and then climb back home)
Maybe the 0.3 makes a difference? Lol
Not being able to use full mudguards is the killer. The spray when it is wet blasts crap everywhere. Your feet end up soaking wet too and you have to try to dry stuff at work for the ride home or for the next day.
It also stinks when wet / drying and that can piss off work mates too.
Like I say if it is good weather, occasional then go for it. If it's regular and in poor weather don't bother.
But hey, what would I know. Lol0 -
However I would add I was saving myself 45 mins + overall a week commuting on MTB slicks timewise plus any time spent fixing punctures and I wasn't wearing down expensive off road tyres. It was still worth swapping the tyres which takes something like 15 mins for the pair.
So you're obviously not doing anything like the 3 miles a day the OP is proposing...
He Said 4 miles a day. My commute was 4.3 miles (albeit with a 700ft drop in and then climb back home)
Maybe the 0.3 makes a difference? Lol
Not being able to use full mudguards is the killer. The spray when it is wet blasts crap everywhere. Your feet end up soaking wet too and you have to try to dry stuff at work for the ride home or for the next day.
It also stinks when wet / drying and that can wee-wee off work mates too.
Like I say if it is good weather, occasional then go for it. If it's regular and in poor weather don't bother.
But hey, what would I know. Lol[
Edit: Wee-wee was substituted by the swear filter...!/quote]0 -
He also seems to suggest it would be an occasional commuter, not daily , he could really ride anything for an occasional 4 mile round trip. Get the bike according to what you do most of.
Presumably he could pick and choose nicer weather, but it makes no difference if it's not regular, and if really bothered about Road spray, a big fugly set of sks mountain bike mud guards would sort that out.0 -
I do a 9 mile round trip on my Kona between 2 and 4 times a week, which includes a couple of medium climbs. Lock the fork and shock and it's no problem. And what compliance is left in the suspension after locking it out is most welcome given the state of the roads around here. Plus, the fact that I'm working a harder than I would be on a proper road bike means I'm working on my fitness while I'm at it.All the gear, no idea and loving the smell of jealousy in the morning.
Kona Process 134 viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=129946070 -
I've been commuting on my Foxy while I wait for my Genesis roadie to turn up, its about 5.5 miles each way and while it's harder than it would be on a road bike it's bearable takes about 20-25 minutes each way.0
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My commuter (6.5 miles per day) cost me £85 off ebay. Nobody wants to nick it and I don't care what the road salt does to it. Perfect!2011 Giant Trance Ltd, 2016 Revs, XT bits etc.0
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He Said 4 miles a day. My commute was 4.3 miles (albeit with a 700ft drop in and then climb back home)
Not a chance you were saving 45 minutes a week by fitting slicks then!0 -
Indeed, that's over 4 mins a journey faster, and on a circa 20 minute journey.....20% faster? Nope.Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.0
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So whats your point gents?
It was an approximation. Riding to work took about 15 mins and back home something like 33mins with slicks on. With nobblies I was getting home closer to 37 and in probably about 17. So I'll say closer to 40 then.
The point I was making was that you can save the time spent swapping the tyres over the weeks commute so its worth the bother.
The main reason I said I swapped mine was for puncture protection.
Pick away if you havent got anything better to do, I can handle it, but lets face it, this is petty.
The OP did one ages ago.....0 -
Holy crap. Over half an hour to ride a few miles? I ride ten miles to work in that time on knobblies.
Have you tried turning them flange shaped devices located roughly half way between the wheels?Transition Patrol - viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=130702350 -
What can I say. I like pies.
It's still faster on slicks, lol0 -
Placebo effect going on there.0
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The Placebo effect ?
Riding on a totally smooth 26 x 1.50" rather than a rough 26 x 2.3" on the road ?
Rolling resistance considerably lower, rotational weight lower, tyre pressure higher, grip considerably higher, wheel diameter lower. Basically much faster acceleration, lower rolling resistance and greater confidence at speed...... That is the placebo effect ?0 -
The degree to which you're reporting, yep. It does make a difference, obviously. Just not that much. Some of my fastest times on road climbs are on my MTB with knobblies at 25psi.
Feels faster. Actually speed increase isn't comparable.0 -
Just had a look on my Strava. I remember using my full Susser for a week when I was waiting for a new back wheel for the rigid. I only have one set of results to compare both from a Monday but it totals 5.5 minutes difference.
So you are right in one respect. That would imply 27.5 mins saved per week rather than 40.
However you can swap a set of tyres in what? Under 15 mins ?
- Then there is time saved fixing punctures which if you work in the Don Valley are unavoidable and frequent. I used my road bike for a week and got three. There is glass and metal shards all over the place. Even running tubeless means you still have tens of small pieces of metal to pick out of your tyres every week.
- The slicks I use are still going strong on over a years use at under £40 the pair. I recon I would have done in a few nobblies in that time at nearly £30 a pop.
- Grip in damp / wet conditions is far better on the slicks. When riding through rush hour traffic the extra confidence and manoeuvrability you get is worth it imo.
- Even if there is a lot of placebo effect going on. That's not a bad thing. I have a 215 m climb to do after a 9 hr day. Not so bad on a Monday but it gets harder as the week goes on.
The Op has done one but my advice was always the same. If good weather, infrequent then great. If bad weather, more frequent it's better spending £60 or so on a second hand hack bike with mudguards, cheap components & slicks and leave a decent bike at home0
