Biking to work

Robbie101

Originally wanted a bike to keep fit borrowed a mates hard tail and been out with a few of my mates who ride enduros and and I’ve ended up buying a vitus sommet deore, it’s a brilliant bike and extremely comfy.
I’m still a noob and I feel that I should bike to work to get my fitness up and get a good feel for the bike as there a few good fields that I could use on my way to work.
My mates says it’s not a good idea and being a enduro bike I should only ride it on hard trails only.
Surely I am not going to wear the bike out quickly by biking to work every day?
Am I the 1 in a million that would use a full suspension mtb to bike to work as I can’t see what’s wrong in doing so, last thing I want to do is ruin my bike by biking to work on weekdays “would I?

craker

I reckon this should be in the commuting forum, it might attract more responses.

You ride to work on whatever you like, aint no-one gonna stop you.

Of course you don't say how far you commute, it certainly won't be the best bike for the job (unless you commute on gnarly off road trails), knobbly tyres and suspension will sap your energy and your upright position isn't quick.

It's a hard life for a bike too, think of the cost of new chains and gears.

cooldad

Ride whatever you like.

But it will wear out quicker, and do you have somewhere safe to park it?

Robbie101

It’s a 14 mile round trip every day.
I can store my bike within work premises so it will be safe.
From both of your answer I think I’m going to get a 2nd hand hardtail just so I can bike to work in the summer months and keep my enduro for weekends.

02gf74

Depends also on the route. If it is a muddy track, like my commute is, the chains will wear out quicker than if riding on the road.

figbat

What’s your route like? If it’s all road, why buy a different bike that is not optimum for the task, why not get a road bike? Or a slick-tyred hybrid?

My commute has two options. I can go the short route, which is 80% trails and suits and MTB or around 15 miles on the road. I pick and choose which bike I am on to suit the route I fancy using. I’ve never done the road route on an MTB nor the off-road route on a road bike.

Additionally, for whatever reason (which might just be placebo or perception), I find that miles on the road bike help with MTB fitness but the opposite isn’t as true. If I spend a while on the road with no MTB riding, when I get back on the MTB I’m still able to push on. Any time off the road bike seems to drop my fitness, even if I have been on the MTB during that time.

Robbie101

Thanks for the replies.
I don’t really want to ride my new bike into the ground just by riding to work.
I shall be on th look out for a 2nd hand hardtail or a road bike Just for my daily commute and fitness.

lakesluddite

Ride it to work a few times to see how it suits you, you might be investing in a second bike for no good reason. Having said that, if your commute is mostly by road, then I think the best option would be a hybrid/flat bar road bike. It will be lighter, quicker (due to larger wheels) and you can usually get one with hydro brakes for less than you can if it were a full on road bike.
This is a good example, although there are hundreds out there: https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-ne ... e-EV275613

thistle_

Robbie101 wrote:

Thanks for the replies.
I don’t really want to ride my new bike into the ground just by riding to work.

Once your fitness is up, just find a gnarly enough route to justify the big bike once in a while
At one point mine included a BMX track, a couple of flights of stairs, riding down the side of a spoil heap and popping up out of some dried up ditches

Robbie101

LakesLuddite wrote:

This is a good example, although there are hundreds out there: https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-ne ... e-EV275613

This is ideal for my daily commute, thank you for the link.[quote="thistle (MBNW)
Once your fitness is up, just find a gnarly enough route to justify the big bike once in a while
At one point mine included a BMX track, a couple of flights of stairs, riding down the side of a spoil heap and popping up out of some dried up ditches [/quote]
Lmao MBNW, Give me a few months on getting my fitness and i will be doing some of what you have said ). But at this present time I’m %100’focusing on just pedalling.
I want to get to the stage of finding better more exciting lines while out on the trails instead of breathing heavily and just trying to get through it.

jamski

Nothing better than mountain biking to work, is simply the best way to start the day! I’ve never been particularly fit but managed to do to and from work, 12 miles each way, pretty much all off road.

Robbie101

jamski wrote:

Nothing better than mountain biking to work, is simply the best way to start the day! I’ve never been particularly fit but managed to do to and from work, 12 miles each way, pretty much all off road.

This is my thinking also jamski
I’m hoping within a few months of biking to work I will have more fun at bike parks instead of panting like a dog as I should be a little bit fitter and that equals more fun

swod1

my ride to work is 15 miles each day and i have ridden my full suspension nukeproof mega to work and back on roads. Did it in the recent snow we had.

Not ideal but do able, I've got it tubeless now and the tyre's roll pretty well, i just put 40psi in em maxxis highroller front and ardent on rear so it was bit quicker rolling.

If you have an off road way to work and back then riding your current bike should be fine depending on conditions doubt you'd want to arrive filthy though.

I've a hardtail that i use normally use on the road.

tallpaul_s

thistle (MBNW) wrote:

Robbie101 wrote:

Thanks for the replies.
I don’t really want to ride my new bike into the ground just by riding to work.

Once your fitness is up, just find a gnarly enough route to justify the big bike once in a while
At one point mine included a BMX track, a couple of flights of stairs, riding down the side of a spoil heap and popping up out of some dried up ditches

This.

Give it a few months and your commute will look like this
https://youtu.be/2traaBHJAoA

Ok, maybe not to the same degree, but take your 160mm enduro bike, find some 'off-piste' dirt sections on the route, ride down some stairs, ride up some stairs, bunny hop up kerbs, drop off verges and so-on. All are good practice for proper off road mountain biking.

I'll be commuting soon the 2 miles each way to work on a Vitus Escarpe - will it be as quick as the 28" skinny tyre hybrid I'm using now? No. Will it be more fun? Yes! There's several bits on my commute I have to go 'around' which I'll be able to go straight down/over on the full sus, a couple of flights of stairs, a 3ft rollable drop, another dodgy 2ft drop and probably some more I haven't spotted yet!

vulva65

I commute 8 miles on my full sus and love it, I did have a gravel bike for about 3 months, and although it shaved a few minutes off it wasn't nearly as fun to ride, I have a pretty full on trail option on the way home which I had to avoid when on the gravel bike, so I opted for the fun option. If I had the funds then would probably invest in a hardtail 29er which would probably be best of both, but will stick with full sus for time being.

figbat

The only Strava KOM I possess is on my commute home on a 29" hardtail. It's a downhill section, so I know it doesn't really count, but it is preciously guarded by me because I have naff-all chance of getting a proper KOM.

vulva65

figbat wrote:

The only Strava KOM I possess is on my commute home on a 29" hardtail. It's a downhill section, so I know it doesn't really count, but it is preciously guarded by me because I have naff-all chance of getting a proper KOM.

I'm the same, there's a really bumpy lane down to my workplace that has a gate halfway along, I have the K0M both ways as occasionally it's left open so I just hoon it then! They're the only K0Ms I'll ever get