UK and Europe · Public discussion

"Proper" Hybrid ??

Tracker 1972 · 2004-09-24T10:50:20+00:00

Hello all, bit of a possible experiment. At the moment I have a Claude Butler Urban 300, and am happy with it, but like to play about with things and am thinking of getting something lighter/higher quality. I am also doing a bit more light off-road stuff than I envisaged, so the slightly slick, slightly skinny, slightly high gearing is making some of the riding rather more fun than expected! In order to combat the grip problem I have settled on second set of wheels with wider rims/tyres but am still thinking of a new bike as well, do like the Marin hybrid bikes. So here is the thought..... Get a Marin with 700c wheels and keep them for commuting and swap them for 26" mountain bike wheels for more grip/(slightly)lower gearing for mucky fun. Get over brake problems by using disks, same casette on the rear wheel to keep chain length same and get a trip computer that can be set for more than one bike. Any thoughts? Anybody done anything similar? Possible problems with two disk rotors with one set or pads? Will I always be bedding them in? Do I need V's for the 700c and disks for the 26" :-) Tracker. p.s. yes I would love more than one bike but as it has to live behind the settee as it is, space is a bit of a premium :-) -- mmmmmmmm, tasty. of course it isn't itisnt)

Started by Tracker 1972 · 24 September 2004 · Last activity 26 September 2004 · 3 posts · 535 views

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Original section: UK and Europe
Published: 24 September 2004
Last activity: 26 September 2004
Original author: Tracker 1972
Posts: 3
Discussion status: Public discussion
Total views: 535
Views / 30 days: 0
Topics: Chain length Touring

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Original post
Tracker 1972
Archived post

24 September 2004, 10:50 UTC #1

Hello all, bit of a possible experiment.
At the moment I have a Claude Butler Urban 300, and am happy with it,
but like to play about with things and am thinking of getting something
lighter/higher quality.
I am also doing a bit more light off-road stuff than I envisaged, so the
slightly slick, slightly skinny, slightly high gearing is making some of
the riding rather more fun than expected!
In order to combat the grip problem I have settled on second set of
wheels with wider rims/tyres but am still thinking of a new bike as
well, do like the Marin hybrid bikes.
So here is the thought.....
Get a Marin with 700c wheels and keep them for commuting and swap them
for 26" mountain bike wheels for more grip/(slightly)lower gearing for
mucky fun. Get over brake problems by using disks, same casette on the
rear wheel to keep chain length same and get a trip computer that can be
set for more than one bike.
Any thoughts? Anybody done anything similar? Possible problems with two
disk rotors with one set or pads? Will I always be bedding them in? Do I
need V's for the 700c and disks for the 26" :-)
Tracker.
p.s. yes I would love more than one bike but as it has to live behind
the settee as it is, space is a bit of a premium :-)
--
mmmmmmmm, tasty.
of course it isn't itisnt)

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iarocu
Archived post

25 September 2004, 10:43 UTC #2

Quoted message said:
Get a Marin with 700c wheels and keep them for commuting and swap them
for 26" mountain bike wheels for more grip/(slightly)lower gearing for
mucky fun. Get over brake problems by using disks, same casette on the
rear wheel to keep chain length same and get a trip computer that can be
set for more than one bike.
Using 700c and MTB wheels won't sort your gears. Using Sheldon Browns
Gear Calculator
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/index.html
for example gives
42 front to 12 back on 700c wheel with 25mm tyre a gear of 100.7
inches
same cogs driving a 26inch mtb wheel fitted with 2 1/4" tyre gives
99.0 inches
So a 1% difference (or slightly more or less depending on tyres fitted
is not worth the hassle of having different sized rims.
If you have or are buying a bike with a triple chainset the
spread of gears should be wide enough to be usable (if not ideal) on
and off road. If the off road is towpaths, forest tracks and the like
then full knobblies are not required. A convenient compromise might be
something like 26x1.75 Conti Top Touring tyres or something simliar
front and back for road use. They are a touring tyre with a slight
inverted tread but fairly fast on road. Then have a spare front wheel
for off roading with a knobbly tyre fitted on the basis that grip is
critical on the front. In dry conditions a touring tyre like the
Conti, Schwalbe Marathon or similiar will be OK off road. People were
off roading on touring bikes for years before MTB tyres or bikes were
available.
Iain

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Tracker 1972
Archived post

26 September 2004, 02:09 UTC #3

In article <[email hidden]>,
(iarocu) said:
Quoted message said:
Get a Marin with 700c wheels and keep them for commuting and swap them
for 26" mountain bike wheels for more grip/(slightly)lower gearing for
mucky fun. Get over brake problems by using disks, same casette on the
rear wheel to keep chain length same and get a trip computer that can be
set for more than one bike.
Using 700c and MTB wheels won't sort your gears. Using Sheldon Browns
Gear Calculator
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/index.html
for example gives
42 front to 12 back on 700c wheel with 25mm tyre a gear of 100.7
inches
same cogs driving a 26inch mtb wheel fitted with 2 1/4" tyre gives
99.0 inches
So a 1% difference (or slightly more or less depending on tyres fitted
is not worth the hassle of having different sized rims.
If you have or are buying a bike with a triple chainset the
spread of gears should be wide enough to be usable (if not ideal) on
and off road. If the off road is towpaths, forest tracks and the like
then full knobblies are not required. A convenient compromise might be
something like 26x1.75 Conti Top Touring tyres or something simliar
front and back for road use. They are a touring tyre with a slight
inverted tread but fairly fast on road. Then have a spare front wheel
for off roading with a knobbly tyre fitted on the basis that grip is
critical on the front. In dry conditions a touring tyre like the
Conti, Schwalbe Marathon or similiar will be OK off road. People were
off roading on touring bikes for years before MTB tyres or bikes were
available.
Iain
Thanks Iain,
forgot about online gear calculators, didn't think there would be
much of a change but hoped it might be more than that, oh well. Hadn't
thought of just changing one wheel only, that could be easier and
cheaper, like that. The tyres I have are road biased but with some tread
for towpaths and the like but have had some sketchy moments on steeper
downhills, all with the front though, just a new front seems more likely
by the minute.
Tracker.
--
mmmmmmmm, tasty.
of course it isn't itisnt)

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