"macca" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:hi all...
Quoted message said:looking back at my riding habits, I see that I spend most of my time - 90% -on the road (tarmac or
asphalt to you Americans 😉
it occurs to me that th big chunky tires of a MTB are not the best if this forms the bulk of
my riding.
It's true: Big low-pressure knobby tires don't roll as fast as high-pressure slicks.
Quoted message said:therefore I'm starting to think a hyrbid bike might be best (those with the skinnier tyres with a
bit of tread).. but am worried it wont be up to the job should I want to take it onto somethign a
bit rougher and more off road. Is it possible to stick grippier tyres on these things when needed?
You're right: Hybrids really aren't a good choice for offroad; but it's not just because of the
tires. I've tried quite a few hybrids over the years, and have owned a couple of them. They feel
clumsy to me. They aren't fast. Most of them are quite heavy. I don't like the short top tubes. On
many hybrid frames, there is "toe overlap" - the front wheel hits your foot when turning. That's
very poor design. I would not feel comfortable riding a hybrid on any offroad trails beyond the
simplest, easiest trails that can be found. I've heard of people riding moderately difficult
singletrack on hybrids - I just can't believe it.
On the other hand, mountain bikes feel agile - like they were made for excellent balance and control
off road. Turns out, that is exactly the case. Frame geometry can make a huge difference in bike
handling. (geometry
= shape of the frame, angles of various frame tubes, height of cranks,
length/trail of fork, etc) Mountain bikes are purpose-built for offroad riding, and it shows. But
that doesn't mean they can't go fast on the road, too. They can, with the right tires (and wheels
- read on).
Quoted message said:alternatively is it possible for example tobuy a standard MTB, and swap the wheels for a set with
thinner tyres as and when I need them?
Yes, this is what many people do. Mount 26 x 2.0 "city" tires (high pressure - 85psi or higher) on
the "road" wheels, and knobbies on the other set. I recommend using the same rims for both sets of
wheels so you won't have to adjust your V-brakes when you swap wheelsets.
The cheaper option, and still a good one, is to get a plain mountain bike (with V-brakes instead of
disc brakes) and buy some high-pressure 26 x 2.0 slicks. Almost every tire manufacturer makes an 85
psi "city tire" nowadays: IRC Metro, Continental Toun & Country, etc. Buy a set of tire levers and
learn how to swap tires. It takes about 10 minutes or so. That way, when you're ready for that
weekend offroad adventure, your knobbies are only a tire swap away. It's by far the cheapest option,
and makes a lot of sense.
There is an even cooler option, although it's pretty expensive. It turns out that 700c wheels (used
on most hybrids and virtually all racing and touring bikes) will work perfectly on mountain bikes
that use disc brakes. The overall diameter of skinny 700c slicks and fat 26" knobbies is almost
identical. There are bikes on the market (Merlin Newsboy, for instance) that come with a set of 26"
(559mm rim diameter) mountain bike wheels with fat knobbies for off-road use, *and* a set of 700c
(622mm rim diameter) road wheels with skinny tires for fast road riding. This is a great setup, with
maximum versatility. I'm actually in the process of building up just such a bike. It's not easy to
find 700c disc wheels - you'll probably need to have them built for you - but disc hubs aren't
expensive (~$50/set for Shimano Deore). Any 700c road rims will work, and you can often find them on
sale for $15-20 a rim. Figure $150 for the road wheels, and maybe $50 for the disc rotors, another
$50 for tires and tubes. You can see that this isn't a cheap option; but it would give you an
extremely versatile bike. One minor issue: Disc brakes, aside from being expensive and heavy, also
block the rear fender and cargo rack eyelets on frames that come equipped with them, so that will
limit usefulness somewhat.
More information than you bargained for? I hope it's at least helpful. Let us know if you have any
more questions, or email me privately if you like.
Cheers,
Barry Sanders
