My MTB Is Too Slow

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Mark_pringle
My MTB is too slow, on flat ground with no wind, in high gear, I can pedal like a madman, and all I
can get is around 42 kmh.

I know a road bike is the way to go if you want speed, however I love a MTB for its many uses, and
seating position. Is there anyway I can go faster without taking roids.

Can I get a bigger crank, or should I just be happy with cruising at around 35 kph ?

No need for a whole new crank, a new big ring should be all you need. However as you go bigger, you'll likely need to get a bigger middle ring as well .. otherwise the extreme jump in ring size shifting to/from the middle to the big will make the operation clumsy or worse. Shimano publish 'official' specs as to the capability of their front derailleur in this regard on their site.

Another option might be to get wheelset which is 700c rims laced up to mountain bike hubs. This will mean you travel further for every revolution of the wheel. The other benefit of doing this is that you get to be able to use thinner, high-pressure road tyres. This will probably only work in select circumstances as there will be issues with brake blocks (I suspect it might only be viable if you have discs), and also clearance with your bike's chain/seat stays and front fork crown (assuming a hardtail)

"Mark_Pringle" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My MTB is too slow, on flat ground with no wind, in high gear, I can pedal like a madman, and all
I can get is around 42 kmh.

I know a road bike is the way to go if you want speed, however I love a

MTB

Quoted message said:

for its many uses, and seating position. Is there anyway I can go faster without taking roids.

Can I get a bigger crank, or should I just be happy with cruising at

around

Quoted message said:

35 kph ?

I've got a hybrid and although I'm _very_ unfit, I can get to 40km/h on the level. I can easily
maintain 25 for extended periods (what I'm aiming for) and will get faster as I get fitter.

--
Alan Erskine
We can get people to the Moon in five years,
not the fifteen GWB proposes.
Give NASA a real challenge
[email hidden]

Mark_Pringle said:

Can I get a bigger crank, or should I just be happy with cruising at around 35 kph ?

Along with the other suggestions, the following will help improve speed:

You can use lower rolling resistance tyres, but you loose out on some terrain if you want to go
off-road on the same tyres. If you want to do this, I would suggest two sets of tyres, one for off-
road, and another set of slicks for on-road. However, if you don't have quick-release hubs, or
can't be bothered changing tyres, it's not a good option.

Your wind resistance will start making a huge difference one your speed increases, a lower more
streamlined position will help, but short of buying another bike, just leaning over more isn't
really a viable option, since you've specifically stated you like the position.

If you have any suspension (especially rear) lock it out. You'll lose a fair bit of power if the
bike is bouncing. Depending on the suspension system, this may or may not be an easy option.

Increase the gear ratios, either a larger front ring(s), or smaller rear cluster (or both) will give
your legs a chance to work, however, I think you'll probably be dissapointed in the difference (or
lack thereof) compared to the cost that this would make. You'll soon learn how much extra work is
required to overcome wind resistance.

--
Linux Registered User # 302622 <counter.li.orgcounter.li.orgOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

My MTB is too slow, on flat ground with no wind, in high gear, I can pedal like a madman, and all
I can get is around 42 kmh.

I know a road bike is the way to go if you want speed, however I love a

MTB

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

for its many uses, and seating position. Is there anyway I can go faster without taking roids.

Can I get a bigger crank, or should I just be happy with cruising at

around

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

35 kph ?

you cruise at 35 kph on a MTB?? for how long? what gears and tyres do you have on your bike now?

Quoted message said:

No need for a whole new crank, a new big ring should be all you need. However as you go bigger,
you'll likely need to get a bigger middle ring as well .. otherwise the extreme jump in ring size
shifting to/from the middle to the big will make the operation clumsy or worse. Shimano publish
'official' specs as to the capability of their front derailleur in this regard on their site.

also make sure your chain is long enough

Quoted message said:

Another option might be to get wheelset which is 700c rims laced up to mountain bike hubs. This
will mean you travel further for every revolution of the wheel.

if you are talking about a gearing change my maths says(if he has 48/14) that changing wheels
would be about the same as going to a 13(12.728) on the back. If you are talking about bearing RR
then this would make "almost" no difference. The difference in circumference is about 10%. Lets
say bearing drag is 4%, so 10% of that is .4%. Not much gain for a custom set of wheels either
way. BUT maybe he wouldnt need custom wheels, his dropouts maybe the right spacing to take a set
of road wheels.

Quoted message said:

The other benefit of doing this is that you get to be able to use thinner, high-pressure road
tyres. This will probably only work in select circumstances as there will be issues with brake
blocks (I suspect it might only be viable if you have discs), and also clearance with your bike's
chain/seat stays and front fork crown (assuming a hardtail)

Looking at my bike, it looks like the wheels would fit but as you say l am not sure the brakes
will move far enough. Having said all that it doesnt sound like he wants to change to road/slick
type tyres.

rek said:

Mark_pringle said:

My MTB is too slow, on flat ground with no wind, in high gear, I can pedal like a madman, and
all I can get is around 42 kmh. I know a road bike is the way to go if you want speed, however
I love a MTB for its many uses, and seating position. Is there anyway I can go faster without
taking roids. Can I get a bigger crank, or should I just be happy with cruising at around 35
kph ?

Quoted message said:

No need for a whole new crank, a new big ring should be all you need. However as you go bigger,
you'll likely need to get a bigger middle ring as well .. otherwise the extreme jump in ring size
shifting to/from the middle to the big will make the operation clumsy or worse. Shimano publish
'official' specs as to the capability of their front derailleur in this regard on their site.

Quoted message said:

Another option might be to get wheelset which is 700c rims laced up to mountain bike hubs. This
will mean you travel further for every revolution of the wheel. The other benefit of doing this is
that you get to be able to use thinner, high-pressure road tyres. This will probably only work in
select circumstances as there will be issues with brake blocks (I suspect it might only be viable
if you have discs), and also clearance with your bike's chain/seat stays and front fork crown
(assuming a hardtail)

Doesn't anyone try the simple things first anymore?

Try some high pressure slicks. You don't need new wheels and even if you did, shoehorning 700c
wheels on to an MTB frame wouldn't be worth the effort.

You can get 26" tyres in widths from 1". I recently got some Conti SportContact tyres in 26" x 1.3
(32-559 metric). The max. pressure on those is 85psi but you can get other similar tyres that will
do 100psi.

You might need new tubes too and you'll probably need something better than the average MTB mini-
pump to get to 85psi. High pressure tyres will definitely increase your speed, compared to knobbies.

Cheers.
--
Nick

NickZX6R said:

You can get 26" tyres in widths from 1". I recently got some Conti SportContact tyres in 26" x 1.3
(32-559 metric). The max. pressure on those is 85psi but you can get other similar tyres that will
do 100psi.

If you want a wider tyre, the Conti Travel Contact is an 85 psi 26 x 1.75 slick (but with side knobs
for off-pavement use).

Contrary to popular belief, for the same inflation pressure, a wider tyre has less rolling
resistance than a narrow one. See schwalbe.comindex.plOpen ↗ under "Rolling
resistance" then "Why do wide tires roll better than narrow ones?".

John

John Henderson said:

Contrary to popular belief, for the same inflation pressure, a wider tyre has less rolling
resistance than a narrow one.

In the real world however, the wide tyres are inflated to lower pressure than narrow ones, so
although the fact that you quoted is interesting, it might not help our speed-challenged
friend too much.

&roo

"rek" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:i4NZb.17459

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Mark_Pringle wrote: My MTB is too slow, on flat ground with no wind, in high gear, I can pedal
like a madman, and all I can get is around 42 kmh.

When you say you are "pedaling like a madman" - do you mean you are pedalling extremely fast and
frantic or do you mean you are pushing a super-large gear so that the veins in your forehead pop,
making you look like a madman?

Quoted message said:

Another option might be to get wheelset which is 700c rims laced up to mountain bike hubs.

I've seen this done with discs. It allowed the owner to quickly swap from mtb wheels to road wheels,
i.e. commuter to "real" mountain bike. Good idea, but expensive and possibly fiddly. If you are
wanting to run road wheels though, you may as well use a road bike for better/faster positioning.

If it really is your gearing slowing you down then change to bigger chainrings or fit a road
cassette. You should be able to find a road cassette that matches and slides right on.

If you are mostly on the road, you could fit slicks for an extra 3-5kph on your average speed.
thehippy.netmtb slicks.aspOpen ↗

On another note Mark.. where is it flat with no wind? :-P Take me to this paradise, I beg of you!

hippy

hippy <[email hidden]> wrote: <SNIP>

Quoted message said:

On another note Mark.. where is it flat with no wind? :-P Take me to this paradise, I beg of you!

Quoted message said:

hippy

Flat with no wind = paradise???

What would be the point? 😉

--
Nick

NickZX6R said:

hippy <[email hidden]> wrote: <SNIP>

Quoted message said:

On another note Mark.. where is it flat with no wind? :-P Take me to this paradise, I beg of you!

Quoted message said:

hippy

Flat with no wind = paradise???

What would be the point? 😉

Downhill + tailwind = paradise!

&roo

"NickZX6R" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:c19tk8

Quoted message said:

Flat with no wind = paradise???

What would be the point? 😉

Bike drag racing... reminds me of my childhood, where most of my riding involved getting the fastest
speed or quickest time to display on my Vetta cycle computer :-)

I think perhaps an option to "turn off hills" would be better?

hippy

stu <[email hidden]> wrote in message [email hidden]

[...]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Can I get a bigger crank, or should I just be happy with cruising at around 35 kph ?

you cruise at 35 kph on a MTB?? for how long? what gears and tyres do you have on your bike now?

I was wondering the same thing. He must be hellishly strong in the legs.

--

"The central problem with the concept of the 'Axis of Evil' is that it involves an assumption that
the US is the 'fulcrum of virtue'." Bob Hawke

"Mark_Pringle" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My MTB is too slow, on flat ground with no wind, in high gear, I can pedal like a madman, and all
I can get is around 42 kmh.

I know a road bike is the way to go if you want speed, however I love a

MTB

Quoted message said:

for its many uses, and seating position. Is there anyway I can go faster without taking roids.

Can I get a bigger crank, or should I just be happy with cruising at

around

Quoted message said:

35 kph ?

If there was a prize for the most ridiculous thread this would have to win.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Drs
[B]stu <[email hidden]> wrote in message [email hidden]

[...]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Can I get a bigger crank, or should I just be happy with cruising at around 35 kph ?

you cruise at 35 kph on a MTB?? for how long? what gears and tyres do you have on your bike now?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I was wondering the same thing. He must be hellishly strong in the legs.

hippy said:

When you say you are "pedaling like a madman" - do you mean you are pedalling extremely fast and
frantic or do you

..

Quoted message said:

If it really is your gearing slowing you down then change to bigger chainrings or fit a road
cassette.

If he is running out of gears, its probably a cheap bike with a 7-speed threaded freewheel, not
a cassette.

I wish I could "cruise at 35k/hr" on such a bike!

Quoted message said:

From: "DRS" <[email hidden]>
Subject: Re: My MTB Is Too Slow

stu <[email hidden]> wrote in message [email hidden]

[...]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> Can I get a bigger crank, or should I just be happy with cruising at around 35 kph ?

you cruise at 35 kph on a MTB?? for how long? what gears and tyres do you have on your bike now?

I was wondering the same thing. He must be hellishly strong in the legs.

It's not that hard to cruise fast on a MTB, as long as you've got the right tyres. My MTB used to
have Conti Town+Country 2.1" semi-slicks, and I could easily cruise at 30-32km/h. The T+C's wore out
recently, so I replaced them with Schwalbe Marathon 1.75" semi-slicks. The narrower tyres saw my
cruising speed jump by 4-5km/h or so. Now on a flat road with no wind I can easily cruise at 35km'h.
On one recent ride from City to Hawthorn along the Yarra Trail (admittedly with a slight tail wind),
I was cruising at 40km/h+ from the Botanical Gardens to the beginning of the Gardiner's Creek Trail.
If I went even more radical with tyre width (e.g. 1.5", 1.3"😉 I'm sure that cruising speed would be
a little higher. BTW my gearing is 44:12.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Just Me
> It's not that hard to cruise fast on a MTB, as long as you've got the right tyres. My MTB used to
have Conti Town+Country 2.1" semi-slicks, and I could easily cruise at 30-32km/h. The T+C's wore out
recently, so I replaced them with Schwalbe Marathon 1.75" semi-slicks. The narrower tyres saw my
cruising speed jump by 4-5km/h or so. Now on a flat road with no wind I can easily cruise at 35km'h.
On one recent ride from City to Hawthorn along the Yarra Trail (admittedly with a slight tail wind),
I was cruising at 40km/h+ from the Botanical Gardens to the beginning of the Gardiner's Creek Trail.
If I went even more radical with tyre width (e.g. 1.5", 1.3"😉 I'm sure that cruising speed would be
a little higher. BTW my gearing is 44:12.

This sort of thread usually produces the "there I was cruising past Lance Armstrong, Stuart O'Grady et al" response. The winner of the Tour de France usually averages about 41 km/h and these people are physiological freaks. Just what is this "cruising"?

John Retchford

Quoted message said:

From: John Retchford <[email hidden]>
Subject: Re: My MTB Is Too Slow

Just Me said:

Quoted message said:

It's not that hard to cruise fast on a MTB, as long as you've got the right tyres. My MTB
used to

have Conti Town+Country 2.1" semi-slicks, and I could easily cruise at 30-32km/h. The T+C's wore
out recently, so I replaced them with Schwalbe Marathon 1.75" semi-slicks. The narrower tyres saw
my cruising speed jump by 4-5km/h or so. Now on a flat road with no wind I can easily cruise at
35km'h. On one recent ride from City to Hawthorn along the Yarra Trail (admittedly with a slight
tail wind), I was cruising at 40km/h+ from the Botanical Gardens to the beginning of the
Gardiner's Creek Trail. If I went even more radical with tyre width (e.g. 1.5",
1.3"😉 I'm sure that cruising speed would be a little higher. BTW my gearing is 44:12.

This sort of thread usually produces the "there I was cruising past Lance

Quoted message said:

Armstrong, Stuart O'Grady et al" response. The winner of the Tour

de France

Quoted message said:

usually averages about 41 km/h and these people are

physiological freaks. Just

Quoted message said:

what is this "cruising"?

John Retchford

Quoted message said:

--

"Crusing speed" to me means a speed at which you can comfortably travel for
a reasonable distance, say 10km (to pluck a figure from the sky). My riding
is done around the city, so I have no idea what my cruising speed would be
if I was on a long-distance ride (e.g. 100km). No doubt it would be lower
than what I average on short hops around town.

You do realise that the "average" speed for the TdF includes a whole load of
hill climbing? If you want a better comparison of a pro rider's cruising
speed, then consider that David Millar's average speed in winning the Stage
19 TT in last year's TdF was approx 54.4km/h over a route that was
essentially flat.

"John Retchford" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

This sort of thread usually produces the "there I was cruising past Lance Armstrong, Stuart
O'Grady et al" response. The winner of the

Tour

Quoted message said:

de France usually averages about 41 km/h and these people are physiological freaks. Just what is
this "cruising"?

hehe dudes cracking 70kph on hybrids (must be big hills) and "cruising" at 40kph... I wish it felt
so easy when I ride at 40kph!

I think we should have an aus.bicycle speedo calibration day and then a workshop looking at
standardising our "measure of perceived effort" scales. :-) cptips.compercxtn.htmOpen ↗
google.comsearchOpen ↗

hippy