Speeding my bike up?

Onk said:

I own a mtb right now and im trying to upgrade it so that it can travel almost as fast or maybe as fast as the roadies do. I just bought a pair of slick tires and im just wondering what should my next upgrade be.

Shed some weight 🙁 ...,how many teeth does your smallest rear gear have ? 11 or less ?,how about the front bigest gear.....44 teeth ?

Dan

Onk said:

I own a mtb right now and im trying to upgrade it so that it can travel almost as fast or maybe as fast as the roadies do. I just bought a pair of slick tires and im just wondering what should my next upgrade be.

Get a lighter frame and fork, then a lighter, narrower set of wheels. You'll probably need to change the brakes and levers, and you'll want some drop type handle bars and shifters to go with them. You may need a new BB to fit the new frame, and then you might want to think about a new crankset. Hey, wait a minute, it's starting to sound like a road bike...

I guess what I'm trying to say is that an MTB is an MTB and a road bike is a road bike. The only way to make an MTB "go as fast as a road bike" (whatever THAT means) is to beef up the engine. Ride more, push some weights, eat right, etc.

TD

Sounds dumb but here goes: pedal faster.
I keep up with the amatures out on the roadies on weekend rides OK. Anything over 40km/hrs cruising & I'm left behind but.

You might lose some energy through the fork action too - compared to rigid forks, might be worth a swap to rigid.

tyler_derden said:

Get a lighter frame and fork, then a lighter, narrower set of wheels. You'll probably need to change the brakes and levers, and you'll want some drop type handle bars and shifters to go with them. You may need a new BB to fit the new frame, and then you might want to think about a new crankset. Hey, wait a minute, it's starting to sound like a road bike...

I guess what I'm trying to say is that an MTB is an MTB and a road bike is a road bike. The only way to make an MTB "go as fast as a road bike" (whatever THAT means) is to beef up the engine. Ride more, push some weights, eat right, etc.

TD

i know a mtb will always be a mtb but im just pondering what will be the best component to upgrade if i want to speed it up, like the cassette for example, i have 11 -37 on my bike

I have the same dilema. I have added smaller tires (26X1.5) and really need to add some higher gearing as my top speed is only about 27 mph pedaling wide open :eek: going downhill. I mainly just ride it to work, so it's not real important right now.

Onk said:

i know a mtb will always be a mtb but im just pondering what will be the best component to upgrade if i want to speed it up, like the cassette for example, i have 11 -37 on my bike

most good mountain bikes come with very small crank chain rings. If your crank has replacable chainrings just but larger ones and swap them out.

What's the main thing slowing you down? Are you struggling to maintain a good cadence in the highest gear? Are you in the highest gear and feel like you are spinning your legs out?

If it is the former, smaller smoother tires with higher tire pressures is your first target. Next is leaning your riding position forward, which brings additional power from the muscles in your butt more into your pedal stroke, and makes you more areodynamic. This can be accomplished with reducing the stem angle, longer stem, flat bar as opposed to riser bars, pulling the saddle back, ect.

If it is the later, bigger gearing is your focus. 11 tooth cassettes are as big as they get in the back, so you are looking at the chain rings/cranks. Road bikes run 52'ish tooth big rings and 39'ish tooth small rings. Maybe replacing your cranks with a road bike style crankset?

Cheers,
Juba