MTB/Commuting

denisstephens

Is it possible yo swap over normal commuting wheels and MTB wheels on the same bike want to use MTB for weekends and same bike to commute to work?

blorg

Yes, swapping wheels is pretty easy and you could have a second pair with slicks. It will work better if your MTB is a hardtail with lockout on the fork, still won't be as fast as a road bike but it is certainly doable.

Morgan

Yes.

If you run disc brakes it should even be possible to use 700c (road) sized wheels with a narrow tyre.

mmclo

And the other way around...say a hybrid for commuting with bigger wheels for w/e? I hope to be acquiring a hybrid so anything I should check in this regard when doing so??


Thx

Morgan

mmclo wrote: »

And the other way around...say a hybrid for commuting with bigger wheels for w/e? I hope to be acquiring a hybrid so anything I should check in this regard when doing so??


Thx

Depends what you're doing at the weekend. You won't fit large mtb tyres on a hybrid, there won't be enough clearance. They're not designed for mountainbiking.

mmclo

Morgan wrote: »

Depends what you're doing at the weekend. You won't fit large mtb tyres on a hybrid, there won't be enough clearance. They're not designed for mountainbiking.

I suppose more accurate would be off roading...trails etc. I currently use a MTB but 90% usage is commuting but it's ancient and fairly cr@p

blorg

You can do stuff like fireroads on a hybrid no problem, anything else might be pushing it.

Morgan

blorg wrote: »

You can do stuff like fireroads on a hybrid no problem, anything else might be pushing it.

Literally.

SerialComplaint

denisstephens wrote: »

Is it possible yo swap over normal commuting wheels and MTB wheels on the same bike want to use MTB for weekends and same bike to commute to work?

Do you really need to switch? I commute on MTB tyres, as I take a couple of stretches over grass, to keep me as far away from cars for as much of my route as possible. I'm sure I could shave a few minutes off my commute time with hybrid-style tyres, but would it really make that much difference. My primary aim in commuting by bike is to keep my weight down, so the extra effort is a bonus, not a problem.

blorg

Slicks will be substantially faster and have a much nicer ride quality, as well as providing more grip on the tarmac and thus aid safety.

I have used both slicks and knobblies on the same bike (cross bike) and the difference was like night and day, it transformed the bike. With the knobblies it was like cycling through treacle.

I never got the whole "riding a crap bike is a bonus as it gives me a workout" argument, you an just ride faster/up more hills and cover more distance in the same amount of time on a good bike while enjoying the experience.

denisstephens

Have to cycle on main road to work no short cuts:( thanks for all the feedback will be purchasing a new set of wheels shortly

SerialComplaint

blorg wrote: »

I never got the whole "riding a crap bike is a bonus as it gives me a workout" argument, you an just ride faster/up more hills and cover more distance in the same amount of time on a good bike while enjoying the experience.

In practice, for most commuting cyclists, the distance covered is fixed, and the effort and time are variable. When heading home in the evening with wife/kids/cat/dinner waiting for me, I'm just not going to extend the distance. A faster run means less time spent exercising, so it suits me to ride my MTB on the commute for this and other reasons.