Converting hardtail into a commuter

[mrbikerboy73]

Sell the Zero to someone who would use it for its intended purpose, then go and buy a more suitable bike with the money!

 

[Pale Rider]

The OP wants a 'heavy duty tourer'.

The Bird is certainly heavy duty, but in all other respects is not a good prospect for conversion.

No easy means of mounting a carrier, mudguards, and no bottle cage mounts that I can see - the triangle may be too small.

All of this can be sorted one way or another, but it's going to be a p-clip and zip tie fest.

I doubt the near downhill geometry would be comfortable for long hours at a steady touring pace.

Then there's the gearing.

One or 2 X 10 is a lot less than ideal for touring.

A mountain triple is what's required, which may - or may not - be simple to fit on the Bird.

Many more cross-country orientated mountain bikes are good candidates for conversion.

My Cannondale SL1 has two bottle cage mounts, bosses for mudguards and a carrier, and a mountain triple which gives sufficiently wide gearing.

Even then, I think most riders would want the bars higher for comfortable touring - I've already chopped the ridiculous width.

At least that only leaves one thing to tinker with.

 

[Salar]

Good points. I've got mounts, bosses for most of my bits on my Hoss, as said the bars may need to be raised (still to do mine)

 

[razer17]

The OP wants a 'heavy duty tourer'.

The Bird is certainly heavy duty, but in all other respects is not a good prospect for conversion.

.

Nah, not a tourer. No paniers or racks. Some mudguards are about the closest I'll get a to a tourer. Also, I'm just between sizes, so the L frame I have isn't actually as long as perhaps it might be. And the head angle is 69 degrees, so it's not that slack either. Ride to work is only 5 miles

Sell the Zero to someone who would use it for its intended purpose, then go and buy a more suitable bike with the money!

But real commuters are heavy and they all look so boring comparatively. And I'd lose quite a lot of money I would imagine.

 

[OskarTennisChampion]

Unfortunately that's just the nature of selling on bikes.
No one knows how much you have spent making it in to a worthy bike,and frankly they don't care.
All they want is a bargain,so if you were to ask for more or less what you paid for it,it would bomb.
And you would have to drop the price eventually,as per what I see with bikes on eBay.
They try and recoup the money they have spent on it,and ask for what they paid for it.They end up dropping it £100,then another £100 until it does seem like a bargain

So,all that said,I think you should keep it and stick some mud guards on it.
Because I think you would be disappointed not only with parting with it,but the price in which you did.
Been there with a Titanium bike,when I had to sell it for £375 under the asking price.
Another idea would be to break it down and sell it as parts,maybe a better way to get your money back

 

[Pale Rider]

Nah, not a tourer. No paniers or racks. Some mudguards are about the closest I'll get a to a tourer. Also, I'm just between sizes, so the L frame I have isn't actually as long as perhaps it might be. And the head angle is 69 degrees, so it's not that slack either. Ride to work is only 5 miles


But real commuters are heavy and they all look so boring comparatively. And I'd lose quite a lot of money I would imagine.

Ah, you did say 'rugged tourer' in your OP.

A five mile commute is a fish of a very different flavour.

For that, I wouldn't even bother changing the Zero's tyres until you've worn them out.

 

[razer17]

Ah, you did say 'rugged tourer' in your OP.

A five mile commute is a fish of a very different flavour.

For that, I wouldn't even bother changing the Zero's tyres until you've worn them out.

I'll end up doing more than 5 mile rides, but not any fully loaded epics.

As for the tyres, they're going onto my full suspension bike, because the original tyres on that bike aren't the best.

 

[PlymSlimCyclist]

I ride my MTB as a commuter.
I've lockable forks, so they're permanently locked.
I've kitted it out with a rear rack, mudguards, and SPD pedals.

It's the only thing I've done to it, bar changing the tyres for originally Conti TourRides to SportContact tyres.

The TourRides are a great tyre, but the Sport Contacts are considerably faster for my commute.

My commute is pretty much hills and all road, such is the life of a Plymouthian though.

Just do what you feel right, but I do think locking or changing your forks if they can't lock, is a good way forward.

 

[Jody]

Why not just throw a set of slicks on the Bird and use as is? No drastic changes, you get to keep her incase you want a spin off-road and won't limit your market if you come to sell.

Other than that I agree with Mr Biker Boy that its a waste of a good bike turning it into a commuter just to be different.

 

[razer17]

Why not just throw a set of slicks on the Bird and use as is? No drastic changes, you get to keep her incase you want a spin off-road and won't limit your market if you come to sell.

Other than that I agree with Mr Biker Boy that its a waste of a good bike turning it into a commuter just to be different.

I've bought some Marathon Pros, so I'm gonna stick them on and ride it as is. Lock the firm and hopefully it'll be quick enough.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Unfortunately that's just the nature of selling on bikes.
No one knows how much you have spent making it in to a worthy bike,and frankly they don't care.
All they want is a bargain,so if you were to ask for more or less what you paid for it,it would bomb.
And you would have to drop the price eventually,as per what I see with bikes on eBay.
They try and recoup the money they have spent on it,and ask for what they paid for it.They end up dropping it £100,then another £100 until it does seem like a bargain

So,all that said,I think you should keep it and stick some mud guards on it.
Because I think you would be disappointed not only with parting with it,but the price in which you did.
Been there with a Titanium bike,when I had to sell it for £375 under the asking price.
Another idea would be to break it down and sell it as parts,maybe a better way to get your money back

yep..i sold my Orange crush 1300 quid to buy the frame and build..for about 350..
i couldn't be bothered to ebay all the bits..but i would have got nearer 500 i guess

 

[raleighnut]

You can still off-road a rigid fork bike, just 'go light' over the bumpy stuff.

 

[OskarTennisChampion]

yep..i sold my Orange crush 1300 quid to buy the frame and build..for about 350..
i couldn't be bothered to ebay all the bits..but i would have got nearer 500 i guess

Incidentally @meta lon ,did you sell your Commencal,or were you just pondering it ?.
Having had a look at it,I personally wouldn't,as it looks like it has been built with a Do It All in mind.
But I know what it's like when you see something shinier later

 

[Salar]

You can still off-road a rigid fork bike, just 'go light' over the bumpy stuff.

That's all we had in the 80's and 90's I used to ride the trails in south Wales on rigid fork Marins and Konas.

 

[Drago]

Some of us still enjoy a trail thrash on our 1990s rigids.