Making a Mtb more "road friendly" on a budget

[Holy Warrior]

The easy option would be to sell the Mtb and purchase a low level entry Road bike/ Hybrid but really for financial reasons in this case it aint viable.

if you have checked my other posts you would know that this is for my dad who is riding a Mtb and me a road bike. Therefore the actual mountain bit isn't being used, nor will be ever again. I mentioned to my dad about maybe fitting some slimmer tyres on it/ maybe a different gearing set.


What are the pros and cons of this? How expensive would this be to do? Would it simply be better off selling the Mtb for say £50/100 as it is a very good one, purchasing a low level roadbike for say£250 like mine cost? Still though that is at least £150 which isn't available. Thoughts and advice please please.

 

[Zoiders]

Cheapy road bikes have a habbit of falling to bit's.

A set of 26" slicks like the city jet can be picked up very cheaply and I doubt your dad will miss a higher gear, you are getting a 42x11 top end anyway on most MTB's so I wouldnt worry about it.

What MTB is your dad riding by the way?

 

[Davidc]

My round-town utility mtb cost very little to modify. Kenda Kwest 1 1/2" slick tyres, a rack and some cheap panniers. About £40 total 2 1/2 years ago.

No immediate change to the gearing, although I now use the same cassettes as on the tourer just to avoid keeping 2 spares in stock.

When and if it wears out or gets stolen I'll probably buy a so-called hybrid for the job - that's basically the same but without suspension. Unless another last years model mtb turns up at the sort of discount this one was!

 

[Holy Warrior]

I'll try find a picture of it Zoid, it's a Mongoose anyway.

Yeah i was also a bit reluctant to suggest a cheap roadie, but my Carrera tdf is really good.



Would there be any issues with fitting slicker tyres? I doubt they can be too road like though with the extra weight of the mtb frame.

 

[Dave W]

I'm using my MTB as a road bike until my hybrid arrives. Just stick some slicks on it, I've also got a rack and panniers on it. The gearing is a bit low but perfectly usable.

 

[byegad]

Tyres. Narrow, compared to the knobblies, slicks will make the bike a lot faster. Then mudguards, if you want to stay dry. A rack for commuting or a small pack for tubes and tyre levers. Good enough for a while and cheap enough.

 

[Zoiders]

They can be as narrow as the rim will stand.

A MTB might weigh a bit more but it's putting no where near the same amount of stress on the air pocket of the tyre as the weight of the rider does so it's not an issue as long as the pressure is high enough, just the same as with a 700c road wheel.

Stick to a 1.25" tyre and you will be fine, it's no accident that the inch and a quarter tyre gets the nod for slick MTB use so often, it's very similar in cross section dimension to the old 27x1/14 tyres which always worked well as all round tyres for everything from racing to touring.

 

[Holy Warrior]

This is it: http://www.mtbr.com/...42_1527crx.aspx


Yeah, all he is needing is something a little quicker/ easier on the flat tarmac, even downhill he is a real good (mad) descender and I just roll behind him, even braking on my roadbike. Glad to hear the new wheels will just slot straight on.


How much will the wheels/ tyres cost to get a decent pair?


Handy that if one of us ever wants to then do some off-road we can just bang the old wheels back on and have a very good mtb to play with.

 

[Holy Warrior]

Somehting like this at the 26 x 1.3 not 1.6?



http://www.wiggle.co.uk/continental-sportcontact-city-mtb-tyre-and-tube-set/

 

[Zoiders]

You don't have to get new wheels just swap the tyres out.

 

[smokeysmoo]

I used to use Halo Twin Rails on my MTB, then got fed up of the weight and dymanic of he whole package, and got a road bike

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

I have a pair of Schwalbe Kojak 26x1.35 tyres. Since they are the folding version (steel wire bead replaced by kevlar fibres) they weigh under 300g each, and taking up to 90 psi afaik they are THE lightest and fastest 26" slicks money can buy currently. Although they are usually quite expensive, I have PMed you a link to imo a particularly good deal. Schwalbe City Jets are wider and cheaper, but they are twice as heavy.

If puncture protection is important, Continental Sport Contact 26x1.3 might be better, they are similarly priced, also fast albeit heavier tyres at 450g a piece.

I would be surprised if a set of light slicks suitably inflated does not transform the feel of your Dad's mtb on the road.

 

[fossyant]

I used Hutchinson Top Slick 2's for over a year in city commuting. Very fast and I could keep up with road bikes no problem. They were light too. Cheap from Decathlon - about £10 each. Not mega puncture proof, so were no good on gravel paths.