How far is your commute? Besides the commute would it see more mountains or more road? If it's a short commute I would get a bike more set up for MTB. If you want to use it for mostly road I would buy two bikes off craigslist. One road bike and one MTB.
Mountain/Commuter/Cross Country Bikes
- Thread starter Capocaccia
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Short commute. 2 miles to class. Ill ride it 5 miles tops to stores and stuff like that. Im gonna see what I cna make happen. But any more suggestions are more than appreciated.
Invest in an extra set of wheels and put skinny road tires on them for your commuting. Your ride will be more comfortable and will also handle weather conditions better. You'd be suprised how fast your trail tread will disappear on tarmac.
If you really want to ride trails, don't mix that up with street riding. Get two bikes. Get a used utilitarian road bike to go to class/store, put the bulk of your money toward a trail bike, where the enjoyment of the ride makes a difference.
That's good advice. I've thought about getting a set of more road style type wheels for my bike. I wonder if you have to adjust your brakes every time you swap out to account for the width?
For the price of a second set of tires and rims, you probably could get a used road bike. And you wouldn't have to go to class with greasy hands.
I'm just sayin'
yep... a second set of wheels is cost prohibitive in most cases.
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The Oxford bike shop has the Hardrock sport for 375. Ive spoken wiht more than one person that says just dont get the XC if you plan on going on any trails.
I vote against skinny tires, especially for such a short commute. I ran Specialized Armadillos for my 10-mi commute, the time I lost with heavy tires was more than regained by no longer stopping to fix flats in the dark. I ran studs in the winter, not so much thorns and broken glass in snow. A mnt bike is the way to go for commuting, as long as it fits you well. Knobby side walls help lift the tire out of cracks and up curbs, that will save your butt eventually. I wouldn't put much into a college bike, I never rode my competition bike on campus, never left it outside unattended.