Converting Mountain to Commuter

[TexanCzexican]

I will be moving in less than a month and will only be 3.2 miles from work. I would like to be able to commute a few days a week or more using my current mountain bike. I bought it last year, but just don't find it as much fun as road cycling.

What do I need to do to go about converting it to a commuter bike?

[mimitabby]

Welcome to TE!

tell us what kind of bike it is, make, model, even show us a picture.
probably all you need to do is get rid of the knobby tires.

[TexanCzexican]

Heh, sorry, that would probably help, huh? :o

It's a stock woman's specific Boulder SE

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d26/paiger81/giant_boulder_se_w_06_m.jpg

I do have clipless pedals and a Serfas RX seat.

I'm planning on going to the local cycling shop in town, but want to make sure I don't get suckered into adding extra stuff.

I bought it when they first came out, but found that I feel oddly claustrophobic on the local mountain biking trails--trees feel awfully close to the trails.

Thanks again!

[mimitabby]

looking at that bike, just change the tires, you ought to be just fine! it looks like a nice comfy bike, should be perfect for that commute

[SadieKate]

Like mimi said. Just put on narrow slicks and go!

Will you be commuting in low light conditions or after dark? If so, you may want to consider something like the Michelin TransWorld City or the Continental City Contact as both have a reflective stripe.

[Cyclo Kitty]

Welcome to bike commuting! It's the best part of my day, and I hope it'll be the same for you. You don't need the following things to start, but I have found them handy over the past 10 months, adding in gradual stages as the weather changed.

If you are going to commute in the rain, I strongly recommend fenders--they really do cut down on the amount of water you get. You can wait and see how you feel about riding in the rain. I rode in everything this past winter and found that made riding in mild rain a lot harder to face, through precipitation fatigue.

A rear rack is handy, and can act as an intermediate fender if you don't want to go "all the way" right now. The wet & muddy stripe up your backside isn't too pleasant...

Riding at night? Lights. Lotsa lights. headlight, rear blinky, blinky for your bag, I even clip one to my jacket. Reflective tires are wicked cool and really are SEEN. I love them, but I don't have them.

I like the Jannd reflective trouser straps; they are very handy tying stuff down when I don't need trouser straps. But I got tired of catching the pants in the bike parts and these do help. I don't think they are great all day wear, from what my co-workers tell me:o

Lastly, panniers. Moving weight off my back was a big help. When they have reflective strips, all the better! there are lots out there to choose from at all price ranges. If you leave the bike out in the rain, make sure that the zipper flap is covered!

[MomOnBike]

Listen to Cyclo Kitty. She's spot on.

All I would add is don't get rid of the knobbies. They'll be useful in the winter when you are dealing with icky (technical term. see also: yucky) roads. For summer commutes, slicks are nicer.

Other than that, enjoy your commute. It could well be the nicest part of your day.

[sbctwin]

I commute with my mountain bike. I did switch out the really nubby tires for more sedate nubbies, but not slicks. I no longer enjoyed trail riding after I took a terrific spill in Park City, UT. I have a trek 6500. I have a rear rack and a set of panniers where normally, I only have to use one at any time. I have a blinky light off my pannier. I carry a camelback with a little bit of water and have another white blinky light hanging off it. I also have a halogen headlight, since I commute at 4:30 am. I take a trip up to work by car on the weekend and take my clothes and lunch for the week. My bike ride in the morning gives me the energy to make it through the rest of the day....Enjoy your commute. Mine is only 5 miles (uphill), but it really aids in my outlook for the day.

[stella]

ditto what mimitabby, sadie kate, sbctwin: slick tires.

if you plan on riding in the rain: fenders like cyclo kitty recommended.

I converted my mtn bike into a commuter/singlespeed. the only thing i've done is put on slicks b/c I still go off road on occasion.

do you have a backpack to throw your stuff in?

t

[tattiefritter]

I agree with pretty much what everyone else has said. I use an old MTB for commuting in the winter, its a lot slower than my road bike but it copes with all the road salt and potholes that seem to open up during cold spells. In fact I absolutely hate riding it now but my commute is now 17 miles each way (its now affectionately known as the "anchor" for its uphill performance), when it was half that distance it was fine and I used to use the MTB all the time.

I have modified it over a period of time to have:

1. Slicks, not the narrowest out there but 1.3 Vredestein S-Licks which I find grippy in the wet/road sludge and seem to cope with disk brakes without too much skidding. Also roll well and nice and grippy in the dry too! I don't ride in icy conditions as I've fallen off commuting in snow/ice and broken a couple of fingers.

2. Bar ends for change of hand position. I find resting my hands on the bar ends a more comfortable position for cruising, if your route means you will be constantly on your brakes then they will probably be pointless.

3. Changed out my heavy suspension forks for a cheapo pair of rigids found on ebay (these are not the most comfortable forks to ride on for 17 miles, however they're light and carbon MTB forks are very expensive to justify putting on my commuter).

4. Rack and rack pack. I like having the stuff off my back in the winter as my waterproof is a portable sauna as it is without adding a rucksack in to the mix. I chose a rack pack rather than panniers for two reasons - 1) It's smaller: the more room to carry stuff I have the more crap I'll take, this is especially important for my now longer commute. 2) Its more streamlined in that it sits in the deadspace behind me rather than sticking out a bit on either side of my legs. I can leave shoes and toiletries etc at work so I can get away with a smaller bag. On the road bike I just use a small rucksack.

5. Mudguards (or fenders), my rack is a pretty good guard on the rear and the rack pack takes the rest. I have a full length clip on plastic one for the front which is fantastic and stops a lot of spray.

Also lights (and back up lights), fluoro clothing .... the list could be endless if you want it to be. I've been bike commuting over 6 years now and its taken me a while to arrive at my current set up so there is no rush. Apart from the slicks and guards a lot of the changes above were only made when my commute changed to 17 miles as I started to notice that some things were uncomfortable. I kind of miss my shorter commute as it was a lot less complicated, I just chucked my stuff in a bag and got going!

[Trek420]

I commute and sometimes do road rides (even slower than I normally go) on a cheap lil' 10 year old GT Outpost trail.

Steel frame and fork, no suspension, nothin' fancy, cheap cheap cheap bike. :D It had slicks from the start. Last year using a gift certificate from family for my 50th I got new wheels: Mavic Cross Ride.

Whoo hoo! They cost more than the bike itself but dayuhm I love this bike. I may even re-paint it I like it so much. Best upgrade ever.

[SalsaMTB]

Ditto what everyone else said. But, just to get you riding, I would recommend the below:

Get a tail light, front light and reflective tape (you never know when you'll get stuck at work late)
Backpack
Basic tool kit to repair a flat or chain
Bike lock (if needed)

All other things are nice to have if you can afford it. If you're looking for the necessities, I wouldn't ride without the above.

[carback]

Living on the coast of British Columbia, we get an awful lot of rain between November and February.

And with temperatures hovering near +2 celsius (near freezing) many mornings, and it pouring rain, I had many mornings (and evenings) of cold, wet hands until I discovered...

rubber gloves.

Seriously. Just your basic garden variety dishwashing gloves.

I bought a size large enough to accommodate my fleece gloves underneath & my hands remained bone dry & warm even during the worst downpours. You definitely want a synthetic glove (ie fleece or polypro) to absorb any moisture (sweat) your hands may generate but quite frankly, I never had an issue with it.

And they pull up nice and high, creating a look of elegance yet never forgetting their main raison d'etre: function. Can't beat that. :)