Commuting on a Hardtail

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Commuting on a Hardtail
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Posted: Jan 16, 2019 at 7:40 Quote
Whats up guys, I have recently moved and now live within a reasonable distance to commute to work by bike, but as an avid mountain biker I am wondering about what bike will suit me best for my riding. I currently have a Cannondale Synapse 6 roadbike, it is just fine and will get me to and from work without any issue, the problem I have with it is that it is boring as all hell to ride. I have been thinking about adding a hardtail to my collection for a few years now, and think this may be just the ticket to finding a good compromise between something I want to ride and something that makes sense to do 10+ miles on.

Wondering how many of you commute longer distances on hardtail mountain bikes. I am willing to sacrifice a few mph for the benefit of a more natural riding position for me and the ability to jump a curb or something if I want to spice things up. I am eyeing a Carbon Kona Honzo specifically, and already have a set of 29inch wheels from another bike that will work and will throw something like the Schwalbe Big Apple on there to reduce rolling resistance. I live in a coastal area, so hills are pretty much non existent.

Posted: Jan 24, 2019 at 10:27 Quote
jtm12090 wrote:
Whats up guys, I have recently moved and now live within a reasonable distance to commute to work by bike, but as an avid mountain biker I am wondering about what bike will suit me best for my riding. I currently have a Cannondale Synapse 6 roadbike, it is just fine and will get me to and from work without any issue, the problem I have with it is that it is boring as all hell to ride. I have been thinking about adding a hardtail to my collection for a few years now, and think this may be just the ticket to finding a good compromise between something I want to ride and something that makes sense to do 10+ miles on.

Wondering how many of you commute longer distances on hardtail mountain bikes. I am willing to sacrifice a few mph for the benefit of a more natural riding position for me and the ability to jump a curb or something if I want to spice things up. I am eyeing a Carbon Kona Honzo specifically, and already have a set of 29inch wheels from another bike that will work and will throw something like the Schwalbe Big Apple on there to reduce rolling resistance. I live in a coastal area, so hills are pretty much non existent.

I rode my 2012 Kona splice for the last like 5 years primarily in a commuting bike type role- and even did rides up to 130km (~83 miles) on it. I rode it often with a semi-slick in the back, and a 'cross tire on the front. I don't see why not!
edit: i should add the 2012 Kona Splice was the year it was still more light trail bike than hybrid commuter bike (80mm fork- i later upgraded that to a 100mm Recon silver RL)

O+
Posted: Feb 9, 2019 at 11:51 Quote
I had a carbon Honzo last summer and did a few commutes on it. 2-3 min slower than a cross bike over a half an hour commute but WAY more fun! With some dedicated commuting wheels it could be a good option to make better use of that investment compared to a dedicated commuter you won’t ever ride on the weekend.

Only catch is you can’t run a front derailleur. So you need to be geared like at least a 34t on the cranks or you will spin out the whole time.

Also, you want somewhere safe at work to lock it up. Secure bike room would be nice.

Posted: Feb 26, 2019 at 1:29 Quote
I put a rigid fork and road drivetrain on an old cross-country bike. 1.5" tires are plenty for my commute on dedicated bike paths (fast and fairly smooth), but I'd run 2" or larger if I had to cross varied terrain. Schwalbe has the most complete selection of fat, fast slicks, going all the way up to 2.8" on the same casings as their road tires.

A high-end, fat slick tire is nearly as fast as a road tire and can monster truck over curbs, storm sewer grates, shortcuts through parks, gravel parking lots, and anything else on your commute. And they can hold a turn like a MotoGP bike. That's what adds the fun to your commute.

Flat bars are a lot more fun than drop bars - safer, too, as your fingers are always near the brakes. I've narrowly escaped a few situations that would've been crashes if I had to reposition my hands to access full braking power.

Posted: Feb 27, 2019 at 16:15 Quote
I've been commuting since the late 80's. Personally my favorite is an old fully rigid steel bike from the late 80's or early 90's like a Kona Lavadome. Upgrade to v'brakes, slap some fenders on, swap out the rubber for street slicks, add a rack if you like panniers and you have a bomb proof bike that you won't care too much about if its stolen or you ride in deicing salt.

I've moved on from that to a CX, a vintage steel hybrid and then a gravel bike, but the old school steel mountain bike is still a great commuter. You can even do a drop bar conversion with it and use it for gravel riding, touring or bike packing on weekends.

Posted: Mar 2, 2019 at 5:24 Quote
Completely do-able and a lot of fun!
Used to do a 10mile each way commute on a rigid mtb. Hardtail would work well if you've got a lockout on the forks for any climbs on the way.
Biggest factor is what tyres you put on it - the narrower and lighter the faster it will be. Ones with puncture protection will be even more practical when you are riding back in winter cold evenings.

If you're buying knew I'd favour a 2x or 3x chainset at the front rather than a 1x. The gear ratios will be closer together and you can keep a steadier cadence when you are tapping out the miles.

Posted: Mar 5, 2019 at 13:25 Quote
BigJohnUK wrote:
Completely do-able and a lot of fun!
Used to do a 10mile each way commute on a rigid mtb. Hardtail would work well if you've got a lockout on the forks for any climbs on the way.
Biggest factor is what tyres you put on it - the narrower and lighter the faster it will be. Ones with puncture protection will be even more practical when you are riding back in winter cold evenings.

If you're buying knew I'd favour a 2x or 3x chainset at the front rather than a 1x. The gear ratios will be closer together and you can keep a steadier cadence when you are tapping out the miles.

Schwalbe makes the marathon in a 26'er skinny tire. You can also get Conti gatorskins in 26" which is a nice balance of protection and performance. Unless you are riding on a lot of trail I don't put much value on a suspension fork for commuting. I had a Kona Dew FS and I kept the fork locked out 99% of the time. I got tired of the extra weight and upgraded to a steel fork eventually. then I just replaced that frame with a CX frame and fattish road tires. Never missed the suspension.

Posted: Mar 5, 2019 at 16:02 Quote
dirttorpedo wrote:
Schwalbe makes the marathon in a 26'er skinny tire. You can also get Conti gatorskins in 26" which is a nice balance of protection and performance. Unless you are riding on a lot of trail I don't put much value on a suspension fork for commuting. I had a Kona Dew FS and I kept the fork locked out 99% of the time. I got tired of the extra weight and upgraded to a steel fork eventually. then I just replaced that frame with a CX frame and fattish road tires. Never missed the suspension.

Agree fat slicks are the way to go. Every major bike tire manufacturer makes something suitable in 26", usually up to 1.5" wide. Schwalbe makes almost every width you can imagine, all the way to 2.8". A friend ditched his suspension fork and is happy with light, fast 2.35" slicks. I would go wider than my 1.5" slicks if I could, but fender clearance is pretty tight.

Posted: Mar 6, 2019 at 9:39 Quote
R-M-R wrote:
dirttorpedo wrote:
Schwalbe makes the marathon in a 26'er skinny tire. You can also get Conti gatorskins in 26" which is a nice balance of protection and performance. Unless you are riding on a lot of trail I don't put much value on a suspension fork for commuting. I had a Kona Dew FS and I kept the fork locked out 99% of the time. I got tired of the extra weight and upgraded to a steel fork eventually. then I just replaced that frame with a CX frame and fattish road tires. Never missed the suspension.

Agree fat slicks are the way to go. Every major bike tire manufacturer makes something suitable in 26", usually up to 1.5" wide. Schwalbe makes almost every width you can imagine, all the way to 2.8". A friend ditched his suspension fork and is happy with light, fast 2.35" slicks. I would go wider than my 1.5" slicks if I could, but fender clearance is pretty tight.

Ya, 2.35 slicks would have gobs of pneumatic suspension. Compass tires makes a very fast rolling light casing 26'er tire, but its probably a bit thin for most urban commuting applications. If you mounted it tubeless you might get away with it.

O+
Posted: Mar 16, 2019 at 17:33 Quote
My Kahuna with big apples and a 1x10 is a blast, big ass bmx bike. Going to add lighter wheels and a carbon fork. Honestly you'd be doing that Honzo a disservice, it's a shred sled. Find a cross country geo bike

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