Road bikes wear out quicker than mnt bikes? (under same conditions of course)
#51
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A full-on race bike will gain you about 10 kp/h speed over a full-suspension MTB with knobby tires with no extra effort. A race bike will be about 5 kp/h faster than a regular MTB with disk brakes, front suspension and slicks.
This is due to a combination of tire rolling resistance, weight and aerodynamics. A race bike is particularly nice in stop 'n go traffic, where you have to make lots of accelerations. Light wheels are the biggest benefit here.
Race tires and light wheels will certainly fail easier and wear out faster than MTB wheels. Disk brakes will also be much easier on rims, especially if you're riding in the rain.
Sand and road grit is a big wear instigator. If you're riding a bike with a derailleur system and rim brakes in the rain and sand, be prepared to replace rims yearly and chains several times per year.
So you have to make tradeoffs here. What I ride? In the winter I ride a hybrid with a Shimano Alfine 8-speed IGH. 28mm folding tires and light rims. I go for light weight in everything but the (heavy) rear hub. The IGH saves me a world of trouble with drivetrain wear and performance issues. Make sure you have full fenders.
In the summer, I commute on a 15-pound carbon bike with carbon tubular rims. A joy to ride and very fast.
#52
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I've made my choice, after your nice tips... am going for a cyclocross. Very good trade off between the fast asphalt bit and the gravel paths. Also good for the days you're feeling like taking the long way home. Since it rains quite a lot here, light integrated fenders would be nice. Looking to stay under 10 kg (22 lb), and a budget about 1000€. Let's see what I can find here...
#53
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I almost always doo that, however, some protection from chain is always practical for me. Some pants flap sometimes in spite of a strap and when I ride road bike that's one more thing to watch out for... unlike the dedicated commuter.
#55
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Found some options.
Wilier 2013 Triestina Cross
https://www.bikebuster.no/detaljer-no/121177.html
~ 1770 US$, weights 9.0kg (18.8lbs).
Merida Cyclo Cross 4-D 2013
https://www.oslosportslager.no/produk...013-28776.aspx
~1440 US$, weights 10.3kg (22.7lbs), as found here
Both good cyclo cross bikes.
The Wilier is lighter and more costly... and the Merida has disk brakes, which I tend to prefer.
As brands, not sure which is would be better.
Also, need to check if I can fit fenders in these.
Any experience with any of these models/brands?
Wilier 2013 Triestina Cross
https://www.bikebuster.no/detaljer-no/121177.html
~ 1770 US$, weights 9.0kg (18.8lbs).
Merida Cyclo Cross 4-D 2013
https://www.oslosportslager.no/produk...013-28776.aspx
~1440 US$, weights 10.3kg (22.7lbs), as found here
Both good cyclo cross bikes.
The Wilier is lighter and more costly... and the Merida has disk brakes, which I tend to prefer.
As brands, not sure which is would be better.
Also, need to check if I can fit fenders in these.
Any experience with any of these models/brands?
#56
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Neither one has rack attachment points if at some point in the future you'd like to add a rear rack, just something I noticed. I love not having to wear a backpack and being able to bring some groceries home, too. Also harder to attach fenders. If that doesn't matter to you, I'd go with the Merida since it has discs.
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Neither one has rack attachment points if at some point in the future you'd like to add a rear rack, just something I noticed. I love not having to wear a backpack and being able to bring some groceries home, too. Also harder to attach fenders. If that doesn't matter to you, I'd go with the Merida since it has discs.
Good point for the fenders. I really wanted to know whether those thin and light fenders could be attached to any of them. Those large mountain bike fenders are not an option, I'd prefer to get wet
#58
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For the rack, I really don't want it. As I don't use it frequently, it would be just extra weight carried every day back and forth.
Good point for the fenders. I really wanted to know whether those thin and light fenders could be attached to any of them. Those large mountain bike fenders are not an option, I'd prefer to get wet
Good point for the fenders. I really wanted to know whether those thin and light fenders could be attached to any of them. Those large mountain bike fenders are not an option, I'd prefer to get wet
The only fenders I can think of that would work with those bikes would be the SKS RaceBlade XL, fits up to 32mm tires:
https://www.sks-germany.com/?l=en&a=p...ADE%20XL%20SET
#60
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Don't get me wrong, I like old bikes a lot! But this idea that new bikes are less repairable is completely ass-backwards, and I don't think anyone with actual experience in repairing bicycles of all ages would make such a claim.
As far as materials go, it's really not relevant. It all breaks.
I don't agree that it is easier to repair old bikes. I volunteer to do it all the time and don't find it particularly easy nor the equipment more durable than modern equipment. Hub cones aren't meant to be repaired if they pit which is a common occurrence. Loose bearing adjustable cup bottom brackets are easily contaminated and both the spindle and cups can be pitted. The only 'repair' for those is replacement. Headsets suffer from the same issues.
Modern equipment with cartridge bearings are much better sealed and undergo a much longer duty life. Back in the bad old days, I would replace a headset or a bottom bracket on nearly a yearly basis. One that lasted 2 years was amazing and if it lasted for 5 years, it was probably because I didn't use the bike all that much. I have yet to replace a sealed unit bottom bracket or a sealed bearing headset due to wear, and I've been using both for nearly 20 years. I've replaced them due to upgraditis but not due to wear.
Modern equipment with cartridge bearings are much better sealed and undergo a much longer duty life. Back in the bad old days, I would replace a headset or a bottom bracket on nearly a yearly basis. One that lasted 2 years was amazing and if it lasted for 5 years, it was probably because I didn't use the bike all that much. I have yet to replace a sealed unit bottom bracket or a sealed bearing headset due to wear, and I've been using both for nearly 20 years. I've replaced them due to upgraditis but not due to wear.
Like I said, I like old bikes just fine, but it's silly to get all romantic about a bygone era when things were made to last and to be repaired rather than replaced. It's actually more true now, with bikes, than it ever has been before.
#61
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Steel-framed bikes, when well maintained, last as long as humans do.
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#63
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Just thought it would be worth bumping this thread I started 6 years ago to add some interesting field research results =)
So, after the nice opinions from you guys, back in 2013 I decided to go for it and got myself a cyclocross for daily commute to work. Since then I've been commuting average 3 days per week, in lots of rain, mud, salt, snow, ice, you name it. In all this time the only problem I had after about 4 winters cyling was salt going into the headset and rusting the ball bearings, which was easy to open, clean and re-grease, and problem solved. Other than that, I've changed a couple of chains obviously, the smaller chanring due to wear (should have changed chains more often maybe), and just now I went for a full cleaning and changed all the cables since all these years accumulating dust the shifters were a bit heavy.
Well, all in all, I think the generally the wear on the bike is visible but only cosmetic. This 105 system is pretty tough, and once properly tuned I can ride for many seasons without having to re-adjust it. Only thing I regret though is not having disk brakes, because I'm tired to changing breaking pads every 3 or 4 months. But the break mechanic is still the original, so also very wear resistant.
5-years spring cleaning (1 year late)
So, after the nice opinions from you guys, back in 2013 I decided to go for it and got myself a cyclocross for daily commute to work. Since then I've been commuting average 3 days per week, in lots of rain, mud, salt, snow, ice, you name it. In all this time the only problem I had after about 4 winters cyling was salt going into the headset and rusting the ball bearings, which was easy to open, clean and re-grease, and problem solved. Other than that, I've changed a couple of chains obviously, the smaller chanring due to wear (should have changed chains more often maybe), and just now I went for a full cleaning and changed all the cables since all these years accumulating dust the shifters were a bit heavy.
Well, all in all, I think the generally the wear on the bike is visible but only cosmetic. This 105 system is pretty tough, and once properly tuned I can ride for many seasons without having to re-adjust it. Only thing I regret though is not having disk brakes, because I'm tired to changing breaking pads every 3 or 4 months. But the break mechanic is still the original, so also very wear resistant.
5-years spring cleaning (1 year late)
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Look into Kool-Stop brand brake pads. They're available in different material compounds for different conditions. Some even have dual compounds in a single pad. The right ones significantly improve braking performance, and should last longer than generic pads. More expensive than generic pads, but much cheaper than a disc brake retrofit.
#65
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I think just ride what you have if you enjoy it. If you get a road bike, get one with as wide of a tire as possible (like at least 35c), and put on tires that will get you through the sand.
Also I recommend disc brakes, because if you're riding through sand a lot, you might get sand hanging out in the rim/tire crack and falling into your brakes, embedding into your brake pads, and wearing out your rim.
Also I recommend disc brakes, because if you're riding through sand a lot, you might get sand hanging out in the rim/tire crack and falling into your brakes, embedding into your brake pads, and wearing out your rim.
#66
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+1 on Kool Stop brake pads.
If you don't have fenders on the bike, it'd be worth trying to put some on, with a front extension. That should keep the sand out of the chain, and road salt out of your headset.
If you don't have fenders on the bike, it'd be worth trying to put some on, with a front extension. That should keep the sand out of the chain, and road salt out of your headset.
#67
Senior Member
Rack, fenders, disc brakes and wider tires are my requirements for an all weather commuter. As long as those requirements are met, there are options in bike style, frame material and other components that are secondary and not that important.
#68
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As you say,
You are going to have to clean the bike and remove the sand grit frequently , Or it Wears fast ,
how does every weekend sound?
It's a 8km path, 60% asphalt, 30% good compact sand path and 10% irregular sand path -
but not too irregular, a road bike would still work on it.
but not too irregular, a road bike would still work on it.
how does every weekend sound?
#69
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Originally Posted by madpogue
Look into Kool-Stop brand brake pads
Improvements since I first wrote this: path is now 100% asphalt, and there's a water hose at the bike parking place at work. So it is easy to keep it more or less clean and heavy duty cleaning can wait couple of months in summer. On the downside, the city is dumping quite a lot of salt on the path in winter... still with the water hose at work most of it can be removed every day, and proper cleaning can wait couple of weeks.
#70
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Rode in this morning after a hard rain last night. Looking forward to the fenders I ordered last week for my new commuter (Surly Midnight Special).
#71
Senior Member
Hei! This is my first thread here, hope it's on the right place.
I'm commuting to work every day, using a mountain bike. It's a 8km path, 60% asphalt, 30% good compact sand path and 10% irregular sand path - but not too irregular, a road bike would still work on it.
I'm considering changing to a road bike for commuting, basically to go faster with less effort. It's only 8km, so you can go really fast pretty much all the way. At work, I have a shower, so I don't care if I get wet.
But my main concern is regarding the wear out of the bike since there's some sand paths on my way...
I don't have much experience with bikes and very limited experience with road bikes. But given their more "fragile" look, I tend to think that it will wear out quickly with all that dirty accumulated - my mnt bike is always really dirty. It rains quite a lot here.
So, even if I put more effort in cleaning the bike more often, would a road bike last as long as a mnt bike if used every day?
Thanks!
I'm commuting to work every day, using a mountain bike. It's a 8km path, 60% asphalt, 30% good compact sand path and 10% irregular sand path - but not too irregular, a road bike would still work on it.
I'm considering changing to a road bike for commuting, basically to go faster with less effort. It's only 8km, so you can go really fast pretty much all the way. At work, I have a shower, so I don't care if I get wet.
But my main concern is regarding the wear out of the bike since there's some sand paths on my way...
I don't have much experience with bikes and very limited experience with road bikes. But given their more "fragile" look, I tend to think that it will wear out quickly with all that dirty accumulated - my mnt bike is always really dirty. It rains quite a lot here.
So, even if I put more effort in cleaning the bike more often, would a road bike last as long as a mnt bike if used every day?
Thanks!
I wear out tires, chains, cassettes, chainrings, brake pads, brake discs, pedal bushings, shifter cables, rd pulleys. Other than that nothing on my bikes have ever broken.
I have about 15000-20000km on the steel mtb (no squishy fork of course), and at least 10000 on my main road Ti road bike which is infact a cx bike. They both do winter and summer commuting.