kilgor

Hello! I'm looking for a 27.5 mountain bike (or a "hybrid" bike) for commuting in Tokyo (and for occasional gravel trips, but commuting is main purpose).
Surprisingly, I do really need an MTB. The main reason is the necessity to jump on sidewalks (5-7 cm high) frequently for safety reasons getting away from traffic (there are a lot of parked cars on the roads and the only safe way is often just to get away). I had several falls from my Giant and Trek FX2 and understand that I need big tires and a front suspension not to stumble on the steps. The other reason is dealing with vibration (FX2 is rigid like nothing and my arms sore after every drive). I know, that there are lots of means to deal with that, besides suspensions, so the main reason is safe driving - getting on 7 cm steps.
So, my criteria are:
- 27.5 MTB or 700c bike. Not 29 inches MTB as maneuverability is important on Tokyo streets and I feel that 29 MTB is too big. 27.5 seems perfect.
- Front suspension with remote lockout. There are different opinions about RL, but I think I will use it. Tokyo is hilly. To lock it by hand while driving seems to be not safe. I understand, I do not need a rear suspension... though... if this would be the only choice and riding is fun without much compromize to speed I can consider it too.
- Relatively high gear (for cruising at due speed). With my Trek FX2 I have 48 to 11, which makes 34.0 km/h at 60 rpm (this is not my usual speed! just arithmetics) and I would not like too much lower options. As I understand, there is no way to achieve anything near with 1x drivetrains (could not find cranks 44T or higher).
- Big tires (In case of a hybrid bike. MTBs are OK, surely. Not bigger than 2.2(5?), as they will not fit the bicycle parking racks, but there seems to be lots of options with tires, so it is OK. But if it is hybrid, I would like 45 mm or more. Steps are so much steps.).
- Budget - USD2000.
With this kind of limitations (sorry...) I can find nothing((( 27.5 MTB are becoming rear... Forks with remote lockout start exactly with 1x drivetrains... Seems that I am late for several years. After long researches (my bicycle shops nearby started to hate me), I am considering the following options.
1. Bianchi Magma 27.7. I will have to change the fork for remote lockout one, but cannot find one for 27.5...
2. Trek Dual Sport 2. I will have to change the fork (RL version seems to exist) and tires (seems 45 mm will fit. I want bigger ones, but nothing to do...)
3. Buy Bianchi Magma 29, change the crankset to 46-30T and teach myself to ride 29 MTB in narrow and crowded streets.
4. Buy Trek Dual Sport 4 and downgrade the drivetrain to Dual Sport 2 or something, which seems stupid, but stupid are my limitations...
5. Anything else.
Would appreciate your advice. I need 27.5 MTB, fast, with RL fork... That's all I want. Thank you for reading.

qclabrat

Hi, my brother lives in your hood and spends time in Tokyo and Kyoto
I've visited him a few times and the last time, I left him my Bike Friday Pocket Llama as I was upgrading to a bigger wheeled bike
Tokyo is my favorite city to ride bikes as you said riding on sidewalks is allowed when necessary.
#1 you don't want a suspension fork for city riding, it's heavier and less predictable. Just get wider tires and build some skills to hop curbs. Crashing into curbs even with a 29" tires can be disastrous.
Have you looked at the mini-Velo bikes which are popular there? Have you sold the Trek? which Giant to you have.
What brands are available to you? Post pictures of you bikes as I believe some changes in setup may make what you already have better for city riding.

prj71

Giant ToughRoad or if you need suspension then look at the Specialized Crosstrail

kilgor

Thank you! My Giant is very old and I guess is not reparable. The fork is not working and it is really heavy. Trek FX2 is OK, but it will not accommodate larger tires (35 mm at present). Mini-Velo are, indeed, popular. I will have a look. But sometimes I ride 25-30 km one way and need something more speedy. I commute to different places, many times it is a new street or district and it is so much fun. I need to move fairly fast but safe, taking time looking around, but being on time. Sometimes I go by a cycling road along a river and with tailwind I need a pretty high gear. I rented an MTB for several days to see how it feels on the road, and I liked it. I feel stable and safe on it. I understand that it is a huge overspec for a town riding, but it feels good. Curbs are an issue. Have got a trauma after falling twice. I need skills, as you said. Thank you for advices!

kilgor

Wow... Both seem very-very good. Thank you!

Darth Lefty 

Nimble 27.5? Maybe with a time machine back to 2016. The trend in mountain bikes, even hard tails, has been better trail capability and away from the all purpose. But still none of them would have had the high gear you want. Even back in triple 26er days the normal high gear was about 100 inches, with a stump-pulling low gear for steeps. You’d never go fast enough with knobs on a dirt trail. When you put skinny slicks on one of these bikes you’d find yourself awkwardly choosing between the middle and outer ring.

You can make the gearing you want. The small cog on SRAM Eagle is a 10t and the bottom is a 50t. The bike will likely come with a 32t ring. You can get bigger rings from Wolf Tooth Components and others.

I think if you worked through your requirements you are looking at a custom build, and then once you try it you might want to change it.

Maybe look at a Surly Bridge Club... though it doesn’t have a suspension fork, it’s nice springy steel, it can mount many wheel and tire sizes and drivetrains and has all the barnacles for accessories. Among Treks I’d pick XCaliber/Roscoe over the DS. They are real MTB’s, the DS is just copping the style. Same with the nicest levels of Specialized Rockhopper or Pitch vs the Crosstrail. The Fuse is nicer but I don’t think it has any rack or fender provisions.

If you are an American shopping in Tokyo, can you find bikes that fit?

kilgor

Thank you!

My Trek dealer said I would not be able to find a ring for MTB of 44t or bigger, because road cranksets are not compatible with MTB drivetrains and Shimano or SRAM do not produce that big rings. But as you mentioned, there are bigger rings from Wolf Tooth. Sorry for my lack of knowledge, but will this one be compatible with Procaliber 6 (SRAM SX Eagle) or SCALE 960 (SRAM NX Eagle)? It says "They also work with 12 speed SRAM Flattop, SRAM Eagle", but maybe there is something more to take care of? If it does, it will change my view drastically.
130 BCD Gravel / CX / Road Chainrings on wolftoothcomponents(com) (they do not allow me to post URLs yet...)

Looks very nice. I have heard a lot but never tried myself - does steel really makes difference with regards to road vibration?

Fully agree. But DS are smaller, tires and handlebar, and I am commuting on narrow roads with pedestrians walking by... Maybe just have to change my riding style.

Rockhopper is one of the possible choices. Never heard of Crosstrail, but made a search and found Specialized Crosstrail Elite 2020 Hybrid Bike which with bigger tires looks like what I really want, made a call to Specialized and... they do not have it in Japan. Never heard of it... I will visit them directly and talk on the issue.

I am Russian, but choices are wide. Some models you have mentioned might be hard to find, but the majority is there.

Darth Lefty 

The direct mount rings have the same interface between a lot of SRAM's 1x11 and 1x12 speed groups, both road and offroad, but they have different offset built in to achieve the best chain line.
https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/...or-sram-cranks

This link looks helpful for higher gearing https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/...x-gravel-setup

You also need to look out for clearance of the ring at the right side chain stay. The center ring is normally in the 30's and the outer in the 40's-50's so if you try to put a 44 in the 1x or middle position it could scrape

With road bikes it definitely does. That's the reason the fork has the nice banana curve and everything is tapered. It makes the deflection go a little less front/back and a little more up/down. People say the same thing about mountain bikes but I'm not sure I fully believe it. Seems like their tires are a lot more springy and their frames are a lot stouter.
You write English well! I was thinking of frame sizes, not the models.

qclabrat

I'd suggest an aluminum hardtail 29er over a 27.5 if curb roll over is a priority as well as tire width for bike racks
I really think a full rigid bike is ideal for commuting. More moving parts require more maintenance. I also love steel frames, they are not fragile, I but I also feel I have to guard them from water.
Look at Kona and Niner bikes if they are available.
Both come in full rigid options for better performing models, which large bike companies seem to have abandoned.

Kona Unit


Niner Air9 (older model, but if you can start with a frame)


All City Super Pro

kilgor

Thank you very much indeed. Your advices are very helpful. I have a much better picture now.
I went to Specialized and another all-round shop to find out that there is a world-wide conspiracy from bicycle manufacturers against me (or sanctions...). They produce mountain bikes to be used in, hm, mountains. What a shame. The best solution seems to be to carry 2 different bikes and change them on the road.
- Specialized do not sell Crosstrail in Japan. A middle-aged lady showed her class to youngsters remembering that they did it 10 years ago, but not now.
- On the bright size was Diverge E5 Comp with future shock and 42mm maximum tires. It is a road bike, but can be an option. Seems it will eliminate vibration and 42 tires together with lightness will help to cope with curbs or speed up and run away from traffic.

I checked it on several bikes and yes, it might scrape. And if you move it outside, the alignment with cassette will suffer (as the shop guy suggested). They are doing everything to prevent us from using MTB with decent speeds.

Bianchi ORSO? Expensive (why so expensive?) but I like the style. If it solves my problems and is really worth its tag, I will consider it. Need to research more.
Thank you! I am 177 cm tall which is not an outlier in Japan, and usually they have the stock, but 177 is not a mode and when I looked for used bikes (time slip in search for 27.5) they were all too small for me.

kilgor

Thank you! I am starting to change my mind... Steel frame with 650b x 47mm for example (All-City) might be the solution. I still think 29er is too big for my purposes, but all the models you showed (I checked the latest ones) are very attractive. Will try to find a dealer with a test ride. Thank you!