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A load of my mtb riding buddies, do a lot of road stuff (I do not). They have invited me on a jolly from the Humber bridge, to the city of Lincoln, and back again.
Would it be wise for me to accept, and if so what preparations should I be making? The bike is a Giant XTC 29er.
Can you put slicks on it? That'd help loads.
you will hurt
depends how often and how far you ride, I wouldn't personally attempt to try it unless I'd built up to 70 miles, you'll end up being a burden on your roadie friends if you're not used to any distance riding.
Yes.
But... I compared my two bikes (scott spark v marin rift zone) on a short stretch of road. 7:45 on the scott, 6:45 on the rift zone. The rift zone is 10lbs heavier but has 2.3" sllcks (2.4" racing ralphs on the scott).
So if you fit slicks you'll be a lot less dead.
Sticking some CX/road tires on might make it a tad easier?
Done 75 miles on a ss 29er fitted with 35mm cx tires a few weekends back.
Well off the pace mind.
If you want to keep up/chat with your buddies it might be worth borrowing a road bike though 😉
a mate rode a 180mile audax on a gary fisher 29r.
stick some slicks on it an youll be fine.
Your a Mountain biker and it therefore won't occurr to you take a turn on the front
so you'll be fine
seriously if your suffering you can shelter. With slicks you'll role like them its the aerodynamics that are worse
you can hold a wheel?
You may die, but then you may die from asphyxiation from your next fart.
yes....of boredom
go for a ride on some singletrack on your own it'll be tons better
High pressure slicks and set your bike up (position wise )for the road.
You will hurt ,and they will have to wait for you.
Set off early and it will all work out. 😉
Of course you may well be a cycling god ,and spend all day on the front telling them to hurry up 🙂
I imagine you're gears will be hideous for road riding too! And whatever you do DO NOT GO INTO THE GRANNIE RING 😉 I think you will yes!
It'll be fine as long as you can ride in a group and you don't try and go too hard.
In 92 I rode from Plymouth to Bristol on my mtb on my own, with a rucsac. It was hard but totally doable, the next day to Wolverhampton did flag a bit...
I do both disciplines (mtb + road) and there's no way i could keep up with my mates on their road bikes if they decided to go full speed.
Just down to pure aerodynamics, certainly above 20mph. The type of mates i have would normally laugh at my sweaty brow and inability to maintain the road pace. Before blasting off.
It depends what pace the group is going but you will defo work alot more than the roadies.
If you are all on mtb then maybe no problem. 100mls is do able on slick tyres. Conti travel contacts, armadilos, schwalbe marathons etc. It will still be tough
Andy
I once did the liverpool-chester-liverpool charity ride on a 5 inch full bounce with 2.3 factory DH tyres. THAT hurt, a lot. I did it a few years later on an MTB with slicks and it was an absolute doddle without much training and completed a lot faster. But compared to the road bike - not sure I'd want to swap any more! Also not sure I'd do that far without prep any more.
I couldn't do it personally, but as others say get hold of some slicks.
I can't remember what mag it was (maybe MBR or something) but they had an article where two of their writers did a stage of the tour de france, one on a Giant XTC (or similar) with slicks and the other on a road bike. Giant XTC rider faired OK IIRC, not quite the right tool for the job but you can obviously adapt to make your current tool, more suitable
you can definitely do it. i did my first 100 when i was 15 on a 1988 dawes ascent mtb (15 speed,s.i.s thumbbies,fully rigid 501 tubing,with grips harder than a Glaswegian bouncer,toe clips,and the knobbly tyres that came with it) 🙂
No. You won't die unless you are old and infirm or have an accident. In which case you may die.
Recommendation is to run your usual off road tyres. This will show you for the mountain biker you are rather than a wannabe roadie!
If it hasn't already been suggested, then may I suggest you put on some slick tyres. That will help. A lot.
Considering a 29er is just a renamed hybrid, fit some slicks an you'll have no problems.
full body armour, full-face helmet, 2.5" DH tyres and a rucksack.
if you're going to fail then at least give yourself an excuse, and look awesome doing so 🙂
+1 🙂 🙂
Omsk at Phil!!
I would have thought keeping up with your roadie mates will be the hardest thing. If they are prepared to wait all the time it will help. The problem with waiting for a slower rider is you start chomping at the bit. Whenever you see a steep climb or winding decent, it is very hard not to flick a couple of gears and fly.
If you can, I would try to borrow a road bike, or maybe hire one?
It is all down to the group's attitude and your ability. If you're fit, can hold a wheel and your bike has a closer ratio cassette and slicks on and they want to ride calmly together, then go for it. Otherwise pain and loneliness are calling. It can be done! Saw a bloke turn up to a local (road) club run many (many) years ago on a mtb with knobblies on. He proceeded to burn everyone off and arrive at the cafe well ahead. He did then go on to win national championships, finish second in the Milk Race, turn pro, ride to 6th in Flèche Wallon and participate in the Tour.
i won a time trial on my old klien mtb with knobblies but even back then i wouldn't want to ride a 100m chain gang on it
Semi-slicks, two bottles and a barbag filled with nuts, jelly babies power bars etc. And get 2 or 3 40 mile rides under your belt by a week before.
Do that and it will only be the boredom you have to worry about.
I did the Dunwich Dynamo (about 200km) one year on my MTB with slicks. It was hard work and I knackered a knee in doing it. Wouldn't really want to do that sort of distance on a MTB again but if your mates will ride with you rather than blasting off into the distance you should be OK.
Just don't make the mistake of setting off too fast.
If you get left behind your history. You and the group have to work to keep together
Can you lock the fork out or lock it down? Set the saddle height right for spinning, not tackling trail obstacles. Can you flip the stem or maybe put a longer one on to get a bit more tucked. Maybe change the angle of the saddle and move it forwards a bit. Slicks are a must, pumped up hard. Can you bring your hands in on the bars to get a bit more aero? Whatever you do, make sure you ride a good distance after you make any changes to see what effect it has and that you'll be comfy for 5+ hours in the saddle.
Oh yeah, lose the baggies as well, you'll be suprised the difference it makes at speed over a day.
Unless it's at a very social pace you'll soon be at the back spoiling it for everyone else for the rest of the day.
Buy a road bike if you want to ride road, if a lot of your mates ride it should see plenty of use (if you're really interested).
🙂
I managed 70 miles on my Nail Trail (fully rigid, slick'd up[ and a 48t Big Ring), did the job, and kicked the ass of my mate on hix CX bike.
Think I upset a couple of roadies on the way, after I flew past them down a hill and beat them up the following climb (one of them went noooo! as I went past).
Best advice I can offer is go at your own pace and doooo iiittt!
I did the Cairngorms Classic 100 on a voodoo wanga with slicks and a carbon pace fork last year.
If they are going to riding at somewhere around 15mph for a social/paced ride then no problem if you have slicks - and you could also put a rigid fork (on-one carbon) on the front to reduce weight. If you are fit then you could go quicker, obviously. Wear clipless and just spin those pedals...
You won't necessarily hurt as much as they do as your riding position is a bit more upright and so they may be getting more back pain than you...
I got gapped on the downhills by the mates I rode with but would then catch them up on the climbs.
The climbs that the roadies might mention as being tough will be easier for you are your gearing range is better for hills.
Take some Nunn or similair rehydrating tablets, and maybe some Powerbar protein bars. I packed some and when some of my mates were flagging I gave them the bars and tablets and they were rejuvenated.
Trying to tuck in or draught for a pull is a waste of time, so don't bother.
Plus as you are on a mtb then you can relieve the boredon whenever you see a tempting looking dirt track and have a blast down there.
Another 'fit slicks' suggestion. I would also fit bar ends (if you already have some in your parts box) for a bit more comfortable position.
invited me on a jolly
This is the most important question, as people say above. Are your mates out for a nice day out or a 100 mile training ride?
The former, with a couple of pub stops, you'll live. The latter, even with you on a road bike if you're not used to the road miles and they are, you'll have a good approximation of dying.
You won't necessarily hurt as much as they do as your riding position is a bit more upright and so they may be getting more back pain than you...
really? they have 3 positions to choose from whereas the mtb is stuck with one, their bikes will fit better and any niggles with fit will be exacerbated over long distances.
the mtb will be too upright with poor weight distribution and your core will not be as strong so your lower back is going to complain as you try to get more aero with the bars too high and your arms too bent to support your weight.
more weight on the saddle too so that comfy padded mtb armchair saddle is likely to cause some discomfort.
you are looking at 5.30-6.30hrs riding time, that's a long time to suffer.
Mr Smith are you a politician!
It's absolutley do-able!
Especially on a 29er.
Stick some skinny slicks under it & jobs a good un.
Whether you are up to it I don't know! It's a long time in the saddle if you're not used to it & road riding doesn't give you the same natural pauses or tempo changes.
it'll hurt a lot less than the sdw, so go for it
Entirely doable, especially on a 29er, but unless you're considerably fitter/faster than your mates you'll not keep up with road bikes. There's nothing worse than
a) Getting dropped less than 10 miles into a 100 miler and facing the prospect of spending the next 4+ hours trying to catch up with nobody to talk to, or;
b) Having to stop less than 10 miles into a cracking ride because one of your idiot mates turned up on a mountain bike and can't keep up.
You won't be doing yourself or your mates any favours in my opinion. Borrow a road bike if you can.
As long as your rims aren't too wide you can fit proper road tyres on your 29er wheels. If your fork is rigid (or has lockout) and your front end is not too high you'll be fine - all you are giving away is a bit of weight. Back when I was a poor student I won a number of road crits (and in fact was once 3rd in state TT) on a mountain bike with road tyres and a rigid fork - it's not the end of the world.
definitely doable. as said, depends on your friends.
I did a pannier-ed tour from Surrey - Wiltshire - North Yorks about 10 years ago.
Cannondale beast of the east, rear tyre worn semi slick. Biggest day was 115 miles Chippenham - Burton. averaged 16mph. Felt pretty good, I certainly wasn't suffering from all the problems Mr Smith describes.
But if I was with a bunch of roadies chompibng at the bit, it would have been frustating for them and demoralising for me.
Ask them what kind of average mph they anticipate doing it in, then take yourself out for a long ride and see if you think it's realistic.
Just read your post again. "Jolly" sounds promising, but it's all relative!
You won't necessarily hurt as much as they do as your riding position is a bit more upright and so they may be getting more back pain than you...
MrSmith - Member
really? they have 3 positions to choose from whereas the mtb is stuck with one, their bikes will fit better and any niggles with fit will be exacerbated over long distances.
the mtb will be too upright with poor weight distribution and your core will not be as strong so your lower back is going to complain as you try to get more aero with the bars too high and your arms too bent to support your weight.
more weight on the saddle too so that comfy padded mtb armchair saddle is likely to cause some discomfort.
you are looking at 5.30-6.30hrs riding time, that's a long time to suffer.
notice how I used the words [i]necessarily[/i] and [i]may[/i] ???
The guys I rode with got more back pain, particularly one so I had to play around with flipping his stem and stem spacers to make it easier.
whose says a mtb saddle is any different from a road saddle - I have a flite on one bike and an SLR on another - and imho the rest of your comments about weight distribution and core are bs as well.
and imho the rest of your comments about weight distribution and core are bs as well.
you are perfectly entitled to your opinion. mine isn't bs though it's based on the fact that usually a mtb is more upright with more weight on the saddle, if the road bike is fitted properly then weight distribution is more even. if you get back pain on a long road ride then something is wrong with your bike-fit/posture or lack of riding time.
*disclaimer*: the above may not be the case for everyone