I have an old mountain bike that I want to convert for "road" use, can anyone give any advice on what I should be doing to it and what bits I need, where to buy them etc etc. Have thought the following is a start.
Fitting narrower wheels and tyres
Getting some SPD pedals and shoes
Changing riding position (ie raising saddle and moving saddle forward on the rails)
Any other advice before I head off to my local bike shop this weekend (don't want to sound a total numpty!)
I'm intending on spending about £150 max including shoes. Or for this money should I be looking for a 2nd hand road bike on e-bay?!
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SPDs or Time ATACS are good pedals.
Maybe add either a small tribar in the middle or long bar ends.
What MTB is it ?
raise the seat lower the bars
put straps on if you do not want spds
er ride the bike
ps. pancracer do some nice 26x1.8 tyres great off road and fast on it
Put the rest of the money towards a fast road bike for next season.
If you're just toe dipping then it might be an idea to use the DB as Cougs said, with slicks. If ya want some decent slicks try Continental City Contacts. They're guaranteed puncture proof for a year and they're foooooking brilliant!
http://www.edinburgh-bicycle.co.uk/
Good deals
Yep its still here.
I thought of converting it like you are but its good enough for charging round the cycleways in Milton Keynes and obviously still retains its off road potential (depth mud permitting).
Im not going as fast as if converted or as a road bike but for a given riding time the effort is the same..
Id imagine road tyres are more suited to riding on roads to.....
So there... neeerrrrrrrrr..
Fit slick tyres. The narrower, lighter and smoother the tread pattern the better.
Pump your tyres up. You want to be running at least 80psi. Basically whatever your rims / tyres will take. Most roadies will use either 23 or 25mm tyres and a slightly higher pressure.
SPD (Clipless) pedals can make a BIG difference. Most roadie's don't actually use the spd system but prefer either Time or Look because SPD’s can cause hot spots on long rides. However, for muddy off road riding SPD is still the preferred choice.
Strap pedals (clip) are generally considered as dangerous. If the straps are tight enough for the straps to be effective you can’t easily/quickly remove your foot. Personnly, I wouldn't use them.
Fit rigid forks. Suspension forks will sap your power and they are extra weight. It isn’t too hard to fit a new set of forks and you can pick a pair up for about £20 on ebay.
Lower you handlebars and put a longer stem on for a more aerodynamic position.
To set your saddle----
Put your heal on the pedal (with the pedal at the bottom) now move the saddle up until you leg is straight. There’s no need to move your saddle forward.
put some slicks on and some spd's or cheap looks, tinker with position a bit and roberts your father's brother!
There is little point in upgrading anything else even pedals because you are limited by the basic construction of the bike.
have some fun and then if you want to do more tris and improve your bike times get a road bike.
good luck and most importantly have fun(something many people forget to do once they get to into tris and the flash equipment)
Im thinking of doing the same for my 2nd triathlon, thanks for all the advice, I was thinking of getting some cheap tri bars or bar ends too as when Im working out on the kaiser bikes the change of position really helps.
a resurrect of an 8+ year old thread! well done......
but the suggestions still apply......
and a couple of other things - take anything off that you don't need to help reduce weight (mudguards, lights etc), and if you can, lock the suspension out to make it more rigid
I've got a set of these bolted onto the handlebars of my first (hybrid) bike- http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/HBCISPIN/cinelli-spinaci-bar-extensions aero gain was marginal, but it does allow you to vary your position.
Except the one about buying boltcroppers............
bloody good idea if you ask me - just don't catch me in action.....
Forget the bolt croppers, get some swimming lessons, be the first out of the swim and the choice is yours!!
Now that would be motivation.....get a choice of every bike racked.....imagine being stuck with Gladys bike with the basket on the front.
And miss out on the satisfaction of overtaking so many many people on the bike?
You overtake people?!