MTB to Road

[dirtgirl]

Besides getting slicks, is there anything else I can do to get my mtb to not be so miserable on the road? I'm doing a triathlon in August with a road cycling portion. My only goal is to finish without wanting to die first (the dieing can come afterwards).

[TreeSaw]

So, you're going to use your MTB for the road part of a triathlon. What length tri? Hmmm....I fear it's going to hurt (primarily because I don't like running ;) ) In addition to the slicks, I would definitely make sure your saddle is comfy and that you can put your seatpost high enough to climb comfortably. Rather than spending a lot of $$$ getting your MTB in order, you may want to look at used road bikes, especially if this is something you might do again. The ride is much more comfortable on a road bike.

[Westy]

I've put a lot of road miles on a MTB with slicks. If you have any suspension lock it out if you can or set it up as stiff as possible. MTB gearing is kind of wide spaced so you might be happier if you can get a road cassette installed. Other than the additional weight the only major disadvantage is the lack of tall gearing if you have any downhills that you want to pedal through.

[dirtgirl]

It's a sprint tri, the Ryka Irongirl. It's only 30k on the bike, and gentle rolling hills, so that's not so bad. The part that's going to suck is the 5k run afterwards, and the 1k swim before. I suck at swimming and running. So why am I doing this, I'm not sure. Guess I'm just a monkey. ;)

Road cassette sounds pricey, and so are used road bikes (I'm not sure if this is a one time deal or not, so I'd rather wait & see if I even like the pain of triathlon before investing in a road bike, used or new).

BUTT I'll definitely invest in a plush saddle!!! I forgot how miserably stiff mine is, since when I was in the dirt, I was rarely in the saddle.

[dirtgirl]

Thanks for the suspension tip too. Hmm, I'll have to ask some bike geek to show me how to lock the suspension.

[LordOpie]

I wouldn't make any changes that cost money other than the slicks.

As for saddle, get the right one and make sure it is *before* you race. If your butt is conditioned properly, you don't want a plush saddle as you'll just sink into it and pinch blood vessels and nerves... that's much worse than just toughening it out on a hard saddle.

The only thing I might spend money on is bar ends if you don't already have them. It's nice to be able to change up hand positions.

[Wumpus]

The only thing I might spend money on is bar ends if you don't already have them. It's nice to be able to change up hand positions.


:stupid:

[Serial Midget]

How many miles? The only problem you'll have will be the psychological disadvantage of being passed a lot. Wind resistance will hold you back but if the key is to just have some fun an MTB will be fine.

...or - train on your MTB and rent a road bike for the race. :)

[LordOpie]

... rent a road bike for the race. :)

You're a lot more experienced than me, but cuz I'm a wuss, I'd never change equipment close to any event.

[SPINTECK]

If you can't get a road bike that you are comfortable with in time, definitely get the skinniest slicks you can find and pump them to the max. I personally would try to find a cheap set of aero bars (profile century bars are great and cheap), but aero bars are dangerous for some people because of the funky position. It is amazing how much faster (1-4mph) you can go with the same amount of effort in an aero position, even on a mtb.

[sunny]

I wouldn't make any changes that cost money other than the slicks.

As for saddle, get the right one and make sure it is *before* you race. If your butt is conditioned properly, you don't want a plush saddle as you'll just sink into it and pinch blood vessels and nerves... that's much worse than just toughening it out on a hard saddle.

The only thing I might spend money on is bar ends if you don't already have them. It's nice to be able to change up hand positions.
:stupid:

About the saddle choice... (bear with me though this explanation)

People who stand all day don't have trouble with their feet hurting after standing for 4-5 hours straight, whereas people who are unaccustomed to standing for extended periods will complain that their feet hurt after a few hour standing. So... what's up with that?

When you have a muscle over a bone, and that bone is subjected to a fairly regular pressure, the muscle will build up to protect the bone. This happens with you feet as well as your tailbones.

If you intend to do fairly regular rides more than 45 min long, you will be better served if you choose a saddle that has a flat hard surface for your sitbones, and a center that is cut away so that your soft tissues have someplace to go. If you are only riding occasionally, and will not have much of an opportunity to build up the muscles over your sitbones, you might be better served with a cushy saddle. Be aware that the bloodflow to your soft tissues will most likely be restricted with a cushy saddle.

So, just like a shoe size, your tailbones are a specific width. This does not change with your weight - your bone structure is your bone structure. If the saddle you have is too narrow for your sitbones, nothing will make it comfortable.

Find a Specialized dealer in your area that has a "sitbone measuring device," affectionately called the "assometer." It's a piece of memory foam with a metric scale running across the edge. You sit on it, make an impression (hopefully a good one), and read from the indents how far apart your sitbones are. Many women have sitbones about 130mm across (including me). If you then take a measuring tape and look at where your sitbones will be atop a specific saddle, you can tell if it's too narrow or not.

Better to go too wide than too narrow.

Past an appropriate saddle, a good pair of shorts is a must for training. Race day, you can throw on a pair of good shorts on over your swimsuit for the ride, swim in tri shorts and a tri top and do the whole race in those, or just ride and run in your swimsuit.

Hope this helps. Have fun!

-sunny

[mace2]

Maybe not a popular choice, but I would throw some bar ends on. I found the extra hand positions prevented cramps, which helps a lot if you're doing several hours of riding.

[LordOpie]

:stupid:

About the saddle choice... (bear with me though this explanation)

People who stand all day don't have trouble with their feet hurting after standing for 4-5 hours straight, whereas people who are unaccustomed to standing for extended periods will complain that their feet hurt after a few hour standing. So... what's up with that?

When you have a muscle over a bone, and that bone is subjected to a fairly regular pressure, the muscle will build up to protect the bone. This happens with you feet as well as your tailbones.

If you intend to do fairly regular rides more than 45 min long, you will be better served if you choose a saddle that has a flat hard surface for your sitbones, and a center that is cut away so that your soft tissues have someplace to go. If you are only riding occasionally, and will not have much of an opportunity to build up the muscles over your sitbones, you might be better served with a cushy saddle. Be aware that the bloodflow to your soft tissues will most likely be restricted with a cushy saddle.

So, just like a shoe size, your tailbones are a specific width. This does not change with your weight - your bone structure is your bone structure. If the saddle you have is too narrow for your sitbones, nothing will make it comfortable.

Find a Specialized dealer in your area that has a "sitbone measuring device," affectionately called the "assometer." It's a piece of memory foam with a metric scale running across the edge. You sit on it, make an impression (hopefully a good one), and read from the indents how far apart your sitbones are. Many women have sitbones about 130mm across (including me). If you then take a measuring tape and look at where your sitbones will be atop a specific saddle, you can tell if it's too narrow or not.

Better to go too wide than too narrow.

Past an appropriate saddle, a good pair of shorts is a must for training. Race day, you can throw on a pair of good shorts on over your swimsuit for the ride, swim in tri shorts and a tri top and do the whole race in those, or just ride and run in your swimsuit.

Hope this helps. Have fun!

-sunny
If there was a "Post Hall of Fame", that would go in it. I've never thought about the anatomy and physiology of it all and your explanation was simple and clear.

Like suggesting a soft saddle for the occasional riders as they don't dedicate the time to building the butt muscles.

Anyway to develop butt and foot muscles off the bike to make the transition faster and easier for newbies?


Maybe not a popular choice, but I would throw some bar ends on. I found the extra hand positions prevented cramps, which helps a lot if you're doing several hours of riding.
I agree.

[macko]

For the past couple of months I've been riding a 15 mi commute on my hardtail mtb. It sucks. But here's how I think of it, if I keep riding this beast down the road (I avg. 120 mi /week) at the time I finally save up enough for a road bike I should be able to kick some ass. Kind of going along with SM's suggestion to train MTB and then rent a road bike.

I just ordered a cheap-o pair of slicks of Performance.com so that may make help reduce some of the effort.

Maybe not a popular choice, but I would throw some bar ends on. I found the extra hand positions prevented cramps, which helps a lot if you're doing several hours of riding.
I agree with this one. I don't have bar-ends on my rig currently, but I do have these Ergon grips and I get into a sudo-aero position with them.

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=22585&subcategory_ID=5251