Brawler Posted December 29, 2015 Share Hi. Need some friendly advice. Obviously the title is a bit DUH! but there is method to my madness. I need to buy a bicycle asap so that I can start training for CTCT (yes I know its late but I do a lot of other riding) I have done it a few times in the past on a 26" MTB and completed it relatively easily at the 6 hour mark or so. I have since sold that bike so need to find something new and better. I am doing the race with friends and family who are probably less fit than I am but they will be on road bikes. My goal is to beat my own time and that's about it. Hopefully keep up with those I am riding with. I could get a road bike but besides for the CTCT I am not really interested in road races. Kind of feel it would be a waste having the bike sitting in the garage for 10 months of a year. I feel I could get a lot more use out of a 29er hardtail MTB. I guess the million $ question is how much slower is a 29er hardtail MTB with slicks compared to a road bike? I had a Silverback Sola 29er for a few months earlier in the year and I was MUCH faster on it than my old 26er. Another option is to attempt it on my Giant Reign (160mm enduro bike) but I think I will probably die doing 100+ km on that. Thanks Edited December 29, 2015 by Brawler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwhite Posted December 29, 2015 Share I did the CTCT on my 150mm Enduro bike with slicks and managed to complete it in a decent time. Next year I will be doing it on my 29er but in two minds about either changing to slicks or leaving nobblies on... but from what I have heard most riders just leave their nobblies on? Brawler 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddy Posted December 29, 2015 Share 29er HT with 700c28 tyres. Slam your stem and invert it. As good as a road bike as makes no difference dor a 5hr plus ride. F.C, Brawler and gwhite 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tatt Posted December 29, 2015 Share Do it on my OneTen with full fat tyres, aiming for 4 hours next year.. Slicks are for girls :-) Tom Pieterlab1, gwhite and Long Wheel Base 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brawler Posted December 29, 2015 Share thanks for responses so far... On point. Strongly leaning on a 29er hard tail MTB. Like I said I have thought about doing it on my Enduro bike but eish... 14+kg, 160mm of travel that doesn't lock out and only 10 speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAAD4 Posted December 29, 2015 Share Don't take a knife to a gunfight... Mongoose! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAAD4 Posted December 29, 2015 Share It's almost as bad as admitting to putting slicks on an enduro bike. If it's once a year, why waste the money on undoing and redoing your tubeless conversation and insulting your butch bike with skinnies? Tatt, J∆kk∆ls and gwhite 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J∆kk∆ls Posted December 29, 2015 Share Do it on the reign if your riding mates aren't fit. If you want to beat your time buy a second hand road bike cheap cheap and then sell it afterwards. How often would you use the 29'er anyway if you prefer enduro? How about buying an old classic 8 speed.ProsIt's a head turner It's cheapYou will have a story to tell In the right hands these bikes can and have done sub3's ConsYou will fall in love with it and might not want to sell. Edited December 29, 2015 by Jakk@ls DJR, gwhite and Bianchi Baby 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brawler Posted December 29, 2015 Share Some good advice, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boerklong Posted December 29, 2015 Share Just get the 29er white tiger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJR Posted December 29, 2015 Share How about buying an old classic 8 speed.ProsIt's a head turner It's cheapYou will have a story to tell In the right hands these bikes can and have done sub3's ConsYou will fall in love with it and might not want to sell. I like the idea of an old classic steel frame road bike. You can get very solid locally made ones like Peugeot, LeJeune, Hansom and Alpina for as little as R1000 to R2000. Two slicks for your mountain bike will cost you R1000 easily. If you don't want to keep the bike, you will be able to sell it for the same money or even more if you just clean it up and make it shiny. Don't be afraid of downtube shifters. Some of those oldies ride fantastically well, and you will most likely fall in love with it. Check out this thread for inspiration.https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/46935-retro-bicycle-thread/ Edited December 29, 2015 by DJR J∆kk∆ls 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cpelser Posted December 29, 2015 Share Did the Stellenbosch Cycle Tour on a full knobbly 29er.In my opinion, if you're a bit larger like me (100kg+) you only feel the difference between a MTB and road bike if you're going slower than say 15km/h. It's then when the knobblied feel like they're sticking. Faster than that you're fine. Think I did 04:40 while last year (2014) I did a 04:58 on my road bike.I prefer my MTB, feels like a giant 4x4 and I ride over the terrain and giggle at the roadies picking up their bikes on the grass/gravel patches leading up to the start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J∆kk∆ls Posted December 29, 2015 Share Did the Stellenbosch Cycle Tour on a full knobbly 29er.In my opinion, if you're a bit larger like me (100kg+) you only feel the difference between a MTB and road bike if you're going slower than say 15km/h. It's then when the knobblied feel like they're sticking. Faster than that you're fine. Think I did 04:40 while last year (2014) I did a 04:58 on my road bike.I prefer my MTB, feels like a giant 4x4 and I ride over the terrain and giggle at the roadies picking up their bikes on the grass/gravel patches leading up to the start.I giggled at the MTB'er who's tyre burst because he pumped it too hard for the race and left it in the sun post ride while he was sipping on his beer. Then I giggled at all the others rushing to deflate. Edited December 29, 2015 by Jakk@ls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket-Boy Posted December 29, 2015 Share The difference between a road bike and mtb is huge for me.I love both MTB and road for different reasons, ride mostly MTB but its really great to get on the roadie sometimes and blast out some super fast k's. J∆kk∆ls, DJR and mulmi 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJR Posted December 29, 2015 Share The difference between a road bike and mtb is huge for me.I love both MTB and road for different reasons, ride mostly MTB but its really great to get on the roadie sometimes and blast out some super fast k's.That sounds very much like me.I estimate the road bike to be between 10 and 20 % more efficient than the mountain bike, depending on the course, the wind and the speed you are going at.Horses for courses! Of course, I won't take my road bike to the mountain trails. Rocket-Boy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mongoose! Posted December 29, 2015 Share Every cyclist should have at least a road bike AND a mtb (of some kind)... https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/170099-classic-zini-bikeprice-drop/ Edited December 29, 2015 by Mongoose! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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