Converting a MTB to a city commuter

[StandupWI]

I picked up a 2011 Rockhopper Comp this Spring off of craigslist for cheap and have been riding it a decent amount. I used to live in the "suburbs" and had the privilege of riding 1.5 miles of single track everyday on my commute. I recently moved downtown and in the opposite direction of mountain bike trails. It's a twelve mile commute to work and I hate traffic. I want to start riding my bike to work again, but now that I won't be hitting trails I figure I could make it more road friendly. What is everyone's thoughts on making a mountain bike more road worthy? I was thinking about purchasing another set of wheels and mounting 1.25" tires, is there anything else I could do? If I bike to work a lot I will probably invest in some clips and shoes, but don't want to jump into them until I know I will do this more then a couple times a month.

 

[High Speed Industries]

I used to work in a bike shop and we did this all the time. Just go with a 1.5 tires on a spare set of wheels. Do some HD tubes or tire liners so you don't have to worry about getting a flat. If your commute isn't that far I wouldn't worry about clips. Clips do help quite a bit but then you have to change your shoes at work. I'd also recommend lights as soon as the sun starts to go down people won't see you. And don't forget a lock. Nobody likes a stolen ride.

 

[Matt_E]

I'd look at getting a decent used hybrid or road bike off CL. Something with fenders, rack, lights already installed. You will spend a little more but you will have a much more capable commuter. I have a 29er Rockhopper Comp, I commute 13-24 miles daily by bike, and I wouldn't dream of doing it with that bike.

 

[swapmeet]

I have a Specialized P.2 and I swapped some 26x2.5 Maxxis Hookworms. Sometimes I wished it had a little more tall gear, but the tires made it a hoot to ride.

I run a lot of air pressure to decrease rolling resistance.

http://www.bikesomewhere.com/Maxxis...ice={device}&gclid=CPeNh6WA-bgCFUgV7AodgnYAXw

 

[Mark44]

A bell on the handle bars?

 

[SuperJETT]

A friend of mine commutes on his old beater Trek mtb. It's beat to hell but still works. What's funny/cool is he's a lawyer and his current mtb was over $4000 so when I see him on the old red/white/blue Trek I always laugh.

On topic though, you can find a Trek FX for $200-250 pretty easily that will be a great commuter and sell your current one to offset the price. I bought my FX 7.1 for $175 in excellent condition, though that was a deal and I happened to be the first to contact the guy.

 

[Matt_E]

^^That's the way to buy CL bikes. Exactly how I got my roadbike. Nearly new (about 500 miles on it), a year old, $975 MSRP and I got it for $400 with extras.
By the time I drove off with it, the guy's phone was ringing off the hook.

I'll second the Trek FX for commuting. I had a 2010 model that I added fenders, a rack, and lights to - commuted well over 7,000 miles with it over three years. Excellent bike for that.

 

[snowxr]

If you're not riding trails, you might want to look at new tires for your current rims. I have WTB Graffiti 2.2 tires on Sun rims with Deore hubs for my GT Pantera for riding around town. Some panier bags would be a good investment, too.