# 29er Commuting?



## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

I did a mountain bike ride through 200 miles on the Colorado Trail and for training I ran my mountain bike all over as a singlespeed. I've always commuted with a road bike, but I had lot of fun with the beefier tires and now I'm thinking I want to get a road gear range on a 29er with some slicks and start commuting with one.

So I have a couple questions;

1. Anybody recommend a cheaper 29er for commuting? Even though it isn't cheap, I really like the Haro Mary... (I'm a student, so...)
2. I have a road bike with SS, so I was wondering how wide of tires one can get on road rims and ride safely, assuming I have a lot of frame clearance.
3. I run 71 gear inches with 700x23c- what is a good mix for a 29er with fat tires?

Thanks for any and all help in the matter....


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## CoalesceKid (May 15, 2008)

Hey, I run a Surly Karate Monkey as a commuter rig...Im not sure if you would consider the KM a "cheap" build or not for a commuter. If I were in your shoes looking for a good 29er commuter I would spend the money on a Redline Monocog 29er....they are a decent rig for the money you will spend and you can hook it up with racks no problemo. Here is how I am rolling:


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## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

My bike is a KM I bought on craigslist- what is your gear ratio? Think you get going pretty quick?


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## CoalesceKid (May 15, 2008)

umarth said:


> My bike is a KM I bought on craigslist- what is your gear ratio? Think you get going pretty quick?


sweet man!  The KM is a stellar bike to commute with, I am really glad I decided to go that route. I run a 36-18 setup so its a 2:1 ratio....most people might think that is a pretty flat ratio to work with but for my terrain its really awesome as I run an average of 16 MPH which is moving for a single speed setup.


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## donalson (Apr 13, 2004)

redline d440+ hybrid type tires should do nicely ... may need a little taller chainring depending on how fast you are... 

i'm looking to buy a surly KM soon and if that happens my redline will likely turn into a commuter, some new tires and perhaps a different bar is all it'll need... already does pretty well on the road with the nanoraptors... but no reason to waste such good tires on the road...


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## CoalesceKid (May 15, 2008)

donalson said:


> redline d440+ hybrid type tires should do nicely ... may need a little taller chainring depending on how fast you are...
> 
> i'm looking to buy a surly KM soon and if that happens my redline will likely turn into a commuter, some new tires and perhaps a different bar is all it'll need... already does pretty well on the road with the nanoraptors... but no reason to waste such good tires on the road...


If you have the means certainly pick yourself up a KM...I got my frame / fork off of Ebay for $225 shipped. My next build is going to be the Pugsley I have to rescue from my dads house. :thumbsup:


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## DukeNeverwinter (May 6, 2006)

i need to take apicture of my gary fisher supercaliber in commute mode. I got an axiom oddysee rack that bolts to the swing arm. I run to cheap panniers and some bontrager commuter tires. Works great. I get some wobble if I am not smooth when hammering though. The wobbli I am positive is the panniers weight on the rack. SO i just be smooth. I did 23 miles yesterday for "fun." 75% hills.


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## donalson (Apr 13, 2004)

have my eye on a specific one... just waiting to sell some stuff for funds to come though for it ... pretty good parts on it... i'll decide which i prefer for trail duties then build the other into a commuter...


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## CoalesceKid (May 15, 2008)

donalson said:


> have my eye on a specific one... just waiting to sell some stuff for funds to come though for it ... pretty good parts on it... i'll decide which i prefer for trail duties then build the other into a commuter...


Mine was built with a commuter in mind...somewhat anyway. I went with:

Crankset: Truvativ Hussefelt 36t with bash
Stem: FSA OS 100mm carbon
Seatpost: FSA carbon
Wheelset: WTB laserdisc trail 29er w/ lite hubs and single duty rear 
Brakes: Juicy 7 ultimate 185mm rotor
Headset: PInk chris king
Bars: FSA 180 alloy riser
Pedals: primo super tenderizer & Shimano M540's
Saddle: Brooks b17 special in black
Tires: Schwalbe big apple 235's

Also Old Man Mountain racks front and rear covered up with Jandd mountaineering pannier sets. Need to get a hard ass trailer to haul groceries with but we'll see.


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## zarr (Feb 14, 2008)

Try to contact Chad at soul cycles. Their website ridesoul.com is supposed to be finished it's construction today.(7-12), but the contact number is there. I think they have frames in the $250 area. I have one of their rigid forks ($35), but I can't tell you anything about it because I haven't used it yet. It's 485mm axle to crown. A couple of forum members say it's flexy.Ask around in the forum about their frames. I have no experience with them except I know they sell them. I think the frame is called the "Dillinger" frame.


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## pursuiter (May 28, 2008)

Here's mine, it's a SS rigid Motobecane Outcast29 frame with Salsa Cromoto fork, Surley rack, Planet Bike 29er fenders, Priceton SBII LED light, Easton carbon bars (i-Motion 9 hub is in the house, not sure if it's needed):


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## RockyRider (Nov 21, 2004)

*Another vote for Karate monkey*

I love mine and those big old tires sure make it comfy.


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## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

I think you have to use the imotion just to post a review. If you don't need it for the commute, take it out on the trail. I'm interested in seeing how various internal geared hubs hold up.

Anybody ride a 29er with slicks and a road bike? How do they compare. My current commuter is a schwinn madison with a 48x18 and it really rips- avg 20 over the ride home; the KM with knobbies and I top out around 15 and is a different kind of fun. If I ran single/fixed with a slick clad 29er, will it be a bit closer to roadbike performance?


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## donalson (Apr 13, 2004)

i'm still wondering how an off road style drop bar would do at making the bike a good do it all bike... swap between some nice road tires and then to some knobies for the trail... drops should give a bit more comfort... 

maybe it's just an excuse to try something new


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## CoalesceKid (May 15, 2008)

umarth said:


> I think you have to use the imotion just to post a review. If you don't need it for the commute, take it out on the trail. I'm interested in seeing how various internal geared hubs hold up.
> 
> Anybody ride a 29er with slicks and a road bike? How do they compare. My current commuter is a schwinn madison with a 48x18 and it really rips- avg 20 over the ride home; the KM with knobbies and I top out around 15 and is a different kind of fun. If I ran single/fixed with a slick clad 29er, will it be a bit closer to roadbike performance?


As far as internal hubs go....the Rohloff Speedhub 14 speed hub is the way to go, its a bit of cash to spend but its really worth it...you could say its the "chris king hub" of internal hubs.


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## Schmucker (Aug 23, 2007)

umarth said:


> I think you have to use the imotion just to post a review. If you don't need it for the commute, take it out on the trail. I'm interested in seeing how various internal geared hubs hold up.
> 
> Anybody ride a 29er with slicks and a road bike? How do they compare. My current commuter is a schwinn madison with a 48x18 and it really rips- avg 20 over the ride home; the KM with knobbies and I top out around 15 and is a different kind of fun. If I ran single/fixed with a slick clad 29er, will it be a bit closer to roadbike performance?


I've got a fixed gear wheelset for my Karate Monkey with 2.35 Big Apples. You can really feel the extra weight of the wheels, but once they get moving it's fine. Definitely more work overall, and climbing is a little bit more arduous, but it's a lot more comfortable to ride. You just go where you want and never work about potholes, gravel, anything. My IRO Mark V is way faster, and about ten pounds lighter, but they both cruise at the same speed with ease. It's harder to get the KM up past 30mph with the big wide tires.


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## jrm (Jan 12, 2004)

*kona Smoke 2-9*

<img src=https://konaworld.com/bikes/2k8/images/625/2K8_SMOKE-29.jpg>

https://konaworld.com/08_smoke29.htm


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## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

donalson said:


> maybe it's just an excuse to try something new


... like I needed more encouragement...

I know Rohloff has a great hub, but it is not one I can afford, so I'm looking to see what other people are liking.

Schmucker- you give me some hope- what is the gear ratio for your KM?


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## pursuiter (May 28, 2008)

umarth said:


> ... like I needed more encouragement...I know Rohloff has a great hub, but it is not one I can afford, so I'm looking to see what other people are liking....


Lots of folks love the $230 Shimano 8 speed Alfine:
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=203634
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=233206


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## pursuiter (May 28, 2008)

umarth said:


> I think you have to use the imotion just to post a review....


Well, I went for an 8 mile ride yesterday, 4 miles into the wind. When I got home I had made the decision to use the i-Motion 9. It's a lot of work pushing too big a gear into the wind....



> If I ran single/fixed with a slick clad 29er, will it be a bit closer to roadbike performance?


In a word, YES.


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## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

The hub discussions are interesting, but so far not many have used them on the trails- so a bit of a mixed bag? I don't want to use it for the commute, but for the trails instead of my 1x9 option. 

There is an XIXX on craigslist right now, so I might pick it up and put on some apples. With a midge bar....


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## pursuiter (May 28, 2008)

I can't be a test case, there's no way I could use a 1x9 or an i-M9 on hard trails. The gear ratio limit on an i-M9 1.73, for a 29er, that's a low gear of 26.7 inches. Today on the Kettle Moraine Blue trail (10.5 miles) I was using my 18.8 inch gear (22x34) several times and walk/pushed the big hill. Any trail I consider using the i-M9 on would be more XC style as opposed to technical single track. I do think it's ideal for commuting and XC touring on paved/gravel/logging roads.


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## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

You could make it biased towards the lower gear ratios- use a smaller chainring or a bigger cog (or both). Or not, I'm just being selfish.



pursuiter said:


> I can't be a test case, there's no way I could use a 1x9 or an i-M9 on hard trails. The gear ratio limit on an i-M9 1.73, for a 29er, that's a low gear of 26.7 inches. Today on the Kettle Moraine Blue trail (10.5 miles) I was using my 18.8 inch gear (22x34) several times and walk/pushed the big hill. Any trail I consider using the i-M9 on would be more XC style as opposed to technical single track. I do think it's ideal for commuting and XC touring on paved/gravel/logging roads.


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## pursuiter (May 28, 2008)

umarth said:


> You could make it biased towards the lower gear ratios- use a smaller chainring or a bigger cog (or both)....


Can't go below 1.73 ratio, it's the law. With a 29" wheel, the lowest possible gear allowed by the manufacturer is 27". Anything lower than 1.73/27" and I expect the hub will eat itself.


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## TrekJeff (Oct 12, 2006)

OP,
If you have the KM, you have all you'll need unless you choose to do more road/commuting, it's an excellent ride. If you choose to step up for more of a commuting option frame, the staying in the Surly family, check out a Cross Check. I ride one and my MTB has been collecting dust for two years. It's geared with a beefier road casette 12-13-14-15-17-19-21-23-25t and a double chain ring 36/48. It still gives you decent torque for uphills and higher gears for the cruise. I average about 18MPH on my commute as compared to 15 on my MTB. But you can always gear the KM the same way. GOOD luck and welcome to the commuting world!!


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## TrekJeff (Oct 12, 2006)

OP,
If you have the KM, you have all you'll need unless you choose to do more road/commuting, it's an excellent ride. If you choose to step up for more of a commuting option frame, the staying in the Surly family, check out a Cross Check. I ride one and my MTB has been collecting dust for two years. It's geared with a beefier road casette 12-13-14-15-17-19-21-23-25t and a double chain ring 36/48. It still gives you decent torque for uphills and higher gears for the cruise. I average about 18MPH on my commute as compared to 15 on my MTB. But you can always gear the KM the same way. GOOD luck and welcome to the commuting world!!


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## lablover (Mar 9, 2008)

*29er commuting*

I put some mary bars on my monocog and it's really comfortable to ride on the road and off road also. They run around $55 or so and there's no need to change the stem length. I hnow have the stock 32-20 gearing but I just ordered a 42 chainring to put up front. Not sure if it's the ideal ratio or not but we'll see. I'll commute this winter around 20 miles round trip, a few hills to be concerned with but overall failry flat. The ride takes me around 30 minutes one way on my road bike but I don't see that changing more than 10 minutes or so. The 29er is real comfortable on the road, I use the stock exiwolf tires they work great. I did change the brakes out to avid bb7's and just bought a niterider mininewtx2 light for the front which is a must, a red flashing light for the rear mounted on the seatpost too. I'll end up buying some fenders, a rack and panniers for it soon. I may end up purchasing some studded snow tires but I will wait a bit and try it out the way it is.


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## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

Ok, I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to this, but I bought Big Apples for the KM and because I love SS, I set up the bike as a dingle. I have 66 gear inches for the street and the level trails and it is a quick tire change and gear change for the trails. Still, noticeably slower than my road bike, so for anything longer than ten miles I don't use it. Thanks for all the input.

I'm also now looking for the Kona Smoke on craigslist. Those bikes are awesome!


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