Entry level commuter bike?

reallyoldpunk

Most definitely, although putting full coverage fenders on makes it even better. You should be able to find it for about $1400 street value rather than Trek's suggested retail price. When it comes to price, you get what you pay for. After comparing costs of a vehicle (insurance, upkeep, gas) it's a small price to pay for a very functional and lively ride.

sideshowbob

I'll keep the switchback as it is. I'd need a backup bike anyway. I'm not knowledgeable enough to get the right parts off ebay. I'm sure a lbs would charge over $600 for the basics.
I stopped by a lbs that sells scott and trek. Heres a break down.
I told him i was wanting to commute 24 miles each way. He suggested a cyclocross bike that was $1,000. I commented that the semi smooth/knobbies might slow me down.
I mentioned the sub20 and 30. He suggested going with the sub classic "700c" due to my height (6'1). He commented the sub wouldn't be a good commute bike for a long distance. I did comment on the portland. I can't remember his comment.
I mentioned the speedster but wanted a more upright h/b stem.. He suggested going with a wider tire on the speedster for a more dependable commute. He suggest not going with the s60/s60 flatbar due to the components qualty.48 miles a day would wear them out quickly. Suggested the s50 and s40 though.
I'd put my vote toward the cyclocross bike.

alfeng

Minimally, you could change the MTB crankset to a ROAD crankset ... that will give you

I don't know what kind of BB the frame came with since I got the frame separately.

$100 should cover your immediate expense for a TRIPLE + BB ... you could spend more ... you could spend less. You should be able to get a Shimano 6503/Ultegra triple + 118mm OCTALINK bottom for about that much ... certainly, for less than that if you find a used set. You can ALWAYS re-use the crank on a different frame, later, and/or re-sell it.

Of course, you'll want a new pair of 26" road slicks ...

Unless you are just aching to spend real money right now on a new bike, AFTER you ride that set up (ROAD triple + new tires) on your Mongoose, then you can think about other changes OR spending more money on a "new" bike.

sideshowbob

After thinking about it, i doubt i would spend $1,000 for a bike. I'd spend $600 at most. And i doubt i'd ever commute 24 miles (48 miles) to work. At most, i'll commute to my 2nd job this summer.
Yeah, i do need to upgrade my crank. I run out of gear and it limits my average speed to 12mph. I upgraded the tires to kenda quest (559-1.50) a while back and its less of a workout, but limits my top speed( smaller tire).
Are the prices( for the parts) listed above what it would cost at a lbs? I'd need a c/f fork and seat post, derailleurs, shifters and brakes also.

alfeng

FIRST, sorry about all the text-dropout in my last reply & NOT reading it before posting it ... sheesh, talk about needing to read-between-the-lines!

Those are NOT LBS prices ... they are "eBay" prices ...

You don't need a carbon fiber fork, in fact, I would recommend that you get a steel cyclocross-type/touring fork if you are going to swap to 700c wheels to maintain the potential of "fat" tire capability. I only used a carbon fork because it was an "extra" fork I had lying around. A steel road fork with fender eyelets would have been the BEST option, IMO.

Heck, consider making only one-change-at-a-time ...

You may find that if you change to a ROAD triple -- the 9-speed Ultegra comes with a 53/42/30 combination, BTW -- and still need/want a higher gear, that a 54t or 55t time-trial chainring will more than suffice.

On eBay, I think s/lightly used, older Ultegra 6503 triples (worth the modest new-price/retail premium over the 105 just for the self-extracting bolts) go for about $65-to-whatever on eBay (sometimes less!) + whatever the BB may cost (a 105 Octalink BB will work, too). I think the mail-order price (if available as old stock in some catalogs) is about $100 + the cost of the BB. A lot of people don't/didn't want 175mm cranks, so were changing lengths with what may have come on the bike.

I happen to have a 118mm ISIS BB & FSA ISIS road crank (a double) on mine as a matter of chance (more, accumulated "extra" stuff, otherwise I would have used my "extra" Ultegra crank & BB ... but, I originally set it up with some 9-speed 105 shifters + the 8-speed fron derailleur, and I didn't want to fiddle with indexing the triple with that combination). The new ISIS crank & BB probably cost me about $80 on eBay (after including shipping from two different auctions) ... I could have paid less at the time, but I would easily have paid more at my LBS.

If your bike has a square taper, then almost any older/used SHIMANO road crank will probably do (not an overwhelming choice of road triples available which have square taper).

BTW. Why would you need to change the seatpost?

garage sale GT

I went looking to upgrade my Raleigh MTB crankset. Check Amazon under "Shimano, FC-2203, 175mm, 52-42-30T, Square Taper, Crank Set". It's fifty bucks. You still won't have as much top end as a bike with 52/11 and 700c wheels but you'll be close. You may not need all that top-end gain unless you ride to work in tights and then change.

They also have a steel one for a square taper bb if you want to save some bucks. I could even send you a pie plate which fits a Shimano freewheel so it would match your crank!

sideshowbob

My hands get numb when i ride more then 30 minutes. I assume a c/f fork would reduce this. The c/f seat post is to reduce weight. The switchback weight a ton!

sideshowbob

I searched amazon and alot of the cranks are over $100. Is the issue, the crank arms are the wrong length or a bigger sprocket won't fit? I've thought of changing the cassette to a 11 tooth. Would it work?

garage sale GT

It should take an 11; I would be surprised if it didn't already have one, unless it's a freewheel. Freewheels don't go smaller than 13.

Try getting slicks and upping your cadence before buying a crank. 44/11, 26" wheels, and 60 crank rpm should be good for 18MPH.

I think you would have to be a pretty well trained cyclist to be able to push an upright MTB faster than that when you were either wearing your work clothes or carrying them on a rack.

sideshowbob

My gearing is 48/13 with 559-1.50. The crank teeth do show alot of wear. I average 12 mph with stoplight/stop signs. I have dnf on 2 out of 2 novice group rides. I have no idea if a 11 would fit the wheel.

alfeng

Okay, the rear wheel that comes on a "stock" Mongoose Switchback (as pictured, but your's may be a different color) apparently has a freewheel rather than a cassette ... and, you would need a different rear wheel to use an 11t cog ...

IF your fork is "solid" (vs. suspension), then there isn't any reason to change it unless you are going to change to 700c wheels, IMO.

Anyway, you can probably get a NEW rear wheel which has a "freehub" that will accept a cassette for under $50 ... of course, you can pay much more.

The cassette will cost you between $20-and-$120 depending on which one you select (you should be able to get an 8-speed 11-32 cassette for $20 on eBay -- the spacing on the 8-speed & 7-speed is essentially the same ... since you are in Florida, set your derailleur to handle the 11-28 cogs).

As garage sale GT notes, a 44/11 combination will give you the gearing that you want ... since you currently have a 48t large chainring, so much the better.

IF you are adventurous/knowledgeable -- or, have a friend who knows how to lace up a wheel -- you can have your current rear rim relaced onto a replacement hub for $20-to-$80 (for the hub) + cassette.

At some point, the cost of changing over a lot of components can become prohibitive vs. buying a different bike ... better to make minimal changes to your current bike ... if you were to put a ROAD crankset on your bike instead of a different wheel, you could probably re-use/re-sell it later IF you ever sold the Mongoose and got a new bike ...

There are a lot of USED bikes on eBay which have either 700c or 27" wheels (the latter are considered to be obsolete, but will be suitable if the price is right) -- there are less tire choices, now, for 27" wheels, but the selection is suitable for non-competitive riding.

The more you ride, the more you will get a sense of how well-or-poorly your current bike fits -- e.g., the distance between the saddle & handlebars, in particular -- and, that knowledge will help you if you ever decide to get a different bike in the future.

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garage sale GT

I bet your rear axle is bent. Freewheel hubs are too fragile to even consider using.

I got a used 27" bike but updated it with a cassette style wheel for the strength, not for the ability to use 11T. They will all have freewheels more or less.

I would recommend purchasing a new rear wheel if you want a cassette, if the rest of the bike is worth saving. You could find one for $40, and a cassette for $20. It would not be lower quality than a fairly modern, freewheel style MTB as only cheap ones still come with freewheels.

That said, I still think the best route is to raise your RPM, maybe get some toeclips and straps or find an SPD shoe on clearance. Ideal cadence is 60-90RPM. If your top speed is limited by having to pedal so fast that your torso starts bobbing up and down, then you need a crank. If, however, you can't maintain your speed at 60 RPM, it will only get worse with a bigger crankset.