£600 Hardtail MTB commuter.

[AidanT1995]

I want to buy a Hardtail MTB for commuting but also take out and have fun on the weekend on trails. I've been looking at the Vitus Nucleus 29 Vr which is looking like the best option according to reviews. Just wondering if anyone can advise me otherwise. Trip to work is a mixof road and off road.

 

[srj10]

https://www.evanscycles.com/cube-aim-sl-2020-mountain-bike-EV373706
This may be an option for you,the triple chainset offers a better range for commuting in my opinion

 

[figbat]

Something from Calibre? Reduced to clear.
https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/15904153/calibre-line-20-mountain-bike-15904153

 

[Pale Rider]

I would be tempted to reduce the bike budget a bit to enable the purchase of a spare set of wheels, and more importantly, tyres.

Knobblies are a dead loss for commuting, and semi-slicks will be hard work on anything other than well made cycle paths.

About £400 still puts you in 'proper bike' territory and you could just about get a wheel and tyre combo for £200.

 

[figbat]

Knobblies are a dead loss for commuting, and semi-slicks will be hard work on anything other than well made cycle paths.

I have a slightly different philosophy on the above. Yes, knobblies are harder work and slower on the road than slicks, but they still go round and round and you'll still get where you want to go. I think of it as just having the resistance turned up a notch or two, meaning you are getting a harder workout.

If your ultimate objective is speed and time then yes, go slick (but be aware of the limitations if straying off-road). If you have time in hand then any tyre will get you there. All my bikes have just one set of wheels, and tyres only get changed when they're worn. I quite like the hum of a knobbly on the road.

 

[Pale Rider]

I have a slightly different philosophy on the above. Yes, knobblies are harder work and slower on the road than slicks, but they still go round and round and you'll still get where you want to go. I think of it as just having the resistance turned up a notch or two, meaning you are getting a harder workout.

If your ultimate objective is speed and time then yes, go slick (but be aware of the limitations if straying off-road). If you have time in hand then any tyre will get you there. All my bikes have just one set of wheels, and tyres only get changed when they're worn. I quite like the hum of a knobbly on the road.

Reasonable view.

Tyre wear of knobblies on road would concern me.

Presumably Marathon Plus MTB would be more durable on road than most MTB tyres.

 

[confusedcyclist]

If you are going down @PaleRider's path, what kind of trials? Schwalbe G Ones tyres offer a reasonable compromise between some knobbliness but with minimal rolling resistance on roads, yes they will not be as good as deep treaded MTB tyres, and therefore struggle in really soft stuff like boggy mud, but perfectly fine for relatively dry single track and gravel. A good set of tyres can eliminate the need for a second wheelset. See the write ups, they are glowing. Get them in the tubeless variety for low PSI comfort and puncture protection!

If you're commute isn't too taxing, maybe you could live with real MTB tyres on the road for a short spell. I can confirm from personal experience they will be sapping on longer rides. When mixing with motor traffic, you'll probably want to keep rolling resistance low. Lots of commuters report keeping apace with motors at the lights etc a key aspect of feeling safer and less likely to feel bullied to the kerb like slower riders experience.

 

[Notafettler]

This is the present/latest marathon plus mtb tyre.
https://www.schwalbe.com/en/tour-reader/marathon-plus-mtb
There earlier versions on ebay look superior for off road use and with a bigger choice of widths.
The centre of the above tyre looks like with full pressure would be reasonable on road.

 

[carlosfandangus]

I use Vittoria trail tech tubeless on my gravel bike, they roll on the road really well and will cope with small amounts of mud and gravel easily, however Schwalbe land cruisers are also a good choice and cheap too, the Vittoria's were £20 a pair from Planet X , I was so impressed I have 3 in stock! I also fitted land cruisers as ghetto tubeless and they worked although not a tubeless tyre (wheels were) If you want them (100 miles) you can have them for the cost of postage, just tried them as an experiment.

 

[figbat]

I use these tyres on my gravel bike. Not too knobbly but will take a decent off-road hit - so far I’ve ridden them on everything from dry, hard-packed to inches-deep mud, as well as on the road. No punctures yet and I’ve always got to where I wanted to.

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TYPARR/rock-n-road-folding-tyre

 

[Gunk]

The other option is to buy a second set of wheels to put your knobblies on

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

The other option is to buy a second set of wheels to put your knobblies on

Or better still, just run two bikes, each with suitable tyres for it's intended use. That way you don't have to endlessly bugger about swapping wheels around and doing minor brake/gear adjustments. My entire operational bike fleet probably comes in under OP budget.

 

[Pale Rider]

The other option is to buy a second set of wheels to put your knobblies on

Ahem.

I would be tempted to reduce the bike budget a bit to enable the purchase of a spare set of wheels, and more importantly, tyres.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Vitus nucleus would be excellent.
Also a Voodoo Bizanga Halfords.
1x11 or a 1x12 even better drivetrain, great for most things
If the original tyres are a bit heavy going just get some faster tyres.
Personally I think you'll be fine.


Enjoy

 

[Levo-Lon]

I would be tempted to reduce the bike budget a bit to enable the purchase of a spare set of wheels, and more importantly, tyres.

Knobblies are a dead loss for commuting, and semi-slicks will be hard work on anything other than well made cycle paths.

About £400 still puts you in 'proper bike' territory and you could just about get a wheel and tyre combo for £200.

If your young and fit you don't worry.

Get the best bike ,wheels and tyres are for later if needed