Improving and MTB for commuting

[Bicycle]

My eldest (17) likes to ride to school occasionally, but dislikes using a road bike (image is important, I think).

She really likes an old Trek 4300 nail I used to use on the road in London.

I've put it back to urban taxi-bashing spec:

Narrower bars with bar ends
Continental Sportcontact slicks at 80psi
taller-geared groupset (from a road bike)
SPDs (which she likes)

No rack as she has a little rucksack.

I still think it's a big old thing to do 14 miles one-way on.

Any obvious (and cheap) things I can do to take some of the work out of her ride?

She will NOT go to college on a road bike, so that's not an option. I'm delighted that she likes to ride to school, but I'd like it to be easier for her.

 

[BSRU]

My eldest (17) likes to ride to school occasionally, but dislikes using a road bike (image is important, I think).

She really likes an old Trek 4300 nail I used to use on the road in London.

I've put it back to urban taxi-bashing spec:

Narrower bars with bar ends
Continental Sportcontact slicks at 80psi
taller-geared groupset (from a road bike)
SPDs (which she likes)

No rack as she has a little rucksack.

I still think it's a big old thing to do 14 miles one-way on.

Any obvious (and cheap) things I can do to take some of the work out of her ride?

She will NOT go to college on a road bike, so that's not an option. I'm delighted that she likes to ride to school, but I'd like it to be easier for her.

I've seen lots of people on new mountain bikes, struggling along the road not realising their full suspension and big knobbly tyres waste about 20% of their effort.

 

[Moodyman]

Rigid forks will help, but to be honest, you've done enough by putting on slicks and amending the gearing and handlebars.

Young ones are lot tougher & fitter than we give them credit for.

 

[corshamjim]

These road bikes are IMO over-rated. I much prefer to ride distances on my Pashley than my road bike so long as I'm not expected to keep up with anyone.

 

[Bicycle]

Oops... forgot to add that I've locked the forks (not OE ones).

 

[Bicycle]

These road bikes are IMO over-rated. I much prefer to ride distances on my Pashley than my road bike so long as I'm not expected to keep up with anyone.

You do realise the spark your words might put to the dry straw of popular opinion, don't you?

These words are akin to an Orangeman saying "One road's much like another, when it comes to marching".

Research indicates that over the standard commute, a road bike will save up to or at least fifteen seconds over the equivalent mountain bike.

Fifteen seconds!

Fact!

It might even be more.

 

[BSRU]

You do realise the spark your words might put to the dry straw of popular opinion, don't you?

These words are akin to an Orangeman saying "One road's much like another, when it comes to marching".

Research indicates that over the standard commute, a road bike will save up to or at least fifteen seconds over the equivalent mountain bike.

Fifteen seconds!

Fact!

It might even be more.

If the standard commute is just a couple of hundred metres .

 

[fossyant]

Road Bikes are the coolest

She'll be fine on what you've done.

 

[fossyant]

PS Most 17 year old females don't exercise anyway, so she's a bit 'different'.

My niece doesn't - might mess up the hair/make-up la-la-la.

 

[Zoiders]

I think you have done about the lot to be honest apart from MP's suggestion of switching over to rigid forks.

MTB's make perfectly usable city bikes and will keep up with many a road bike just fine, some XC bikes are very light indeed and set of 1 inch slicks and a rigid fork is about all you need, you can even get carbon ones. The wheel sets tend to very well suited to urban abuse as well.

Many people who sniff at MTB's will happily commute on a drop bar tourer, many of which can outweigh a good rigid MTB and have pretty dog like handling when it comes to filtering and dodging the potholes.

The main point is that 26" wheel MTB's come in lots of formats and are very adaptable bikes.

In the words of Blue Peter, here is one I prepared earlier and not a knobbly low pressure tyre or a heavy frame in sight.

 

[biking_fox]

I believe somewhere there's research that shows the single biggest factor you can do to improve speed/energy is to decrease tyre size and ensure they're properly pumped up. You've done that.

Do check the riding position would be my only other suggestion. If she's growing you'll need to keep moving the saddle up! see photos above.