I am starting the research process to sell my Giant LaFree+1 (I don't dislike the LaFree. It just doesn't fit) and upgrade to a different City Electric or Mountain electric bike. I know nothing about Mountain bikes but perceive that with all the suspension built into the bikes the comfort level would be greater than a city bike. I realize that it would be necessary to switch out the tires as I doubt I would ever be on a trail. With all the knowledge in this forum I would love to hear your opinions and what to expect in comparing the road ride with a city bike. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Mountain or City Bike
- Thread starter RLB2444
- Start date
I would think that getting the right fit would be important for both types of bikes...right? I made a mistake with the LaFree and want to avoid making the same mistake again. FIT is at the top of my list in importance regardless of they type of bike. Your comment suggests that I would choose a bike based on a spec sheet. However you can bet specs, user comments and reviews are going to be factors in the decision. My interest was hearing from those that have experience with both types and how a mountain bike would be for city use.
MechaNut
Active Member
If you get a mountain bike that supports racks, fenders, and lights you can set it up to be a city bike pretty much. I'd suggest going with 27.5 inch wheels. There seems to be a really wide range of tire options in that size. One potential gotcha with a full suspension bike is if you are a heavier rider you may not be able to get a rear shock that can handle the weight load of you plus stuff without the shock bottoming out. I'm in that club, so anything I ride is going to be a "hard tail". I ride a fat bike, which tends to get lumped in with mountain bikes, and the one thing I can say is it is a definitely attention-getter. I did change the seat and I replaced the flat handlebar with a 5" riser bar to give it a more upright riding position. The big thing I found is that the road tires I put on it (Vee Rubber Speedsters) definitely wanted to be run at the higher end of the PSI range. The sidewalls were thinner and the tires got squirmy when I got close to 20 PSI.
Thank you MechaNut for sharing your knowledge with me. Excellent information. The most convenient, reliable, friendly and quality bike dealer in the area is a Trek dealer. I think it would be wise for me to focus on Trek bikes. I think fenders, rack and lights are essential so definitely would add those. The 27.5" wheels is a great suggestion. I don't think I am a heavy rider but certainly not small framed either. I am 5'11" and weigh 185-190. Do you think this weight would be too much for the rear shock? One of the first things I had to do with my Giant bike was replace the tires. I had two flats in the first four rides. I will focus on better road tires.
Again, thank you very much!
Bob
Again, thank you very much!
Bob
AHicks
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Snow Bird - Summer S.E. Michigan, Winter Gulf Coast North Central Fl.
Bob, I made a similar mistake with my first ebike. I have always ridden bigger bikes, so I bought a 29'er and converted that. Everything went incredibly well, everything but my ability to swing a leg over the back of that bike! Also, with the seat height set properly, touching the ground at a stop light often made for a pretty dicey situation. After riding it for a while thinking I might "get used to it", made the same decision you are making, time to replace that bike. Not because I disliked it, but because it didn't fit (and yes, getting older DID have something to do with that!).
I ended up with a 26" bike for the simple reason I figured I couldn't get much lower than that without really limiting my choices. Love this bike.
I tend to migrate towards mountain bikes for their sturdy features, knowing full well that about any bike I buy is going to be modified/set up with after market parts for an upright riding position and comfortable seat anyway.
Bigger tires ride better, but you pay the price with poorer rolling resistance. 2.00 width is the compromise I settled on. This last bike came with 2.3's on it, and after switching to 2.00's (because of a tire problem) I find all else being equal, I can ride with the next higher gear with no more difficulty, translating directly into increased battery range on a charge/increased efficiency.
Suspensions, if they are to work right, need to be tuned correctly. This is true on everything they are installed on. Fine if you are up for it, but many try to ride them as-is and are disappointed. They ride around on them while they are totally collapsed, or so stiff they are useless. I'm not so sure I see the benefit, so I prefer a hard tail, with a front suspension only. Even a junk front suspension works better than no front suspension IMHO. -Al
I ended up with a 26" bike for the simple reason I figured I couldn't get much lower than that without really limiting my choices. Love this bike.
I tend to migrate towards mountain bikes for their sturdy features, knowing full well that about any bike I buy is going to be modified/set up with after market parts for an upright riding position and comfortable seat anyway.
Bigger tires ride better, but you pay the price with poorer rolling resistance. 2.00 width is the compromise I settled on. This last bike came with 2.3's on it, and after switching to 2.00's (because of a tire problem) I find all else being equal, I can ride with the next higher gear with no more difficulty, translating directly into increased battery range on a charge/increased efficiency.
Suspensions, if they are to work right, need to be tuned correctly. This is true on everything they are installed on. Fine if you are up for it, but many try to ride them as-is and are disappointed. They ride around on them while they are totally collapsed, or so stiff they are useless. I'm not so sure I see the benefit, so I prefer a hard tail, with a front suspension only. Even a junk front suspension works better than no front suspension IMHO. -Al
FreeWheelie
Active Member
they have city bikes with front suspensions and a hard tail. you can add a seat post suspension to ease up on your rear. that being said I put city tires on a mountain bike and it ran great. can easily switch wheel types depending on terrain if you buy another set of rims
Thank you "AHicks."
I might be somewhat average in weight and height but I have short legs (29" inseam) and long torso. My seat NEEDS to be higher but because of short legs I can't get accustomed to the seat being high enough to give me the correct extension of my legs. I don't want to extend my legs completely straight. A "step through" bike is safer for me to ride. I don't think I have seen a step through mountain bike so it may not work. I plan on visiting the Trek store this week to take a mountain bike for a ride. This shop has a separate fitting room so I think they will make sure the bike fits. They new Trek RAIL models won't be available for awhile.
I think the current tires on my LaFree are 2.25. MechaNut suggested 27.5" wheels on a mountain bike. Since he posted I have found others recommending the same. The ride on my current bike is not comfortable. There is no suspension on the bike at all. I had a suspension post installed and a Brooks 67 seat which has three hefty springs on it. I have dropped the psi to 55 from 60 and the ride is easier. Unfortunately the ride was so hard when I first got it that he caused a blood vessel to pop and I was peeing blood for about a 8 hours. I went to the doc the same day and they did a scan but could not find anything except a couple kidney stones. Not sure they caused the bleeding. I suspect it was similar to pinching an inner-tube. I do think I would benefit from a suspension system.
Thank you for you input.
Bob
I might be somewhat average in weight and height but I have short legs (29" inseam) and long torso. My seat NEEDS to be higher but because of short legs I can't get accustomed to the seat being high enough to give me the correct extension of my legs. I don't want to extend my legs completely straight. A "step through" bike is safer for me to ride. I don't think I have seen a step through mountain bike so it may not work. I plan on visiting the Trek store this week to take a mountain bike for a ride. This shop has a separate fitting room so I think they will make sure the bike fits. They new Trek RAIL models won't be available for awhile.
I think the current tires on my LaFree are 2.25. MechaNut suggested 27.5" wheels on a mountain bike. Since he posted I have found others recommending the same. The ride on my current bike is not comfortable. There is no suspension on the bike at all. I had a suspension post installed and a Brooks 67 seat which has three hefty springs on it. I have dropped the psi to 55 from 60 and the ride is easier. Unfortunately the ride was so hard when I first got it that he caused a blood vessel to pop and I was peeing blood for about a 8 hours. I went to the doc the same day and they did a scan but could not find anything except a couple kidney stones. Not sure they caused the bleeding. I suspect it was similar to pinching an inner-tube. I do think I would benefit from a suspension system.
Thank you for you input.
Bob
MechaNut
Active Member
Most rear shocks have different spring or elastomer kits that top out in the mid 200's weight wise so you should be fine. If you don't have any experience with setting up a bike suspension you'll definitely want to work with the mechanics at the bike shop to get it set up properly if you go that route. For simplicity's sake I'd say that you'd probably want to look at a hard tail mountain bike. If you run plus sized tires and a suspension seat post you'll still have a really cushy ride. Especially if you don't have any plans to take the bike to a downhill bike park to bomb it down trails.
edit: Also, don't be afraid to experiment with running your tires at the lower end of the pressure range for the tire. You will pick up some rolling resistance but the bike will float over a lot of the small cracks and bumps that you would normally feel with a harder tire. Also, e-fat bikes are probably the cushiest ride you're going to get because they can run really low pressures even with tubes. You also don't tend to feel any vibration from the knobby tires on a fat bike unless you run them at "high pressure". Fat bike tires usually run 15-30 PSI but have a LARGE air volume. I run the knobbies at 20 psi and the road tires at 28-30. That 8-10 psi is a world of difference when it comes to "cushy" vs fast rolling.
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Thank you "FreeWheelie."
Please read my previous post and you will see what I have done to try to achieve a more pleasing ride from my current bike. The bottom line is there is no suspension system except the new post and Brooks saddle I installed. It's better but I think I need a bike that fits with an effective suspension system.
I am glad to read that you are successfully using a mountain bike for street use.
Thank you,
Bob
Please read my previous post and you will see what I have done to try to achieve a more pleasing ride from my current bike. The bottom line is there is no suspension system except the new post and Brooks saddle I installed. It's better but I think I need a bike that fits with an effective suspension system.
I am glad to read that you are successfully using a mountain bike for street use.
Thank you,
Bob
GregGritton
Member
You might try 45psi. My wife recently bought a Giant LaFree and that is the pressure the bike shop she bought her bike from recommends. That should give a bit softer ride than 55psi.
Thank you for the reply Greg. The first four times I rode my LaFree+1 I had two flat tires. Dealer suggested 50 psi and I suspect the tubes got pinched. I replaced the tires and haven't had a problem since.
I could probably get by with using 40 psi with the new tires I'm using. I installed a suspension seat post and a Brooks saddle with three huge springs and the ride is better. I am looking for a new bike that has a suspension system built in. Mine has no suspension at all except what I installed.
Readytoride
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Virginia
RLB - where do you ride your bike? On paved road or gravel road/trails? If on paved, then I'm surprised you need suspension, especially with a LaFree. Those big tires give a world of comfort on paved.
If you ride gravel, then absolutely you could do with suspension front and rear. I love my local gravel roads, but my LaFree is only marginally better than my 30 year old hybrid when it comes to washboard and bumpy gravel roads. The one thing it doesn't do is slide on loose gravel (which is scary), and so it's my go-to bike for natural roads and trails right now.
I'm already looking for a full suspension mountain ebike for those natural roads, but it needs to be a carbon belt with IGH like the LaFree, so my choices at the moment are limited to very high end $$$$ bikes. I'm happy to wait until the market brings out what I want for less then a 6 months worth mortgage payment.
In the meantime I'll stick mostly to the paved roads with my sweet E+1, with side trips on the gravel roads now and then.
If you ride gravel, then absolutely you could do with suspension front and rear. I love my local gravel roads, but my LaFree is only marginally better than my 30 year old hybrid when it comes to washboard and bumpy gravel roads. The one thing it doesn't do is slide on loose gravel (which is scary), and so it's my go-to bike for natural roads and trails right now.
I'm already looking for a full suspension mountain ebike for those natural roads, but it needs to be a carbon belt with IGH like the LaFree, so my choices at the moment are limited to very high end $$$$ bikes. I'm happy to wait until the market brings out what I want for less then a 6 months worth mortgage payment.
In the meantime I'll stick mostly to the paved roads with my sweet E+1, with side trips on the gravel roads now and then.
rich c
Well-Known Member
I find riding a full suspension emtb quite enjoyable in the city. When I ride with our son in Chicago, we can encounter uneven manhole covers, bad patches, potholes, and speed bumps. No issue if dropping off a curb either. Sections of our rail trail is a smoother ride than some neighborhood streets in Chicago. I use Schwalbe Super Moto X tires. They work well in the city at around 45psi. When I switch to single track, I drop them to 20psi. We're not allowed on the single trail when it's muddy, so the tread pattern has little to do with the ride in the woods.
I am an avid mountain biker and ebike commuter. My ebike is a full rigid city bike (Izip Moda) with 2.4 tires, which serves my purposes quite well. I would not personally consider a mt bike for city riding just because you are introducing unnecessary weight and complications that are likely not needed. Bare in mind that the suspension and pivot points will require additional maintenance and add considerable cost. I would look at a rigid city bike with front fork and suspension post vs a mt bike, but your results may vary.
Alaskan
Well-Known Member
I ride a Riese & Muller Homage which is more of a city or touring bike that has a full (front and rear) suspension. It is a low step through frame, great if your ability to swing your leg up and over the saddle is diminishing. The suspension is tuned to provide a more sure footed ride on uneven road surfaces to allow for longer more comfortable rides. The front fork is ebike specific with a 100mm travel, far to short for a proper mountain bike. The full suspension keeps the tires on the road making for shorter stopping distances and more sure footed cornering. My bike is a class 3 28mph version and has the optional second battery as well as a belt driven Rohloff hub. It came with SKS polycarbonate fenders which I replaced with custom wood fender made in Bend, Oregon. I also added the Kinekt seat post to help with high frequency flaws in the road surfaces. It is a great all around bike. The only down side is that it is quite pricey. something that fades in memory over time and overshadowed by the sheer fun and quality of the riding experience.
Wow....absolutely stunning. There is a Riese & Muller dealer in the area but I intentionally stay away. I have recently added my Granddaughter's college tuition to my expense list and it's playing with my fun money. The Homage is a dream bike. Ride it in good health and enjoy! Thanks for sharing.
Bob
Bob
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