[Closed] bike - 1 one hardtail to rule them all...

Can you just swap the tyres from the hybrid onto the Signal and see how that works? (I would say swap the wheels but I imagine the axles and discs and cassettes won't fit!)

I've got a Signal Ti. With EX511s and Gum-X Wild enduros, it's not nippy up hill. With lighter, harder less aggressive rubber and Hunt TRail wides, it's much nippier.

If it's supposed to be 1 bike to rule them all, you'll have a better time at the xc end and the tuffty end with 2 sets of tyres, if not two sets of wheels.

the hybrid is 650b, and none boost.. so a bit trickier to test

@nedrapier the wheels im on should be a similar weight to your hunts, what tyres have you tried?
im glad you say its not nippy i was worrying it was me, so im guessing its in the rolling mass and tyres

My Ti pinion 150mm forked hardtail is on 29er 2.4" Vittoria mazza tyres, although on carbon rims. Oh and rimpact pro/STD inserts.

For summer gravel use I'm going to build up a set of 27.5 WTB KOM i40/i45 light rims, and fit a set of teravail coronado 27.5 x 3.0 tyres.

Not sure if that helps in any way, shape or form mind you...

I suppose it depends on what you are comparing it to when you say "nippy"

I've a Stanton Switch9er Ti with XM481 wheels, a rimpact pro in the rear and Vittoria Mazza/ Martello F&R in the trail casing(2.35)..and it feels way nippier than my Deviate Highlander (with carbon wheels).

Those Vittoria are a good balance between rolling speed and grip,...not as grippy as a Maxxis equivalent but roll better.

Those 2.6 Nevegals must be heavy.

Nevagals are 970g i think, wheels are 1850 all in

but compared to the hybrid, 1700g? and 400g per tyre i think....

i guess.. i could try different tyres first off.. but what 😀

Put some 2.25 Schwalbe Racing Ralph on them,will be fast on the commute and great XC tyres. From memory the Ralphs are about 560gms each.

thanks coconut

in comparison, my transmitter on m1900's and 2.6 dissectors felt better, even my bird aeris on whyte carbon wheels (still heavy) and dhf/dhr seems the same or marginally better

I've done a similar thing with my Switchback, I have 3 (three!!!11!!) sets of wheels all with different tyres on for different stuff; DH fun-sponge wheels that only work on winch and plummet days, some light-ish trail wheels and some Fulcrum XC jobbies that get used for longer cycle path days out. The heavy DH/enduro tyres are fully horrible on anything that isn't pointing down.

The 2 sets of wheels with tyres already mounted for different conditions/rides is a good idea.

I do that with my Trail/Enduro bike.

Exo level casing on one and another with stickier rubber and Double Down on the back.

I run an Ardent 2.4 rear and High Roller 2.3 front currently (just what was spare in my shed) on a solarismax for a 30km commute (1/2 road). I did a 100km mainly road ride last week on it. If you pressure up it zips along well and can still detour on single track adequately.

Another vote for maxxis ardents. When I commute on my MTB I don't think it's any slower than my hybrid.

Racing Ray 2.4 On the front & Ralph on rear nice fast combo

the obvious solution would be sell the hybrid some sort of XC bike perhaps, spec the Signal how I’d like for MTB/XC and then get a used lightweight road bike for the 9 mile commute. Maybe a fixie even.

One trick ponies are great if you use them for the right trick.

I’m currently stuck with trying to make a Longitude my ‘do it all’ bike and considered a second wheelset (so road + MTB) but I can’t get over the fact that my 33yr-old audax/tourer (531ST) is a gazillion times nicer on the road/commute. I tried some 35c Marathons on the hardtail and tbh if I have to take it on roads it prefers the 2.2 Conti Race Kings that I use for gravel. The road bike uses 28c Marathons and while not sprightly as in racing, it’s an efficient mileater and without fuss. The hardtail feels like a tank on the road yet I think weighs a few kilos less than the 531 tourer

I also have a kickbike with Marathon Supremes on it. It scares me with speed yet is still v comfortable on these shite roads

yer, i wouldn't be getting a specific road bike.. at worse i'd consider a proper gravel bike.
And as much as i want to try a fixiesingle speed, my commute has some hills that i end up crawling up and zooming down, and if i were to take it to my local (QECP) for fitness laps, i dont think i'd ever complete a climb

With the best will in the world, a 66 degree head angle is never going to "feel nippy". A set of light wheels for road use will help matters, but your hybrid will feel more nippy on account of the geometry.

I've sad it many times; handling = geometry, weight = material, and stiffness = tube diameter. You've prioritised the middle one (no bad thing), but you really wanted the first as well.

i'm kinda thinking that, plus not much interest in the hybrid, ive kinda got a soft spot for it.. maybe I'll keep it, chuck some jones bars or something on, and a more forgiving seatpost
then wehn summer comes, try some lighter tyres on the Signal and just keep it as intended

i wouldn’t be getting a specific road bike.. at worse i’d consider a proper gravel bike.

If (for you) an MTB is the best for all jobs + road commute, then I’d stick to MTB! Don’t settle for ‘worse’, if budget and space allows.

‘Why compromise?’ was the thrust of my argument. I understand that means different things for different people.

For instance - a hybrid (IME) is much less than a ‘one-trick pony’, it’s a no-trick donkey. A compromise on all things. At least a gravel bike can do gravel well, even if less good on the road than a road bike. I once bought a hybrid for a 12 mile road commute and I still P on it’s loathsome memory. Recycle In Pieces. 😬 Even though the handbuilt tourer is infinitely better on road than my hardtail in every way, my hardtail was yet still better on the road than that hybrid! ymmv For others, a hybrid may be the best bike they ever rode.

I recently built up Sonder Signal TI with the idea of it being a bit nippier than my previous hardtails, however i stuck with coil converted pikes, ex471 rims, kenda nevegal 2.6 tyres… and it doesnt feel nippy at all

I am totally shocked by this statement 😉

Just bang a set of fast XC tyres on or even wide gravel tyres with nice centreline of knobs and crack on, won't cost much to try and if it's shit, sell them.

What size from ring do you have? for £40 you can change it to say a 34 or a 36 and the 34 front 10 rear and 90rpm on 29x2.2 you'll be trotting along at 30kph all things being equal.

^^ This seems to be the plan now..
ive gone 34,32 and now 30 tooth chainring on the signal, to try and complete my climbs...
keep the hybrid..
when the better weather comes in, i will trial some xc tyres on my current wheels, maybe try it to commute
if it seems good enough, grab some light skinny wheels, and a 9/42 cassette and then try and sell the hybrid

I currently run the Signal Ti, bought with very much the same idea in mind.

Currently on canyon cheapo 30mm rims and 2.35 Nobby Nic that came on my other bike - it’s fairly quick although definitely not nippy. Wheel weight is a factor here though. Next up I’m getting two wheelsets built. A lightweight 25mm XC set for gravel/paths/being fast etc and a 30mm set for the trails and peaks. I’ll use the same hubs so they can be changed over with minimal adjustments.

Currently got a 34t upfront which pairs nicely with a 10-51 out back. Don’t feel like I’m short on gears although when I get new wheels it might… but it’s got room for a 36 at least so there is more scope there.

One of my main issues with the bike is it definitely likes to run light up front while doing any climbing - price we pay for the ability to be a bit of a hooligan going the other way!

hey alan, had another think.

If you need a bike to commute on and a bike to mtb on for fun, you really want two bikes.

You don't want to be getting ready for work on a Sunday night/Monday morning and have a wheel swap/tyre swap to do on top of everything else. your commuter needs to be grab and go, with commutey tyres, mudguards, rack, pannier, tool kit/tubes/ all the boring stuff baked into that ride.

And if you're back from work on a Tuesday, Wednesday night, wondering if you've got the oomph to get out on the mtb for an hour or two, the mtb needs to be ready to go for the trails as well, otherwise you're x% more likely just not to bother.

It's nice to have options for your mtb - a gnarly set of wheels/tryres and a fast set, but that's just nice, it's not going to stop you going out to ride. Looking at your Signal with a pair of marathon supremes on, that might be enough to have you closing the garage door and getting a beer instead.

hey alan, had another think.

If you need a bike to commute on and a bike to mtb on for fun, you really want two bikes.

That’s the kind of thinking that comes after decades of stubbornly trying to make one bike do it all.

My ‘lightbulb’ moment didn’t come when I bought said retro audax/tourer (complete with two new Marathon tyres, guards and rack) for the same price as a pair of MTB tyres for my MTB.

No, the lightbulb came on when I looked at the tourer commuter and realised that why not use that? It was ready to roll, with everything I needed in the rack-pack, road-friendly lights charged and ready, and mudguards always fitted to keep me and the bike clean and dry.

So not only that day did I find that I got going faster, and got there faster, and in more comfort, but those things free up more time by which to clean and polish the MTB 😎

Plus I don’t worry about leaving the tourecommuter grandad-looking bike locked in public. Not like I do with my expensive ‘do it all’ bike.

The thing is like the proverbial horse and water - you have to find your own way. And some people enjoy the faff and cleaning.