What type of bike is appropiate for my situation?

Question

First off, sorry for being unable to phrase my question more precisely. Currently, I ride a 26" hardtail mountain/trail bike to and from work/university (around 7km each way). Surely, this is not the ideal bike, but I do love the ruggedness (occasionally jumping a flight of stairs etc.) and maneuverability. So I‘m not going to replace it entirely, but rather extend my fleet.

Also, I’m considering doing a bike tour through Europe once I finish my degree (another two years until thats the case). In the meantime I’d naturally like to train, i.e. riding more than 50km at once, which isn’t nice on a trail bike.

Also, I plan on building it myself, if that makes a difference?!

So here are my concerns:

1. Should I just buy a touring bike now? Seems they are too heavy for what I need now.

2. Should I buy a fixie? I’m surely not interested in being fashionable, but I read here that it helps develop a smoother pedaling style; that can’t be bad?!

3. Should I get clipless pedals? There are some which you can still use with normal shoes, is there a major drawback?

But mainly, what type of bike?

Edit: Based on the answers so far (thanks guys) I noticed that I wasn’t really clear. I don’t want to use this bike for touring, I want to get around town quickly and do a longer day tour with it, no need for carrying stuff.

Answer 1

If it were me I would buy a comfortable steel road bike with fenders and racks. This will give you a bike you can comfortable go distances on as well as practicality for the commute. You aren't racing so you don't really need an extremely expensive, high end road bike and a steel frame will be comfortable and durable assuming you store it properly. When you feel the need to romp around you can take your MTB out. If the road bikes are out of your price range then consider a similar setup with a single speed/fixed gear. Fixed gear bikes will make you pedal smoother but a disciplined rider of any bike can get the same benefits using cadence drills without the added danger of getting bucked by pedals moving faster than you can.

Answer 2

As others have pointed out, simply changing the tires on your current bike would probably be the most budget friendly solution. Putting a slick or inverted tread tire on your mountain bike should improve the rolling resistance without breaking the bank.

Alternatively, have you thought about a cyclo-cross bike as a second bike? That'd give you a nice mix of features present in road (lighter frame), touring (wider tires, cantilever breaks) and mountain bikes (overall "beefy" build, lower gearing).

You can improve your pedal stroke without buying a special bike. If you want a fixie because they're trendy, consider buying a used one from a recovering hipster.

I also recommend the clipless pedals. If you are concerned about wearing "normal" shoes, you should check out the commuter style SPD compatible shoes as many of these can be comfortably worn while off the bike (and won't make you walk like a penguin)

Answer 3

If you intend to do loaded touring, I'd suggest you stay away from a fixie unless you're a real gorilla. When you hit a long climb into your stop after 5-6 hours on the road it's really nice to be able to just drop down a couple of gears rather that having to struggle. (Not that I haven't seen a few gorillas touring on fixies -- though none loaded that I've ever noticed.)

Actually, your current bike, if it can be rigged to carry the required baggage, may not be a bad choice for touring, if you just install smoother tires and carry a higher pressure -- it all depends on what's comfortable for you to ride a long distance.

Clipless pedals are nice for touring, as they eliminate the need to exert effort to keep your feet on the pedals, and this, in turn, can increase foot comfort after several hours in the saddle. Several styles take shoes that are "walkable" (though I wouldn't recommend a 20 mile hike in any of them). At the very least you should have toe clips.

Answer 4

I've commuted on 26" MTBs and I made one a bit hybrid style by not chopping the fork tube down and had a much easier time on it. My other MTB I didn't get an extended stem for and I found it less comfortable. Both bikes I outfitted with full sized fenders, rear racks and handle bar bags.

I would start with getting to know SPD pedals and shop around for a second bike. SPD pedals take some getting used to, and if your ergonomics are not tuned in, you might be exposing yourself to lower back strain and visiting a chiropractor. You don't want a tour cut in half for back problems...or clipless might just not suit your style. (Clipless pedals sell quickly if you decide you don't like them.) Also consider buying a small pocket metronome if you don't already know what 90rpm feels like.

Building a bike up or rebuilding a used one is great, it will make you very familiar with how to fix it and tune its ergonomics as you go extend your riding range. I second the recommendation for a cyclocross style bike if you don't like the idea of a touring bike. Keep the ultimate tour route in mind: doing lots of hills? Get a gearing suited for hills. Credit card touring and not carrying much? Then you might not want to go for a bike with fork brazeons. If you're going to be carrying full panniers on the trip, consider sturdy wheels. There's no reason you couldn't tour on a 26" cromoly MTB, so long as you've adjusted the ergonomics to suit long rides. 26" wheels are often sturdier than 700c wheels, on a properly built wheel, shorter spokes break less often. (BTW, I don't want to get into a flame over wheels, there are many factors I'm omitting.)