Convert Mountain Bike To Hybrid
If you already have a mountain bike and want to be able to use it as a road bike, then converting your mountain bike to a hybrid could allow you to have the best of both worlds. You can ride both on and off-road by making just a few changes to your mountain bike.
To convert your bike to a hybrid, you will need to make a few changes to your mountain bike, which include installing new bicycle wheels and tires, longer handlebars, mud flaps, reflectors, changing the saddle position, and adjusting the suspension.
Converting a mountain bike to a hybrid might not necessarily be the fastest process; however, it is not too challenging, and it most certainly can be done if one puts the hard work in. It is also cheaper than buying a brand-new hybrid bike.
How To Convert A Mountain Bike To A Hybrid?
To convert your bike into a hybrid, you will need to replace certain parts of your bike. These parts include getting new wheels, tires, handlebars, mud flaps, and reflectors, changing the position of the saddle of the mountain bike, increasing the tire pressure, and adjusting the suspension.
Get A New Set Of Wheels And Tires For Your Bike
The tires on mountain bikes have extremely thick and rugged tread so that the bike can get a better grip on off-road surfaces. Although this is good for off-roading, as it provides more traction, it is not good for driving on the road because it offers more resistance, making pedaling harder for you as the rider and causing your power to decrease.
It is, therefore, essential to choose tires that are not as bulky as the original mountain bike tires and have a less rugged tread so that there is less traction when riding the bike on the road and less resistance with pedaling, and, therefore, more power.
Increase The Tire Pressure Of Your Bike
A hybrid bike requires a much higher tire pressure than the low pressure used in original mountain bike tires. A higher tire pressure allows the hybrid bike to move at a much higher speed when on the road by using much less force when pedaling than the original mountain bike tires, which would require much more force when pedaling to move at an even slower speed.
The higher tire pressure should be set at between 40 and 50 PSI, depending on the maximum inflation specification for the new tires you have purchased. Having an increased tire pressure allows for less surface area of the tire in contact with the road, providing less resistance and allowing the wheels on your bike to spin faster.
Adjust The Suspension Of Your Bike
One should harden their suspension when converting your mountain bike to a hybrid. This is done to make riding the bike smoother and less bumpy when riding on the road. Some bikes have the option to lock out their suspension, which is the easiest way to harden your suspension.
However, suppose your bike does not have a lock-out feature for its suspension. In that case, you can buy a more rigid suspension fork or remove the suspension for a much more lightweight design, which also allows the rider to be more comfortable when traveling on the road.
Install Longer Handlebars On Your Bike
Most mountain bikes come with straight riser handlebars with a slight upwards raise at the edges. This design allows the rider to keep their weight backward while staying upright to lift the front wheel of the mountain bike easier so that they can easily get over rocks and other bumps in the terrain.
When converting your mountain bike to a hybrid, it is better to replace your handlebars with what is known as curved drop bars. This type of handlebar has a straight section in the middle with edges that curve downwards toward the bike, which allows the rider to use less effort to exert a larger force on the pedals, which means you don’t get as tired when traveling long distances on the road.
Change Saddle Position On Your Bike
Changing the saddle position on your bike is not always necessary; however, the rider should adjust it to a comfortable position for them to pedal in. The default positioning for a hybrid bike, however, differ is quite specific.
The saddle on a hybrid bike is positioned so that the cranks lie parallel to the ground so that people can position their knees directly over the pedals to increase the efficiency and speed of their pedaling when driving on the roads.
Install Mud Flaps And Reflectors Onto Your Bike
Most mountain bikes don’t come with any mudguards as they can sometimes cause the rear wheel of your bike to get stuck and not rotate properly when gathering mud and dirt between the tread from riding in off-road terrain.
Installing mud flaps when converting your mountain bike to a hybrid allows for the amount of mud and water splashed on your bike’s frame and on your rear tire to be greatly reduced. It also helps minimize the amount of water and mud that splashes on the rider when moving down slightly wet roads at high speeds.
You should also install reflectors as a safety precaution so that you can be seen by cars should you need to commute on the roads during the nighttime.
Advantage Of Having A Hybrid Bike
The main advantage of having a hybrid bike is that no matter the terrain, your bike can now perform well both on and off-road. The design of the hybrid bike allows the tires to have traction on both types of surfaces and allows the bike to move at a significant speed on each surface while being extremely comfortable and not making the rider fatigue too much while pedaling.
Conclusion
If you want a bike for both on-road and off-road conditions, and you have a mountain bike at home, you should consider converting your bike into a hybrid. Converting your mountain bike into a hybrid can be done by only making a few simple changes to your bike’s current design.
To convert your bike to a hybrid, you will first need to get new wheels that are thinner and have less traction than the old ones and increase the pressure of your tires to between 40 and 50 PSI. You will also have to lock or remove your suspension, change the handlebars to curved drop bars, change your saddle position, and install mud flaps and reflectors if you plan to drive at night.
