The world needs to find more and more sustainable activities, and converting mountain bike to road bike is one of them. But wait a minute, is it possible to turn a mountain bike into a road bike?
With details kept aside, mountain bike conversion is totally doable. With that being said, you need to know some particulars for a successful MTB-to-road bike operation.
About this conversion, the simplest thing to know is, The Road Bikes are engineered to skim to breathe through city lights, while an MTB is designed to leap through the laps of Mother Nature.
Despite having different body weights, diverse functions, and variable manufacturing techniques, converting mountain bikes to road bikes is possible with slight changes.
Conversion will involve adding or removing different parts of your bicycle, such as tires, handles, and even the technical gears like cassettes, derailleurs, suspension, etc.
With being in mountain biking for the past 20 years, I have converted many bikes by changing their kits and gears. In my garage, I have 3 converted bikes which I have turned from mountain to road bikes because I needed increased speed and pedaling with less force.
It means nobody can tell you better how to convert mountain bikes to road bikes than I. So I guess, this much of the introduction, let’s get back to the discussion:
Is it possible to turn mountain bike into road bike?
With few similar elements, MTB to road bike renovation is functional, and even a novice can do so, but with the most straightforward guide (written or sitting beside you).
But before you start the operation, knowing a few things is necessary. For instance, you should see the difference between a mountain bike and a road bike, and why you want this transformation.
The simplest thing to know is, The Road Bikes are engineered to skim to breathe through city lights, while an MTB is designed to leap through the laps of Mother Nature.
With the different purposes of manufacturing, here is all to know about converting mountain bikes to road bikes:
Difference between a mountain bike and a road bike
Mountain bikes are all about suspension for easy and graspable control while on rough and jagged roads.
On the other hand, although weaker suspensions, the lightweight body of a city bike is designed for speedy rides in the hustle and bustle of the metropolitan.
Despite having different body weights, diverse functions, and variable manufacturing techniques, converting mountain bikes to road bikes is possible with slight changes.
However, it will involve adding or removing different parts of your bicycle, such as tires, handles, and even the technical gears like cassettes, derailleurs, suspension, etc.
Still, should you convert your mountain bike into a road bike…??? Well, the decision is yours. I am just adding some details on things you should expect with this transformation. This will help you better draw a decision.
MTB to road bike – something to expect
Skim one thing that is completely changing a mountain bike into a road bike is not possible; these are two different bikes, one with a slimmer and modern body while the other has ease of use in the city streets.
Changing all the components while converting mountain bike to road bike is not able to be done; some unnecessary yet irremovable gears will be left.
Secondly, with this transformation, you cannot expect a modern city bike with a slimmer body because even though you will change many essential gears, a mountain bike’s rough and tough body will stay the same.
However, the best thing is that you will be able to have comfier rides around the metropolitan area, a reduction in the overall weight of your bike, and need less force for pedaling.
Another positive thing is learning; you will become a pro rider who knows all about different types of bikes (mountain, city, and mountain + city bikes).
With these points, I will start with how you can convert a mountain bike into a road bike:
How to convert a mountain bike to a road bike
There are different (easy to complicated) hacks and ways of converting mountain bike to road bike.
Some include no addition or removal of components, while others are lasting methods needing a proper understanding of bike accessories.
Before I go with this conversion, I would suggest you to have all the necessary gears and bike kits to successfully implement the transformation of a mountain bike into a road bike.
Buying bike gear is not complex unless you know what to and how to select.
You can make purchases through my links. All the kits are used by me personally, and then I recommend them to my readers. Also, I may earn some bucks if you will do so.
Once you have the kits and gears, next, find a safe corner of your garage with no disturbance, keep kids and pets out if you have any, and start implementing the steps that I am adding below:
List of methods for converting mountain bike to road bike
Here are different techniques you can use to convert a mountain bike into a road bike. I have used them all.
1. Playing with tire pressure
It is a kind of hack rather than a method for turning your hefty and hard-to-pedal mountain bike into an easy-going lightweight city bike.
Mountain bikes, as they have to pass through pebbles and bumps, the air pressure in them is kept little, but this requires cyclists to put more pressure on the pedals to keep running.
So, when converting mountain bike to road bike, the hack is to fill the tire with more air for smooth riding with minimal vibrations.
The tire will easily hold 40-50 psi. However, different tires have different psi capacities. I would suggest you check the capacity before filling the air so you don’t end up with tire bursts.
2. Play with the handlebars
One more trick for changing a mountain bike into a road bike is altering the position of its handles (read all about mountain bike handlebars here).
Lower down handles a bit to switch bikes because city cycles rather have lower handlebars than mountain bikes.
Steps to transforming mountain bike to road bike
If you are more serious about turning your mountain bike into a road bike for any reason and not using it like an MTB again, switching parts will be a better approach.
Mountain bike gears are way different from road bikes. Confused? Here is my guide discussing the differences between a mountain bike and a road bike. I would suggest you to read it before altering your precious bike so you don’t make any mistakes.
Now, I would explain converting a mountain bike to a road bike by changing gears.
3. Change wheels
Can you put road tires on a mountain bike? Hell, yeah! You can totally do that but with some fixtures.
MTB tires are hefty and hard to bear the wear and tear. Meanwhile, street bike wheels are designed to deal with speed.
So, to make the mountain bike faster, changing the wheels will help you. According to your budget, you can go with buying new or used tires. You can even go with hybrid tires on a mountain bike.
The good news is that street bike tires last way longer than mountain bikes. But how long do mountain bike tires last? (My guides will help you to comprehend)
4. Change handlebars
Road bike handlebars are downward slopping, whereas mountain bike has straight and flats. Some bikers keep a double set of handlebars and keep switching them according to the terrain.
You can do that too, as it is just a seconds operation. You don’t have to worry about the newness of the handlebars because these never get old.
So, while converting mountain bike to road bike if you buy preloved handlebars, ensure that these are not rusted or anything. From a second-hand store, you can obtain a great set of handlebars for your city bike.
5. Removal of unnecessary gears
Mountain bikes are engineered with complicated techniques, with lots of gears that are, however, not required when riding a mountain bike on the road.
So, you can remove that hefty stuff from your bike and get new chainrings. It will also help you lessen the weight of your mountain bike.
Mountain bike converted to road bike
Now, as you are done with everything you had to do to converting mountain bike to road bike, here is how your converted bike will look.
Well, these may not seem as stylish as a new city bike, but they can play a great deal in giving you speedy rides on the city lanes. You can now ride with less effort because the wheels are changed.
You can pedal with not too much pressure because now the bike is way lighter, and you can even walk past grass and pavements without any issue.
Besides, the price you have paid is not even 10% of an expensive road bike.
FAQs
Now, before I close the discussion, here are some FAQs that you sent me. I love to share my experiences regarding MTB to help you learn. Trust me.
How can I make my mountain bike more like a road bike?
For this, you will deal with two things: one, the features, and the second, style. Street bikes are more stylish than mountain bikes.
You can play with stylish structure by adding mirrors, new handlebars, and changing the tires.
Besides this, for features, you can switch the tires, lockout suspension, and play with saddle position while converting mountain bike to road bike.
Can you put mountain bike tires on a road bike?
Comparing road bikes vs. mountain bikes, the difference comes in some of its features like speed, weight, and style.
As the differences aren’t huge, so you can absolutely convert your mountain bike into a road bike. You can even run mountain bikes on city roads, as most gears are similar.
For this, use hacks like filling more air into tires, lowering the handles, etc.
Can I put road tires on a mountain bike?
Yes. You can add road wheels on mountain bikes but with some changes such as changing the chainrings. This is because it contains some kits you don’t need during city cycling.
Bottom Line
My discussion on converting mountain bike to road bike ends here. I have discussed all the points in detail. I feel that you must have enjoyed my tips. Please send me your feedback by commenting below.
