Tip's needed on turning my Scott into a commuter

[RustyDonkey]

I have a '99 Scott Comp racing XC bike and i have now brought a Zesty to do the off road stuff. I use the Scott to commute to work on but now i have the Zesty i would like to change a few bits on it to make it a more focused commuter.

Do you have any ideas of modifications will make the Scott a bit better to commute on?

 

[Bensherman]

Semi-slick or slick tyres would help on rolling resistance on the roads and full mudguards for the wet days would be a start. I put a shimano road crank on my Mtb when I used to commute as I found that I only used the big ring and 3 smallest cogs on the back and with the bigger ring on the road crankset meant more top speed. Plus the look on a road bike riders face when I shot past was amusing.
Any photos of your bike?

 

[RustyDonkey]

This is the best full pic i have of the bike.

 

[mynchiboy]

Nice bike

As Bensherman points out slicks are the way to go - if you're feeling brave go for 1 inch versions but anything around 1.5 inches will be fine. i use conti grand prix 1 inch folders and they are very fast (max 120 psi!). Upping the gearing also helps too - I use a 50 tooth outer ring on a couple of bikes and have ditched the inner ring completely. The only other thing I would add is lose the sus forks and invest in a lightish pair of rigids..if you're feeling flash and still want a bit of shock absorbtion then carbon forks are the way to go but theres various options out there

You'll also be surprised how much weight you can trim down in road mode..with the above mods you should easily shed 2-3 lbs or so, mostly with the fork

 

[RustyDonkey]

Any ideas on which rigid forks will fit ?

 

[mynchiboy]

Any ideas on which rigid forks will fit ?

Yep, you'll need something suspension corrected so they need legs that are 420mm axle to crown. If you want fairly cheap and easy to come by you can probably score something like a set of Kona P2's on here or the 'bay. Otherwise post up a wanted ad on this site for a set, some friendly chap is bound to help you out with something that will work! Good luck

 

[Tad]

Slicks - Schwalbe Marathon plus, just brilliant, the most puncture resistant tyre I've ever used and more than grippy enough for the bridle paths and farm tracks I ride in on. I threw my contis in the bin after 3 months of endless punctures, utter crap! Tour guard my ar$e!

Gearing I run a 48T outer 34T middle and no granny on a 11-30 cassette.

I commute 25 miles a day come rain, shine or snow

 

[feetabix]

As above....low profile slicks and road orientated gearing.....a set of Barends for a change in hand position too possibly......good luck, nice looking bike........