mountain bike or road bike?

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hi there.

I wanted to ask a quick question. I am a bit of a newbie and I have a mountain bike which I use a lot. I wanted to ask - do most people ride road bikes on the forum. Its just i notice people mention they cycle 42miles a day etc and I think it'd take me 4hrs to do that! Am i seriously unfit or are people using road bikes? Is one sort of bike more beneficial than the other? I ahve wanted to get a road bike but felt while I had a decent mountain bike I couldn't really justify it. Would I get fitter, leaner etc if i spent the equal amount of time on a road bike that i do on a mountain bike?

sorry, thats all a bit repetative and garbled - hope it makes some sense... somewhere!


thank you!

hi there.

I wanted to ask a quick question. I am a bit of a newbie and I have a mountain bike which I use a lot. I wanted to ask - do most people ride road bikes on the forum. Its just i notice people mention they cycle 42miles a day etc and I think it'd take me 4hrs to do that! Am i seriously unfit or are people using road bikes? Is one sort of bike more beneficial than the other? I ahve wanted to get a road bike but felt while I had a decent mountain bike I couldn't really justify it. Would I get fitter, leaner etc if i spent the equal amount of time on a road bike that i do on a mountain bike?

sorry, thats all a bit repetative and garbled - hope it makes some sense... somewhere!


thank you!
I always had a road bike, never tried a mountain bike. I wouldn't say one is more beneficial than the other, it depends on what kind of riding you do on each one. I think a road bike ride is a faster pace than a mountain bike, with aerodynamics and all, which could explain the long miles a day. I would check it our for yourself, and get that road bike you always wanted.

I always had a mountainbike, but used it on the road.
Bought a road bike a year and a half ago and my fitness has drastically improved. Now aiming to MTB more, and the fitness really helps.
I use the road bike to commute, train and go fast, and the MTB to play!

They are entirely two different ways of riding a bike. A RB falls down when it sees gravel and a MTB is slow on the road. You need one of each.

Much discussion in this forum revolves around how to get the best of both on one bike. You usually end up with a bike that does neither well. On a "ride" you need a bike that can handle the worst conditions that you expect to face. Don't buy a "hybrid" bike - they are crap.

you will need at least one of each

I can't agree that you need to own both mountain and road bikes, but I do think you need to experience both and decide for yourself which suits your budget, desires, storage space, riding conditions and riding style.

Would I get fitter, leaner etc if i spent the equal amount of time on a road bike that i do on a mountain bike? I'm by no means an expert, but if skinny tire road bikes usually run faster and thus there is less resistance and less use of your muscles and more aerobic potential. Fat tire mountain bikes usually mean more strength and more muscle development. All of this is paiinted with broad brush strokes, so take it with a grain of salt.

I used to have a fairly expensive (and pretty) road bike that would get lots of compliments when I rode it, but I was never keen on the riding posture it forced me into and it was a bit too frail to deal with the Chicago potholes so I never rode it as fast or as confidently as I would need to get the most out of it.

For me, a nice city mountain bike, with fat tires and an interesting path are the best workout because it keeps me on the bike and pedaling. I'm comfortable, I'm secure, I'm moving, I'm happy.

hi there.

I wanted to ask a quick question. I am a bit of a newbie and I have a mountain bike which I use a lot. I wanted to ask - do most people ride road bikes on the forum. Its just i notice people mention they cycle 42miles a day etc and I think it'd take me 4hrs to do that! Am i seriously unfit or are people using road bikes? Is one sort of bike more beneficial than the other? I ahve wanted to get a road bike but felt while I had a decent mountain bike I couldn't really justify it. Would I get fitter, leaner etc if i spent the equal amount of time on a road bike that i do on a mountain bike?

sorry, thats all a bit repetative and garbled - hope it makes some sense... somewhere!


thank you!
I have friends who race mountain bikes & they all say 1 hour mountain biking is like 4 hrs road biking. Mountain biking requires a different set of skills. I think its just a matter of personal preference. A lot of people do both & have a bike for each. I tried mountain biking on my hybrid & I really liked it. I plan on getting a mountain bike & a road bike eventually.

They are entirely two different ways of riding a bike. A RB falls down when it sees gravel and a MTB is slow on the road. You need one of each.

Much discussion in this forum revolves around how to get the best of both on one bike. You usually end up with a bike that does neither well. On a "ride" you need a bike that can handle the worst conditions that you expect to face. Don't buy a "hybrid" bike - they are crap.
Actually, a Rivendell bike, and a few others like it, can handle most conditions....unless you are actually planning on hurtling down craggy mountain trails, in which case you should get a mountain bike of course.
Also, not all hybrids are crap. It depends on what their features are and on how they are put together. You can also often swap stuff like handlebars and gears on some bikes to meet your particular needs better.

That is exactly what I plan on doing when I get my mountain bike! That is what makes mountain biking so much fun! :D

I finally got my road bike last month & I'm still tweaking it to get it adjusted properly. The road bike makes it much easier to climb hills.


unless you are actually planning on hurtling down craggy mountain trails

hi there.

I wanted to ask a quick question. I am a bit of a newbie and I have a mountain bike which I use a lot. I wanted to ask - do most people ride road bikes on the forum. Its just i notice people mention they cycle 42miles a day etc and I think it'd take me 4hrs to do that!

thank you!
My roundtrip commute is 26 miles. I average right at 13 mph on a POS Trek800 that's all rusted out from beach cruising, but has 26x1.5" road tires. So for a MTB with knobby tires, 10 mph is about average.

Just do what you want to do and enjoy the ride and different opinions in the forum. And remember, the only person you have to please is yourself.

Mountain Bike
Good for riding off road
Can be ridden on road but uses more energy. Fine for shorter distances.

Road Bike
Riding off road not recommended. (I'm sure if I said "can't" then someone would disagree http://www.cycling.net.au/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif)
Uses least amount of energy for on road riding, so can be ridden quicker and/or much thurther.

Mountain Bike modified for road riding
Improvement in road riding efficiency. Not as good as a road bike.
Limits the ability to be ridden off road. Some people modify them between modes each time they are doing something.

Both Road and Mountain Bike
You get the best of both worlds
more $ as 2 purchases.

My new Rivendell is a sleek road bike that can take 700c 37c tires with tread, so I can ride on both paved road and dirt/gravel roads no problem. I don't plan on riding any actual mountain/woodland trails, so I don't need a mountain bike. But i do a lot of back country dirt or gravel roads combined with highway riding and hills, and I plan some long tours as well, so this one bike does it all for me.

My new Rivendell is a sleek road bike that can take 700c 37c tires with tread, so I can ride on both paved road and dirt/gravel roads no problem. I don't plan on riding any actual mountain/woodland trails, so I don't need a mountain bike. But i do a lot of back country dirt or gravel roads combined with highway riding and hills, and I plan some long tours as well, so this one bike does it all for me.<envy>
Darn you! Darn you to heck! (or at least until my Riv Saluki gets in) :D
</envy>

Those Salukis are SEXY!!!! :D

Those Salukis are SEXY!!!! :DAnd those Rambos are so macho!