mtn bike vs. road bike

surgtech1956

How many of you also ride a road bike or are you just mtn bikers? How did you decide to mtn bike instead of road riding, was it because you are close to trails and more opportunities for a mtn bike? My reason for this inquiry is a lengthy debate with a friend over getting more use, a better workout, etc...

TheBugGuy

I ride a mountain bike 'cause it's affordable enough for every day use, and not as limiting as a road bike would be. I can still go off-road when I want to -- lots of unpaved trails around here.

Eventually I want to try some longer-distance rides, so I'll probably get a road bike. But not until I can actually afford one (I'm a starving college student).

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MarkInNC

I am a relative novice. I bought a mtb because there are lots of back roads in the area that are not paved and I figured I would be spending a good deal of time on them. As it turns out I ride mostly on paved roads and have put road tires on the mtb. More recently I bought a road bike so that I could more easily ride with the road bikes when I wanted. So far with one of each I pretty much ride each about the same. Each has advantages over the other. The biggest advantage of the mtb on the road is that it is way more comfortable. The biggest advantage of the road bike is that it is way faster.

Mark

GABAjunkie

I bought a mtb because its way more universal. Even some roads around here are too rough for a roadie, lol! But really, having only a road bike around here leaves you somewhat limited. I like to ride everything from bike path to real trails so a mtb fit the bill for me.
As far as getting a workout is concerned, I think you can get a good workout on any bike, as long as you push it.

TheBugGuy

Very true. If I really push myself riding, I'm thoroughly exhausted and out of breath just on a six-mile MTB ride. There's some good hills on the way and it feels like a good cardio workout by the time I'm done.

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Garyh_GONP07

I began riding in 1981 on a custom built touring frame with skinny tyres. I loved speed and the open road. Next year, that touring bike was fitted with front and rear racks, lights etc. for long-range touring.

Period. By 1985, the first bike had been replaced with my first mountain bike, then, spoilt rotten, I had a road-only bike built for me for riding weekend double centuries (200mile/320km or so). That was the fastest road bike I have ever owned.

But I continued to gravitate toward touring and the road bike was sold in 1987, with the mountain bike outfitted for long-range touring as per the first bike.

I continued with the MTB in touring fashion to 1993, when an alloy-framed hybrid came along. That, too was fitted with only a rear rack as I slowly eased off heavy touring.

Now I have the last of the bikes (I hope!): another MTB; no racks, but full lights and ultra-comfortable. I bash it along dirt tracks, and suburbia, and certainly not averse to a 100km or so blast on the open road in comfort (preferably with a tailwind!! ) My only 'luggage' with this bike is a Camelbak to carry essentials, so travel now is quite speedy with no panniers to worry about breaking off somewhere...

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n.o.r.t

mtn bike's will kick the road bike's ass not bye much im guessing mtn bike are a faster then road bike's it maybe diffrent road bikes can be mtn bikes but i think no... mtn bike will win

Insaneclimber

I raced road bikes for 10 years and gave it up because its so boring, now i have mountain bikes. MTB's are definitly faster on corners. Road bikes are more efficient. I definitly get a much harder workout on the MTB, 100km of dirt rideing would almost kill any one, not only is it harder to pedel but you get the shit shaken out of you. After a long MTB ride i generally feel like some one has beaten the crap out of me with a baseball bat. After a long road bike ride i just get sore legs and ass.

cruisin

I have put Chromo forks and 1.25" tyres on an older hardtail and find this gets along fairly well, and still gives a bit of robustness and handling if I have to bail off the road for inconsiderate tin tops and trucks.

j.r.hawkins

I have a skinny-slick-tyred hardtail MTB for commuting, as I like the idea of disc brakes in adverse weather. It is very comfortable, but the roadies continue to go past me like I'm standing still. Road bikes are much faster, but can be sketchy in the wet. The slick-shod MTB handles the wet well.

I have a second set of wheels with off-road knobblies on that I swap in when my son demands I go off-road riding with him , as the Conti 1.3 road slicks are very tight on the rim and I've busted/chewed up two full sets of plastic levers just getting the blighters on. Worth it, though: they're brilliant tyres.

Just recently I bought a Cannondale Jekyll softtail, but I've since had to deal with some bike fit issues caused by recently-discovered leg length discrepancy, so I haven't been able to really test it out on the trails yet.