MTB or Cyclo Cross bike for Winter training?
Pork Sword
Posts: 213
I'm promising myself that I'm actually gonna bite the bullet and get as fit as I possibly can for 2010 - hey IF I'm fit enough, I may actually even enter a few races next year (Criteriums are taking my fancy at the mo...).
What I need to know is... I have a full-on winter bike in preparation for all the miserable weather we are likey to have next winter but am currently undecided as to whether my mid-range MTB will offer sufficient 'road-specific' winter off-road training - to break up the monotony of 'getting-the-miles-in' - or would a Cyclo-Cross bike purchase make more of a difference to my ability to push higher gears next year?
Basically, I want to know if the slightly higher cadence offered by lower MTB gears is more suitable to spinning a higher gear (and a higher average speed) or would the higher gears of a Cross bike lead to greater strength gains and therefore a greater ability to spin 'higher' gears in road races and would the Cross bike be more specific to Road Racing? This may seem obvious, but a lot of the cycle training books I have read tend to recommend both MTB riding AND Cyclo-Cross during the Winter months as they both improve bike handling and give some relief from constant road riding, but I won't have the luxury of being able to do both and would like some advice from racers as to what they would do.
By the way, I am planning to do lots of base training and weight training but don't want to have to spend the whole Winter on the road bike - especially if the roads are going to be icy and dark.
I know its only June but I don't want to have any excuses next year...
What I need to know is... I have a full-on winter bike in preparation for all the miserable weather we are likey to have next winter but am currently undecided as to whether my mid-range MTB will offer sufficient 'road-specific' winter off-road training - to break up the monotony of 'getting-the-miles-in' - or would a Cyclo-Cross bike purchase make more of a difference to my ability to push higher gears next year?
Basically, I want to know if the slightly higher cadence offered by lower MTB gears is more suitable to spinning a higher gear (and a higher average speed) or would the higher gears of a Cross bike lead to greater strength gains and therefore a greater ability to spin 'higher' gears in road races and would the Cross bike be more specific to Road Racing? This may seem obvious, but a lot of the cycle training books I have read tend to recommend both MTB riding AND Cyclo-Cross during the Winter months as they both improve bike handling and give some relief from constant road riding, but I won't have the luxury of being able to do both and would like some advice from racers as to what they would do.
By the way, I am planning to do lots of base training and weight training but don't want to have to spend the whole Winter on the road bike - especially if the roads are going to be icy and dark.
I know its only June but I don't want to have any excuses next year...
let all your saddles be comfy and all your rides less bumpy....
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