Road v Mountain Bike?

I've started doing a bit of road riding after starting mountain biking last year at the age of 50. I'm using a mountain bike with 26" wheels which I have put some road tyres on. A proper road bike has bigger wheels, thinner tyres & higher gears. Would this make a noticable difference to me? I can manage about 30 mile trips at the moment, hopefully this will improve the more I do
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If you want to go further then a road bike is definitely the way to go.
A week later I was on a Specialized Roubaix.Who needs new kitchens anyway
Ski to live
correct. when was the last time you heard of someone setting a new pb on a granite worktop. priorities thats the secret
http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/mountain-biker-wins-road-race-on-his-hardtail-22736/
The real difference comes in my pure road bike when I can easily do a 60 mile run on a Sunday morning. I'd be shattered doing 30 miles on the MTB.
The biggest difference is in body position. A road bike has an efficient pedalling position, while the MTB is more like sitting slab upright.
Kona Jake the Snake
Merlin Malt 4
I am 41 and just got back into cycling last year when I quit the ciggies and I started on a borrowed mountain bike and the furthest I got was a 50 but it was hard work, so I recently managed to get myself a roadbike , and the difference in effort required is amazing, especially as I was on a full suspension bike and I could feel my effort being wasted , as it was absorbed by the suspension. I can now do 30 with about 60% of the effort that was needed to do it on the MTB.
I find the biggest difference is maintaining the rolling speed, on a mtb, even with slicks, you have to work that bit harder in comparrison to the skinny wheels on a road bike.
Having said that, I still enjoy riding the mtb as it is a more relaxed riding position and if not for the bike I would have missed about 3 weeks riding in the snow, as it was I did not missed a single weekend. I do not ride competativley, it's more a enjoyment / exercise / fitness thing for me.
Get fit with less time spent in the saddle?- stick with the MTB and put the knobblies back on.
Travel further or soend longer in the saddle? - Get a road bike.
At the age of 45 I was using my MTB on the road with knobblies but soon got board with the limityed road routes I could use. So I got a road bike and love it now.
A touring bike would offer a fairly relaxed riding position. If you're feeling a bit racier and a bit more flush then maybe something like a Specialized Roubaix would be a good option. It's designed to soften harsh surfaces. Perfect for our abysmal roads and a mature body.
To go the whole hog I recommend a professional fitting, not that I've had one yet but it's on the list. The bike gets fitted to you, some parts may need replacing but the end result is a more comfortable riding experience and a reduced likelihood of strain injuries.
Buying new is not compulsory, there are tons good bikes for sale on websites like ebay and gumtree, keep a look out for bargains.
The summer awaits, don't hang about!
Anyway, I wanted a road bike for the week at home as there is nowhere close to ride off road and no-one to go with and in January I finally got one and the difference is massive.
There is so little rolling resistance you know you're going a lot faster for a lot less effort. A lot of places have sales on if you buy new - I got a 2010 Cube off Chain Reaction for almost half price.
I'm mid 40's and nowhere near being a good cyclist but I've seen improvement in the past 2 months and I'm loving it. Done 3 rides this week on the roads, 35Km, 50Km and 48Km so I think I'm hooked
Giant VT 2
Cube Aerial