Road vs Mountain Bikes

mrbez

Hi Guys,

I am looking for a bit of advice in regards to road and mountain bikes.

I have just sold my Felt mountain bike, as to be honest, I never really took it on any trails, and when I did go out on it, I would usually just ride around roads, and at times I found this difficult.

Is riding a road bike on the same road as a mountain bike much easier and comfortable?

I didn't use my mountain bike much as I would have liked, as I guess I made the excuse that it was uncomfortable and hard work cycling to and from uni on the roads.

So I am I correct in trying to conclude that if I buy myself a road bike I would notice a big difference and use it much more as hopefully it would be much more pleasurable to ride?

Thanks for any replies.

hammerite

A road bike would get you from A-B quicker if you ride on the road. So from an effort/fitness (or lack of) it will probably be more comfortable.

Probably won't be much more comfortable in the feel of the ride though, a road bike position can take a little getting used to, the tyres are skinnier, and have more air in meaning you will feel more bumps in the road.

mowflow

Road bike will be lighter and quicker for riding on the road but I doubt you will find it more comfortable. The wider tyres, suspension forks and more upright position of a mountain bike is arguably more comfortable to most people.

I ride both and find both comfortable but I wouldn't say either is like a nice comfy bed. You need to get a good fit and get used to the riding position.

gmacz

Moutain bike can be used for rough shortcuts and flying of pavements etc.
Road bike really has to be on good surfaces only.
Tyres at 30psi and nice shockfree ride. Road bike at 110 psi and rattles and vibrates on rough finish roads.
If you are not a keen cyclist, neither bike will be fun.

cougie

Road bikes are easier - but if you didnt enjoy the MTB on the road - you probably wont get the road cycling thing either (unless the MTB was a really bouncy full suspension one).

I'll happily ride my MTB on the road without thinking about it being that much harder than my road bike.

cougie

Road bikes are easier - but if you didnt enjoy the MTB on the road - you probably wont get the road cycling thing either (unless the MTB was a really bouncy full suspension one).

I'll happily ride my MTB on the road without thinking about it being that much harder than my road bike.

meanredspider

There are a myriad of options in between which may suit you better - hybrids, commuters, cyclocross, tourers etc etc - most of which will be quicker than the MTB and more comfortable than an out-and-out "road" bike. Find a bike shop that allows you to try them and ride a few.

Jackal79

I've recently purchased my first road bike and as mentioned above, the weight difference is huge. I can't say that its any more comfortable than my mountain bike though, I'm happy on both. As for being easier to ride on roads I'm going to agree with hammerite, I think its all in the gear ratio differences.

t5nel

I would say that most/all MTB setups offer more compliance at the front end as they are designed to go on the rougher stuff. Especially if you have even the most basic of front suspension forks.

My road bike is ultra stiff at the fron in comparison and much much more of the buzz is transferred to wrists and arms whica can get tiring.

Purely for comfort MTB wins I think.

On the other hand my sofa is much much more comfy but I dont think I could get it up a hill without a granny ring

Tim

Wacky Racer

It depends on whether your MTB was a hardtail or a full-suss? Did you lock the front shock? A road bike is way faster, climbs better, and will take you further, but only on tarmac. The MTB will obviously take you down tracks and dirt trails that a road bike can't. If you are looking for comfort though, I doubt a road bike is your answer. I am from a MTB background, I spent lot's of time on trails, and switched to road cycling earlier this year. My first few rides were anything but comfortable, perched up high on a skinny seat crouched over the bars doing 20/30 miles per hour through traffic, wincing every time I hit a pothole is definitely not my idea of comfort. But, a lightweight road bike once you are used to it will give you far more pleasure on a road than a MTB ever will, if you want to go quicker, longer, further.

geebee2

Road bike really has to be on good surfaces only.

Nah, I have taken my road bike off-road up to top of Welsh mountain pass, miles from nearest tarmac on grassy trails ( annual club ride to Black mountains ).

Obviously not ideal for off-road, but you wouldn't want to ride the 100+ mile ride there and back on a mountain bike!

Hoopdriver

I generally hate riding MBTs and much, much, much prefer the clean sweet ride of a road bike on bitumen. No comparison for me.

MrChuck

It's much easier on a road bike than an MTB- right gearing, 700c wheels, lighter, no fat, draggy tyres or suspension sapping your effrort, and (more than likely) a more efficient riding position.

But that's when you get used to it- you probably wouldn't jump on a road bike and find it a revelation. It might seem twitchy, uncomfortable and initially not much quicker than your MTB. Like most things though, persevere and you'll see the light!

That said, it's not necessarily the best option for rding to uni or just out and about on the roads. A hybrid or flat-barred road bike will give you most of the advantages with a few concessions to comfort (e.g. wider tyres and a more upright position).

Whichever, the only job an MTB is the right tool for is MTBing.

mrbez

Uni is around 4 miles from my house, and I was covering this in around 20-25 minutes on my mountain bike.

Sorry if this is a really stupid question, but what kind of care does a road bike require. For example, the next 8 months I am spending on a placement, and will therefore be living in an apartment. Would I be required to clean the bike etc after each use? Again, apologies if this is stupid of me, but road cycling is completely new territory for me.

Thanks.

apreading

mrbez wrote:

Hi Guys,

I am looking for a bit of advice in regards to road and mountain bikes.

I have just sold my Felt mountain bike, as to be honest, I never really took it on any trails, and when I did go out on it, I would usually just ride around roads, and at times I found this difficult.

Is riding a road bike on the same road as a mountain bike much easier and comfortable?

I didn't use my mountain bike much as I would have liked, as I guess I made the excuse that it was uncomfortable and hard work cycling to and from uni on the roads.

So I am I correct in trying to conclude that if I buy myself a road bike I would notice a big difference and use it much more as hopefully it would be much more pleasurable to ride?

Thanks for any replies.

Were there any hills between home and uni? If so, then I guess a lighter bike (as a road bike will be) would be easier, but if you are heavy then the difference may not be significant enough to have an effect.

Other than that, if you found the MTB unconfortable then you wont find a road bike any better, unless the discomfort was because the MTB was the wrong size for you. A road bike will give you a harsher, less supple ride.

If you found the MTB hard work without any serious hills, then this has nothing to do with the bike and simply means that you need to put the work in to get fitter - the bike wont help you with this, it just requires some effort.

fastercyclist

Under 30 miles I don't see any difference between the mtb and road bike for a training ride.

I refuse to ride the mtb over 50 miles however, as it does become a bit "could of been home 30 minutes ago" whilst going up a hill on the mtb...

It's good to ride a bit of both as too much of either just gets boring. Unless you're racing people exaggerate the differences...

One thing I have noticed is that drivers treat you better when you're on a road bike.

P.S.

For the above poster - some people get on better with hard saddles, I have never seen a mtb come with a hard saddle. So saying people wont be more comfortable with a road bike is not entirely true, I know I have less pains when I get off the road bike than off the mtb.

MichaelW

Road bikes dont require any more care than MTBs.

Note the various styles of road bike from race bikes to more practical ones having better tyre clearance, lower gear ratios and fittings for rack and mudguard:
Light touring/winter training/Audax style
Cyclo cross
Touring

kingrollo

You probably need a greater level of fitness to enjoy either. I am 10 minutes slower when I use my mtb to commute 7 miles to work. - so in that respect the road bike is easier - but you still require a degree of fitness for it not to be a slog.

I love riding trails on mtb - but the hassle of loading it up - driving to somewhere decent - your talking 3 hours - to get just over an hour of pedalling in. Thats why I prefer road - just get on and do 30-40 miles ...job done.

Personally I would try and ride the MTB first, and get through that barrier, rather than looking for a pancea in a road bike.

Del N

I find the mtb great for commutting, i ride the road bike evenings and weekends when the roads are quieter, the mtb is a lot softer on the bum, and as said before you can jump up the kerbs if you have to, and i do quite often to get out of trouble, as for looking after the road bike i clean it after every ride, the mtb gets hosed down every now and then. lol

The Spiderman

In terms of maintenace both an mtb or road bike will benefit from a clean drivetrain and regularly chain lubing.

A Road bike is generally simpler to maintain in that road brakes are simpler to set up and no suspension to fiddle with.However it is easier to buckle a wheel on a road bike.

If you are a novice and haven`t ridden for a while you might get on better with an mtb initially for the more comfortable ride position and less twitchy handling traits,but I`d reccomend putting slick tyres on it if you are using it for predominantly road use.

g00se

If you're riding it in winter and all weather, you'll ideally need something that will take mudguards.

As for cleaning, you shouldn't need to clean it as much as an MTB. An 8 mile round trip in dry conditions will not really need anything done. A clean down after riding salty wet roads will be in order - and regularly oil the chain. Use the right lube for the conditions (dry lube in the summer, wet lube in the winter).

For that mileage and as you're used to a MTB - a rigid-forked hybrid might be a good bet - herasy on these boards I know . It'll be cheaper than a full road bike. If you're not sure, they'll be loads of these about second hand. Get a reasonable cheap but well-fitting decent one for the upcoming winter. Then come the spring, you'll know if you want to go to a full road bike.This sort of thing:


http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/scott-sub-40-2010-hybrid-bike-inc-u-lock-and-lights/87400589


Nothing special about that choice - just the first I saw on gumtree. You'll be able to sell it for near the same value next sprig.

Yeoer

I commute pretty much everyday and i have a choice of routes to take shortest being 4 miles and the longest regular route being 18, when the weather fine i will almost always go the 18 mile (just over an hour) way on my road bike and sometimes from work as well.

Now the weathers changed for the worst the road bikes in the dry and the MTB is out again... boy thats a different story! 4 miles on that bad boy seems hard work! so slow and to be honest on the roads i ride almost dangerious because of it. The 4 mile route is mostly main road and the 18 is right out over the moors.

It's running 1.3 Conti sport contacts which when i first put them on they felt great and transformed the thing but compaired to the roadbike ZZZZZZZZZ...

As for comfort the MTB has it as the roads are quite rough in places so the sus helps a lot, but would i ride the MTB out of choice NOPE.

The situp and beg position and lowish gearing just make the MTB feel like a slug to ride on the road.