Using your MTB for road use aswell ??

bails87

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

Wow, I never thoguht that would have worked on a road/cx bike.
My method is more caveman though, charge at them full tilt, and unload the front wheel just before impacting them, and let the speed carry me up

At 100psi it takes a pretty big impact to pinch the tube, even on a skinny tyre.

And going back to the original topic, I wouldn't want to do my commute on my mtb. It's almost all on road with no off road alternative, there is one bit that I can replace with a few hundred yards of woodland (and I have done it on the slicked CX), but it's no quicker than the road, and there are dog walkers and gates to navigate around.

If people want a harder workout then fill your backpack with bricks, or wear a sail Or just pedal faster and ride further, that way it doesn't matter what bike you're on. In any case, I'd rather do 30 miles on the road on a road bike, than 15 miles on road on a AM full susser.

Not that there's anything wrong with using a mtb on the road, just personally, given the choice I'd pick the road bike.

YeehaaMcgee

Well, I don't have a road bike, and really don't like the riding position on them.
So THERE.

bails87

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

Well, I don't have a road bike, and really don't like the riding position on them.
So THERE.

Well I do, and I like the feeling of my curves straining the seams of my lycra.

So THERE!

Northwind

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

I'd have thought you'd snakebite like a muthertrucker when riding up stairs

Road bike tyres with a million psi in them might as well be made of steel tbh

diy

.blitz wrote:

I used to wind it up in top and try to maintain cadence my hr was like 220bpm lol.

I hope for your hearts sake you were something like 15 at the time otherwise time to pack an AED in your back pack.

hells

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

There's something I occasionalyl ponder too.
If an MTB is harder work on the road, then it has the side efect of making my 10-17 mile each way commute - I vary it depending on weather etc - a decent workout.
On a road bike, which is much less effort, I'd be getting less excercise.
And I couldn't ride the stairs each day.

Yes and no, I find if I am riding the road bike to work then I end up pushig myself harder and ride faster as thats what the bike encourages you to do, due to the way it rides. I end up knackered but feeling very alive. If I ride the mtb its more of a pootle to work as its just not particularily fun riding it on the road. At the moment I ride a cx with laden panniers plus large back pack as Ih ave to cart a huge amount of stuff to work and am in a different location each day, because its so heavy I end up pootling.

gezebo

After nearly 20 years of on mtbing I got a road bike and have been really impressed at how much it's improved my mtbing. I've found that fitness and pedalling technique has really improved as well as an increase in cadence. I'd go as far as saying that road cycling helps your mtbing much more than mtbing helping the road cycling.

In comparing the styles I'd say that on refection even when going out for a training ride on a mtb on the road I did not really push myself even when I thought I was. This I felt was due to the style of the bike not lending itself to pushing yourself. Indeed when I first went out on my road bike I was absolutely knackered after 3/4miles despite comfortably being able to ride the Marin in 1hr 30!

Its horses for courses and road bikes just beg to be pushed harder when out on the road. They are also much, much stronger than people give them credit for ie Paris-Roubaix

sigorman85

Hi I have a specialized camber comp and have just put on some schwalbe city jets so I can use it on the road ie trip to work! And must say I was amazed its quite handy that I can lock out the front and rear sus with is a big help I can easily keep a pace of 16 to 20 mph on this only problem is that I have to get another set of rims for the mountain kings

CarpOnWheels

Rode road in my teens to the point of obsession (and, for that matter, knee damage...), and just getting back into cycling via the pure, unadulterated joy of mountain biking. My thoughts...

If you've never ridden a proper road bike, I'm sure MTBs are fine on road. If you have, then MTBs on road are a totally unsatisfying experience. The riding position's so wrong it's embarrassing, the rolling resistance is nuts, and they're just way to heavy. I can totally understand if money, storage, or whatever is an issue and the MTB gets used for commuting as well as it's off-road purpose, but the idea of doing it deliberately for fun strikes me as a bit like showing up for a Porsche Cup race in a Cayene.

Also, agreed with Gezebo on the subjects of fitness, pedalling technique, and maintaining a reasonable cadence. Divorced from the need to consider the technicalities of terrain*, a road bike on road both forces and encourages you to focus on the one issue that's left, namely the efficient generation of continuous power over a prolongued period - bloody handy when climbing on the MTB, that.

* Before anyone says it, I know that's not entirely true.

smack148

some goods points here, but essentially it's user chooser.
IMHO if your commute is more than 10m or so you'll notice the benefit of a roadie. Far more efficient due to reduced weight and less rolling resistance. Save you 5 -10 minutes each way each day, so save up all that time and get more time in bed on Saturday. If you've got some good flowing open roads with hills, you'll really notice the difference. Even with a compact chainset you'll be up those hills much easier than on your MB. and the down hills are a blast, particularly if you like to accelerate away from cars or pass them, pausing your pedeling or picking your nose to affect that "no effort" look. But the downside of a roadie is that you will notice rough terrain more. If your roads are bad or cobbles consider buying a roadie build with comfort in mind, rather than a carbon race monster might look the dogs, but arriving wearied at work isn't a great start to the day. One last thing to bear in mind about roadies. How grown up are you? I find my roadie dull dull dull to ride as I cant bunnyhop around and go down stairs and generally arse around in it.
If your commute is predominately in town I'd consider a commuter bike, strong comfortable and with disk brakes and slicks. I've got an MTB and a Roadie and I miss my MTB's versatility, strength and braking every time I'm on my roadie. However on the worst hill near home at night I often think thank god I'm on this paperweight bike and not slogging up with all that weight. think I'll go for bike 3 in the form of a dedicated commuter. and ask Santa for a BMX too.

diy

I have to say I agree with the sentiment about road bikes. Since riding my boardman I have certainly seen higher heart rates, better technique for blasting up long climbs, higher cadence and more efficient pedaling. I also find if I'm nipping out for an hour or two's training mid-week evening, the road bike gives me a much better work out.

The main thing I have gained is stronger neck muscles which I have always found the weak link on long enduro rides. Its normally my neck and shoulders that go after about 5 or 6 hrs of riding.

There are a few things I don't like about road bikes.
- I don't like the brakes, my rival's are as good as any other, but they are no match for the Juicy 7s on my stumpy or even the J5s on the rockhopper.
- for blasting through urban traffic I prefer the mtb.
- for fast down hill, I much prefer the mtb due to my confidence in grip and brakes.
- I hate the way road bikes buck you when you are riding fast
- mtbs have a much more comfortable riding position for your bum