Road cycling on a MTB

BobaFett13

Hi all - first time poster here!!

I have a dilemma.

Over the last few year I've become an avid road cyclist and less of a off-road cyclist. This has translated into using my MTB less and less (only for wet commutes) and my road bike has increased in value more and more lol!!

My dilemma is that I now don't really want to use my upgraded Specialized Roubaix for the commute as it's just to valuable and locking it up out of sight worries me. I have a £1000+ mtb, 26" wheels, lightweight, carbon XC flying machine that's built around a GT Zasker frame that I can use but am worried about the translation.

I've got to the point where I can do a century at the weekend on the road but am worried that by using the MTB in the week on a 22 mile commute(all road) is going to exercise the wrong muscles - I want to build my road muscles not build mtb muscles.

Will I be using different non-complimentary muscles? Or....will a road commute through the week actually help my long weekend rides?

Thanks all

larkim

Surely you just do your best to set up your MTB with similar enough angles to your road bike, and you're away. I suspect you're over-thinking this a little...

fenix

You're still cycling aren't you ? Unless you're doing it with your hands on the pedals it will be as good.

Slick tyres will make it faster for you if that's an issue.

And let me get this right - the Roubaix is too valuable to lock up - but you're happy locking up your £1000+ MTB ???

Anonymous

If you can afford 2 £1000+ bikes, why not get a cheap bike for commuting? Even look at a hybrid you can use for everything from roads to tracks and will handle the odd knock it may get on the way.

BobaFett13

My MTB is petty light and the wheels tyres are good -so that isn't a problem.

It was more to do with the different geometries. Before I got the road bike I commuted on the MTB all the time. When I got roadie I expected to hit 'warp-speed' but for the first few months I was actually slower!! And no, my route isn't hilly.

I was pondering swapping the MTB for a cyclocross machine but it's a bit of a niche bike being so retro so this info is great news!!!

pblakeney

I did this for a while. You should be able to set the bikes up for a similar fit, or one is the wrong size.
Fit slick high pressure tyres as narrow as will fit and off you go! I would recommend mudguards as well. They won't keep you dry but they keep the spray off.

The Rookie

My commuter is a flat barred Hybrid but the riding position is very similar to a road bike, no spacers under the stem (which is flipped) put my bars about 2-3" below saddle height, adjust the cockpit length as well and stick some slicks on it (something like the Schwalbe Kojak 1.35" or some of the 1.5" like the Panaracer RiBMo - you could drop down to the 1.2" from Decathlon or Conti 1.0" if you really wanted).

That said I've done plenty of long rides at a reasonable pace on an MTB (when overseas with work the local hire shop only has MTB's or a few Hybrids which are frequently booked out). Did an 85 miler weekend before last and averaged just over 15mph for the return leg (solo).

Anonymous

Personally I would get a cheap road commuter.

It will be more enjoyable for the commute, less of a pain if it gets trashed or nicked (less likely to get nicked) and you will still have the MTB in MTB mode for when you need it.

Swapping between flat bar/drop bars, and caliper brakes/hydro disc brakes is a pain for the brain more than using different muscles.

As for 26" wheels, Noooooooo!

debeli

BobaFett13 wrote:

Hi all - first time poster here!!

I have a dilemma.... I am worried that by using the MTB in the week on a 22 mile commute(all road) is going to exercise the wrong muscles - I want to build my road muscles not build mtb muscles.

Will I be using different non-complimentary muscles? Or....will a road commute through the week actually help my long weekend rides?

Thanks all

This is the true nature of your question and it is nothing to worry about.

Both are bicycles. Exercise taken on one will benefit overall fitness and condition and help with performance on the other.

If you want, you can set the geometries up (saddle to pedals) to be the same, but the effect will be minimal at best.

Any difference in the position of your upper body and arms will depend on which part of the bars you're holding onto.

Ultimately, a bicycle is a bicycle. I am faster off-road if I've ridden the road bike a lot and I'm faster on tarmac if I've been wearing myself out on the Beacons on an MTB. Sadly, that doesn't make me actually 'fast', but less crap than I would be otherwise.

Don't feel the need to get too obsessive about the boundaries between types of cycling. Cadel Evans (an Australian gentleman and a former pal of DR Ferrari) did not appear to have paid on his road bike for the many years he spent training on an MTB. They're all just bicycles.

BobaFett13

Great answers guys - the 'pain' I'm not overly fussed about as long as I'm putting in a complimentary shift on the MTB commute & she is a beauty - pure retro chic meets lightweight carbon and an awesome paint job, prototype brakes. Shame I just don't fancy of-roading much anymore :-(

I've got the geometries set up as per your fantastic instructions. It was a bit weird at first and look a bit odd with the saddle shoved so far forward lol. However I think I may keep her on ebay for someone else to fulfil her potential & buy a gravel bike with the cash. Then I can have a commuter, training bike & even off-road for those lads camping weekends!!

Speaking of which - anyone in the Forest of Dean on the 25th? I'll be grabbing a few trails with some mates - knobblies on, fingers crossed for the weather!!