Mountain Biking - mountain bike on tar road?

I just bought a mountain bike recently and I wonder if it is the right machine to ride on the tar road ?

Is mountain bike only meant for riding on jungle treks ?

Is the speedbike the prefered bike for riding in the city instead of the mountainbikes?

I hope some expert will help to clarify this term.

Thanks

I ride my mountain bike on sealed/tar roads all the time. In fact, I often do rides exceeding 200km on tar roads with it. I actually find it extremely useful in the city where GCCC are always digging unnecessary holes in perfectly good roads. I am immune to roadwork.

I have my bike fitted out with slick tyres and I have SPD pedals that allow my shoes to clip in, and as a consequence I have little problem in cruising at 30km/h on the ride to work or wherever. In fact, I find that my slicks can also handle 90% of dirt roads I come across, making them the ideal weapon in my view.

Mountain bike is a term that's perhaps a bit of a misnomer - the alternative name is All-Terrain Bike which better describes they're capabilities. Having said that some low-end "Mountain Bikes" might have the basic styling but not the ruggedness to really go off road.

Whilst a true mountain bike is generally heavier than a bike designed purely for road use if you fit it with fast-rolling slicks or semi-slick tyres there's no reason why you can't use it on the road.


Richard

There is no way I would ride a road bike around San Francisco. It can be bone-jarring on a dual suspension, let alone a rigid frame road bike. Street car tracks, Cable Car tracks, train tracks, warped/cracked/split/bumpy/really bumpy/bordering on speed-bumps bumpy pavement, potholes big enough to swallow a Ford Festiva, huge (think6") deep gaps in ajoining sections of concrete, 12" tall curbs, 25%+ grades, violent and sudden stops (thank God for discs), cars, busses, (blind) cabbies, (blind, deaf and mute) pedestrians, run-away empty glass bottle filled shopping carts, other cyclists, double parkers, cars pulling out, and of course the occasional rabid stray animal.

Mountain bikes are made for urban jungles. :beer:

Between an off-road trail bike and a racing road bike are all maner of inbetweeny designs, ideal for tackling city streets. An MTB with mid-sized (1.5") slick high pressure tyres is about as effective as a road/touring bike with mid-sized (32mm) high pressure slick tyres.
Roadified MTBs are fine for most road riding, but the suspension systems can make it harder to fit some useful accessories such as a luggage rack or fenders. Suspension also sucks a bit of energy on hill climbs. Whatever, if that is the bike you have, then use it.

Originally posted by locutus_of_borg
and of course the occasional rabid stray animal.

Mountain bikes are made for urban jungles. :beer:





heh thanks for alaugh man

Tar roads are ok for doing some trials stuff,if theres alot of ledges,high curbs,grass hills,and possible places for gaps. Also,they`re good for practicing manuals,pogos and abubakkas on the flatland part of the road.