General Cycling Discussion - You Can't Rollerskate In a Buffalo Herd

And you really can't go very fast on a Mountain Bike.

I haven't been on a road bike basically since I had a 10 speed 20 years ago. I bought a trek mountain bike awhile ago and then for some reason bought another.

I enjoy riding the MTB's but keep wondering how it would feel to go a little faster. Can I ever make a MTB feel like a road bike? I think the answer is no but can I come close? It looks like the geometry and gearing makes the speed on the road bike.

How much can you actually gain by going to road-like tires on an MTB? That is the only thing I can think of to go faster.

Narrow tires and a nice stiff tailwind...

ya'll be flyin'! :)

Narrow tires and if no stiff tailwind, tuck...

you'll fly!.. :D

Big muscly legs help too.

Find a REALLY big hill or mountain downhill road-you'll go fast enough if you leave the brakes alone.
Go ridged, supa lightweight, no junk on the frame.
Narrow tires-road gears- longer cranks,
3 chainrings? one BIG ring- peddle FASTER!
Have your body waxed and ride nekkid.
Taunt pitbulls into chasing you.
Eat WAY too many choco-covered expresso beans and ride a few miles away from any known toilet. :p

Lower your bars to a classic cx racing position, about 3" below the saddle. Fit some aero bars and you will be as aero as most roadies.
Fit 1.25" slicks and you will be as effcient as most road bikes.
Dont fit longer cranks, but if you spin out you may need bigger gears.
People use roadified MTBs for time trials and centuries.

Several years ago I did a cross-state bike ride with my daughter on the tandem. She had to return home after four days and I finished the tour on my mtb. My road bike was out of commision at the time. The next three days I road every mile with my regular group and we didn't slow down. I raised the seat a little, put on 1.5" Ritchey slicks, I had already installed handle bar extentions and my bike had a rigid fork (Fat Chance Wicked). I was very worried about keeping up, but after the first day the worry went away. Our average speed didn't diminish and I even took my turns at the front of the pace line. Needless to say I was pleasently surprised and more than a few others were somewhat amazed. The handle bar extensions really helped as they allowed me to get into a more aero position on the bike.

So it sounds like slick 1.25 tires will be enough to go faster for now. How much faster can I expect to go?

A. 5%
B. 10%
C. 50 %
D. 75%
E. 100 % :D

?

I've seen 100% increase in speed.... :p

The relationship between drag (stuff that slows you down) and speed is not linear.
Rolling resistance of your wheels is a constant throughout the speed range. It is the same at 10mph as at 20mph
Aerodynamic resistance increases with the square of speed. As you double speed, you quadruple aerodynamic drag.
At 15mph cruising speed, your MTB slicks are about as efficient as a roadie's wheels. As you go faster, the thinner, more aerodynamic tyres of a roadie become more efficient.
Just get the slicks and ride; you will go noticeable faster than with knobblies.