General Cycling Discussion - difference between road bike and mountain bike fit

Hello,

Is there any significant difference between the way a road bike and a mountain bike should fit? I think my friend's mountain bike is too small. He complains that he feels hunched over when he rides on the road but says it's comfortable riding off-road. Compared to his road bike, which is comfortable, the mountain bike is shorter and the handlebars are considerably lower. He's also complained that the seat post isn't long enough. I've never heard of a bike that's only meant to be comfortable when riding off road but when I tried to tell him that his frame is too small he got upset so I didn't push it.

Thanks.

Depends on how you ride and preference. But really the difference is signifigant. Personally even my xc bike is short. TT length I think would be standard as that is what affects reach however, overall a slightly shorter bike works better.

Yeah, I like a nice low top tube on a mountain bike too. Whenever you find yourself needing to put a foot down, it always seems to be on the downhill side of the trail.

well mountain bikes tend to be a bit smallish. XC bigs are probably as big as you get. I know im running a 20" frame for mine, but i also have to use that thing for road as well. A smaller setup will be easier to move around, but i dont go over rock gardens or jumps, im all about speed. So i agree with maelstorm here, its about riding style and preference

If the seat post isn't long enough then he should get a longer one and hike it up. If then his handlebars are too low, then he should consider a larger frame.

In my experience, standover height on a MTB is lower than on a road bike, but the pedal-to-seat height difference is made up for with a longer seat post. I've also found that I was stretched out more on my MTB than on my road bike (until I got a long top-tube road frame). My MTBs have also always had longer cranks (175s) than my road bikes (170s). I ride each bike differently, though, as each type of riding requires different skills.

Both my MTB's are sized to enable me to replicate my road position, as near as possible, without the expense of buying a custom frame. I especially like the same stretch from saddle to bars, the same seat tube angle, same crank length and adjustment for stem height, depending on the road/trail conditions (I hate aheadstems on MTB's, for this reason).

Not suggesting you should follow my preference, just letting you know;-)

Yeah, I like a nice low top tube on a mountain bike too. Whenever you find yourself needing to put a foot down, it always seems to be on the downhill side of the trail.

By "fit" I guess I was referring specifically to the cockpit; the seat height, handlebar height, distance from seat to handlebars. I realize mountain bike frames are smaller, my road bike is a 25" frame and the mountain bike is a 20" inch frame but the "cockpits" are very similar and my riding position on each is pretty much the same.