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reasons to switch to Mt. biking/your input....

Old 05-23-14, 07:14 AM
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reasons to switch to Mt. biking/your input....

Hi all,

I took up road biking as a recreational rider 2-3 years ago, and liked it. But on a whim one beautiful day, I rented a mountain bike and hit a great local trail. It was so much fun, and I loved getting out in nature, and I was hooked. Now going to try some races etc...

As a newbie, what are some aspects of mountain biking that drew you in over say road biking (or maybe you do both?).

Despite road biking being fun and I still do it, I didnt like a few things:

1. riding in traffic, never liked the cars zooming by me

2. never felt comfortable going fast on a down hill, always hitting the brake a tad

3. felt like I was just steering straight all the time, barely any turns

4. never felt totally comfortable on those tiny wheels that felt like they were going to pop any minute

I dont mean to rip on Road biking, its great, but wanted to get some input on why people prefer mt. biking over other types.

Thanks.

Benny
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Old 05-23-14, 07:42 AM
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would rather be in the woods than on the street but both disciplines are fun. Both road/mtb compliment each other and will make you better and a better bike handler and stronger. Gives me an excuse to buy another bike and associated stuff. The next natural progression for you will be, or should be, cyclocross which combines the best of both worlds in a tidy half hour to hour sufferfest of fun.
Don't like having to drive to trails to mountain bike while I can ride road bike directly from house.
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Old 05-23-14, 07:55 AM
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Originally Posted by skol
would rather be in the woods than on the street but both disciplines are fun. Both road/mtb compliment each other and will make you better and a better bike handler and stronger. Gives me an excuse to buy another bike and associated stuff. The next natural progression for you will be, or should be, cyclocross which combines the best of both worlds in a tidy half hour to hour sufferfest of fun.
Don't like having to drive to trails to mountain bike while I can ride road bike directly from house.
Or track.
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Old 05-23-14, 10:17 AM
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Skol,

You hit one big area for me: with a wife, kids, job, I cant go drive an hour to mountain bike, so before work I still plan on road biking, just open up the door and go.

I also looked into cyclocross, looks like a ton of fun. What looks appealing is that the races are literally 30 minutes and not an all day experience so the wife cant be pissed. It looks like a fun way to stay in shape in the fall without having to go to the gym.

Thanks for the input.

Benny
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Old 05-23-14, 02:52 PM
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My big thing is I always feel a bit like a jerk when I'm out on a road bike holding up traffic and in general annoying drivers. I like that when I'm out in the woods I'm alone or at least only with other mtbers.
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Old 05-23-14, 03:50 PM
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Is your county really mostly forest and rural rough roads ? with a lot of other mountain bike riders using the trails?
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Old 05-23-14, 04:08 PM
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On a mtb, you don't worry as much about keeping your line. You can take a glance at the road ahead and not concentrate as much on the terrain. If you do that on most urban streets with a road bike, you could end up inside of a pothole or something. Mtbikes have a more universal application. There are many places where a mtb can go, that a road bike wouldn't dare! I can't think of a place that a mtb couldn't go, where a road bike would frequent. As long as you're not racing, a mtb is your friend! That's especially so, if you're bombing downhill on some mountainside...
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Old 05-23-14, 04:23 PM
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Points for MTB:

1) No cars

2) Scenery & the smell of pine, creeks, etc.

3) The climbs. Seriously, after less than an hour of climbing, I'm wiped out (and apparently out of shape). But it would take at least a couple of hours on the road to match that kind of exercise bang-for-the-buck.

4) Ricky Bobby syndrome: "I wanna go fast!" (going down, that is)

5) last but not least: Getting another bike!!! or two, or three...
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Old 05-23-14, 07:41 PM
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Originally Posted by bennybenny
Hi all,

I took up road biking as a recreational rider 2-3 years ago, and liked it. But on a whim one beautiful day, I rented a mountain bike and hit a great local trail. It was so much fun, and I loved getting out in nature, and I was hooked. Now going to try some races etc...

As a newbie, what are some aspects of mountain biking that drew you in over say road biking (or maybe you do both?).

Despite road biking being fun and I still do it, I didnt like a few things:

1. riding in traffic, never liked the cars zooming by me

2. never felt comfortable going fast on a down hill, always hitting the brake a tad

3. felt like I was just steering straight all the time, barely any turns

4. never felt totally comfortable on those tiny wheels that felt like they were going to pop any minute

I dont mean to rip on Road biking, its great, but wanted to get some input on why people prefer mt. biking over other types.

Thanks.

Benny
Well, Benny, I got news for ya. You're still gonna be going fast down hill, but now you'll have rocks, roots, logs, gravel, and whatever other nasties the trails can throw at ya...and you'll probably be tapping the brakes, too.

I can't speak for others, but I also hate the traffic, but my biggest reason for choosing MTBing over roading is that when I MTB, I feel like I'm playing, and when I road-ride, I feel like I'm exercising.

So, there it is.
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Old 05-24-14, 06:42 PM
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Mountain biking gets you away from all the hustle a bustle of daily life, there is something about being out in the woods away from it all that just feels amazing. Plus with all the hit and runs lately here in SoCal, I feel that rode riding is just to dangerous.
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Old 05-24-14, 06:45 PM
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Originally Posted by mhower86
Mountain biking gets you away from all the hustle a bustle of daily life, there is something about being out in the woods away from it all that just feels amazing. Plus with all the hit and runs lately here in SoCal, I feel that rode riding is just to dangerous.
Pretty much sums it up. I don't like road riding at all...
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Old 05-24-14, 07:08 PM
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Originally Posted by WestPablo
On a mtb, you don't worry as much about keeping your line.
Methinks you have never been mountain biking. Picking your line is crucial on all but the most buff trails. And even there the frequent twists and turns make looking ahead constantly a necessity.
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Old 05-24-14, 07:55 PM
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Why choose, I do both and ride for whatever mood I'm in at the time. I will say that mountain biking requires an entirely different level of fitness and skill so be prepared to get a workout.
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Old 05-25-14, 07:31 AM
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Originally Posted by rebel1916
Methinks you have never been mountain biking. Picking your line is crucial on all but the most buff trails. And even there the frequent twists and turns make looking ahead constantly a necessity.
If you compare mtbiking with riding the pothole ridden streets of Cleveland, you'll find that your degree of focus, is much more heightened on Cleveland's city streets.

Sure, keeping your line is important in both types of cycling, but there've been plenty of times when I was cycling on country trails unknown to me, where I didn't feel the need to focus as much upon keeping my line. We're not talking singletracking here, where you could quite possibly break your neck, if you're not focused, but just cruising along at the same speed on a country trail, the same as you would on a city street.

Yeah, I know what you mean though, singletracking is a whole 'nother animal!
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Old 05-25-14, 07:33 AM
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Originally Posted by rebel1916
Methinks you have never been mountain biking. Picking your line is crucial on all but the most buff trails. And even there the frequent twists and turns make looking ahead constantly a necessity.
I think he meant while on a road. A MTB handles a bad road better than a road bike - or when a road just about disappears. I agree though, when you are on single track, you better be laser focused on the trail!

I like my hardtail as a good all round bike - fast enough for pavement, but good on single track. I only have two bikes, one F900 Cannondale, and a Cannondale Tandem so my wife can ride with me (and keep up).

I totally agree though, riding single track is having fun, where as pavement can feel like exercise. I live on 70 acres of VERY hilly land - I am currently building my own single track (with some roads) - so I don't have to travel to ride - and if I don't like a trail, well I can change it.
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Old 05-25-14, 07:35 AM
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Originally Posted by spdracr39
Why choose, I do both and ride for whatever mood I'm in at the time. I will say that mountain biking requires an entirely different level of fitness and skill so be prepared to get a workout.
It isn't so much that the bike requires a different level of fitness, but the kind of riding. Put both on asphalt and you will have about the same requirements of fitness, unless of course you are trying to go as fast as a road bike with a full suspension MTB.
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Old 05-27-14, 07:07 AM
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Went mountain biking this weekend and yes, I did tap the brakes on a lot of the downhills, but still not as scared going down hill on mountain bike than on road.

Swore off drinking this Memorial Day weekend and instead went biking each of the 3 mornings, really early.

Ride one: my "oh crap" this is hard and scary ride

2: getting easier (same trail all 3 days), still stopping at some obstacles

3: huge grin on my face, not stopping, best time I've had biking in years; I'm going to get really into mountain biking, it feels more natural to me than road.

Benny
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Old 05-27-14, 07:17 AM
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Roadbiking requires stamina and constant output. mtbing requires a lot of bursts of power. I enjoy both but my bikes are specialzed for one or the other. Looking at a cyclocross bike so I can do both on one ride. Oh yes, after a long road ride my legs hurt. After a long mtb ride everythint hurts!
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Old 05-27-14, 07:24 AM
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Originally Posted by bennybenny
Went mountain biking this weekend and yes, I did tap the brakes on a lot of the downhills, but still not as scared going down hill on mountain bike than on road.

Swore off drinking this Memorial Day weekend and instead went biking each of the 3 mornings, really early.

Ride one: my "oh crap" this is hard and scary ride

2: getting easier (same trail all 3 days), still stopping at some obstacles

3: huge grin on my face, not stopping, best time I've had biking in years; I'm going to get really into mountain biking, it feels more natural to me than road.

Benny
And on this day, a mountain biking addiction was born...

Welcome to the fold.
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Old 05-27-14, 08:20 AM
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I think you are correct Wooden Tiger, my addiction has been born.

I've tried other ways to get into shape:

running: I enjoy but always seem to get hurt

tris: hated the swimming aspect, and at the gym if I was in the pool doing laps I thought, "this sucks", although great workout and zero impact (and since I didnt like it, I would stop after a few weeks)

Road biking: fun, but not quite what I was looking for

But there was something about being out in the woods, on grassy areas, feeling great and biking over obstacles etc so early in the morning that just felt right.

Later.

Benny
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Old 05-27-14, 09:05 AM
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I do not understand the question. Why not do both? I do both and I love both. I could not imagine stopping doing the one just so I could keep the other.

But things I enjoy about road cycling first
1) constant aerobic input. Road biking allows for base training whereas mountain biking tends to be more interval oriented
2) Going into curves is more fun. If you disagree you have clearly not done fast enough cornering on a road bike. Also pedaling though corners is surprisingly fun especially in tight chicanes.
3) Speed. Let's face it, a road bike is always going to faster but of course mountain bikes give a different kind of speed.
4) less maintenance.

Mountain biking
1) it's pretty hard core especially with speed.
2) being out in the nature
3) adventures of the day to day kind
etc etc.
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Old 05-27-14, 09:50 AM
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I'm a roadie turned mountain biker due to my new work schedule. I mountain bike on weekday mornings, usually 9-10 mile outings daily and done by 8 A.M. I enjoy both, and still road bike once in a while when I have a weekend off. For me, there is less preparation for going mountain biking, and there are trails about four miles from my house.


This is four miles up and 1,200 feet of rocky ascent.
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Old 05-27-14, 10:51 AM
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I can generally get in a more "quality" cardio workout on a road bike. Mountain biking kind of slots in between road and BMX for me...doesn't have the brutal cardiovascular grind to it that road biking does, but doesn't have the full-body explosiveness that BMX does either. That'll vary depending on what kind of riding you're doing, of course. The XC guys probably get a great cardio workout, while if you're DJing or doing sprints on a pump track, you're going to get something more similar to the BMX workout.

Mountain biking is just fun. I do a crap-ton of competitive running, and road biking just feels like cross training for that. Mountain is just a whole different beast where I can actually enjoy myself.

I disagree with WestPablo about the line choosing though. On the road, all you have to do is ride in a straight line and not get hit by cars. On a trail, you have to actually choose your line. I'm assuming when you say "country trail" you mean fire road? I guess line choosing isn't all that important on a fire road.

Agree with the people who mentioned speed though. You'll go slower, but it doesn't feel slower. I've hit highway speeds on long downhills on my road bike without batting an eye. I've been in s***ing myself territory at a fraction of those speeds on my mountain bike. Mountain bike's brakes definitely get used more than the road bike's brakes.
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Old 05-27-14, 03:39 PM
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Originally Posted by bennybenny
I think you are correct Wooden Tiger, my addiction has been born.

I've tried other ways to get into shape:

running: I enjoy but always seem to get hurt

tris: hated the swimming aspect, and at the gym if I was in the pool doing laps I thought, "this sucks", although great workout and zero impact (and since I didnt like it, I would stop after a few weeks)

Road biking: fun, but not quite what I was looking for

But there was something about being out in the woods, on grassy areas, feeling great and biking over obstacles etc so early in the morning that just felt right.

Later.

Benny
For me...

Road Biking= Exercise

Mountain Biking= Playing

I don't hate road biking. In fact, I'm sure I would probably enjoy it far more if I liked where I was riding. Where you ride has a lot to do with the level of enjoyment you're going to achieve.

For me, I was extremely passionate about BMX while growing up. While I never competed in a racing series, from the moment the sun came out until the moment it set, I was down at the park on my GT Pro Performer. I was either jumping tabletops or building them. I spent years down at the park on my BMX bike, and it didn't matter whether it was Wintertime or Summertime. The ONLY time I was not at the park was when it was raining.

I'd always been at home on the dirt and i'd greatly missed it. 20+ years later, I'd hit my first trail in, well, over two decades. It all just came rushing back. Once again, I was hooked. It took no time whatsoever, I was hooked. It was like being a kid all over again. I can remember the first ramp I'd taken after hitting my first trail since getting back on a "dirt bike," and it was as if I'd never been off a bike. I took to the air and after planting the landing, I was on Cloud 9. It was the greatest feeling in the world...just pure JOY.

The rushes I've gotten from biking are unmatched by anything I'd ever done. I've owned sports cars, muscle cars, 4x4s, won championship games, made the All-Star team, etc. and NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING has EVER come close to the joy or rush I've achieved while being on a "dirt bike."

I'm not the fastest or strongest mountain biker on the planet...not even close, and I walk A LOT of hills, but that doesnt' stop me from enjoying the ENTIRE experience. Efficient climbing will come with experience, and so will the strength, but that doesn't stop me from pushing myself to my limits on a climb. I love the challenge of a climb, but of course, I love the downhill aspect far more!

When I hit the trails, I ride a lot harder than when I'm on a road bike. It's as if my motivation just climbs x10!
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Old 05-28-14, 10:13 AM
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Great replies and insights, thank you. I will also road bike at times but will focus on Mtb.

One other area about Road biking that I feared, and this is more due to my mechanical incompetence, is that I would be 20 miles from home or my car and my bike would break down. Mountain biking I feel that if I break down, I'm typically just a few miles from my car, a nice walk in the woods.

Benny
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