cvall91

Both is not an option right now so lets get that out of the way first.

I started road biking about 9 months ago. Started out with an old vintage bike then bought myself a CAAD8 Tiagra. It's done me well up to now and have progressed fairly well with it. I like it and have no complaints about it but it is just an entry level bike. I ride 5 times a week which totals to ~200 mile. My average speed is between 17-20 for the rides. I'm a firm believer of "it's the engine not the bike", but I know the bike does help too. So I guess that's a little background on me. I recently got the itch to try out mountain biking. I've set my sights on an entry level mountain bike. Would be willing to spend around $600 for the bike to start off, in case I end up not liking it. There are some pretty good parks around here which a lot of people do enjoy, but I have never been and have no idea the terrain and such. On the other hand, I have also been looking to upgrade my current road bike. There are still some 2012 Supersix's around a couple of shops and can get a good deal. Maybe a CAAD10 for better components/price. I do like Cannondale's but don't really have brand loyalty. I would be selling my current bike to help out with the funds. If I end up getting the MTB, I'm not sure how much I would use it, as I would probably focus mainly on road and use the MTB maybe 1-2 times a week. But I think I would enjoy it greatly to change it up from endlessly pedaling on a straight flat road. I'm just not sure how much of an improvement a new lighter road bike would be. I have my eyes set on trying out racing next year, so that's also something else to add.

Opinions?

Bacciagalupe

I for one don't see any reason to upgrade your road bike.

The frame is good, the parts are good, and getting a more expensive bike will not significantly your performance or last longer.

I say get the MTB. If you don't like off-road, you can put slicks on it and use it as a commuter, or just sell it at a hopefully small loss.

TheOtherBob

It's really about how much additional happiness you'll get for each expenditure.

You have a road bike that is probably 95-98% as good as what you'd want to upgrade to -- so you'll get only a minimal additional amount of happiness by selling that and buying something only slightly better. Will going 20.5 MPH make you significantly happier than going 20.0 MPH? Probably not. Plus, with selling the existing bike, your transaction costs are higher, so you don't get as much improvement as you otherwise would.

Getting a mountain bike opens up something you currently can't do -- mountain biking. Will you get a significantly greater amount of joy out of jumping off rocks and having new experiences like that? I don't know -- but it sure sounds fun to me. So I'd go with the mountain bike if it were me.

But...if that advice just left you going "oh, yeah, but...I really want to upgrade," then do that. It's really about what will make you happy.

surgeonstone

Road bike only. Divided you shall fall, stay true to the real cycling world of roadies.

escarpment

no way, just buy the mtb, going in a straight line gets booooring.