Originally Posted by
SetLaw
I got looking @ my dad's bikes and since he only rides 1 of them he said take any parts you want off them. I took one of the seats and a nice water bottle. I decided to give his bikes a try. What I noticed was it took a lot more "strength" to pedal my bike then my dad's. Each time I pedaled my bike my legs were engaged more like I was @ the gym vs pedaling a bike. This is because each time i pedaled, my bike would sinks down maybe 1/2 inch. This is what people mean when they say there is a "power lost" from having a rear suspension. I've grown to like this, because at the end of a bike ride my legs feel like I've worked out at the gym.
The weight lost is purely due to cardio, that and your legs make up such a huge portion of your overall body that when you work them hard you burn even more calories.
Lol, you know - I also ride my mountain bike when I want to slow myself down (biking with much slower people, or I want to get exercise but don't have a convenient long route to travel).
If you find that more fun, more motivating, etc, etc - that's totally cool. Just be aware that you're going slower than you could be. It just depends on your priorities - if getting a workout is your priority, awesome. If getting to your destination faster if your priority, be aware that you're going slower because of the rear suspension. It will significantly slow you down. While it definitely sounds like your route is far more varied than most of mine, and things like hills, bad road, etc, will definitely slow you down, on average on a road bike an hour ride will cover 15 miles, even at the beginning of the season when I'm not in great shape.
Have fun!