Mountain bikes do not work that well on the road- They are for offroad. I now have a road bike and the MTB as well as the mountain Tandem. If it is snowing and the roads have snow on them- I will not ride on the road. Too much fear of ice. But if it is snowing- Out comes the MTB or the Tandem and we are off to the hills. Snow riding is Fantastic. Slow and cold but fantastic.
Well, a MTB may not be ideal for the roads, but with slicks my MTB isn't much slower than my brand new road bike. And, I am not afraid to ride in the snow on the street. This is why I was asking what would be better.
I have NO trails anywhere near my home so true mountain biking is out of the question...unless I want to drive an hour first...and I don't. Well actually I am going downhilling this weekend, but that will take about a 2 hour drive to Jim Thorpe, PA. I love mountian biking, but it just isn't practical for regular fitness where I live.