That rig trying to help the cops . . . hilarious.

My first mountain bike race, some guy won it on CX bike.

There's a dim sum place in Boston that is in an old theater and has the same effect at some of the tables. I thought I was having a psychotic episode when another table's conversation crossed into ours.

Yep and that's usually the cyclist. Gravity does little for your condition. But it does hurt when you fly over the handlebars.

You ever climb a dirt hill? It will fit you up real good.

Seriously, this isn't going to get better no matter how much you dig.

One of THE greatest vids I've ever seen!

A road bike handles like a sports car. A mtb handles like a lawnmower.

Until you get on dirt. Then the road bike handles like a banana slug having a seizure.

You've just discovered the horses for courses principle. Impressive.

Basically, though a mtb is functional on roads for moderate speed, a pure road bike is useless on dirt except for the hardest packed gravel.

Next up: Playing tennis on a bmx is really difficult.

Put 1.25" slicks on a mtn bike, and it handles no different than a road bike.
I've hit 55mph descending winding mountain roads here in CO with no issues.
Only annoyance is the arms get tired when sustaining a tuck with straight bars.

Your OP is confused.

Excellent imagery.

Yeah, take that rigid single-speed wunderbike down some steep trails and after you have gotten the casts removed, come here and describe the experience.

Then, load up that SS with racks and about 80 pounds of food, water, clothing, and camping gear, and do some touring through the Rockies. Tell us what is it like trying to push a fully loaded bike up a mountain---I can tell you,they are a lot easier to balance when you ride them, but you won't be riding up some of those roads with your 42x17 SS.

I think we can all appreciate [MENTION=499856]Hr1[/MENTION]'s enthusiasm .... it seems he is young and has not yet learned that you cannot elevate your own preferred style by denigrating others.

What does this handle like? On dirt? On pavement?

Nice rig, though it might handle like a banana slug pushing a lawnmower, on the surface of the Moon .... but i don't suppose you ride it there much.

Absolutely, a MTB can be rigged to be a really decent bike for riding on roads. If you take a pure road bike and try to rig it up for dirt trails, it won't be good. There's multiple reasons people like gravel and CX bikes, but a huge one is the practical limitations of road bikes.

You offering OP a test drive?

I am scheduled to do this on Monday:


https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30006761?beta=false


Maybe he would like to do the climb with me on his SS. 15 of the 16 miles are unpaved.

You do this so I won't have to. I could do it SS if it was paved, but unpaved, it would be a long slow granny gear grind.

I'm not a dirt rider beyond the incidental short cut on a long road ride, but the few hard-packed uphill dirt roads I've ridden on have taught me it's a hell of a lot harder than riding the same grade on pavement. I thought his assumption that the MTB rider would be less fit was hilarious.

Because of the absence of services along the way and near my overnight campground, I have to lug enough water and food to get me to the campground. (There is potable water there.) I also have to lug dinner fixings and something for at least a light breakfast the next morning. I will probably mix a bottle of Perpetuem before the start.

The next day will be mostly unpaved and include about 25 miles on two unpaved rail-trails.

60 miles of the 150 miles I rode last Saturday were unpaved rail trail, but definitely of the firmly packed, flat variety. I was traveling light however, round trip, no overnight, stopped for meals at restaurants.
Used my CX bike with 35 mm tires, never would have made it on my road bike.

I'll be riding 37c. One of the tunnels on the Route of the Hiawatha is over 8,000' feet long. It's unlit. Can't forget the headlight.
Temp inside is a consistent 47 degrees.

Is that the old Milwaukee Road route? That line was electrified because of that tunnel, right?

It is, but the tunnel was not the reason for electric traction.

IMO riding a SS (48:16) road bike is like riding a razor compared to my heavy, clunky, fully suspended 21spd "mountain bike" (that'll never see a mtn). A road bike is about distance and lightness. I like road bikes and the feeling of quickness and agility, mtbs give me the opposite feeling. I like how success in real life situations force dicatates the use of what's best for that application. Alley cat races use SS road bikes, not mtbs (90% of the winners), down hill (and uphill) off road aficionados use mtbs. Alley cats, sprints and even touring interests me.

Oh yeah, it was the Great Northern that electrified a long tunnel--the Cascade. I'd forgotten how big the Milwaukee Road electrification had been.