PrimalQ

I have always been a Mountain Biker but this year I have taken up Road Biking (I still don’t consider myself a roadie Yet.) and I’m really enjoying it. I would like to know
“Is it easier converting from Road Biking to Mountain Biking or Vice Versa?”

I'm just curious what your thoughts are.

pnj

i have no experience in doing this so I'm sure i'll hear about why i'm wrong but I think it is easier to go from Mtn. biking to Road because Mtn.biking takes more balance and skills.

who can't ride in a strait line?

I think the hardest part is not being able to jump on skinny road rims.

threadend

My often shallow first thought is MTB to road is easier because of the availability of places to ride. Nearly everybody has a road right outside their front door, while finding trails to ride can be inconvenient and therefore a stumbling block to many.

SteveE

A bit off-thread but in response to:
I dunno, I think there are a lot of folks on the road who can't seem to ride a straight line. 'Course my definition of riding a straight line is being able to ride the white line on the road shoulder for about 100 yards. In the absence of a set of rollers, it's a good way to work on your pedaling technique.

DnvrFox

Jeez!! I did (and do) both at the same time!! Did I do something wrong by not "converting"?

Darn, screwed up again. I just can't seem to get this biking thing right.

Ouch !

I've only recently converted over to road after several years of Mtb and the biggest shock I had was how hard it was. I thought after years of fat tyres and uneven ground I'd be able to eat up the road(**** how wrong was I ). road biking is so constant and unrelenting that it's amazing.

Mtb takes more skill than Roadbiking (but then again I've never ridden in the middle of a group of riders, because that must take some skill),but from a fitness point of view Roadbiking leaves Mtb behind.

So I'd have to say it's harder to go from Mtb to Road mainly because all riders have a pretty good idea what to do, but not all riders are fit enough to do Roadriding justice(me included)

Maelstrom 

Depends on distances. In mountain biking the pure concentration of the ride (LONGGGG) is a skill in and of itself. I mountain bike because of the CONSTANT challenge to my brain and reaction time. For me to go to a road bike would be a horrible thing to do.

As for the fitness thing. Try freeriding. More intense and even more skill than mtbing. The fitness level is awesome in mountain bikers. No one can convince me otherwise.

1oldRoadie

Man, thats like asking if you had rather kiss the girls or eat pizza. It two different things that happen to involve similar parts of the body and both are fun.

MikeOK

Do both! The two different types of riding compliment each other. In the hot summers here I spend more time on the road but fall winter and spring are mtn biking months. It's a trip to get off your mtn bike and on to the road bike and feel how smooth it is. It's also cool to get off the road and feel how nice it is to not feel every little gravel you run over. Road is good for endurance, and mtn is good for short blasts. I mix them up when I can and both are good in their very different ways...

tokus

The difference isnt much but i would probably say Road to Mountain biking. I recently switched from Road to MTB and there are a lot of things i need to learn. Road biking and mountain biking both share endurance, climbing skills, and sprints but mountain biking involves all the technical abilities as well which i think tips the scales a little. Im sure everyone sees it differently but this is my opinion on it.

Maelstrom also has a point on the constant change and reaction speeds for MTB. On really long Road rides i tend to find myself going into a trance and just pedalling, reason being is that i dont really have to pay too much attention. If you take you eyes off the trail on a MTB ride, short or long you could find yourself in a mess so that is just another point of difficulty. I do like that aspect though as it keeps the ride interesting.

Michel Gagnon

I won't talk about "conversion", because I have more or less always cycled as a commuter, long-distance tourer, and heavily loaded day rider. Mostly on roads, but sometimes on gravel roads, bike trails and forestry roads.

As far as I see it, there is some highly specialised stuff in both extremes: riding technical trails demand good skills, but so does riding in a paceline (I do neither).

The most important aspects I see are:
- What do I like the best? In my case, long distances at a constant level of energy, with great scenery.
- What is my environment? Here, we have lots of roads to cycle on, but if I were living in La Tuque with only one road going into town, I would have developped my skills and interests in MTB.

Regards,

Dutchy

I have found Mountain biking harder than Road riding, as the MTB is heavier, and the constant pounding my body takes from the uneven tracks. Also MTB is harder on the breathing and heart rate, due to the constant up and down on those steep tracks, and also fighting for traction during winter.

Road riding is easier due to the lighter bike, smooth surface and the constant speed, so I find I get into a good rhythm.

I haven't done much MTB for the last few years, but this weekend I am going to find some trails in my new neighbourhood.

CHEERS.

Mark

dirtbikedude

I think it is a 50/50 draw. I know roadies that took up mtb to get away from the roads now and then and enjoy more of nature and it's trails. On the other hand I know mtb riders who took to the road to improve endurance and got hooked. I my self have always loved both worlds and now that I have a real road bike I enjoy the road even more but still love each disipline equally.
Slainte

ngateguy

I just did some mtbing in s california for the first time. I think if you love biking it doesn't mater what kind you do just so it!

transient

What about freestyle? Are there any crossover freestyle riders here? I was really big into flatland, but found myself wanting to go on long rides, so a freestyle (especially with the gearing I had) just didn't cut it, so I traded it for a GT agressor, and now a few years later I just bought a Giant NRS 3 to get into trails etc.

pnj

Um....

redline, GT, Haro,Mongoose, Miami Hopper, lawnmower, trackstand, funky chicken, steam rolller, hitch hiker, bar rides, tail whip, g-turn, kick turn, gauge, swirling zagnut, g-string, dave duster, hang 5, hang nothing, dump truck, death truck, stick *****, bar endo, etc....

I don't know what your talking about..............

PrimalQ

I think going from Mtb to Road is the easier way to go because you don’t have all the Technical obstacles to deal with like ‘Picking a good Line” or Jumping logs or having to deal with traction issues like mud, sand, roots and so on. Don’t get me wrong I do appreciate the Fine Art of drafting on somebody’s wheel just inches apart at 30+ mph on a tight curving road.

I do relate with the comment from Ouch' "I thought I would eat up the rode (Boy was I Wrong)" I am still unable to keep up with the Main group on my saturday rides but at least I'm keeping them in my sights now.

Cdude

My sister is a roadie and I am mtb'er. I love the technicallty (sp?) of the trails, if you have never ridden good single-track you should. But I say going from road to mtb'ing is harder. Because like everyone else said you lack many of the skills that I had to learn when I was 12 etc. Climbing up a hill with loose sand, is much different from climbing up the hill with unlimited traction.

But riding in a pack on the road would freak me out.

bikenriden

This is relative. I live in the Allegheny National Forest which is in the foothills to the Allegheny Mountains. You can't ride a road bike here for more than a couple of miles before you are climbing another hill; many of which can be quite long, steep, and winding. We moved here 3 years ago from an area without the many elevation changes and I can say that the workout for lungs and heart here on the road lacks nothing when compared to mountain biking. The area is also excellent for MTB.

LegalIce

Generally, the ride of the road is easier, as long as the fools in cars aren't trying to run you over. I just switched the majority of my riding from MTB to road. However, in the heat and humidity, the cool woods are much more rejuvenating than the heated black top...

My neighbor, a real biker , says she does road to get the endurance for MTB...I think I can agree with this approach as long as you have the basics of MTB before hand. A guy that just started riding with us off-road (a roadie at heart), refuses to ride DOWN the hills, although he will ride up. Scared of the bumps and potential bruises...

Maelstrom 

Transient,

I assume by freestyle you mean aggro xc crossed with dh. I just lump that in with mtb. It is one step up the latter but really it is still mountain biking. Just take really big dangly parts.

transient

Actually, I meant more flatland/street/vert on the little 20 inch bikes

Maelstrom 

Oh ok then. Yeah where is that on the list.

Damn same names for different styles. Sheesh