mountain bikes on the road
 

Am I the only one riding my mountain bike on the road? I am a fifty year old that can't take all of the bending over that the road bike requires. I like setting up on the bike and being able to change gears from the handle bars. I also like being able to go off road when I want to. Anyone else do this.

When I commute (since im not 16 yet) and always ride my mountain bike. Even if I had a road bike I wouldnt use it, just like you said, I like to go off road and hit some jumps when I commute.

Yeah, tons of people do it. That's why mtb outsell road bikes by such a huge margin. They are just easier and more comfortable to ride anywhere. I have one mountainbike that's specifically for rode use. I've been riding for 5 years and only now considering a road bike.

Id take some high end cross country mtb to ride with than a nice road bike.

You bet babysaph! Here's a picture of my Nishiki that I've modified by adding a Suntour front suspension, a new saddle and a set of Bontrager Comfort tires. The tires made a big difference. They have a small, low tread that works well on roads, but they have knobs on the edges that allow them to be used on trails, providing the trail is not too demanding. I also picked up a used Trek hybrid (pictured below) at a garage sale that I use for road riding. If you search the Fifty plus forum you will find several individuals that use mountain bikes instead of road bikes. There are some threads that discuss neck and back comfort as well. You've got a lot of company.

Throw some slicks on it, lock out your fork and your set :)

I will be 60 this year and I prefer a mountain bike on the road like my Surly Pugsley with a road setup ( 29er 2.35 Big Apples).
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a21...ntsideview.jpg

Ive got a pretty lightweight hardtail, it gets used on the road frequently. I sometime do 25 mile trips with it on the road, never a problem. Its great that I can go on pretty much any terrain

Road bikes are not for eveyone but there is a lot to be said of thier efficiencies and aero dynamics. BTW: Shimanos "Brifters" (dual control shifter/brakes) allows you to shift in the "Drops" or on the "Hoods" without taking hands off of the bar.

I would never consider riding a Century on my mountain bike. Knobbies and pavement don't agree to well. However, I do commute 20 miles to work on my MTB if there is snow/ice on the pavemetn.

T.J.

I once rode a 75 mile ride on my mtn bike. No slicks or lock out either :)

Of course I ride my mountain bike on the road like you said you can go off road when you want but thier great on the road any way plus im riding on a 700 mile trip on a mountain bike. I love my mountain bike and there is no reason why you should buy a road bike just to ride on the road.

Maybe try a cyclocross or a commuterstyle rig...my Kona Jake the Snake has slightly more slack geometry than a straight road rig and rides like a dream on the road...and takes a drubbing offroad....

http://www.endlessearthphoto.com/BIK...s/IMG_6700.jpg

on the street I run a set of Mavic K's

I ride my bike on the road most of the time. I bought a mountain bike because I prefer to have the ability to go off road should I choose. Hopefully this summer when I have more time I'll finally get to give it the abuse a mountain bike is made for.

Here's my Nishiki Cascade - Since the picture was taken, I've replaced the straight bars with trekking handlebars. I recently changed the chainrings from 46-36-24 to 50-40-34 to give me longer gears. The tyres in the picture are 26x1.5 Nimbus EX - I have Nashbar slicks on at the moment to make it nice and quiet on the rollers. The bike is heavy, but it goes anywhere, and it's comfortable to ride.

- Wil

The pure beauty of the good-old "Mountain Bike" is that if you set it up with the right parts, you can go virtually anywhere, no matter if it's tarmac, sand, dust or even loose rocks. It's a bit to work 'till you test the right parts, then, you're all set to go :)

Not the same thing could be said about road bikes ... these ones would never offer the comfort that a MTB offers on off-road, given simply their construction, wich is focused on lightweight and aerodynamical profile, rather than durability and handling ;)

tires really make the difference when riding on the road...look for 2.0 or larger with mild or short treads so you can get better speed...slicks are not a great idea

I ride my road bike off road. It doesn fall apart.
MTBs are great all-rounders if you fit the right rubber. but so are cx and touring bikes.

I see you skipped my post ;)

Seriously though, when I look back at the riding I did in 1993-1997 on my rigid MTB it is similar but not more abusive than what I regularly dish out to my 'Cross bike these days. I went to school in central Maine and had a blast racing and just riding the expanses of tight singletrack. My MTB now, a Kona hardtail, is a much more specialized tool...4" of travel up front and it takes some serious drops and jumps. The old Cannondale M800 took drops and jumps too, but not without it's share of busted axles, spokes and tweaks.

I guess what I'm saying is that if you watch what a Cyclocross bike gets subjected to during a arace season, or during a season of exploring singletrack and fireroads, most folks would be stunned. I ride my 'Cross bike about 70 miles a week on the road during the summer and maybe 10-15 offroad....in the fall we up the offroad mileage and drop road. On a cross rig you're not hunched way over and the contruction is similar to many high end MTB's.

In the end it's important to ride what you like and like what you ride. Personally I dig that I see very few 'Cross bikes on the trail...it's different.

I ride my mountain bike almost exclusively on the road. For one thing, there's virtually no off-road riding to be done around here without trespassing, and it's the only bike I have right now so I have to ride it. :D I used to have some cheap slick tires on it, but I recently got some Kevlar bead Continentals (can't remember the model name) and they have really short knobs and can take fairly high air pressure, so they really don't create much rolling resistance (for an MTB tire). They're actually quite a bit lighter than my slicks were, and I can go through rocks/dirt/mud if the need arises. lol

For even more opinions, check out the Commuter section of the forum. I used to ride my mtn bike everywhere, but then I got a proper-fitting road bike. That was an eye-opener. There's no need to be hunched over all the time! :D I commute on a modified cyclocross bike with regular mtn handlebars, which put me in a more upright position. I can take that bike anywhere, except for anything steep and loose. Heck, my road bike handles well enough that I can take it across fields, packed paths and generally loose/sketchy stuff. Keep an open mind, and feel free to own 2-3 bikes. At least! ;)

WOW! Very nice Wil Davis.

This all goes for me too...I used to ride my XC bike everywhere but it was taking too much of a beating on the trails to be used regularly as a commuter/road bike. Then I got a road bike and what a HUGE difference on the road...so much faster, smoother and more comfortable!

Like pinkrobe, I commute in bad weather and winter on a modified cyclocross bike (with a flat bar) that I put together. And I take the bike on singletrack all the time.

http://members.shaw.ca/ehartman/images/MJ/MJSIG1.JPG

I'm up to five bikes of my own now and it is great having specialized tools for each job...makes riding so much more enjoyable in all situations.

Yep.
Skinny tires and specific chainrings\cogs.
Flatland i'm pushing 38-11.
Smoother than a road bike ride, guaranteed. ..but not as fast.

Well now, this post ain't about races :D , but I have to definitely agree with you on this one :beer:

No way a road bike rides offroad well.
Flip it, HT mtb are fine as urban bikes.