Road riding vs mountain biking, my personal preference.
09-01-05, 07:08 PM
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Road riding vs mountain biking, my personal preference.
I just wanted to state my experience with the two and how I've grown to love riding my road bike much more than my mountain bike.
I started out riding (other than around my neighborhood as a kid) when I was 18 (I'm now 26). My friend and I both got new Treks ($350 a peice with grip shift). They were mountain bikes and wieghed a ton. But we thought they were awesome at the time. Then we soon got Klein mountain bikes. Much better! Anyway, we rode a lot of trails and even went to Colorado (Crested Butte and Durango) for a few weeks and rode. Oh that was sweet! Then after about 3 or 4 years of riding trails and occasionally riding our mountain bikes on the road, I got married and started my own business and ended up riding on the road exclusively. Recently, I decided that if I only ride on the road I should get a road bike. WOW, what a difference! It took me a few rides to get used to the different feel but soon I was hooked. But with the fear of not being able to ride trails anymore (I traded in my Klein) I went ahead and got to decent budget mountain bike (Gary Fisher) just in case. So now I have both. I first started going back and forth, sometimes riding the road bike and sometimes the mountain bike (I have some trails near my house). But every time I started out on my ride with the mountain bike I missed my road bike. You never know how big, heavy and clunky a mountain bike feels until you start riding a road bike. And another thing I found was that when I am on trails I miss being able to focus 100% on my riding and not have to worry about missing a stump or going over a log. I used to find that fun but now it takes away from the thing I want to focus on most; riding.
Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying road biking is better than mountain biking. They are two totally different animals. I just never knew how much I would enjoy road riding until I did it. And now it's all I want to do. When I get on my mountain bike now it's almost like getting out of a Porsche and getting into a Suburban. I keep wondering if I will ever want to mountain bike anymore.
Does anyone else have similar experiences?
I started out riding (other than around my neighborhood as a kid) when I was 18 (I'm now 26). My friend and I both got new Treks ($350 a peice with grip shift). They were mountain bikes and wieghed a ton. But we thought they were awesome at the time. Then we soon got Klein mountain bikes. Much better! Anyway, we rode a lot of trails and even went to Colorado (Crested Butte and Durango) for a few weeks and rode. Oh that was sweet! Then after about 3 or 4 years of riding trails and occasionally riding our mountain bikes on the road, I got married and started my own business and ended up riding on the road exclusively. Recently, I decided that if I only ride on the road I should get a road bike. WOW, what a difference! It took me a few rides to get used to the different feel but soon I was hooked. But with the fear of not being able to ride trails anymore (I traded in my Klein) I went ahead and got to decent budget mountain bike (Gary Fisher) just in case. So now I have both. I first started going back and forth, sometimes riding the road bike and sometimes the mountain bike (I have some trails near my house). But every time I started out on my ride with the mountain bike I missed my road bike. You never know how big, heavy and clunky a mountain bike feels until you start riding a road bike. And another thing I found was that when I am on trails I miss being able to focus 100% on my riding and not have to worry about missing a stump or going over a log. I used to find that fun but now it takes away from the thing I want to focus on most; riding.
Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying road biking is better than mountain biking. They are two totally different animals. I just never knew how much I would enjoy road riding until I did it. And now it's all I want to do. When I get on my mountain bike now it's almost like getting out of a Porsche and getting into a Suburban. I keep wondering if I will ever want to mountain bike anymore.
Does anyone else have similar experiences?
09-01-05, 07:14 PM
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I prefer road biking solely because the nearest decent MTB trail is 45 minutes away by car. Including time to load/unload the bike on my car, that's a waste of almost 2 hours of my time (plus who knows how much gas money). I usually just ride my road bike right out my front door.
09-01-05, 07:19 PM
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No, I still enjoy both. There is a thrill to riding a technical single track at a good clip, using every muscle in your body to maneuver the MTB around, riding in streams with the bike submerged, grabbing big air on a jump, climbing steep hills, and descending steep dirt hills with your butt off the back of the seat with the seat in your chest, all the while away from cars and traffic.
Road riding is fun, however I could not say I like one better than the other, if anything my best bicycling memories are in MTB rides.
A group of us use to collect Early Saturday mornings to ride our river trails, then go for coffee after the ride. One day after a ride we and our MTB's were so muddy and dirty, as the waitress was serving us on the deck, she looked at us and our mud caked bikes and asked "Hard Day?" We all broke out laughing and said, "nah, it was the best day of riding..."
I suppose I'm lucky that I have good dirt trails with in riding distance.
Road riding is fun, however I could not say I like one better than the other, if anything my best bicycling memories are in MTB rides.
A group of us use to collect Early Saturday mornings to ride our river trails, then go for coffee after the ride. One day after a ride we and our MTB's were so muddy and dirty, as the waitress was serving us on the deck, she looked at us and our mud caked bikes and asked "Hard Day?" We all broke out laughing and said, "nah, it was the best day of riding..."
I suppose I'm lucky that I have good dirt trails with in riding distance.
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Last edited by ViperZ; 09-01-05 at 07:25 PM.
09-01-05, 07:25 PM
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Reposted from a previous post of mine on a similar topic...
Originally Posted by khuon
As a kid I rode around on the sidewalk and road. I went through a lot of bikes at the time including a cheapie Roadmaster 10-speed roadbike which I destroyed by riding offroad. I guess that's what turned me onto MTBing. During college, I picked up another roadbike for training and to keep in shape as I was racing XC back then.
Currently, I still consider myself a MTBer even though I also consider myself a RBer. I do not find the two activities to be diametrically opposed. I live right next to some trails so I can get out and do offroad riding anytime I wish. Likewise, nothing keeps me from heading out and hitting the roads around here.
I think if I had to classify myself into one style of cycling, it would be as an adventure cyclist. I use cycling as a method for allowing me to exercise my sense of adventure. Sometimes that means a twisty singletrack deep in the woods. Sometimes that means cruising between towns on quiet country roads. Sometimes that means fast rolling smooth hardpack singletracks or fireroads. Sometimes that means hucking off walls at the local college campus. I simply like cycling and what cycling allows me to experience.
Currently, I still consider myself a MTBer even though I also consider myself a RBer. I do not find the two activities to be diametrically opposed. I live right next to some trails so I can get out and do offroad riding anytime I wish. Likewise, nothing keeps me from heading out and hitting the roads around here.
I think if I had to classify myself into one style of cycling, it would be as an adventure cyclist. I use cycling as a method for allowing me to exercise my sense of adventure. Sometimes that means a twisty singletrack deep in the woods. Sometimes that means cruising between towns on quiet country roads. Sometimes that means fast rolling smooth hardpack singletracks or fireroads. Sometimes that means hucking off walls at the local college campus. I simply like cycling and what cycling allows me to experience.
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09-01-05, 07:27 PM
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Zackly Khuon! well said,
I would have to concur that I'm an adventure cyclist too
Heck, I'm an adventurist in general as the mode of physical transportation isn't as important as the fun I'm having being outside skiiing, skating, roller blading, road riding, MTB'ing....etc
I would have to concur that I'm an adventure cyclist too
Heck, I'm an adventurist in general as the mode of physical transportation isn't as important as the fun I'm having being outside skiiing, skating, roller blading, road riding, MTB'ing....etc
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09-01-05, 07:28 PM
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I love both. I can't say that I love one more than the other becasue some days I only want to feel the speed, wind and efficiecies of flying down a long winding tarmac on my road bike. Other days, I crave the tight technical single track, hitting drops, climbing up steep rooty/rocky trails and being out in the mountains.
I'm not a Roadie nor a MTB'r or Commuter. I'm a cyclist.
T.J.
I'm not a Roadie nor a MTB'r or Commuter. I'm a cyclist.
T.J.
09-01-05, 07:34 PM
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I use to commute rain, winter, shine to work, My ride was only 10km one way, and I found I hardly got a work out on my road bike. By the time I was at work I was just getting warmed up on the road bike. I always rode my MTB just for the resistance of it, providing me a bit more of a daily workout
Plus I could ride wherever the day took me after work with out always looking like a racer in road cleats and lycra.
Plus I could ride wherever the day took me after work with out always looking like a racer in road cleats and lycra.
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09-01-05, 08:04 PM
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Don't get me wrong, there are nice trails where I live. You know, after hearing some of the descriptions of what it's like to mountain bike, I found myself missing it already. I think the newness of road riding (having only riden my road bike for about a month compared to 7 years on a mountain bike) has just been refreshing. And I also haven't riden any good trails in a few years (I have been riding mostly on the road) and have forgotten what it's like to be in the mountains and conquer the trails. I am glad to have both bikes and just need to appreciate both types of riding. I know this fall I will be hitting more trails and loving it. I will also have to say I am a cyclist as well. I do love riding for the ride more than anything else. I just never knew how fast and smooth that ride could be until I got my road bike.
I think the newness of road riding (having only riden my road bike for about a month compared to 7 years on a mountain bike) has just been refreshing. And I also haven't riden any good trails in a few years (I have been riding mostly on the road) and have forgotten what it's like to be in the mountains and conquer the trails. I am glad to have both bikes and just need to appreciate both types of riding. I know this fall I will be hitting more trails and loving it. I will also have to say I am a cyclist as well. I do love riding for the ride more than anything else. I just never knew how fast and smooth that ride could be until I got my road bike.
09-01-05, 09:04 PM
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I don't know what trails have to do with it. You can ride a mountain bike anywhere. I ride my mountain bike about 3 days per week and my road bike about the same. The roadbike is for pavement and the mountain bike is for the backroads.
It lets me really get away from it all.
It lets me really get away from it all.
09-01-05, 09:09 PM
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Totally understandable, Road riding allows a person to zone out and achieve a Zen state that MTB'ing just doesn't provide.
A few of my favorite Road moments is when I'm out on a highway by myself riding with a tail wind, for a long session of big gear hammering. It's total zen when I can feel the rhythm of my body in tune with the bicycle, the road and the wind rushing by. This is the equivalent of skiing fresh powder in the mountains to me
I also love riding with a fast pack of riders rotating in the echelon, or leaning the bike low into hard fast corners, so Roading has it's moments as well.
I ride my MTB on pavement just to get to the trail, or for a bit more resistence training or when riding with my family. The speeds of the family rides it's unfair, for my road bike rolls as fast as they can peddle
A few of my favorite Road moments is when I'm out on a highway by myself riding with a tail wind, for a long session of big gear hammering. It's total zen when I can feel the rhythm of my body in tune with the bicycle, the road and the wind rushing by. This is the equivalent of skiing fresh powder in the mountains to me
I also love riding with a fast pack of riders rotating in the echelon, or leaning the bike low into hard fast corners, so Roading has it's moments as well.
I ride my MTB on pavement just to get to the trail, or for a bit more resistence training or when riding with my family. The speeds of the family rides it's unfair, for my road bike rolls as fast as they can peddle
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