Budget road bike vs decent mtb

[anglais49]

Hey y'all,

I'm considering buying an interim road bike, but not sure if it would be any better than the mtb I have already. If anyone could provide a bit of versus context, it would be much appreciated.

So later this year I'm going to spend £1300+ on a full carbon Giant (TCR) or Trek (Madone), to do everything from a daily commute to 50/100-mile events, to a week's climbing tour of the Alps. But I need something until I get round to that...

Right now, my only bike is a Specialised Rockhopper (http://goo.gl/XHvr2). It's a 2010 model and was around £900 new. I use it mainly off road, but also have a pair of slick tyres for it since it's also the only on-road bike I've got. It's almost worth buying a cheap road bike just to save me having to keep swapping nobblies to slicks!

But since a road bike now would be interim, I don't want to waste more than £200 on something I know will be surplus in a few months. I've spotted a Muddyfox Pace on the Sports Direct site for £180 (http://goo.gl/o76XY). Supposedly reduced from RRP of £350, but I can't imagine anyone would pay that for one. Now I know it's pretty basic spec-wise, as you'd expect for £180, but here come my question...

Is it going to be so low spec that I would actually be better off just riding the Rockhopper on the road? Or will a road bike, even a budget one, always be better on the road than a mtb. I've no idea how a poorly spec'd road bike compares to a reasonably decent spec'd MTB for road riding... Any ideas?

Thank you!

PS, I know I could up the spec of a budget road bike by going up to something like a Triban 3, but at the end of the day that's just wasting a bit more money on a bike I'm not going to ride for long. Cheaper the better. Can't imagine there's a whole world of difference between the two anyway.

 

[MattHB]

When you say 'better' what exactly are you looking to improve upon? It's hard to compare 2 tools designed for completely different jobs.

 

[anglais49]

Just general road riding. The gearing, obviously, would improve since I often run out of gears on the road on the Rockhopper. Aside from that, it's just how the two would compare. Weight, stiffness, feel, etc. Yes, they're two completely different tools, but when they're being used for the same job they should be comparable? But having never owned a road bike before, I have no frame of reference.

 

[MattHB]

The roadie will always win for many reasons. But the biggest will be aerodynamic profile, you're very upright and open chested on a MTB compared to even riding on the hoods of a roadie, this will account for much more speed and power efficiency. If you've not had a roadie before it can take time for your body to adjust to the more crouched position.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

This sounds like a job for a 2nd hand road bike. I'd have thought you'd get a decent ride for around £200 and when the carbon bike arrives, you can either keep it as an all purpose hack, or resell it for pretty much the same price as you bought it. A new MuddyFox will lose its value very quickly.

 

[smokeysmoo]

If you just want to buy an inexpensive road bike to fill a gap, then buy second hand bike or buy a Triban 3.

It's the best specced bike for the money, and if you decide to sell it later it will be a far easier sell than the Muddy Fox.

The Triban is very well reviewed and Decathlon are generally regarded as good guys as well.

In contrast, Muddy Fox tend to be supplied by catalogues, online places like Bike2udirect and car accessory shops.

Not exactly experienced bike fettlers IMO, and when you come to sell it you'll be lucky to get enough to buy a track pump for your carbon what ever you choose.

FWIW I'd stick to using your MTB and save the money towards your new bike.

Also, don't get hung up on having a carbon frame, it's not necessarily the upgrade you might expect, there are loads of other options within that budget as well.

 

[HovR]

Keep in mind that if you were to buy a Triban and keep it in good condition, when you get your nice bike you'll be able to sell on the Triban and regain a decent chunk of the initial investment, whilst I suspect a Sports Direct bike really won't hold it's value at all.

I've worked on sub-£200 road bikes before, and most of them aren't exactly great. Things tend to break or need replacing from new, and you end up spending extra just to get the bike in a serviceable state, making the cheap bike all of a sudden not so cheap!

(Edit: Cross posted with Smokey)

 

[Peteaud]

As others have said The T3

A mountain bike will always be a mountain bike.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Keep the MTB on slicks.

If you are fit you'll quickly adapt to a new road bike when the time comes.

If you are worried about the low gearing on your MTB you could replace the chainset, front mech' and chain for less than the cost of the interim cheap road bike.

 

[Widge]

Hhhm....well..........I happen to be a very proud and happy owner of both a MuddyFox mtb AND a Triban3!

My MuddyFox though, dates from 1999 when they were still (just about) designed, specced and built up in the UK. I have completely rebuilt it over the years with full on Mavic, Shimano XT, Raceface etc components so it bares little comparison with any MFox out there. But...MuddyFox sold out to 'Made In China' supermarket branding.(Pile 'em high and sell 'em cheap) Somebody ('Universal Bikes') simply bought the name. My Fox is terrific - I've just come back from a trip to France on it (..I've ridden across Dartmoor 'off-road' on it...) But current ones are not the real deal.

As for the Triban 3..........................well-I've had mine since the summer and (within limits) it is a stonkingly good bike for the money. I really don't think there has ever been a better 'bargain' in lo-cost road biking. I still ride my MuddyFox when the roads are shot with flooding and debris though.

They both serve well.

Don't buy a so-called MuddyFox supermarket bike? It will end in tears.

Best w

 

[malcermie]

ordered my Triban 3 today be interesting to compare rides I've done on my hybred. Will ride the same route and using Strava and compare the two. Let you know in a couple of weeks.

 

[Boon 51]

As others have said The T3

A mountain bike will always be a mountain bike.

+ 1...

 

[Kestevan]

Go second hand, buy a decent older road bike that will take mudguards and a rack. Use this till you get the nice bike, and then turn it into a winter commuter/trainer.

That way you'll have a nice bike for the summer, and a more modest steed for when the sleet is coming sideways and the roads are salty.

 

[biggs682]

Go second hand, buy a decent older road bike that will take mudguards and a rack. Use this till you get the nice bike, and then turn it into a winter commuter/trainer.

That way you'll have a nice bike for the summer, and a more modest steed for when the sleet is coming sideways and the roads are salty.

could not agree more

 

[lulubel]

I've got a good (£900) MTB and a cheap road bike that I bought to put on the turbo trainer. For riding on the road, I'd choose the MTB over the cheap road bike any day.

Unless you're going to go second hand, or up your budget a bit, I'd spend the money on a second set of wheels for the MTB, so you only have to change the wheels, not the tyres.