Is it daft cycling on B roads on an MTB?

[Piemaster]

Don't worry about the bike, just enjoy the ride.

FWIW I mostly use a Giant Escape, rigid mtb type hybrid fitted with schwalbe M+ tyres. It's quite at home on farm tracks and off road cycle routes too.

 

[Norm]

I've done several 40+ mile tarmac meanderings on a hard-tail MTB with 2.2" knobblies. 10-12mph is a pretty good pace, I think I did 65 miles in about 7 hours but that included a million photo stops, two food stops and one puncture repair, and that felt a very relaxed day out.

Don't push yourself, just pack a pink OS map, ride at a speed that you can still talk and see where your nose takes you. That sort of fun day out is best had on an MTB (or a psyclo-cross style bike )

 

[PoweredByVeg]

What with the potholes at the moment, an mtb is a good idea ;-)

Just get out there and cycle

 

[lip03]

starting the comute next month on my mtb comute is mostly a and b roads running semi slics and done a few test ride and had fun!!

have fun!

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

Thanks guys, I guess I'll just "suck it and see". Must not get bitten by the road cycling bug though!

Years ago I bought an MTB for just the same thing

I put drop bars on it

Then I bought a road bike.

It's natural progression.

 

[LosingFocus]

Joking aside, I'm going to try and keep at least 35% or so of my routes off road to prevent the need for 2 bikes!

Thanks for all the advice people.

 

[rodgy-dodge]

I've only ever had MTB's and ride mainly B roads, tracks, cinders etc Having the mountain bike is quite handy if you need to jump across from B road to B road on bridal paths, so don't think its daft. If your B roads are anything like the ones near us you need a mtb to tackle them!

 

[Norm]

...Having the mountain bike is quite handy if you need to jump across from B road to B road on bridal paths...

That's the confetti, it gets everywhere.

 

[rodgy-dodge]

That's the confetti, it gets everywhere.

B****r dyslexia moment! ................ I should have wrote 'BRIDLE' sorry

 

[Norm]

B****r dyslexia moment! ................ I should have wrote 'BRIDLE' sorry

No need to apologise, I should probably be the one doing that. I must admit to making the bridle / bridal mistake a million times myself.

 

[KenG]

I agree about an MTB being best for pothole riddled roads, i commute everyday and would have destroyed a road bike several times over by now,
85% of my road riding is on MTB's, in one form or another, i dont own a road bike ( is a hybrid a road bike?)

 

[GrasB]

Joking aside, I'm going to try and keep at least 35% or so of my routes off road to prevent the need for 2 bikes!

Thanks for all the advice people.

This just means you're making your self an N+1 candidate! If you've got an MTB ride but off road & on road you'll probably decide that riding the MTB on road is to much effort & a nice 'fast' hybrid or road bike would be better.

 

[GrasB]

I agree about an MTB being best for pothole riddled roads, i commute everyday and would have destroyed a road bike several times over by now,
85% of my road riding is on MTB's, in one form or another, i dont own a road bike ( is a hybrid a road bike?)

Road bikes are much tougher than people think. I've hit pot holes so hard I've done damage to my joints but all that was needed was a bit of wheel truing & besides that the bike has been fine.

 

[Littgull]

Been bored at work this afternoon and have been using Google Maps to plan out some routes I want to do, the problem is most are at least 80% road based; mainly B roads and country lanes, but some diversions on to (minor) A road where it cant be avoided.

I dont have a road bike, Ive got an MTB style bike (and not even a "decent" one at that). Am I daft to even try road cycling of any length on it? Im not planning on pounding down the road at 20mph, more a gentle/progressive 10/12mph at most.

I's never remotely daft to cycle on any bike!!

 

[Davidc]

I agree about an MTB being best for pothole riddled roads, i commute everyday and would have destroyed a road bike several times over by now,
85% of my road riding is on MTB's, in one form or another, i dont own a road bike ( is a hybrid a road bike?)

Very unlikely. The worst I've ever had from potholes, rough tracks or anything else is a need for some slight truing up with a spoke key. Same as on my mtb in fact

Potholes have done me more damage on the couple of occasions they've had me off.