Road Bike or Mountain Bike

[ramses]

Ok, thought i'd ask this one, although I'm sure it has been asked before!

Here's what I have and why I use it.

Mountain Bike: I have had my mountain bike longer than my road bike, and have found it a superb companion. I commute to work on it everyday and have covered many long rides on it upto about 70 miles, all road based. (My LBS was impressed how much road cycling I had done on it, but they gave me that "You're mad!" look).
Why do I like it so much, well the Mountain Bike is very versatile, road, off road, dry, wet, snow etc..... So I find this my best option for commuting as it's robust and comfortable. Plus I have to climb a few steep hills and like the fact it's good conditioning for me.

Road Bike: Fairly recent purchase, and yes I am in love with this bike on longer distances. So damned easy to ride! I am looking forward to my long distance rides and charity events this year!! Watch the times tumble!

So this is now my training and long distance bike. I can clearly see the benefits.


One thing I have noticed between the two bikes, other riders. When on the road bike other road bike riders either nod or say hello. Get on the Mountain Bike and they pretty much ignore you. Why is that ? Regardless of what bike I'm on I happily nod or say morning, afternoon to others I see, especially out in the New Forest.

What are your preferences and why?

 

[Norm]

I think my preference, and many others, is to swing both ways and get something cyclo-cross style.

 

[flying start]

well i did have a scott hardtail mtb what i used for commute to work and off roading but after some d**k stole it i went and got a trek 7.3 fx to commute to work!a lad made me a realy good offer so sold it now i have a bianchi nirone 7 love the look of the bike but i havent been on it yet so cant tell you what i think went for the road bike because i want to do a lot more road biking!!

 

[Hydra]

Road for me.

When I decided to start commuting by bike to work, I bought a cheap mountain/jump-style bike from Hellfrauds. It was crap. Really crap. But it did the job.
Then I got a better mountain bike off a mate, which was pretty good - started to ride on the road with it (yeah, I was a pavement cyclist before this

). I quit smoking too. Then this bike got nicked from my back yard.

The day after I went to Decathlon and got a hybrid/flat-barred roadie... and this changed EVERYTHING! I became obsessed with the bike and cycling in general. Got into maintenance etc. Only had that bike since September and I've already upgraded to a proper roadie.

I don't ride off-road at all, and I'm getting fairly obsessed with speed. I've drifted faaaar away from mountain bikes, and back in the day they were all I knew.

One day I hope to start travelling, so a proper tourer will be on the cards - some off road stuff but nothing that I'd ever need a mountain bike for

 

[DTD]

Have a single speed and a crosser – SS for comuting, crosser for everything else – as it's fine for rough roads and most of the tracks I'm likely to ride on. Mind you I may think about a mtb for next year.

It's true about roadies not letting on to some other types of cyclist – I suppose there's too many tribes nowadays – I tend to let on to roadies if I'm on my crosser, smile at every other cyclist.

 

[rodgy-dodge]

OK I have a mountain bike but would love a road bike...never riden a road bike and frightened that I might just prefer a road bike to the mountain bike!
All my friends have mountain bikes so if I do fall in love with a road bike I won't be going out with them or will I? well I suppose I will if I keep my mountain bike!!? oh choices, choices....

must say I've never had a road bike user snub me 'cause I'm on a mountain bike, I always say hi regardless of what they're riding...maybe they sence I really would love a go on their road bike

 

[Jim_Noir]

Road for me... but my mates go MTBing and keep trying to get me to join in... I may buy one and give it a go as it does look fun.

 

[Panter]

I consider myself extremely lucky as I love doing both

I think they compliment each other superbly, and I really pity those who scorn the "darkside," whichever side that may be at the time!

 

[numbnuts]

I have both horses for courses

 

[tyred]

I do have on old low end Townsend MTB but it only tends to come out when there is snow. I much prefer my road bikes, or for shorter, slower rides or running errands, I like my collection of old roadsters.

 

[Sambot]

Both for me - when I'm on a trail on the mountain bike I think wow this is way more fun than the roadie, then when I'm on the roadie I think wow this is way more fun than the mountain bike!!

I suppose it means both are more fun than running!

 

[fossyant]

Road bike for road, MTB for off-road. Simple. Both do a different job. MTB has been made fast previously as a commuter using slicks, but TBH it's off road where you should use them - loads of fun.

 

[twozeronine]

I'll never buy anything other than a road bike. I just love gliding along roads at (relatively) high speed. Besides, there's not enough off-road terrain near me to get any enjoyment out of riding an MTB.

 

[Paulus]

I don't own a MTB because I don't go off road. I have ridden them but , I seemed to be doing a lot of work and not going very fast. My tourer does the bridalway and towpath, and that is as far as I want to go off the hard stuff. My Audax and Condor are there for the faster rides.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

The tourer has drops discs and fat tyres and enables me to go off road on bridleways and other pleasing diversions when the fancy takes me mid-ride, as it often does. I've also ridden the entire South Downs Way on it. Often ridden as a comutter in the summer months

The mtb I get out when I intend to get muddy and I know I will riding all day predominantly off road, usually with mates. I usually do this maybe a couple of dozen times a year.

The ss mtb I get out when I fancy off roading on my todd for a bit of head clearing, or for when I want to pop down the shops as it looks like a beater, even though it isn't.

The psuedospeed is a two speed hub geared ex-fixed/ss 'urban' road bike that I built for use on my rural commute when the weather is bad.

levelonoir is the 'sunday best' bike, a light tourer/sportive/audax used for club runs and fast rides and for munching miles with very light loads. It gets used for occasional commutes when the evenings are light and the weather is glorious and riding home the (very) long way feels like the right thing to do.

Horses for courses