This may seem a weird question...

[Losidan]

But there is a reason for the madness

My q is this:
If was riding my mountain bike along canal towpath with semi slicks on a flat section at a constant pace how much quicker do you think I would complete a timed miles distance if I was riding a road bike on a flat stretch of road at a constant rate at the same power output?

Appreciate this is leftfield and probably guess work but I am just looking for an indication really...

Thanks
Dan

 

[Steve Austin]

42

 

[Tharg2007]

you dont need to justify buying another bike, just do it! n+1

 

[Will1985]

Certainly quicker. Hard to say by how much, especially as I've never measured power on an MTB or ridden my road bike on a canal path.

With a road bike, rolling resistance will be less, and the weight of the bike plus the lower position it would put you in will reduce the amount of power necessary to attain a certain speed. By how much I don't know as I'm still getting my head around using power, and it will probably be relative to the benchmark speed (an increase of 5km/h at 40km/h requires a greater power increase than at 20km/h).

Otherwise, I concur with Steve Austin.

 

[Dave5N]

You got the powertap working then?

 

[Losidan]

42

?
I dont get what you mean...sorry

 

[summerdays]

The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything (42) : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Answer...fe.2C_the_Universe.2C_and_Everything_.2842.29

You mean you didn't know?

 

[ASC1951]

Don't young people read the seminal works of literature any more?

HHGG had more really good jokes and clever ideas per page than almost anything I have read in the last 50 years. Unfortunately he had been storing them up for so long that he didn't have any left over for the three sequels.

I'm sure there must have been writers/painters/directors who turn out one brilliant piece of work then say "No, I'm not doing another one, it won't be as good", but I can't think of any.

 

[Will1985]

You got the powertap working then?

Been using it 3 or 4 weeks now - it's quite interesting, but I'm definitely still on the data collection and learning stage.


For the OP, there tend to be several references to H2G2 a day on here. Lots of them 42 though..

 

[02GF74]

if you are riding at the same rate, amnd you mean same speed, then the time will be the same.

this could be calculated but you would need to know rolling resistance for both bikes and air resistance.

the road bike will have less RR so more of your power will be to overcome AR.

it is pure speculation and guess work until we know the above figures but we know the RR will be less with thin slick high pressure tyres on smooth surface than knobblies on a rough surface.

 

[Mr Pig]

A mate who I used to ride with swapped his full-sus mountain bike for a road bike. The difference on road was ridiculous, he just rode off and left me!

 

[MichaelM]

But there is a reason for the madness

My q is this:
If was riding my mountain bike along canal towpath with semi slicks on a flat section at a constant pace how much quicker do you think I would complete a timed miles distance if I was riding a road bike on a flat stretch of road at a constant rate at the same power output?

Appreciate this is leftfield and probably guess work but I am just looking for an indication really...

Thanks
Dan

At a rough guess, based on nothing more than owning and riding both mtb and road bikes, I'll go for about 2/3 to 1/2 of the offroad time.

 

[Bodhbh]

How many fisherman to you have to dodge on the road?

(seriously tho', do you ever get up to full-speed for long on the canal path with the dog walkers, fisherman, dossers having fires, etc?)

 

[Losidan]

At a rough guess, based on nothing more than owning and riding both mtb and road bikes, I'll go for about 2/3 to 1/2 of the offroad time.

thanks guys. I appreciate the question is flawed hugely but it was just for a VERY rough idea for me of the time difference for me.

Any you are right...never get up to much speed for the blooming ramblers who refuse to hear your bell ringing no matter how much and loud you ring it. Fisherman swinging their rods (Oooh Saucy) at you every ten yards..suicidal ducks trying to decapitate themselves in my wheels. Dogs wanting to sniff as you ride by and pram pushers right in the middle of the path with their ipod on who cant hear me.

PS...I did know that 42 is the answer to the meaning of life but I was suffering from brain fade at the time