wasting my money??

[rsvdaz]

Did you notice any difference in journey times, yet?
I am curious because, in the context of bike racing (which I appreciate may be quite different from commuting), the fastest overall finishers are usually those who climb hills fastest, not those who descend fastest.

yes I agree..more time is gained up the hills..has it helped this?..well the bike is lighter.the gearing is different..for example the lowest gear on my mtb is one where you can walk faster up the hill...you know the one..peddles are going ten to the dozen and your not progressing much..the racer..well the lowest gears isnt as low as the mtb by a long way..so unless you get off and push it will force you to use your legs harder..and therefore getting me fitter...now im finding i dont have to be in the lowest gear all the time helping me get more power onto the back wheel and getting me up the hills quicker
you can do that on the mtb by not going down so much on the gears i hear you say..and yes thats true..but the road bike in a higher gear down hill is a lot faster than the mtb...ive span out on the mtb loads of times at around 35mph down hill..ive got to 50mph on the road bike!