Why must everyone have a Mountain Bike??

[TVC]

My experience talking to people at work is that they don't understand what's available and are confused by the jargon - urban, hybrid, fixie, hardtail etc. They know a bike by what they see in Halfords/Tesco/Argos and by what others seem to have. I guy I work with wouldn't go into the Local Bike Shop (LBS) because he felt intimidated and that you had to be a proper cyclist to buy anything from somewhere like that, so he bought from Halfords because that's where he goes for bits on his car, and he bought something he recognised, chunky tyres and suspension 'because that's good isn't it?'

 

[gbb]

I havn't read all the replys, but in my haste to advise people not to get BSA/MTBs...its easy to forget, they actually might perfer that kind of bike. Sometimes, you can't lead a horse to water, so's to speak.

 

[mightyquin]

I didn't like sushi, until I tried it.

 

[mightyquin]

Agree though, the state of the roads being what they are, a MTB might be essential!

 

[NorrisCole]

Like I've said before - I ride a MTB because of the poor quality of urban roads. You can bounce over pot holes instead of wrecking your wheels and coming off on them.

I agree that the roads are bad but would suggest that you are either 30 stone/doing something wrong if you have wrecked multiple wheels, either via poor buying choices or poor riding.
Even if you consider factory built road wheels not up to scratch (for inner city commuting I can sympathize) you could get a set of touring wheels or handbuilts.

 

[PoweredByVeg]

I find that I need an MTB for all the mountainous terrain here in Norfolk LOL!

 

[youngoldbloke]

It's like 4x4s - totally unnecessary for most people, now it seems everyone has one, or wants one - and most such vehicles never used off road. Fashion and marketing triumph, and what a waste of metal and rubber.

 

[snailracer]

^^
But if the cheapest "normal" car was 3 times more expensive than the cheapest 4x4, then 4x4's would be the rational choice.

When it comes to bikes, less material costs more.

 

[3narf]

Economies of scale- more people buy mountain bikes, therefore they're cheaper.

 

[tyred]

MTBs are available everywhere and can probably be the cheapest introduction to cycling.

Besides, a road bike with drop bars, hard narrow saddle and stretched out riding position isn't for everyone. Since the demise of the traditional Raleigh 3-Speed type bikes, an MTB with slick tyres, rack and mudguards probably fill the void for a tough, durable, practical, easy to ride short distance utility bike for many people.

I have no idea why you would ride it with the standard off-road tyres unless you actually wanted to go off-road on a regular basis.

 

[kishin]

I have no idea why you would ride it with the standard off-road tyres unless you actually wanted to go off-road on a regular basis.

It's probably just a combination of cost and understanding. How many people realise that knobblies make a bike harder to move and if you've only spent £70.00 on your bike, how likely are you to shell out for a pair of new tyres?

 

[jackm]

A year ago I decided a MTB was what I needed,as I live close to the Forest of Dean, and was going to cycle in it ay every opportunity.......so far, out of 750 miles covered, 20 have been done on forest tracks, doh..... I'm sure I'll make a more informed choice next time.

 

[youngoldbloke]

^^
But if the cheapest "normal" car was 3 times more expensive than the cheapest 4x4, then 4x4's would be the rational choice.

When it comes to bikes, less material costs more.

Only rational from the financial point of view - totally irrational otherwise. Just like buying a £70 BSO, or a £700 full suss MTB that you only ever slurp along tarmac on. It is also irrational to equip cheap bikes with knobbly tyres if they are mostly going to be used on the road - it is marketing hype and profit that drives all of this.

Just noticed this is my 1000th post - I really must get out more ....

 

[MontyVeda]

I'd recommend a rigid MTB or maybe a hybrid... suspension is heavy and unecessary unless he's going to be off road most of the time.

 

[snorri]

The answer to the question in the thread title is, due to the poor standards of construction of segregated cycle routes.
I was with a road engineer, who uttered the dreaded phrase "I'm a cyclist myself" as we were looking over a segregated cycle route he had been responsible for constructing. After I had pointed out the failure to adequately drop the kerbs at a road crossing he told me I should get a mountain bike.