Comments on: How do you decide between a road bike and a mountain bike? http://mensmountainbike.com/how-do-you-decide-between-a-road-bike-and-a-mountain-bike.htm Fri, 18 May 2012 08:08:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: SoccerRefToo http://mensmountainbike.com/how-do-you-decide-between-a-road-bike-and-a-mountain-bike.htm/comment-page-1#comment-1499 SoccerRefToo Sat, 21 Aug 2010 00:21:32 +0000 http://mensmountainbike.com/how-do-you-decide-between-a-road-bike-and-a-mountain-bike.htm#comment-1499 emily It is truly easy. You pick a bike based upon where you are going to ride. If you will not be riding heavy mountain trails, then a road bike is the choice. Road bikes are favorably geared for their terrain, and respond well to all the types of terrain that they are designed for. A hybrid being the all around road bike, good for street, paver, dirt, gravel, sand, path and even light trails! The road bike will be lighter and faster on the road. Speed comes by conditioning, and learning how to pedal properly. Learn to 'spin' the pedals. Your bike handling skills will also quickly improve making the majority of obstacles and pot holes a non issue! So your choice seems to be which road bike to get. A hybrid or a traditional drop bar 'racer'. IF you are going to ride on anything other than street, pavement, and VERY hard packed surface..... get the hybrid! Soccerref emily

It is truly easy. You pick a bike based upon where you are going to ride. If you will not be riding heavy mountain trails, then a road bike is the choice. Road bikes are favorably geared for their terrain, and respond well to all the types of terrain that they are designed for. A hybrid being the all around road bike, good for street, paver, dirt, gravel, sand, path and even light trails!

The road bike will be lighter and faster on the road. Speed comes by conditioning, and learning how to pedal properly. Learn to ’spin’ the pedals. Your bike handling skills will also quickly improve making the majority of obstacles and pot holes a non issue!

So your choice seems to be which road bike to get. A hybrid or a traditional drop bar ‘racer’. IF you are going to ride on anything other than street, pavement, and VERY hard packed surface….. get the hybrid!

Soccerref

]]> By: Felicia http://mensmountainbike.com/how-do-you-decide-between-a-road-bike-and-a-mountain-bike.htm/comment-page-1#comment-1498 Felicia Sat, 21 Aug 2010 00:21:32 +0000 http://mensmountainbike.com/how-do-you-decide-between-a-road-bike-and-a-mountain-bike.htm#comment-1498 A mountain bike is more durable than a road bike, and will better put up with the uneven roads you'll find in a city. Road bikes are designed to go very fast on open roads. You don't really want to jump curbs on a road bike; you could bend your wheels. The problem with mountain bikes is that they're designed for extremely rough terrain. They have big, nobbly tires which grip trails but have a lot of friction on pavement. That makes them harder to ride if you're going far. They also have more shock absorption, which is great if you do ride over a pothole, but it's really designed for tree roots. And that shock absorption also absorbs some of your energy, slowing you down. You can try a hybrid bike, which tries to combine the best features of both. In fact, they're often more comfortable than either kind, since they're designed with a shape designed to allow you to sit more upright. (Both mountain and road bikes encourage you to get low, out of the wind, which is fast but very uncomfortable for long rides.) This may be the perfect bike for you, even better than a road bike, no matter what your level of experience. I highly recommend visiting your local bike shop rather than buying online. Getting a bike that fits is extremely important for comfort and even for health: an ill-fitting bike can put strain on your joints. A good bike shop can help you get the right size, and then adapt the bike to your particular style (different saddle or handlebars, smoother tires for pavement, the right kind of pedals, etc). You can try to shoot straight for your final road bike, but there are so many variables that go into picking a bike that I'd figure you're going to want something different from your first bike anyway. So get something good and not too expensive to learn what you like, and only later spend the real money to get a great bike. A mountain bike is more durable than a road bike, and will better put up with the uneven roads you’ll find in a city. Road bikes are designed to go very fast on open roads. You don’t really want to jump curbs on a road bike; you could bend your wheels.
The problem with mountain bikes is that they’re designed for extremely rough terrain. They have big, nobbly tires which grip trails but have a lot of friction on pavement. That makes them harder to ride if you’re going far. They also have more shock absorption, which is great if you do ride over a pothole, but it’s really designed for tree roots. And that shock absorption also absorbs some of your energy, slowing you down.

You can try a hybrid bike, which tries to combine the best features of both. In fact, they’re often more comfortable than either kind, since they’re designed with a shape designed to allow you to sit more upright. (Both mountain and road bikes encourage you to get low, out of the wind, which is fast but very uncomfortable for long rides.) This may be the perfect bike for you, even better than a road bike, no matter what your level of experience.

I highly recommend visiting your local bike shop rather than buying online. Getting a bike that fits is extremely important for comfort and even for health: an ill-fitting bike can put strain on your joints. A good bike shop can help you get the right size, and then adapt the bike to your particular style (different saddle or handlebars, smoother tires for pavement, the right kind of pedals, etc).

You can try to shoot straight for your final road bike, but there are so many variables that go into picking a bike that I’d figure you’re going to want something different from your first bike anyway. So get something good and not too expensive to learn what you like, and only later spend the real money to get a great bike.

]]> By: Marlarkey http://mensmountainbike.com/how-do-you-decide-between-a-road-bike-and-a-mountain-bike.htm/comment-page-1#comment-1500 Marlarkey Sat, 21 Aug 2010 00:21:32 +0000 http://mensmountainbike.com/how-do-you-decide-between-a-road-bike-and-a-mountain-bike.htm#comment-1500 The first thing to do is identify your goal. If you're always going to ride on the road, I would usually suggest a road bike. But, you mention "long city trails". What type of trails? And what do you mean by long? Maybe a hybrid would be a better choice for you. A mountain bike could be a good choice. If you choose a MTB, and you're going to ride mainly on roads, replacing the knobby tires with street tires would give you a better and more efficient ride. The first thing to do is identify your goal. If you’re always going to ride on the road, I would usually suggest a road bike. But, you mention "long city trails". What type of trails? And what do you mean by long? Maybe a hybrid would be a better choice for you. A mountain bike could be a good choice. If you choose a MTB, and you’re going to ride mainly on roads, replacing the knobby tires with street tires would give you a better and more efficient ride.

]]> By: jp http://mensmountainbike.com/how-do-you-decide-between-a-road-bike-and-a-mountain-bike.htm/comment-page-1#comment-1501 jp Sat, 21 Aug 2010 00:21:32 +0000 http://mensmountainbike.com/how-do-you-decide-between-a-road-bike-and-a-mountain-bike.htm#comment-1501 buy both buy both

]]> By: Tony Roy http://mensmountainbike.com/how-do-you-decide-between-a-road-bike-and-a-mountain-bike.htm/comment-page-1#comment-1502 Tony Roy Sat, 21 Aug 2010 00:21:32 +0000 http://mensmountainbike.com/how-do-you-decide-between-a-road-bike-and-a-mountain-bike.htm#comment-1502 if your going to ride any trails, dirt roads, or anything that's not cement go with the mountain bike because of the profile of the road bike tires are going to make the handling a lot harder on those kind of things. it will climb hills ( on the road ) a lot easier because the weight of the bike is less on the road bike but with the mountain bike comes way more diversity of riding. As far as potholes and things go the mountain bike will be smoother because of the suspension but on good roads the road bike is smoother but if you want to be on a road bike in the end maybe you should get one but go to your local bike shop and ask if you can go for a test ride on a road bike if you dont like it go with a mountain bike if your going to ride any trails, dirt roads, or anything that’s not cement go with the mountain bike because of the profile of the road bike tires are going to make the handling a lot harder on those kind of things. it will climb hills ( on the road ) a lot easier because the weight of the bike is less on the road bike but with the mountain bike comes way more diversity of riding. As far as potholes and things go the mountain bike will be smoother because of the suspension but on good roads the road bike is smoother but if you want to be on a road bike in the end maybe you should get one but go to your local bike shop and ask if you can go for a test ride on a road bike if you dont like it go with a mountain bike

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