Road vs Mtb

get on your bike

Hi all,

Fairly experienced roadie (ish) but recently bought a cheap Mtb. I've being heading to Ballinastoe & lead mines. My observations to date are that the Mtb, after say the long loop in b stoe is more tiring than the road bike. It's seems that 1.5 hrs or so on the Mtb is enough where as 1.5 hrs on the road bike Ud prob just be getting going.

Also, Just wondering will I be flying up the hills when go for a road spin or does the bigger gear ratios even the whole thing out with the weight of a road bike vs weight of Mtb bike?

Just my initial observations. Any body got any thoughts?

Ps. Tis good auld craic

Tenzor07

Well of course the MTB is more tiring, your using your upper body more for controlling the bike going up and down hill...As well as your legs being used more for shock absorbing...

get on your bike wrote:

Just wondering will I be flying up the hills when go for a road spin or does the bigger gear ratios even the whole thing out with the weight of a road bike vs weight of Mtb bike?

Can you be a bit more clear? Do you mean that you think MTB'ing uphill will make you climb better on the road bike or ???

get on your bike

Tenzor07 wrote: »

Well of course the MTB is more tiring, your using your upper body more for controlling the bike going up and down hill...As well as your legs being used more for shock absorbing...

get on your bike wrote:

Just wondering will I be flying up the hills when go for a road spin or does the bigger gear ratios even the whole thing out with the weight of a road bike vs weight of Mtb bike?

Can you be a bit more clear? Do you mean that you think MTB'ing uphill will make you climb better on the road bike or ???

Yeah pretty much. Not going as fast (obviously) going up hill on the Mtb but will be interested to see if it's good training for the road spins. Maybe I'll just go & see but just find it interesting what people think

Tenzor07

MTB is a mix of short sharp high intensity efforts, skill in getting over obstacles and balance come in to play also...
Road is steady spinning at much higher RPM's for longer periods usually...

A good Mtb'er may not always make a good roadie and vice-versa...

Good training for road spins is..... More road spins...

You will find more that XC Mtb'er use the road for training more so than the other way... Even downhillers will use the road bike for sprints/interals...

get on your bike

Tenzor07 wrote: »

MTB is a mix of short sharp high intensity efforts, skill in getting over obstacles and balance come in to play also...
Road is steady spinning at much higher RPM's for longer periods usually...

A good Mtb'er may not always make a good roadie and vice-versa...

Good training for road spins is..... More road spins...

You will find more that XC Mtb'er use the road for training more so than the other way... Even downhillers will use the road bike for sprints/interals...

Tis good to mix it up thou. I'm enjoying the buzz of the Mtb at the minute thou.

Inquitus

I do both, and my main shortcoming when it comes to MTB is that the constant sudden bursts of activity required when say on a tough climb if it gets very steep, very rocky or very slippy, really get me, whereas on the road I find the more steady state nature of things seems to suit me better for now.

I am hoping the MTB will improve my climbing, and I am sure it will as I usually get 500-800m of off road climbing in on a spin, and a run up Kilmashogue to start things off! and I am working on getting out on the road bike to increase by my general aerobic fitness and endurance.

We'll see how it all lines up come race time on the road, but thats the plan, plus the mountains at night in the winter rain are way more fun then the naul roads would be!

get on your bike

Inquitus wrote: »

I do both, and my main shortcoming when it comes to MTB is that the constant sudden bursts of activity required when say on a tough climb if it gets very steep, very rocky or very slippy, really get me, whereas on the road I find the more steady state nature of things seems to suit me better for now.

I am hoping the MTB will improve my climbing, and I am sure it will as I usually get 500-800m of off road climbing in on a spin, and a run up Kilmashogue to start things off! and I am working on getting out on the road bike to increase by my general aerobic fitness and endurance.

We'll see how it all lines up come race time on the road, but thats the plan, plus the mountains at night in the winter rain are way more fun then the naul roads would be!

That's some hill to "start things off". Fair play. Defo the hills on road seem a bit easier as such as the gradient is more predictable. (don't get me wrong they're still a bitch)

fat bloke

Different workouts entirely. We recently had a club kids day at the indoor bmx track in Cherry Orchard. Afterwards they left the Dads have a go. Club cyclists all of us, doing 120k+ spins every Sunday together. -A couple of 20 second laps of the bmx track had us all puffing and panting, and jelly legs and upper bodies going home!

Great to do a bit of cross training and wake up some of those lazy dormant muscle groups.:)

dancecatz2000

mtb will deaden your legs but you will be strong, road biking gives you good speed, alot of roadies will mtb in the winter, cause it`s so awesome an also builds your core strength,

get on your bike

dancecatz2000 wrote: »

mtb will deaden your legs but you will be strong, road biking gives you good speed, alot of roadies will mtb in the winter, cause it`s so awesome an also builds your core strength,

Defo works upper body alot more. Is it the love of the road that people get back on the road bikes after winter or what?

Tenzor07

Winter: MTB'er's train on Road bikes
Roadies: Train on MTB's!

studiorat

I use a road bike to train for mountain biking.

Wouldn't do to be using the good bike for training would it?

ednwireland

studiorat wrote: »

I use a road bike to train for mountain biking.

Wouldn't do to be using the good bike for training would it?

does this mean roadies should train on mtb's, just to keep the equilibrium
and if track riders train mainly in the gym ...........

triggermortis

I'm equally useless on or off road but enjoy both about the same. I did MTB for a few years before getting a road bike and would be on the roads more now, but that's mainly due to not having good MTB trails on my doorstep. I'm not really into driving to somewhere to ride!
MTB is more of a whole body workout. Doesn't seem to make much difference to me on getting up hills - I'm still slow