Road Bike or Mountain Bike?

shuffles03

Hi,

I'm looking to buy a bike in the next few weeks. It's just for general fitness. I'll be cycling around Dublin and up the mountains. I don't plan on going off road.

What should I get - road bike or mountain bike?

Growing up, all i owned were mountain bikes (never ridden a road bike). I've been told not to get a mountain bike at all.

I really have no idea.

Thanks in advance.

In terms of cost, I'd be willing to spend around €800 - €1000 (although if i found a good second hand bike for cheaper that's my first port of call).

amcalester

I'd go for a road bike or maybe a hybrid if you plan on using it for commuting. Though I use a road bike for a 22km commute and wouldn't change to a hybrid.

shuffles03

Thanks! I won't be using it for commuting, just general fitness. Thanks for the advice!

Any recommendations on a good brand to look into?

Budawanny

shuffles03 wrote: »

Hi,

I'm looking to buy a bike in the next few weeks. It's just for general fitness. I'll be cycling around Dublin and up the mountains. I don't plan on going off road.

What should I get - road bike or mountain bike?

Growing up, all i owned were mountain bikes (never ridden a road bike). I've been told not to get a mountain bike at all.

I really have no idea.

Thanks in advance.

In terms of cost, I'd be willing to spend around €800 - €1000 (although if i found a good second hand bike for cheaper that's my first port of call).

I use a Hybrid for commuting through Dublin and spins out to Howth and stuff. and have used it going up through Wicklow mountains a lot in the past ( until i bought a road bike for this job).
Hybrid fit the bill i reckon. No need for Mountain bike if your not going off road. your just lugging around unnecessary weight.

talos

Something in between might be an option as well: gravel / adventure / touring / cyclocross

magicbastarder

shuffles03 wrote: »

In terms of cost, I'd be willing to spend around €800 - €1000 (although if i found a good second hand bike for cheaper that's my first port of call).

don't forget the bike to work scheme, if that's an option for you.

Budawanny

shuffles03 wrote: »

Thanks! I won't be using it for commuting, just general fitness. Thanks for the advice!

Any recommendations on a good brand to look into?

I have a 7 year old Giant escape 0 which i can thoroughly recommend.
It has 30,000 km on the clock. ive replaced a few worm out bits and peices of course.

Macy0161

If it's for general fitness, I would still go road bike, or go fairly cheap second hand hybrid. You could outgrow a hybrid fairly quickly if you get the bug for cycling in anyway at all.

plodder

I was the same as you OP. Only ever rode mountain bikes. Wanted to get something a bit better for fitness and commuting. Got a road bike, and have no regrets. You won't know yourself with the difference, even with a low end, entry level one that I got. Can you use bike4work scheme? That would allow you to get a better one, or the same for cheaper.

shuffles03

plodder wrote: »

I was the same as you OP. Only ever rode mountain bikes. Wanted to get something a bit better for fitness and commuting. Got a road bike, and have no regrets. You won't know yourself with the difference, even with a low end, entry level one that I got. Can you use bike4work scheme? That would allow you to get a better one, or the same for cheaper.

Don't think I can use the bike to work scheme unfortunately.

I was originally thinking of picking up a second hand bike for 200-300 to see if I caught the cycling bug so to speak. If so then I would invest in a better bike a few months down the line.

However, now I'm thinking of just getting a good bike off the bat.

I literally know nothing about bikes and the various brands, parts, materials etc. etc. What brand/style/material should I be looking at?

Basically, all road bikes look the same to me. I'd rather have a bit of knowledge than to wander into a bike store blind.

Thanks again foe all the replies.

jimmycrackcorm

shuffles03 wrote:

However, now I'm thinking of just getting a good bike off the bat.

If you're not getting bike to work then buying second hand is a better bet.

If your goal is fitness then a mtb it's a better option requiring more work. If it's for fun / distance, then road bike.

rtmie

I would suggest for what you want a road bike is the answer. 
For your budget you could get a decent bike with aluminium frame and Shimano Tiagra groupset (groupset means the gears, gear levers, chainring, cranks etc as a set) with adequate wheels in a local bike shop. You will be looking at brands like Cube, Orbea, Giant etc. They will all be decent. Shimano Tiagra is a perfectly serviceable component set.
You mentioned that you are not using bike to work scheme, so in that case you could also consider mail order options where you will able to look at online options like Canyon or Rose where you will get  slightly better bang for your buck (typically a slightly better groupset - lighter, more gears).
You can also look on sites like Wiggle where €800-€1000 gets you this choice incl one or two with  carbon frames.
Also right now you could go to Halfords and get a 2016 model Boardman Team carbon fibre bike (which is apparently quite good) for within your budget. However the general consensus seems to be that you will not get the same level of expertise and support from Halfords that you will get from a good local bike shop.

Make sure you don't do what I did having not done any cycling in years and even then it was chunky old mountain bikes for commuting , and to the shops etc. So got my shiny new road bike in the LBS left pleased as punch only to have to go back 10 minutes later to ask how the bloody gears worked

Last I'd been on a road bike they were called 'racers' and the gears were 2 big leavers on the top tube :pac:

Boom_Bap

I'm in a similar situation, I want to upgrade my hybrid but want to be able to go off road a bit.
This is what was recommended to me:

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/ie/toughroad-slr-2

Still need to do some research into it.

shuffles03

Hmmm a bit torn here. I won't be cycling with mates or a club or anything like that - purely fitness so is the suggestion by one of the posters to get an MTB better? Heavier but for fitness this will be good? Am I right to assume that I could get a really good mountain bike for my budget.

Also, the kid in my (I'm 34) thinks MTBs look awesome!!

Boom_Bap

I think fitness depends on how hard you push yourself when you are on a bike, it can be any bike really.

rtmie

If you get a pain in the ass hauling it up mountain roads (you mentioned you want to cycle around Dublin and mountains) and stop wanting to cycle it you won't get any extra fitness!!!
Seriously that is the main thing - what bike will get you waking up on a Saturday morning thinking can't wait to get out on the bike - that may be the look of it or the feeling of cycling it. No one else can give you that answer. 
For me it is horses for courses, if you want trails, canal paths etc, then MTB. probably also grand for shorter road spins. But longer road spins may prove discouraging on an MTB - I know I originally bought a road hybrid and found that after 30~40 KM it got a bit uncomfortable (square to the head winds and only one hand position so aches and pains) - switched to a road bike. 
Cue someone posting that they cycled the Wickow 200 twice around on an MTB and were grand!!! I know I saw people doing the 100 on them so there you go, it wouldn't be for me.
Also you said you won't be cycling with mates or a club, but again that depends on how you enjoy it. I go out alone quite often but find after 60~70KM I get a bit fed  up of my own company so it can be good to mix things up between solo and group or at least have the option.
The kid in me (50+) thinks racers look awesome, probably cos my Da bought me a second hand high nelly when I was a kid and the cool kids had racers!!   Check out the "Images of Beauty" thread here.
Bottom line you need to figure out what you'll enjoy cycling and then  decide, your initial statement led me  towards a road bike. But you will be buying it and riding it so no one else can make the decision!

Wishbone Ash

shuffles03 wrote: »

... Heavier but for fitness this will be good?....

It doesn't really work like that. You'll get much fitter by being able to cycle/climb faster than lugging unnecessary weight around. It will also be a lot more enjoyable.

rolling boh

Think you should go for a road bike much better for good spins, you will need pumps tubes tools etc and maby even a good set of puncture resistant tyres,so your set up costs could go up a bit .So a good second hand one is worth considering if your budget is around a grand.

Daroxtar

I'd go road. I bought a hybrid a couple of years ago and within a few months I knew I wanted a road bike. I still have the hybrid and it's great for nipping up the shop or going for a spin along the canal with the kids but that's about all the use it gets.
Having said that, it was great fun to cycle at the start, definitely got me back into cycling. The upright position and bigger tyres made for a bit more comfort while I was getting used to going for spins and I had a few light off road sessions on it too, but as the spins got longer it became more obvious that I'd need a road bike.

If you haven't ridden a road bike before there are a few things to watch out for. It'll feel very twitchy with the narrow handle bars for the first few rides. Once you get used to it it'll feel like a sports car compared to an MTB or hybrid.
It'll also feel like your arse is being torn asunder from the narrow tyres and relatively hard saddle so invest in fairly decent cycling shorts and if possible 28mm tyres for a bit of extra cushion.

magicbastarder

shuffles03 wrote: »

is the suggestion by one of the posters to get an MTB better? Heavier but for fitness this will be good?

as the saying goes; it doesn't get easier, you just go faster.
and it'll be more rewarding to go faster than console yourself with the fact that you're slow because the bike is heavy.

Macy0161

shuffles03 wrote: »

Hmmm a bit torn here. I won't be cycling with mates or a club or anything like that - purely fitness so is the suggestion by one of the posters to get an MTB better? Heavier but for fitness this will be good? Am I right to assume that I could get a really good mountain bike for my budget.

Also, the kid in my (I'm 34) thinks MTBs look awesome!!

I started (back) out for the same reason. MTB does burn more, but in my experience of tracking with heart rate, that's mainly when you're on trails. On the road it's just a pain. The ex-rental mtb is still my mtb, so wasn't wasted, but I soon wanted to get out the road as well, and ultimately instead. If you got a CX/ Gravel road bike, you could stick on wider tyres for similar benefits and the ability to do light trails, fire roads etc.

My route was bike shaped object (BSO) --> MTB --> Halfords Carrera Road Bike --> Giant Defy

Skip the BSO whatever you do, but my experience would be not to discount the carrera road bikes if you're only dipping your toes at the moment. It is a step up from a BSO, and is still my commuter (you can't have enough bikes!). Only now, 4 years down the line am I really having issues with it, and that's after me trying to turn it into a gravel bike as well, which was probably too much for the wheel bearings!

Biking.ie normally sell off their ex-rentals in the autumn if you can wait.

amcalester

Macy0161 wrote: »

Biking.ie normally sell off their ex-rentals in the autumn if you can wait.

Was talking to one of the lads at Biking.ie a few weeks ago and they will be selling off their stock at the end of the season.

He did say that they had a waiting list though, was tempted by the Vitus Sentier's they have myself.

smacl

rtmie wrote: »

Seriously that is the main thing - what bike will get you waking up on a Saturday morning thinking can't wait to get out on the bike

This. The bike you get should be the one you enjoy cycling the most. Personally I went for a light CX bike in that I'm more about exploring the countryside on long days on the bike than pushing speed, and I do enjoy a bit of light off road, canals etc.. on many of my spins. I'm about 2kph slower on this than my old road bike, but more comfortable and more flexible in terms of terrain. I've also a hybrid from a few years back and while I loved it when first getting into cycling I wouldn't use it by choice on a long spin any more. What it is great for are shopping trips where you can leave it locked up outside for a bit without fretting too much.

Roanmore

I'm no expert but I bought a bike 2 years ago through the bike to work scheme.

I told the guy in the shop I wanted a hybrid and he asked my why, told he that's what I was advised.
He told me take one out for a test and see what I think. It was great, enjoyed it.
He then gave me a road bike with flat bars, loved it, no contest.

He said the hybrid was grand for 20 to 30 km but he said down the line I'd probably come back to him and get a road bike anyway.

Fitness wise, road bike is great but it also depends on how you push yourself, sprints are great for getting the heart pumping, hills great for building up the legs, etc

ximo

I would definitively go for a road bike. With MTBs and hybrids you'll be carrying extra weight if you are not going off-road. And carrying extra weight is not fun. And fun is what you need to get out on the road and get fit.

If you are on a budget I'd say go for second hand. If you can't do the bike to work, shops in Ireland are too expensive. With second hand you'll be losing little money in case you decide cycling is not for you. You'll also have a much much better bike for the same money.
Take a look in adverts. A friend have actually a cheap Halfords road bike for sell there. And I have an ad to sell my carbon frame bike. But it's plenty of good opportunities there

Donnelly117

Macy0161 wrote: »

is a step up from a BSO, and is still my commuter (you can't have enough bikes!). Only now, 4 years down the line am I really having issues with it, and that's after me trying to turn it into a gravel bike as well, which was probably too much for the wheel bearings!

Apologies for going off topic, but in your quest to make a gravel bike did you ever try and fit 25 or 28 mm tyres on the carrera? I have the 2012 tdf (the black and yellow one) and am wondering if it'll take 28mm tyres... The ride on the 23s is torture!
I'm in the process of sorting a 30 tooth cassette and some proper bar tape to ease my woes!