Mountain vs Road

[Onno]

I've just returned from a wonderful bike vacation, mountain-bike riding in Cairngorn National Park, in the highlands of Scotland. This was a trip set up by a friend, and it took my wife and I over about 200 miles of roads and double and single-track trails throughout the park. The scenery was fantastic and even the weather cooperated.

I haven't been on a mountain bike in about 8 years, having converted my hardtail to a commuting bike a while back. Then I'd decided that because of where I live, with access to hundreds of miles of fantastic roads, and very few miles of good trails, I'd devote my energies to road biking. I also decided that I really preferred riding on the road. This vacation, though it was lots of fun, more or less reminded me that I'd made the right decision. Though I appreciate being away from vehicles while mountain bike riding, I can't say that I really enjoy the actual riding. It's obviously much more demanding in terms of bike handling skills, but I basically don't enjoy being on a mountain bike nearly as much as being on a road bike.

In contrast, the friends we rode with, all dedicated mtbers, don't even own road bikes. The harder and more technical the trails, the more they enjoyed themselves. They liked falling down. They loved being bumped and jarred over rocky terrain. I, on the other hand, preferred smooth trails, loved the short sections on the open road, and did not like being bumped around all the time. Though we did get to landscapes we would not otherwise have seen, it struck me that when one is on a mtb, one really can't look at anything other than the trail. By the end of the trip, it seemed to me that mountain vs road is almost a genetic disposition--that I wasn't going to be convinced that I was ever really going to enjoy mountain biking as biking, and my friends were never going to have their passion for it diminished by anything I said.

Another downside to mountain biking is that mtbers seem to get far more serious cases of equipmentitis than road biking, or rather, that mountain biking promotes gear obsession. On the road, with a perfect bike one can forget about the bike itself, it seems to me, while mountain biking seems focused on pushing the bike to its limits, and then figuring out what new piece of gear could help you push the envelope (new suspension, more suspension, better brakes, etc., etc.)

So is it possible to love both kinds of riding equally? What are the joys of long rides on rough, technical, trails?

[johnnymossville]

I enjoy mountain biking but the gear failures got expensive and it put a damper on my fun. I think at one point I snapped 3 derailleurs on 3 consecutive rides. All it takes is a well placed twig.

Also, considering I no longer live in a beautiful mtb'ing area right outside my door, driving to a good place to ride doesn't appeal to me. On my road bike, I can still leave my house and be on some decent enough roads within a few minutes.

That said, It's riding, both are still fun.

[SadieKate]

So is it possible to love both kinds of riding equally?Absolutely yes. They each bring a different joy. When I'm on the dirt, I completely forget the world, its woes, my woes, my friends' woes, etc. I'm much more likely to stop and smell the flowers. At the end of the day, I can be just wired on the joy.

On a road bike, I get much more of an endorphin high but it is much harder to turn my mind off. I'm much more likely to pound along and lose the journey itself though I can with a little focus. It isn't as instinctive. Now that I live where I can ride in the mountains regularly, I can find my happy place much easier than I could when riding the monotonous flat roads of the Central Valley of CA.

Equipmentisis? Much more fussing over my road bikes. Can't say I'm not guilty of changing things on my mtbs (ebay cruising at midnight is dangerous) but nowhere near as much as my road bikes.

[crossjunkee]

I go back and forth. When the cars and traffic bum me out, it's great to hop on my mtn bike. Then when driving to the trails bum me out, it's great to roll out of my driveway on my roadbike.

I try to buy nice gear out of the gate. That way I don't feel like spending a bunch of money on the latest and greatest marketing flavor of the week.

Heck, I just put disc brakes on my Moots. I agonized over that purchased for months before I pulled the trigger!

[scrooge]

Another downside to mountain biking is that mtbers seem to get far more serious cases of equipmentitis than road biking, ....
So is it possible to love both kinds of riding equally? What are the joys of long rides on rough, technical, trails?

In my experience, the opposite is true.
And I like them both, but have been riding road more lately because I don't like the time it takes to drive to trails...

[benb]

Hope you weren't negative and a "downer" the whole trip.

I think equipment-mongering is WAY worse with road bikes.

All of our bikes are essentially the same as long as they fit.

At least mountain bikes are functionally different from one another.. real differences between given bikes even if they fit exactly the same. Some climb better, some descend better, some jump better, etc..

I haven't really gotten to MTB all year and am really looking forward to getting a chance.

For me the only thing I dislike is driving to the trails. Where I live right now the "ride to" trail selection isn't terribly challenging.

[Satellite]

The reason I like Mountain Bike is the focus required on the trail, I forget about everyday problems. On the Road Bike my mind tends to wonder on life’s little problems until I find myself cruising along at 7-10 miles per hour and I kick it back up, then my mind starts to wonder again.

I spend way more money on my road bike with the latest and greatest. At least in Mountain Biking a $500-700 fork has a mechanical function a Road Bike a fork is just a pair of sticks.

I enjoy mountain biking more but I got to a point where I was tired of being hurt. Now I ride the road with mountain trips sprinkled in here and there.

Satellite

[Fixed]

if you want to see something ride slow with one other rider and talk
road or trail ..
i dig both fixed gear road bike fixed gear mt bike
if the going gets rough i get off and walk on the trail ..and i do the kinda of trails i like
cheers imho

[WadePatton]

Take away the cars and I'd have nothing but love for road cycling.

But put the trailheads withing 5 miles of my doorstep, and I'd probably never ride skinnies.

Equipment weenieism runs in both circles. Simple is good for me. Durability is what I like. Don't miss derailleurs one bit.

Constant intensity is what my ADD brain craves and finds on the trails. Stopping to enjoy the view is never a problem.

[bnewt07]

Definitely both.

My basic code has been; bad weather MTB, good weather road.

I love a good hard MTB ride. Less rythym to the riding, more physical and tiring in some ways, more technical challenges and the chance to get into the wild and empty country. If i'm short for time an hour of rocky rutty trails really scratches my bike itch for the day. As I get older I get less brave but I'd still never sell my MTB.

Road riding is about the pleasures of pace, long days and big distances, cafe stops and scenery changes, and that deep seated base of aerobic fitness that builds with a series of big rides.

I love both.

Incidentally, on the kit front I reckon road riders are more obsessed but owners of fancy kit tend to actually ride hard too. MTB'ers sure love the toys but curiously a lot of those with the fanciest bikes seem to spend a lot of time fiddling and less riding! They tend to get upset when it is a bit muddy too. Just an observation.

[vqdriver]

very true about only being able to see the trail. it only takes one header into a tree to learn you good. :D

but the views you can get to are quite worth it. the riding itself is the fun for me. whereas road riding allows me to zone out, mtbing demands your diligence.

equipmentitis? dunno. but the culture of mountain bikers is way cool. much more enjoyable to hang with some kids trying to clean a section than some overly testosterony guys trying to outdo each other on the sunday ride in their full assos kit.

mountain bike with friends. road ride with ipod.

[scottcw2]

road ride with ipod.

Not worth the bandwidth to argue.

[chuckroast]

Three months of the year (November, December, January) I ride a 10 year old Trek hard tail mountain bike on local single track because it's cold and it's fun to do something different. It woun't ever take the place of road cycling for me but it is a great diversion, refreshment, and way to work on the bike handling skills.

[vqdriver]

2nd only to riding sans helmet on the dumb-o-meter.

i ride bike trails along the LA storm drain without motor traffic. one ear only even then cuz i try not to crash or die.

pic of the trail here
http://home.att.net/~dlstorm/IMG_1675.JPG

it must be nice to write with impunity on the internet. which, btw, is 2nd only to being a complete A-hole.

no wait, it's not.

[johnnymossville]

if you want to see something ride slow with one other rider and talk
road or trail ..
i dig both fixed gear road bike fixed gear mt bike
if the going gets rough i get off and walk on the trail ..and i do the kinda of trails i like
cheers imho

fixed gear on the trail, now that sounds like a good time. I'm in.

[vqdriver]

that's basically what the kids on their bmx bikes are doing.
very cool to see a dad chasing his hyper 10yo kid up a rocky grade.
of course, mostly fireroads and rutted singletrack down here. i'm not sure if they'd get away with it in the east coast, or even northern california.

[scottcw2]

i ride bike trails along the LA storm drain without motor traffic. one ear only even then cuz i try not to crash or die.

pic of the trail here
http://home.att.net/~dlstorm/IMG_1675.JPG

it must be nice to write with impunity on the internet. which, btw, is 2nd only to being a complete A-hole.

no wait, it's not.

Nice backtrack.

[Fixed]

2nd only to riding sans helmet on the dumb-o-meter.
wow bro a little harsh
cheers imho :beer:

[vqdriver]

Nice backtrack.


goway dad

[WadePatton]

Cool thing about walking tough stuff on ATB--is nobody is there (usually) to see you do it.

Some guys in the NC woods ride fixed off-road all the time. I'm invited--just haven't made it over there yet.

SO I mounted the fat-tire yesterday after mostly road miles and wow--what a freaky feeling for the first few seconds. I popped the Garmin on there--curious about grades and distances and HR...and I quickly remembered why I haven't haven't run a computer thingy on a mountain bike in years--cuz you hardly ever get to look at it.

But the 305 gathered data and I reviewed it later on the PC. Could just leave it in the jersey pocket next time.

[mcteague]

I started Mt biking back in 1985. In those days the only tracks I saw in the woods were my own. As the years rolled on the constant pounding took it's toll. First came a suspension fork and finally full suspension. Still, I didn't like having to drive my bike to the woods, watch other riders rip up the trail on muddy days, have to clean my bike after every ride and so forth. I also hike and got to see from the other side how inconsiderate so many bikers were. Plus, I would often ache after a ride, something I don't get on the road.

About 6 years ago I got a custom Seven Axiom and, as it came in Fall, I wanted to ride it all through Winter. Cold temps used to be my Mt biking time. It turned out I just loved road riding more, no matter the season. The Mt bike got used less and less and finally was sold last year. We had a good run but I came back to my first love...road riding.

Tim McTeague

[toaster]

It's too bad the trails are about 20 miles away, otherwise I'd ride MTB more. I still will occasionally ride the 20 miles and put another 15 on the trail before heading back for the 20 mile return. That's quite a ride.

I don't like the drive to the trailhead and will opt for the road bike 95% of the time. Like an earlier poster mentioned, if they were 5 miles away I'd be on it much more.

Back in the day, there were lots of good strong dudes on the MTB wearing regular shorts and jerseys. It's much different now with the strong guys on the road.

I'm still rocking the old school cross country style and representing when I can.

[xjoex]

I enjoy both mtn and road. I live 10 feet from miles of singletrack in a city park, so that helps quite a bit.

I also like to just roll out to the trails without having to worry about cars or anything on an after work ride, who cares if it gets a little late out.

As far as gear-itis. Well its all in the eye of the beholder. My mtn bike is a 2003 Klein Palomino and I have upgraded one part the whole time I owned it, I replaced the rear der, chain, bb, cassette this winter, but hey not bad for 5 years of steady riding. But for me, spending stupid money (i.e. custom) on a mtn bike is not a wise investment, since mud and rocks will wear a bike down quickly.

I do ride my road bike a ton as well. A nice road bike can last an easy 10 years, only to be replaced cause I get bored and want to try something new.

Here are some dumb graphs of my riding...

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h85/boulderjoe/riding/multilinephp.png
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h85/boulderjoe/riding/accplotphp.png

[vqdriver]

wow. lotta time in june eh?
mostly, i'm jealous of the commute time tho.

[chuckred]

fixed gear on the trail, now that sounds like a good time. I'm in.

There was a guy on a fixed gear mountain bike at Leadville this year. On long descents, feet were up on the top tube... seemed way scary - at least when we were in the starting pack moving along at 25 mph. Saw him again coming down from Columbine - feet on the tob tube again.

Hat's off to him for trying it - I didn't see him again after about the 70 mile point - not sure if he made it.

Thought of you, Fixed...

[xjoex]

wow. lotta time in june eh?
mostly, i'm jealous of the commute time tho.

Thanks, in June I rode from DC-PGH on the Canal, well not all the wya to PGH, I got rained out.

I do commute every day to work and really like it. It is a great way to stay fit.

-Joe

[Kirk007]

Having just returned from 10 days at Whistler and having experienced a few new types of biking than I had previously, I have a new appreciation for what I traditionally thought of as mountain biking (basically cross country) but also for downhill, freeride, slope style etc. Blame it on my 16 year old, but I now understand why if he has his choice he grabs his downhill bike rather than road bike. Bombing down groomed trails with jumps and huge bermed serpentine curves was a hoot. I had to relearn some things about riding, turning, weight shifts; I had to swallow hard and trust the bike and ignore the warning sirens screaming slow the hell down your 50 years old and gonna break something. Hard to imagine anyone with even a little adrenalin junky in them not enjoying being on a long travel bike in that environment. Sheldon Brown considered DH riding largely an abomination, as it relies on a lift rather than human muscle to get up the mountain but I understand the attraction now and it is much harder (or was for me) than I had thought it would be. And this is a cool bike (I rented the freeride version) http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii145/landshark_98/IMG_2746.jpg

I also road cross country and on my road bike. I skipped the "air dome" with the foam landing pit, but the kids loved it. http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii145/landshark_98/IMG_2002.jpg

I loved every minute of each very different ride. Cranworkxs started before we left - amazing rider skills and cool vibe. http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii145/landshark_98/IMG_3068.jpg