Road Riding Good Training For MTB Rider?

[rpedro]

I consider myself more of a mountain biker than a roadie but I spend most of my time on my road bike. My reason is because I do power meter training, and I think its the same reason why most of the pro's train with there road bikes. The road provides a more controlled environment and that is what you need when training with a power meter.

I also do power training on my indoor trainer and knobblies won’t do the trick on an indoor trainer.

The power meter also measures training stress so that you can track your fitness, form and recovery. I unfortunately cannot afford a power meter for my MTB to be able to track training stress when riding off-road. I have since bought myself a powercal HR power meter to help track training stress when I do use my MTB. PowerCal is not as accurate but I am pretty amazed at how realistic the values are compared to my power meter values.

Any case that’s my 2c

[leaboy]

looks like i need to start looking into buying a road bike...

[leaboy]

++2

 

Duely noted

[leaboy]

I don't like riding on the road, I don't feel safe but I try and do a road race once a month. Doing 100km definitely helps build your legs.

 

Yeah this is what my riding desperately needs.

Needs to start putting down decent 80km + cycles.

Feel it will help my racing loads, it's just the cars around you that are the buggers.

[tombeej]

I'm a mountain biker, that's how I pretty much define myself, and that's what I say I am if people ask me what I do for fun.

 

Having said that, I have a road bike too. And now all of my training is on the road. I only bring out the mtb on the weekends. It opened a whole new world for me when I finally decided to buy my tarmac. Boring? You have got to be joking. OMG that comment can only come from ignorance.

 

Some of my most epic, challenging, most scenic rides have been on the road. Now days I dream about going to France/Italy/Spain - to challenge myself on those most famous mountains. My desktop scrolls pics of the grand tour climbs and sometimes I find myself just staring at the images (which I've seen a thousand times now) scrolling on my screen as I drink a morning coffee.

 

And then I nearly fell off my chair when I read posts from people who think that you get a smoother pedal stroke from mountain biking. Really?! The only way to learn truely efficient pedal stroke is on the road, and from very good riders who know how to minimise all unnecessary energy expenditure. You watch footage of the top mtb riders on a steep loose/technical climb and you will quickly see who has a good road experience by their very still upper bodies. The dedicated mtb'ers who've never learnt the mechanics of smooth riding are bouncing their bodies left and right.

 

As others have said before, most - if not all - top mtb riders do most of their training on the road. Ask yourself the question why.