MTB or RoadBike or Both? PLEASE HELP!!

[GemmerKat]

I am sitting with the same question. 

Bought the hard tail in 2015 with the idea it is safer on the trails and it seems more fun on the trails and now I am spending most of my time on the road with the mtb.

It is almost 80km drive for me to get to a mtb park.

 

I prefer longer distance races like the Trans Baviaans which got me thinking to get an additional full suspension or to rather man up with hard tail and get the road bike.

Think the logical option will be to get the road bike.

 

Not sure if I am the only weird person which rather perfer to take the mtb to SBR than a trail  

[porqui]

If you can afford both - that's the way to go.

Each is so different to the other.

 

Riding mtb on the road is like riding a road bike on the trail.

 

I do both and enjoy both.

 

The only problem is that n+1 now becomes n+2

 

Mind you another problem is there is now cyclo-cross.

[eccc whippet]

It was cheaper for me to buy a second hand road bike...than to get a spare set of wheels and fit road tyres on my mtb...now I spend more time on the road bike than the mtb....only problem...the colour of my socks now match my bike...i ride in black at night....don't obey traffic rules...don't ride and chat in the cycling lane and I don't greet people on the road anymore...so just be careful you might turn into a roadie [emoji13]

 

Mtb goes in for a minor service...R4000 and a packet full of bearings later.

 

The road bike goes in for a minor service...R400 later...just a nice clean smooth running bike.

[Vetplant]

Both, as a minimum.

 

Each discipline has a different set tactics and skills. Whenever I get somewhat bored with the one I just enter a race of the other discipline and the new set of challenges awakens the drive again. Like someone else said earlier, it is like a new world opens up for you because they are so different in their nature.

 

Keeping it "fresh" is part of what keeps me motivated to keep on training. 

[OemD]

Thank you for all the replies

[OemD]

Hi All. 

 

Thank you to everybody who replied yesterday to my question:

https://community.bikehub.co.za/topic/165681-mtb-or-roadbike-or-both-please-help/page-1

 

There were some answers referring to speed (road bike) and strength (MTB). What I gathered was a suggestion that road bikes make you faster and mtb make you stronger, or something to that effect.

 

I have 1 follow up question:

 

The speed that's being referred to from the road bike, Is it muscle development or the bike?

Are we going faster because we are tuning/strengthening our muscles or is the speed related to the design and riding position on the road bike?

 

Remember road bikes are inherently designed to be lighter, more aerodynamic with larger gears, with less rolling resistance and a more aerodynamic riding position. Each one of these factor will increase your speed on its own and the combination of these factors will dramatically affect the speed of the bike.

 

 

All opinions will be respected but PLS post a reply that will add to the sport of cycling.

 

 

Happy kms..

D

 

PS: 

I didn't want to give this info yesterday because I didn't want to lead the answers but a few quick fact relating to yesterdays answers:

• I can afford both
• I have access to vast amounts of gravel, district roads, jeep track and single track within 10kms from my house (blessings, I know)
• I have access to vast amounts tar surfaces and challenging mountain passes within 10kms from my house (blessings, I know)

[s14phoenix]

As to reply to your second question.

 

The bike is faster by design yes. But you also train differently on a road bike. Yes you work other muscles also with a road bike and the same with a mtb.

 

With a road bike it is the constant smooth effort and pedalling efficiency that you train also.

 

My mtb speed has increased due to riding RB and I climb better on my RB due to MTB efforts... they both complement each other.

 

Its like training in a gym and doing core - which is also good for any cycling.

[Martin PJ]

In your situation, I would buy the bike (bikes) that allowed me to ride with my mates. 

[Honkdonk]

i bought a road bike a few years ago to tackle the 947 properly. Since then I do a fair amount of both disciplines.

I love the feeling of riding in a big bunch at speed with relative ease being able to talk crap with the guy next to you. Early starts for midweek training - on the bike at 4:15am and back home at 6:30 with 55km under the belt. Speed and no mess no fuss maintenance.

I also love the MTB - being able to cut through single tracks and be out off the beaten path.

 

I rode Garden route trails a few weeks back and man o man it was just sublime. Then rode Suikerbosrand on the road bike and that was as sublime

Choose your weapon for the day and enjoy it..

 

If it had to be one bike, depending on where you are in SA I would go go for a gravel grinder - here in Jhb it will cover just about everything

[Ettas]

Road bike is faster. lighter and less maintenance. Longer distances faster and less energy.

 

I can keep up with my group with my MTB. My MTB only did ofroad once, but it gives you a great workout on tar. 

 

just put some slicks on your MTB and get your mates to go for a ride with their roadies and you on your MTB and have a look at how well you do. If they drop you..... you know what to do. 

 

If not. You saved some money. My road bike is in the market now for this reason. 

You need faster cycling buddies?

[Headshot]

Actually Patch, your roadie nature is shining through here. You also need at least 4 MTBs.

 

1. XC Racer

2. Enduro/All Mountain plaything

3. Jump Bike for the pump track

4. Downhill bike to test your medical insurance

For no. 4 you don't need a DH bike - just take your marathon bike down a DH course and you sorted - probably far more efficient too. 

[LeoKnight]

Think this will make it clear...

 

 

[Zebra]

Pprior to recently buying my 29"er, I put high-pressure slicks onto my old S-Works alu 26"er, and with brain front & rear, no bobbing, + very high pressures, I could feel 'close' to my road bike feel, and then I motorized it 9a whole another story!)

 

But being serious here, even with HP slicks on a 26"er, and locked out, it was a lot of fun on th eroad, then swapped out tyres ( a schlep) for offroad:

 

So, 2 sets of wheels may be a real option?

Chris

[Noshow]

Depends how much riding you are going to do.

 

If you want one bike for both a nice light carbon 29er will get you a long way.

 

If you want to play around on technical downhill and single track then you really need a reasonable travel full susp bike, which won't be much fun on the road and will cost a lot in tyres and servicing if you are doing a lot of kms.

 

In that case get both - you can get a decent 2nd hand road bike for not much which you will enjoy on the road a lot more, and the servicing costs are a lot less.

 

I would spend 70% of budget on a trail MTB and the rest on a 2nd hand road bike.

[arendoog]

The problem is ,once you have a  training road bike ,then you want a racing road bike 

 

If you get a HT mtb ,then a Full Sus mtb,then a Fat bike ,then a Single speed ,then a steel HT SS ,then a rigid steel SS .Then you spend to much time here !!!

[anthemic]

I have pretty decent Mtb (Oneten) and a basic roadbike (Chinese carbon). Roadbike is great for quick midweek training session from the door, MTB is default fun bike

 

 

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