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Road Training on a MTB vs. Road Training on a Road Bike

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BurlyShirley

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
Today's little argument about getting slicks for riding your MTB on the road go me thinking... Is there any reason that road riding your MTB would be any less beneficial that doing it on a road bike?

I really have no urge to purchase a road bike at all, I may someday, but say, if I wanted to train for XC racing purposes, would it be just as good?
 
sanjuro

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
BurlyShirley said:
Today's little argument about getting slicks for riding your MTB on the road go me thinking... Is there any reason that road riding your MTB would be any less beneficial that doing it on a road bike?

I really have no urge to purchase a road bike at all, I may someday, but say, if I wanted to train for XC racing purposes, would it be just as good?
Click to expand...
I asked this question many months back, but did you know if you are running disc brakes, you can switch back and forth from 26 inch to 700c wheels (assuming you are running 25c tires)...
 
jimmydean

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
43,100
15,184
Portland, OR
I think it's much better because your on the bike you will race. When I spend too much time on my little bike, it shows when I ride my race bike. I would think it would be even worse on a road bike.

I wish I could afford 2 wheel sets with cassette and rotors to ride my big bike to and from work more.
 
B

blue

boob hater
Jan 24, 2004
10,160
2
california
Eh, yeah, but have you ever gone on a real ride on a roadie? Sooo much better...faster...more fun. Throw a leg over a 16 lb carbon beauty, ride for 50 miles, and see if you want to ride your Chameleon on the road :p

Kind of like "if I want to train for DH racing, will riding XC bike be just as good?" Yeah, but once again, not nearly as fun. I like to have fun if I'm training...otherwise it seems kind of pointless.

I'd really like to get a roadie again, I hate riding my XC bike with slicks...it just annoys me.

Edit: Sanj is right...if you really are set on training on the XC bike, get a pair of 700c disc wheels and use them.
 
BurlyShirley

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
sanjuro said:
I asked this question many months back, but did you know if you are running disc brakes, you can switch back and forth from 26 inch to 700c wheels (assuming you are running 25c tires)?
Click to expand...
I didnt know that at all.

Obviously some regular slicks would be less efficient, however, wouldnt that make the training better?
 
OGRipper

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,735
1,247
NORCAL is the hizzle
It's ok if all you really want is to train, not cover huge distances or hang on group rides with equal riders. You'll still be able to work on pedal form and breathing rhythm, and do stuff like interval training. You'll work a lot harder than you will on a road bike to do the same ride, but I guess that's good if it's training. Some will even tell you it's better because you will be training on the same bike you'll be racing and won't have to worry about differences in position.

I find that riding my road bike really helps build leg strength. Typical mtb gears feel easy to spin after rocking it out in a 53.
 
OGRipper

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,735
1,247
NORCAL is the hizzle
buildyourown said:
I forgot about that part. If you put 25mm slicks on a 26" mtb, you spin out the gearing real quick.
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I wasn't even thinking about that but yeah if you put 700c rims on a mountain bike I imagine you would spin out on the faster/downhill sections.

But you'd feel like a champ doing all the tough climbs in the big ring! :rofl:
 
Angus

Angus

Jack Ass Pen Goo Win
Oct 15, 2004
1,478
0
South Bend
buildyourown said:
Riding a mountain bike on the road, especially with knobbies, is slow and boring.
Riding a road bike is fast and fun.
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Last year I planned a loop from my house using my Karate Monkey 30.5 miles some climbs all road, on The Surly the Average speed was around 15.4 mph with a max of 41.3. this year I am doing the same loop on an older steel Trek 560 and my average is 19.5 with a max of 54.2! If I had a sub 18lb bike I imagine all those numbers would go up(well maybe not the max as that is going downhill)
also when you have a raod bike you can ride with roadies who as a group tend to travel fast and push each other, I have been doing at least 2 group rides a week since march and my strength, stamina & cardio levels have all risen drastically, when I finally get a chance to race I am sure the results will speak for themselves.-Robb
 
dhbuilder

dhbuilder

jingoistic xenophobe
Aug 10, 2005
3,040
0
road training solo, i always rode my race bike with slicks.
prefering to train as much as possible on the bike i was going to be racing. you could really do a better job of fine tuning the fit of the bike that way.

road training with a group was definately done on a road bike.
those were the much better intense workouts.
and you'd never be able to hang on a mt. bike with slicks.
 
sanjuro

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
dhbuilder said:
road training with a group was definately done on a road bike.
those were the much better intense workouts.
and you'd never be able to hang on a mt. bike with slicks.
Click to expand...
That's a good point. Unless your middle name is PowerTap, it is hard to simulate the effort involved with group riding. The pace is always a little quicker even on the climbs.

But the year I did my best in road racing, 2003, I trained 90% by myself, with a hr monitor.
 
Westy

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
56,016
22,046
Sleazattle
I have my hardtail set up with slicks. I enjoy riding it on the road more than my very nice road bike except when I am trying to ride with other people on road bikes.

Last weekend I did my favorite road ride on the MTB. A 75 mile route with 8000 feet of climbing. I was able to match my best time on the road bike. What I lost in rolling and wind resistance I was able to make up in the steep climbs. Having any gear you want and wide ass riser bars makes climbing on a road bike seem stupid.
 
douglas

douglas

Chocolate Milk Doug
May 15, 2002
9,887
6
Shut up and Ride
regarding road riding, I think the best training is on quick paced group road rides, busting your hump to stay with the fastest group, it is a awesome way to push yourself pretty hard for 2 hours (or more). On a mtb w/slicks its not happening cause you wouldnt come close to keeping up.
 
Serial Midget

Serial Midget

Al Bundy
Jun 25, 2002
13,053
1,897
Fort of Rio Grande
Road gearing is spaced much closer than mtb gearing; you will get a more constistant cardio workout with a tigher road cassette. I have been putting on some miles with 26" slicks on my old hardtail. Finding the correct road spin is not easy with so much gap between cogs.
 
Skookum

Skookum

bikey's is cool
Jul 26, 2002
10,184
0
in a bear cave
The tires on my road bike have gone flat from non-use. i keep thinking i'm gonna pump up them tires, maybe after i buy a Koobi saddle with the elastomers....
 
DirtyMike

DirtyMike

Turbo Fluffer
Aug 8, 2005
14,437
1,017
My own world inside my head
BurlyShirley said:
Today's little argument about getting slicks for riding your MTB on the road go me thinking... Is there any reason that road riding your MTB would be any less beneficial that doing it on a road bike?

I really have no urge to purchase a road bike at all, I may someday, but say, if I wanted to train for XC racing purposes, would it be just as good?
Click to expand...

Not reading other Posts, so i might be repeating what someone else has already said, Training on teh Road so to speak, Does not require a Road bike, For most the road bike makes the training easier due to it being a better design for such activities, I have set up a Bunch of Mtn bikes for the same use though, The thing to remember with the training is, that it isnt the distance covered that is helping, its the steadiness and time, Lets say for instance i want a target heart rate of 160, for hour, From where i live that is a loop around Oak glen for me on the road bike, bout 20 22 miles, Or its about a 7 mile climb behind the college down the road which is a lower grade, but i am on a FS bike, and int he dirt.

So the bike itself doesnt really matter what type of bike your using, as long as you still train Properly, get your time in, keep your heart rate elevated and steady Etc. Most of all, Enjoy your time out and have fun.
 
Bicyclist

Bicyclist

Turbo Monkey
Apr 4, 2004
10,152
2
SB
blue said:
Eh, yeah, but have you ever gone on a real ride on a roadie? Sooo much better...faster...more fun. Throw a leg over a 16 lb carbon beauty, ride for 50 miles, and see if you want to ride your Chameleon on the road :p

Kind of like "if I want to train for DH racing, will riding XC bike be just as good?" Yeah, but once again, not nearly as fun. I like to have fun if I'm training...otherwise it seems kind of pointless.

I'd really like to get a roadie again, I hate riding my XC bike with slicks...it just annoys me.
Click to expand...
Definately agree w/ you on this one.
 
jaydee

jaydee

Monkey
Jul 5, 2001
794
0
Victoria BC
I find the biggest difference is that you don't have any bailout gearing on a road bike for long steepish climbs. You can't go less than 39/25 or maybe 39/27, so you develop more steady climbing power on the road bike. That doesn't mean you can't just avoid the lower gears on the MTB and get the same effect. I just love the feeling of the road bike; it accelerates so quickly and floats down descents on the skinny tires.
 
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