MTB to Road Bike
 

Of course I learned to ride a bike as a kid, but I’m coming back to it in middle age. I bought my first MTB about 2 years ago when the child joined a MTB club. I love, love, love it, but the weather is not so great in my neck of the woods. Spring tends to be icy and muddy in the woods, and trails are sometimes unrideable well into April. The roads are fine long before the woods. I’m considering a road bike. Anyone got a suggestion? I’m currently riding 3-4 times a week. I have a Trek Roscoe 8.

Not sure if you need a new bike to ride on the road. You could just get some narrower, low profile tires for your Trek.
If you are convinced you need a new bike, then be sure to try them out first. If you are accustomed to your MTB, then a drop bar, tight geometry road bike may not be comfortable for you.

A lot of people who like their MTB have converted them to dropbar and bar-end shifters. There's a thread here: https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...nversions.html

I have quite a few bicycles but if I had to get rid of all of them except for one I'd keep one of my MTB/dropbar conversions as it is so versatile.

Some examples of my MTB/Dropbar conversions.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...804d6109d1.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...ef3db11503.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b163b5e477.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8cdcc90143.jpg



Cheers

N+1

Well, “need” and “want” are two different things, aren’t they? :) I enjoy the time I spend on my bike, but don’t always enjoy the schlepping to a trailhead. It would be nice if I could leave my front door and just go on two wheels. Almost all of the group rides here are on the road, but I do sometimes MTB with friends. I’ve taken the MTB on the road a few times (once I got a bit lost too close to dusk and decided to leave the woods and ride the 3-4 miles back to my car on the road) and I didn’t like the feel of it at all. I’m not looking to give up the MTB, but wouldn’t mind adding to my fleet, such as it is.

Do you live way north like I do? We often still have snow on the ground in April.

Upstate NY. It can snow in April or even May.

They don't have to be narrower, just smooth.

Nah. You need a gravel bike. :D

I vote for you getting a second bike @Fen.

It sounds like you're not done with offroad riding and that Trek Roscoe 8 sure isn't a 20 year old rigid mountain bike asking to be turned into a road bike right now.

Ha ha ! Yep, snow on Mother's day, oh joy! :mad:

So I'm not much on the whole "covert your MTB to a road bike" or road bike to MTB, or hybrid to electric etc., etc. thing. I prefer to purchase bikes which are purpose-built. Saves me a lot of grief.

My recommendation to you, as a fellow "Upstater" , is to go to a local reputable bike shop or sports medicine facility and splurge on a proper bike fit - since it sounds like it's been some time since you've been on a road bike you really should take a hard look at what your physical (cockpit) needs are.

Once you have your fit info I would start shopping. Personally I recommend you look at getting an entry-level or used "Gravel" bike. Don't let the name fool you, they are excellent on asphalt and fairly comfortable. Check out the Salsa Cutthroat.
You should also look at "Fitness" bikes. They feature flat bars and are more upright, like a MTB. The Cannondale Quick series of bikes is excellent as is the Trek FX series. Again, an entry-level or used or "Fall-Blowout" sale bike should save you some coin.
Good Luck!

They are worth a look, and one should be aware of the option. Right?

Fen needs a fat bike for messy trails, AND a road bike.

Why N+1 when you can N+2?

Don't tempt. Kid1 just outgrew (size and skills wise) her first MTB and got a new one. Kid2 is too tall for his bike (but refuses to even consider taking his sister's old one, even though it fits him) and thinks he needs a full suspension (he only does if he's paying half!) and I'm considering a road bike. I think my family is keeping the LBS in business.

I agree with the gravel/CX type bike. They cover a lot of uses, and if you’re not racing, they can be quite quick.

I'd go with a second bike, either a road or a cx/gravel.

Forget a road bike - get a gravel/CX bike. There is no reason to limit yourself to 25mm tires these days - although lately some of the endurance "road" bikes take some pretty fat rubber. For you, I would get something that takes 40mm rubber and has an endurance type geometry (i.e. gravel bike). I do Crits, Cross, Gravel, MTB, and CX on mine - they are pretty versatile (well, more so with two wheelsets).

more bikes = more fun :D

I find it interesting that so many have suggested a gravel bike, and honestly hadn't thought of one before. I understand that they are good for all(ish) terrain, but what if you are planning to be exclusively on pavement?

Roscoe is a trail bike. Trying to make it a hybrid like you would with a 30yo rigid MTB just isn’t going to end well. Another bike is a better idea.

That said, I find road bikes pretty interchangeable. Only a matter of how much you want to spend on better parts or a brand name. Gravel bikes much the same. And there’s some overlap, which is a good zone to be shopping in unless you are becoming an outright roadie or gravel racer.

I too live in upstate NY. MTB is my first love. I moved from VA, where the riding season is much longer than here, so I feel your pain.

I would absolutely get a road or gravel bike. I have a very strong preference for the latter, but that’s just me.

Yes you can “get by” with slicks on the MTB, but a real road/gravel bike is much better on paved or dirt/gravel roads, IMO.

I ride about 70% pavement, and don’t ever see going smaller than 35mm tires. Even if I never left the pavement ever again, no way I would run smaller than 32mm.

I don’t know where in upstate you are, but a lot of the back roads are kind of crappy, and bigger tires are a big plus in my book.

Gravel Bikes are just road bike that don’t suck when you leave smooth pavement.

Yes, the back roads are kind of crap. I'm going to ask around with local riders and then get something in the spring. Maybe borrow a bike to see if I like it.

Most road riders around here ride 25s and will probably tell you anything over 28s are ridiculous...... and then 2 minutes later complain about the new chip-seal :lol:

Half the roads I ride I do are non-starters for them due to the road conditions (dirt/gravel, crappy pavement).

Best. Definition. Ever!

Or you might be amazed at how amazing it feels. Try it.

A bunch of us ride the local MUP with some frequency. One of the riders has a gravel bike (in addition to some others)-a Scott Addict Gravel 10. He has smooth tires on it, but fairly large, and doesn't have any problem with pace! Now, he is a good and frequent rider, so is in good shape, but he sails along just fine.

I prefer riding off-road but road bikes are amazing, so lightweight, fast, and comfortable. You can achieve really long distance and after a few hours have no desire to stop. Seek out the agricultural districts for lengthy pleasant rides with very little traffic. It takes awhile to figure out aero-fit and comfort. Consider a used bike (something like a CAAD 10 or 12) to get that aspect dialed in inexpensively. Aside from cold, wet, icy conditions and hazardous motorized traffic road bikes are a viable replacement for automobiles. I could ride for days nonstop.

Some agricultural districts have gravel roads in which case a gravel bike with 38mm tubeless Gravel King slicks is probably a better choice, or maybe a 26" drop bar bike with lightweight 2" Compass Tire tubeless slicks. I also prefer rigid drop-bar mtb conversions to normal mtbs because road-like setups are more comfortable to me. I kind of loathe the new geometry of mountain bikes and only learned that from comparing them with vintage square-geometry mtbs. The risk of a good road bike is discovering that you hate your nice modern mtb by comparison. Mtbs have become too differentiated from normal bikes. Drop bar road bikes define the norm, have the most utility, and are the bike all other bikes branch away from. So it's reasonable to expect that if you like your mtb you'll LOVE your road bike.

get a gravel or CX bike.

entry level Alloy topstone, alloy Revolt, alloy Salsa Journeyman

if you want to keep the same fun factor of a + tire like your roscoe, look into a gravel bike with 650x47 sized tires, Surly Midnight Special.

I assume you are talking about for use on the road. Yes, "vintage" (as in pre-2000) geometry mtbs do make better road bikes and also better drop-bar conversions compared to modern mtbs.... but they also make worse mountain bikes compared to modern geo MTBs.