Mountain V Road Bike
07-18-18, 02:15 AM
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Mountain V Road Bike
So I've started doing cardio with the only bike I have, a cheap and rusty mountain bike, and I'm on the edge over getting a road bike, cause biking is damn fun. How much more efficient/faster are road bikes on mostly flat terrain? If I average 15 mph on that bike, around how fast would I be on a road bike at the same effort level?
07-18-18, 05:28 AM
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Flat bar? Big, gnarly, knobby tires? Rusty chain? Into a headwind??
Probably 2 to 3mph gain.
Very rough estimate.
Don't lose the enthusiasm!
Road riding is a fantastic sport!
Probably 2 to 3mph gain.
Very rough estimate.
Don't lose the enthusiasm!
Road riding is a fantastic sport!
07-18-18, 05:59 AM
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For me it is 1.5 - 2 mph over 35 miles. An old flat bar ATB, converted to drops @ 30 lbs w/2.3" tires, vs. my 16 lb Orbea road bike. I believe the difference would increase as the miles rode increased.
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nine mile skid on a ten mile ride
nine mile skid on a ten mile ride
07-18-18, 06:16 AM
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It was abt 1.5-2mph for me as well...and I had switched my MTB to slicks before moving to a road bike. Gains between road bikes have been insignificant considering the $$s involved...but I have made comfort gains.
07-18-18, 07:06 PM
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I remember when I made the transition. I started riding my mtb on 10 mile road clips. I bought a hybrid and started using that and noticed how much quicker it was. My neighbor asked me to fix something on his road bike about two weeks later. I fixed it and road it on my 10 mile loop. I stopped making fun of roadies and had my own road bike a week later. They are quicker, more efficient and far more comfortable. For tooling around the neighborhood the mtb is better. For rides 15-100 miles or more I would not even look st something other than the road bike.
07-19-18, 08:38 AM
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get some cheap fat slicks for that old bike & pump them up to their max pressure! gonna have some fun!
07-19-18, 02:10 PM
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I do both road and mountain biking, so talking from experience. Speed gains aside (which are pretty significant), the geometry and posture on a properly fitted Road bike allows you to go much longer and farther, more efficiently while having more fun.
07-20-18, 06:46 AM
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You'll gain some speed, enough so that you'll feel it right away. What you'll notice as well is just how much more responsive and quick a road bike is. It's night and day. But keep riding what you have and enjoy yourself.
