Originally Posted by
koala logs
If you're only riding solo, you don't need to get faster unless you want to ride faster just for the heck of it.
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I know quite a few "roadies" who ride with hardtail MTB with wide knobby tires on paved roads and able to hold 20 mph for long periods.
All that may be true, but riding wide knobby tires on paved roads just isn't as much FUN. If you know it will be smooth roads all the way, a set of road tires (or at least lightweight touring or hybrid tires) will be lighter and faster and the bike will handle much better.