Daspydyr 

I have been riding skinny tires a bunch lately to get ready for a couple of Charity rides with family and friends. There is a large social community of roadies and lots of marked pathes in my neck of the woods. It has been easy to do.

BUT it seems so boring to me. The excitement seems to be preparing for the next climb, choosing the gear you will attack the hill with and then doing your best to keep your cadence @80. Then for anywhere from 5-20 minutes you put your head down and grind. SHEESH, its like bait chunking and calling it fishing. I find myself having to count or remember phone numbers or recall poetry (Cremation of Sam Magee works well) to stay awake.

In Mountain biking everything changes all the time. More ups and downs, grinding a long uphill to bombing a gravelly downhill, switchbacks, roots, obstacles, whooptee doos, seeing a coyote, dodging a skunk or rabbit or snake.

But then I had trouble paying attention for more than 10 minutes in school. Is this where the ADD people end up? Any other ADD types out there.

20grit

I ride both, and both have their pluses and minuses. The feeling on the road of going fast enough that pedaling is worthless is awesome. Wind blowing by, feeling the road coming up through the frame, etc are great. Mountain biking has the pluses you mentioned. Why differentiate?

ESW116

I feel the same way you do, but less so. I think mountain biking is way more fun, but I still like mashing on a road bike, for the sense of speed, wind in my face, etc.

Daspydyr 

I need to try to feel for that. Last night I was riding after dark and stopped by a sports park that has a long cobblestone walkway. I wanted to get the feel of cobblestone. Kinda interesting. The regular pedaling I guess I don't trust the bike enough and just look for hazards when riding pavement. I have taken some bumps and everything is fine, just feel that 2.+s are indestructible compared to those skinny tires that sound like a buzzing bee on a good downhill.

I guess my original question is why I differentiate, I get bored after 5 minutes in the drops and just huffing along. I'm looking for distractions.

ed 

colorider

Same here. I love them both. I like that you can cover a lot of miles on the road and living in Colorado that's a lot of scenery to see. Mountain biking allows you to explore those areas even more.

pablosnazzy

i'm not sure i'm ADD, but i started reading your post, didn't really finish, jumped to the end, and..oh, hey, i like pizza...

Daspydyr 

MY BROTHER! I wonder if Pure Prairie League will ever get back together?

broodwich

Amie what you wanna do?
I think I could stay with you
For a while, maybe longer if I do

Daspydyr 

They're Here!

ColinL

biggest advantage of roadbiking for me is that I leave my house and can ride for 10, 20, 50 miles and see some cool stuff and be back at my doorstep. I can technically do that on a MTB too, but it's not the optimal tool for the job.

meanwhile, to hit some decent singletrack I have to put my MTB in the bike rack and drive 30-40 minutes at a minimum. if I get tired of seeing those two trails, my next options are 60 and 90 minutes' drive.

Repack Rider

I haven't been on my carbon fiber road bike in two years.

Daspydyr 

Colin, I agree with that point. My primary purpose of riding is cardio vascular health, keep the fat from consuming more space than current. I feel guilty driving a petro burner so I can spin some dirt trails. I am pretty fortunate to have some decent trails with in 20 minutes of riding time. World Class (Bootleg Canyon) trails in 40 minutes riding, 15 driving. I've even chased Big Horns sheep 30 minutes from the house.

Wichita eh? Do you ever get down to the Gyp Hills and ride in Barber County?

ed 

ColinL

Actually, no. I'm always up for tips on good trails though!

I get a good workout on singletrack, but I just can't do it with a wife and kid near as often as I can hop on my road bike. My boy just turned 5... when he's ready for his own MTB, that will be a huge moment. I've pulled his trail a bike over XC trails, but roots and rocks... yeah, not happening.

Daspydyr 

5 year old eh? I understand completely. Being a father cuts down the personal escape time until the teen years come. Enjoy the little dudes.

I spent a lot of time in Barber CO when I was at K-State. Helped the in-laws do oil field service stuff. Always thought those Red Hills and Oil field roads would be a blast. Once you get off the highway there are tons of cattle and game trails everywhere. Now, I'm getting twitchey with excitement. I feel the need to go chase some coyotes or pheasants, maybe some deer. Yeah, now that is bike excitement.