So as a pub discussion (I.e. no right answer – just opinions) how much energy would be expended on a 30k technical trail (with 50% fire road / gravel track) v 80k road ride

Warm conditions, both rides equal in climbing height percentage…and downhill all off road for mtb

I’d say more energy expended on an mtb but I have nothing to back this up. Bear in mind drink has been taken..,

Probably more energy expended on road since your average mtber tends to get off and walk up hills and around technical trail features

Speed?

Assuming similar times, road by a country mile.
An average paced road ride is a much better work out* than an MTB bimble.
*based on average heart rate

Def road

..roadies are hard as nails …….mtb’ers are mincers

too many variables not disclosed. oh and 80k is what 3hours and 30k 2hours. so not really comparable anyway.

If I ride 4 hours on the road, according to my hrm, I burn about the same number of calories as I do if I ride my mountain bike for the same length of time.

As for speed, terrain and distance, it’s irrelevant. It’s about the work you choose to put in.

80K on my road bike & I’d be asleep with boredom. 30K on the MTB in’t Dales & I’d be more smiley & more knackered.
I ‘once heard’ that on average (?) five miles on road equalled one mile offroad. Too many variations to make any true judgement IMO.

I did a 12 mile hike a bike on Friday , I reckon I felt th e equivalent of a 80 mile steady road ride.

Never had a road bike but always wondered how 20 miles off road equates to on road miles.

depends on power output,

its all relative really.

for example

MTB 44.60km 1628kj 2:07 NP 266 watts Hr 155

Road 91.56km 2129 3:04 Np 235 watts hr 142

have full data via TP i can post the links to

Strange I’ve ridden with 2 roadies who average 50 mile road rides they came out for a mtb ride and could not believe how hard it was in comparison… suppose it all depends how hard you push yourself.

I’d be surprised if your power output on an mtb is higher than that on a road bike.

Strange I’ve ridden with 2 roadies who average 50 mile road rides they came out for a mtb ride and could not believe how hard it was in comparison… suppose it all depends how hard you push yourself.

my take on this, road is constant effort, MTB is more like intervals, the way you ride is different. I find the constant accelerating on the mtb more tiring then tempo on the road.

It really depends. Roadies have higher cadence and remain seated for most if not all of the ride. Mountain bikers use different muscle groups as the cadence is lower, plus the amount of standing required entails a different pedalling technique.

Good road biking fitness is an advantage however.

avg watts on a mtb is normally lower due to not pedaling on single track etc,

that why you use normalized power of road, as avg isn’t very useful

Really? I’d say the lower gears on an mtb meant the cadence was pretty much the same, maybe a little higher on a mtb.

I tend to climb out of the saddle more on my road bike than I do on my mtb.

PJM1974 – Member
It really depends. Roadies have higher cadence and remain seated for most if not all of the ride. Mountain bikers use different muscle groups as the cadence is lower, plus the amount of standing required entails a different pedalling technique.

Good road biking fitness is an advantage however.

Depends where you ride I guess. I do most of my road climbing stood up, most mountain bikers tend to sit and spin.

those two rides i posted

mtb avg cadence was 82 and road was 92 and last mtb race was 88 so no real huge difference.

80K on my road bike & I’d be asleep with boredom. 30K on the MTB in’t Dales & I’d be more smiley & more knackered.

This is my opinion too …

Someone said (can’t remember where) mountain bikers who don’t ride on the road don’t have the legs. Road bikers who don’t ride on the mountains don’t have soul!

I do find that I’m faster and remain seated longer on a road bike than a mountain bike. Once I stand and stamp on the pedals I’m basically playing chicken with the gradient as I lose leverage. I prefer to sit and spin on the road. With a mountain bike, I often shift my weight and lift my backside off the saddle to gain traction. I take the point that it depends on where you ride, because it’s very chalky and flinty here so saying seated on techy climbs just isn’t an option.

And what about tyre drag? 😉

You also have to factor in that the upper body will be far more active (if the trails are sufficiently technical) on the mtb, as well as more time out of the saddle meaning you’re suspending more of your weight, rather than relying on the saddle so overall energy expended is likely to be higher off road.

What if they were both on a conveyor belt?

Road bikers who don’t ride on the mountains don’t have soul!

Thats great. Ive ridden my road bike on loads of mountains though.

Having a soul sounds like the sort of thing a mountain biking mincer has.

Hard road riders have guts, determination, and massive balls.

The argument that roadies find off road hard doesn’t mean it’s as physically demanding. You need a decent amount of upper body strength on an MTB (most fit people I take out on an off road ride complain about aching shoulders) and be able to pull the bike in various directions quickly to tackle a trail. None of this you do on the road.
Roadies do have an unbelievable amount of fitness, at least the one who ride often and take it seriously. A good friend of mine does 1hr 25m TT’s, he’s only an amateur and does it for keeping fit and challenging himself but it is simply astonishing how fast and long he can go with barely any perceivable effort. It’s just unreal. I’m sure if he put the same effort into off-road and developed his body to cope he’d be amazing at that!!

You need a decent amount of upper body strength on an MTB

No you dont.

hard to compare MTB to road, totally different workouts, road riding is more steady sustained efforts whereas MTB has a lot more short max effort bursts and a lot more upper body efforts.

You need a decent amount of upper body strength on an MTB
No you dont.
Yes
You
Do.

I think a lot of mountain bikers want to believe its a lot harder than it really is!

esselgruntfuttock – Member
You need a decent amount of upper body strength on an MTB
No you dont.
Yes
You
Do.

Perhaps if you’re the typical overweight AM rider with no technique.

If you have a glance over on pinkbike, theres loads of pictures of scrawny looking kids who can ride a bike far better than most on this forum.

Never mind energy expended mtb vs road, far more energy expended on 29 vs 26 vs 650b vs blah blah….

You need a decent amount of upper body strength on an MTB
No you dont.
Yes
You
Do.

no

I think a lot of mountain bikers want to believe its a lot harder than it really is!

+1

Road bikers who don’t ride on the mountains don’t have soul!
Thats great. Ive ridden my road bike on loads of mountains though.

Having a soul sounds like the sort of thing a mountain biking mincer has.

Hard road riders have guts, determination, and massive balls.

Thank gawd I’m not a Hard Roadie ! My balls are allreet in baggy shorts ! If my cahunas were muhassive I’d have to strap em in with Lycra !

😀

I think a lot of mountain bikers want to believe its a lot harder than it really is!

Very true, but there’s a lot of roadies who think the same.

Sod it ! I’m buying a SKY Lycra top !

That’ll show em ! 😉

You cant use smilies if you get a Sky top. From what I’ve seen, you have to maintain a straight face all the time.

Wearing Team Kit is a serious business apparently!

FWIW, we did a 64 mile 1 day epic from Laggan in the Highlands, over the Corryairack & Glen Roy etc & every rider knew they’d had a BIG day out. That was when I was slimmer & fitter than when I did a 65 mile roadie sportive event on the NY Moors. The sportive was a doddle in comparison!
Still, there’s just far too many variables to even start to argue!

It’s a wink, there’s a chap rides through the village where I live in one, he fills it out well ! He’s a big un !

His face is more contorted as he’s sucking in air from Guildford ! Not a pretty sight, but it keeps the kids amused as he passes them on the benches at the bus stop, they have to stop snogging to hurl abuse at him !

It’s not pretty at all

😆