There’s a lot of chat on here from people who never want to ride a road bike and the usual reason is because of noisy, busy, dangerous roads. Let’s see some pictures of the roads that dispel the myth that all roadies love weaving in and out of cars, bunny-hoppping potholes and swallowing exhaust fumes.

Shoosh you. I don’t want all my favourite quiet roads spoiled by noisy, over-dressed MTB stormtroopers with no idea of road sense.

Climbing up to Tan Hill from Reeth by brf, on Flickr

Watersplash nr Arkengarthdale by brf, on Flickr

Road to Nateby by brf, on Flickr

that road looks lovely stilltortoise but id spend my time look at the hills beyond and wondering what trails there are out there!

Stilltortoise – that red frame & fork look real purty – what is it?

Looks like a scene of crime photo to me . . . .

” . . .bike came to rest here, roadie catapulted over wall sarge . . .”

that road looks lovely stilltortoise but id spend my time look at the hills beyond and wondering what trails there are out there!

+1

whilst riding round the surrey hills on a road bike I am forever looking down any little path/track that branches offroad. Might go round that route on the road bike marking points of interest for later exporation on the mtb.

The Silvery Tay

whilst riding round surrey hills on my road bike ,I am forever looking down any little path/track that branches offroad

.

+1

🙂

that road looks lovely stilltortoise but id spend my time look at the hills beyond and wondering what trails there are out there!

There’s actually some superb and challenging downhills hidden away as well as LOADS of off-road stuff. The problem is, to get to here from my house I’d need to load the MTB on the car or be prepared for a long ride on the road first. I don’t enjoy slogging a 30lb full susser on the roads and I don’t like wasting riding time in the car. I ride from my doorstep or I don’t ride at all these days.

Stilltortoise – that red frame & fork look real purty – what is it?

It’s a 12 year old Trek 370(?) road series. It cost me £250 and has very recently been put into retirement by a nice new carbon number. I’d eventually like to build it into a tourer.

druidh – Member
Shoosh you. I don’t want all my favourite quiet roads spoiled by noisy, over-dressed MTB stormtroopers with no idea of road sense.

Don’t worry “they’ll” still be trying to work out how you ride more than an hour without 3L of sports drink, 1/2 kilo of flapjack & a small workshop in your rucksac 😆

People stop and take photos on a road ride?

stilltortoise – is that Chrome Hill area?

yeah, stopping would ruin my average speed and Strava segment times

Lots, e.g. http://www.flickr.com/photos/druidh2000/sets/72157630562948042/

stilltortoise – Member

I don’t enjoy slogging a 30lb full susser on the roads and I don’t like wasting riding time in the car.

I’m kind of the same – except that I’d see time on the road as wasted, be it car or bike – so I minimise it with the car.

People stop and take photos on a road ride?

Gotta do something to alleviate the boredom haven’t they! 😉

I take photos as I ride. Rarely stop to take them.

Realman = that looks nice but reminds me of the zig-zag up boxhill – loads of people riding up there but the bridleway next to it is harder and more fun.

is that Chrome Hill area?

Maybe 😉

I don’t hate roadies, why should I? but never seen the need for a road bike. I’ve only got a hard tail and just ride that everywhere, if I’m going on the road for a long way just put on worn /slick tyres and pump them up a bit. We do 70-80 mile road trips on days out.

OK a road bike will be faster but not much fun if we take in a few tracks, bridleways or single track along the way.

Surely you can get just as fit riding a hardtail on the road as a road bike, and there’s always the oportunity for some off road high-jinks somewhere along the way, even if its just jumping off banks along the roadside.

Just mythoughts.

TurnerGuy – Member
the bridleway next to it is harder and more fun.

a) depends how fast you’re riding
b) subjective

and….the same spot 2 days ago :

TurnerGuy – Member
the bridleway next to it is harder and more fun.
a) depends how fast you’re riding
b) subjective

you would have to be going pretty fast to make those new speed bumps fun…

Realman = that looks nice but reminds me of the zig-zag up boxhill – loads of people riding up there but the bridleway next to it is harder and more fun.

Road riding is a tough one to explain.

On my mtb I tend to enjoy the descents far more then the climbs – I do really like a slow, techy climb, but don’t take massive pleasure out of a fire road slog or anything.

On the road bike it’s all about the climbing – I’ve been trying to become a better descender, but really the descents are just there to get you to the next climb – sort of the opposite of mountain biking.

Road riding is easier to understand once you’ve discovered it yourself. But basically, it’s an entirely different sport. You often get asked which one you prefer (mtb or road) – it’s an impossible to answer question. Comparing apples and oranges. I do them because I enjoy them both, but I enjoy them for very different reasons.

Road is pure, it’s clean, it’s ridiculously hard. It’s about you, your legs, your mind, your tactics. Your motivation, your ability to HTFU. It’s damn near silent, just the hot whisper of tyres on tarmac, the occasional click of a gear being chosen, the whirr of the chain. It’s direct, the acceleration, the speed, the effort – it’s all you, and it’s all going to the ground. A road bike to a mountain bike is a surgeons scalpel to a chainsaw. They both have their place. I don’t have to compromise, because I love them both. Road is vicious. It’s competitive. It’s amazing.

It’s not for everyone.

^ taken from Rapha aut/winter catalogue 2012 ;O)

it’s ridiculously hard. It’s about you, your legs, your mind, your tactics. Your motivation, your ability to HTFU. … It’s direct, the acceleration, the speed, the effort – it’s all you, and it’s all going to the ground.

if you choose to ride your mtb xc you can easily do this – I really don’t see the difference except that riding xc at speed is probably harder.

edit – except a road bike appears to encourage you to climb out of the saddle more often.

RealMan +1
apart from the fact that mountain biking IS better.

TurnerGuy, XC racers do a lot of training on the road, on road bikes. What does that tell you?

Amen RealMan.

What StGeorge said.
I don’t hate roadies, I just don’t care.
Though I’m not adverse to adventures that are road based.

^ taken from Rapha aut/winter catalogue 2012 ;O)

You heard it here first.. 🙂

if you choose to ride your mtb xc you can easily do this – I really don’t see the difference except that riding xc at speed is probably harder.

Kinda like saying you can recreate badminton on a tennis court.

XC racing is very much a TT, the tactics don’t really come into it. Also a lot less people do it, and there’s less you can actually do (there’s a lot more roads then there are trails). And it’s just not the same. An XC bike to me is a road bike that’s had a load of compromises made to it in order to allow it to go off road (or a DH bike that’s had a load of compromises made to it in order to allow it to go up hills, whatever).

Riding XC at speed is harder? And dodging a punch from Muhammad Ali is harder then beating Deeper Blue. When you stop comparing them, it’s easier to understand.

RealMan +1
apart from the fact that mountain biking IS better.

TBH my opinion of which one I prefer more changes depending on the weather, what I rode last, which bike is cleanest/working the best, whether I just watched a load of whistler runs on youtube, or just watched a fantastic grand tour stage, if I’ve got a race coming up, what my mates are doing, etc. etc.

And sometimes I just ride my BMX instead.

I doubt there is a top-level MTB XC racer who does not train on a road bike.

TurnerGuy, XC racers do a lot of training on the road, on road bikes. What does that tell you?

they need a break from the rougher terrain???

they want some variety in muscle usage (road bike encourages out of saddle more).

it’s easier to train at a constant power output as roads are longer/more consistent in slope.

An XC bike to me is a road bike that’s had a load of compromises made to it in order to allow it to go off road

where are the compromises on something like, to take a classic example, a kona explosif?

Riding XC at speed is harder?

riding xc at a high power output is hard because you are constantly fighting the terrain as well, not some smooth road.

where are the compromises on something like, to take a classic example, a kona explosif?

Uhhh, well heavier frame, fork, wheels, tyres (slower tyres too), less steep geometry (I would guess), more upright position, no drop bars, smaller gearing, probably heavier brakes, less aero (bike and rider), more flexy, and I’m bored now, but there’s probably loads more.

riding xc at a high power output is hard because you are constantly fighting the terrain as well, not some smooth road.

And Ali has a fantastic right, but deeper blue can calculate like 500,000 different possibilities for each move.

My point is, why are you comparing road to XC? Why not compare it to DH? Or BMX? Ultimate frisbee? Skydiving? Football?

Loook RM Is right now lets have some more pretty pictures please

FWIW –
Solo I ride road
Group I ride MTB

They are my rules

why are you comparing road to XC?

because riding DH and BMX are not very similar to riding a road bike.

Uhhh, well heavier frame, fork, wheels, tyres (slower tyres too), less steep geometry (I would guess), more upright position, no drop bars, smaller gearing, probably heavier brakes, less aero (bike and rider), more flexy, and I’m bored now, but there’s probably loads more.

not sure about more flexy.

they don’t read like compromises, more like necessities. Change a road bike so it can go off road, you will end up with similar weights.