The most useful thing you can learn on a turbo is how to endure severe mental torture.

And that can come in very handy on the bike at times! Best thing about turbo though is that it gives you probably the ultimate control over training parameters. If speed/power is your goal then it’s much more time efficient than road riding. As long as I keep the intervals fairly varied and use trainerroad I don’t even find it that dull (though a 90 minute session with 3×20 was a bit of a mental slog the other night.)

Edit…

A few CAT 1 mates have been training on the road on their hardtails with super tacky maxxis downhill tyres fitted. Sounds daft, but there’s a bit of science behind it – training on a heavier bike with draggy tyres will mean they’ll be much fitter and faster when they jump back on their road bikes.

Amused again.

Yeah it’s different. Simply buying one isn’t enough (necessarily), you have to know how to use it.

Does anyone not realise that? It’s so obviously true that the difference you’re claiming is purely semantics.

And if you know how to use it you could do the same on an MTB if you have the right trails.

I don’t know any trails that would allow me to stay in zone two for 4 hours.

Does anyone not realise that?

Well I dunno, it seemed that some people didn’t.

I don’t know any trails that would allow me to stay in zone two for 4 hours

I could probably put something together. However it would be dull. And anyway, you can ride MTBs on road you know. Even link up roads and fire-roads…

Does there have to be a goal when getting one. Just I thought you pick a route a cake stop and back or go exploring like you can on a Mtb. As I say I’m blessed with quiet country lanes but also some belting Mtb trails within 10 mins riding time. 30 mins in the car I can be at Gisburn for the Mtb or the quiet roads around the bowland area and an hour away is the Lakes.
I’d also like to do some road races eventually.

With insight like that wonders if davidtaylforth is twitter’s UK Cycling Expert…?

Well I dunno, it seemed that some people didn’t.

I can’t say I noticed that.

I could probably put something together. However it would be dull. And anyway, you can ride MTBs on road you know. Even link up roads and fire-roads…

You could go to a great deal of effort to try and find something and probably not be successful, or you could just head out of your door on the road bike…

Does there have to be a goal when getting one.

Of course not! Just go out and enjoy the countryside.

Just I thought you pick a route a cake stop and back or go exploring like you can on a Mtb.

Absolutely. But don’t necessarily expect to get magically fitter, that’s all I’m saying. It’s still great fun, and I personally would not want to be without a road bike.

I personally would not want to be without a road bike.

but you can do it all on an mtb?

Well the feeling of wanting to do it is there. Just gotta get some spare money for one.

but you can do it all on an mtb?

If I was forced to have only one bike, it would be an MTB for exactly that reason.

If I was forced to have only two, one would be a road bike 🙂

Are road cycling benefits now available from the department of social security?

For me, the main benefit is being able to draw great big orange loops on Strava maps; to be able to cover 50, 60, 70 miles with nothing more than a couple of bottles of water.

This is what fascinated me about bikes when I was first allowed to ride to my friend’s house a mile from my house as a child and continues to fascinate me to this day.

The challenge of riding off road still fascinates me, but the sheer thrill of covering huge distances at speed is what keeps me coming back to road biking.

Oh, and it makes me fitter too… 😉

davidtaylforth – Member
MTB and roadies are like hot sisters. Both have something to offer, and can work in combination.
Are you from Millom?

Proper, as in, people are looking at me lol 😆

Yeah it’s different. Simply buying one isn’t enough (necessarily), you have to know how to use it. And if you know how to use it you could do the same on an MTB if you have the right trails.

Unfortunately such trails don’t actually exist.

Of course you can do road training on a MTB – if you fit slick tyres one isn’t all that slow (IIRC Wilko took at least one national record on a MTB). In general a road bike is more enjoyable if you’re riding on the road though, which makes you more inclined to actually get out and ride, therefore improving the training benefits for all but the most super self-motivated.

The whole changing wheels or tyres is a whole lot of faff compared to open the door, clip in, shut door and pedal off.

Which is the justification for having multiple different bikes you can just pick up and clip in. Personally I tend to shut the door before I clip in, but each to their own.

I’ve been riding MTB exclusively since the early 90’s and I consider myself a dyed in the wool MTB rider however what started as a road commute has turned into a really enjoyable roadie habit. It’s nice to get on the racer and go and do a few hours around Surrey. It has certainly improved my fitness but that’s just because I’m riding loads more as it’s less faff for me and I don’t need the car to get anywhere. Couple of hours in the saddle everyday does wonders.

I posted a wanted ad on here and bought an old Allez for a couple of hundred quid, set of new wheels and it’s proving to be a comfortable, reliable bike.