After breaking a couple of vertebrae earlier in the year, I've recently started using my full suspension bike on the road. I'm using it mainly because it gives my back the least vibration and grief.
I've been doing some 50-60 mile rides and loving it, although I'm giving mountain biking a wide berth, for now at least.
I'm considering buying a steel framed, relaxed geometry road bike - but why?
As I see it, the only benefit is that I'd go faster and further. There's some satisfaction in riding a bike away from its natural environment. So I'm going to stick with it for now and avoid the temptations of those sleek, road machines.
So if you see a bloke on the road, on a full suspension bike, with big, fat Minions, baggies and a Camelbak, don't feel sorry, I'm having a great time!
not with me on board they are not..... 😆
You've answered your own question Trek. Faster and further is betterer so that would be a reason to go for it. I'd hazard a guess that, once you've bought the road bike, you'll NEVER ride the FS on the road as it will feel horrible.
Hope the back continues to mend.
(I'm a 10 year MTBer turned roadie about 18 months ago)
PS it's a waste of minion rubber too!
cheap road/cx wheels (with the right rear spacing for your MTB) and some commutey-type slicks would make your rides quiteter and faster (and probably cheaper as your minions will wear quite fast)
At least where I live, the nearest decent cafes (once you get out of the village itself) are a good hour away by road bike. If I was on a slow old FS, I would quite probably have died of [s]lemon drizzle cake deficiency[/s] exhaustion before I ever reached them.
So road bike == life saver!
Just commuted home on my fatbike on with knobblies yuk ....won't do that again unless it's snowing ... without slicks a mtb on the roads a bit masochistic IMHO..
I ride a lurcher with big apples normally on road as I like the grip in the winter...an just don't like road bikes.
I'll only ride my FS on the road if going to a nice bit of SingleTrack even with everything locked out its orrible
Only about 1mph slower on 4inch nobblies strangely enuff 🙂
I get back pain on the road bike so I got decent hybrid lot comfier also go a lot faster to.
Throw on some big apples or hookworms. Quieter and give more grip, but hopefully they won't be too efficient.
I have some Maxxis Zenith 1.5 tyres, that you can have. If you are happy to pay postage, I can send after the weekend. PM me if needed.
dudeofdoom - Member
Only about 1mph slower on 4inch nobblies strangely enuff
Over how far?
My road bike has higher gears, I can pedal faster and it moves much easier. Somebody suggested riding the mountain bike over winter (not really that bad here in Tassie) as it was easier to control than the road bike. I thought it was a joke...
I'm commuting on the MTB until I get some communication from the insurance company of the bloke who knocked me off, (barstewards). Was gradually overhauled today by bloke who I'm roughly the same speed as on my DayOne, and I reckon it puts about 5 mins on a 12.5 mile commute.
It's not just about faster/further/more. It's about how the machine reciprocates your inputs. For a lot of people riding an MTB on the road is a fairly uninspiring process, it's drudgery really. Okay on shorter journeys, but the further you go, the more it's flaws start to become apparent.
A road bike gives you back what you put in, in terms of speed. It'll always have some performance in the tank if you do. On a very gentle downhill gradient on the road I can spin my mtb out with ease. Probably struggling to top 20mph. On the same stretch of road on the commuter, if I want to, I could get near 30mph and still have gears to go.
You don't need to go full-on roadie, but simply a bike intended for the road will be so much nicer to ride.
@mikewsmith - I reckon it's only 6 miles and tbh reckon I was comparing a bad day when I double checked.
Mtb always gonna be slower but I think there was originally a lot more choice in tyres so you can have that extra grip that's great for commuting - leaves and ice seem aren't fun on very narrow tyres.
commuting in summer is a pleasure winters a total drudgery.. Snows fun 🙂
UK weather near me is pretty mild tbh
Get an endurance/comfort bike like a Roubaix and your back will thank you. You'll wonder why you bothered with the FS.