So I was the turtle.

[indigoiis]

I rode the mountain bike (with road tires) last night for the lbs Friday night ride. My DH took his beautiful road bike that he hasn't ridden in 15 years and needless to say, he was gone within a minute, up with the big boys.

Me, I'm the turtle.

But I have to say, I loved riding with a group - there was a lot of comraderie. I just hated feeling slow. I definitely must get a road bike.

Indy

[bikerchick68]

hey, you were OUT there! good for you :) your mountain bike will definitely be heavier than a road bike, but putting slicks on it was smart. AND if you keep riding it, when you DO get a road bike you'll be all the faster for pushing the extra weight of the mtn bike during training. :D

I had a friend who rode with us on a mtn bike with slicks... when she bought a road bike, we couldn't keep up with her anymore :eek: :o :D

[Zen]

I started out just like you, mountain bike with road tires. I wish I had my knobbies back cause now that mountain bike only goes on the canal. But I did do a fifty mile charity ride on it!

I still don't care about being fast, I just care about being there.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I'm always the turtle anyway, even on my steel road bike. But I can probably ride longer distance than *some* of those rabbits. :o ;)

[yellow]

There will always be somebody faster and there will always be somebody slower. Sometimes you'll be the fastest rider in a group and then the next time you'll be DFL. Everybody's different: what works for me may not work for someone else and vice versa.

I agree with BikerChick: at least you're out there riding! :D My motto is ride what you want as fast as you want when you want...in other words, do what works for you and don't worry about what/how everybody else is riding! As long as you are enjoying it and getting benefit, then it's GOOD! Keep it up!

[mimitabby]

oh, i'm used to being the turtle too. When we rode up hurricane ridge I was overjoyed when the lady who rode with us "only" had to wait 45 minutes for us to get there. (DH was staying back with me)

keep climbing, you'll get better.

[sundial]

My first "road" bike was a mountain bike with slicks. Riding it really got me into shape and when I did get my first true road bike, I felt pretty zippy.

[LoriO]

One of the guys I worked with had suggested doing thatswapping out the tires on my bike to road bike tires. Did you notice much of an improvement with speed? I was thinking of giving it a try since I can't afford to buy a road bike right now.

[indigoiis]

I am pretty speedy even on this bike, just not as speedy as the folks riding lighter bikes.

I think the issue is WEIGHT. My bike weighs about 45 lbs. I fly down hills but I am slower uphill. On straightaways it's ... eh... okay. By mile 20 I am pretty tired.

I have road bike envy.

[sundial]

One of the guys I worked with had suggested doing thatswapping out the tires on my bike to road bike tires. Did you notice much of an improvement with speed? I was thinking of giving it a try since I can't afford to buy a road bike right now.

The slicks seemed to provide less surface contact with the road (no nubbies) which seemed to make it easier to accelerate and provides a smoother ride. :)

[DDH]

I road the mountain bike first too. Only I went to a hybrid, because of the road I live on, I need something that will make it down the dirt road with big rocks and such without getting a flat as soon as I start. LOL
I have loved my mountain bike with slicks. I sold it to my stepmother to get her into a better bike than that px special she had without spending a lot of money and now sometimes I wish I had it back. LOL

[smilingcat]

The knobby tire has much higher rolling resistance. Mtn bike also weighs a lot more. And if you have suspension without the lock out, you burn more energy going up and down on your shock.

The bright side is when you get a road bike you'll be going a lot faster.

Also being a turtle is far better than being called a jack rabbit. Jack rabbit comment is tad derogatory. It means you are tad slow in the head and don't know how to pace.

Smilingcat

[Torrilin]

I am pretty speedy even on this bike, just not as speedy as the folks riding lighter bikes.

I think the issue is WEIGHT. My bike weighs about 45 lbs. I fly down hills but I am slower uphill. On straightaways it's ... eh... okay. By mile 20 I am pretty tired.

I have road bike envy.

That's pretty heavy even for a mountain bike. Mine is around 35 lbs, loaded with full commuter/utility goodies. A lighter bike would help.

[indigoiis]

It might not be 45 lbs. I'm guessing.
Maybe it is closer to 35... it's a rigid frame steel bike with nothing light on it. ;)

Update: today I did a little better - Mr. Wonderful installed toe clip/cages for me. What a difference.

[Geonz]

It's prob'ly 35 (I've got both). When I rode my steel bike in a paceline (before I put the Xtra on it and got my aluminum bike) it was a real pain because it was like being on a truck with a bunch of sports cars. Acceleration... whew!!!!
I've got a 45 pound bike too... getting *that* thing to 15 mph is a challenge and holding it is more like weightlifting than riding a bicycle - and it's a well-built Dutch commuting bike, so I'm really only fighting the weight. It's nice, though, when the wind's at 25 mph and it's raining - it'll plug along at 12 through the worst of it.
Save up for that road bike :-) Pick up those pennies from the intersections...

[jonesy124]

I started a couple of months ago on a MTB and saw a gradual improvement in my time. ON my 20 mile a day ride I started to average 17mph on the flat parts. Then I was lent a road bike by my LBS and I was amazed at how fast I flew. I had to give it back earlier this week and convert back to my old MTB - the difference is shocking! I now struggle to reach 17mph on my MTB because it is so heavy compared to what I have been used to recently (hills are where I notice the biggest difference).

I am buying a road bike this weekend but I have officially decided that I will do at least one ride a week on the MTB because it does wonders for fitness (kind of like running with weights in your socks!)

Anyone who cycles a MTB is going to have to push twice as hard as anyone on a road bike. Dont let it get you down when a roadie whooshes past, just tell yourself that when you can afford a road bike you will probably be much faster than them!

Get a road bike on finance - its sooooo worth it. Im practically wetting myself about collecting my new Bianchi tomorrow :D

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I started a couple of months ago on a MTB and saw a gradual improvement in my time. ON my 20 mile a day ride I started to average 17mph on the flat parts.

Hey NO FAIR! Counting only "the flat parts" is no average at all! Your average is counting the whole ride, both hills and flats. Like, if I counted only my downhills I would be averaging 30mph instead of the 10mph I actually average including all the uphills and flats too! ;)