mtb'ers and roadies?

[sundial]

How many of you mtb'ers ride road bikes? If so, how often?

[bounceswoosh]

I just got a road bike after several years of mountain biking. And just did my first "real" road ride (30 miles; I plan to post about it a little later). I don't expect to enjoy road as much as mtb, but DH just got a road bike, I have friends who ride road, and I hear a lot of people saying it really helps in mtb climbing. And I figure when it's been raining, I can ride a bike with a clear conscience, rather than dithering about whether the trails will be dry enough to ride them without causing damage.

[MALcontent]

I've been spending more and more time on my road bike. There's lots of great riding right from my house, so I don't have to throw the bike on the car as much as my MTB. Also, I enjoy riding alone a lot more on my road bike than on my MTB. It's also a great way to develop your overall fitness. I've generally been pleased at how time on the road bike transmits to fitness on the MTB.

[bike4ever]

Interesting question. I was always a roadie until last summer. I turned to the dark side and haven't looked back since. Unfortunately, the midwest has been drenched this spring, so I've had to do a few more road rides. I was able to get out today for a terrific mountain ride. I can't wait until more trails dry for a better selection.

[singletrackmind]

Been mountain biking since '91, got a 'real' road bike in '98. Hung up the road and mtn bike last year when I got a mtn tandem that we mostly do road rides on though we do get occasional dirt in, too. We did the Midwest Mtn Bike Festival weekend before last. Fun fun fun!
Like bike4ever says, around here it's as wet as they let that wet pet get.

[divingbiker]

I wouldn't call myself either an MTB'er or a roadie, but I ride both. Road more than MTB, mostly because I can do a road ride by myself but don't feel comfortable in the woods alone after my crash last year.

I just like all kinds of riding--MTB, road, commuting, errands...

[sundial]

Interesting question. I was always a roadie until last summer. I turned to the dark side and haven't looked back since.

It was last summer when I decided to get my mtb to have something to ride every now and then in the winter. Turns out I'd rather be on the mtb than the road bike and I ride in the parks where there's no traffic, it's scenic and peaceful. I did finally put in a road ride the other day and although it was a great aerobic workout, it seemed kinda boring compared to the trail.

[atombessy]

I ride both on a regular basis, my ideal week is a few days on the commuter bike, one good road ride (20-35 miles) and one good mt ride. I just like to bike generally, and each type provides it's own challenges. The nice thing about the road bike is I can start a ride right from the house (I live in the city, about 3 miles from the start of paved MUT trails), it challenges me to keep a good cadence (which is hard for me, I get distracted easily and I have to work pretty hard to keep a steady pace), and when I feel like zoning out a bit it's a better choice than the mountain bike. But mountain biking gets me out in the woods, challenges me to pay attention to the trail, can get me away from the crowds, and makes me say 'weeee.'

what can I say, I love both!!

[Kristi]

I ride my mountain bike 2-3 days a week. I ride Tuesdays and sometimes Thursdays after work, and every Saturday morning.

I also ride my road bike a couple days a week (wish I rode more). I ride it every Sunday morning. And I try to get in a week day ride after work one day.

It's already in the 100's here, so my time on the road is going to get shorter. It's time to head into the mountains.

[NbyNW]

Mtb was my only bike for many years (since 1998), so it was my everything bike. In recent years it's had slicks on it for doing errands around the neighborhood since I've been too busy to take it out of the city.

I had a really bad back injury about two years ago and wanted to start cycling again to get some cardio into my workout, and the slicks were not terribly gratifying for this purpose. I also worried that getting out on rough terrain might lead to re-injury, so decided to look for a road bike. It took a while to find one small enough for me, but it's been the right move, and I'm planning to put knobby tires back on the mtb so it can go back to doing what it does best, once I'm healed and strong enough.