Chicks Who Ride Bikes

[north woods gal]

Thanks :-)

Yes, I think that road riding will have to be a slowly does it sort of thing. I recon I'll stick with MTB, but my brother in law swears by road riding to build up fitness!

A mountain bike will do you fine for road work, especially when setup with the right tires. I used MTBs for years for commuting in the city, even in the winter and as all around utility bikes in the city and suburbs. Road bikes, of course, are the ticket for long distance work and adding up the miles. What I'm saying is that you don't have to rush right out and buy a road bike to ride roads. Time for that, later.

Your brother in law is right. Trail riding and road riding build you up in different ways, though. Trail riding is a strength builder. You need those sudden bursts of strength to negotiate sharp climbs and going over objects. Road riding is an endurance builder. I do a mix of both and I think it helps for overall fitness. Not that I do either one for the sake of fitness, by itself, of course. I's still be out there riding for the sake of riding.