Deciding between road riding and mountain biking

[Adventure Girl]

Ok... Friday is finally here! Time to make weekend plans (if you haven't already made them). Spring weather is here (Sorry, to all of you still having winter!!). So how do you decide about your riding. For those of you who both mountain bike and road bike, what's the deciding factor in choosing your skinny tire or fat tire bike?

I mountain bike about 90% of the time. I just love it. Once in a while I really enjoy road riding, but most of the time for me it's more of a chore. I usually don't ride my road bike unless I'm training for something. I know there are some of you who love road riding as much as I love mountain biking. I see road riding as mostly work. I see mountain biking as work and fun.

So this weekend I'll ride my road bike on Saturday (I have to get at least a few rides in before the Cinderella). Then Sunday will be my "play" day mountain biking.

[annie]

Road riding for me! If I had to choose only one bike, I'd pick the road bike. That's not to say I don't like to mountain bike. I do, but the road is my first love. The speed you can attain......... it's just awesome! If I went fast like that on a mountain bike, off-road, I wouldn't be around to talk about it.

For me, the mountain bike is more work. I'm just not as good on it, nor as skilled, as I would need to be to really be able to totally enjoy it. I have to work hard just to stay upright sometimes. Not that that's a bad thing....... challenge and learning new skills is fun in it's own way, and getting out on the trails and away from cars is also great...... still, my road bike is my first choice.

Just give me a bike and let me ride. I'll be happy..........

[melissam]

Hey Adventure Girl --

I didn't know you were riding the Cinderella. I'll keep my eyes open for you and your ride -- 2003 47cm Trek 5200 WSD (AKA my bike's older sister).

As far as choosing between mountain and road goes, it's been easy for me so far: road. Because:
- my friend has my mountain biking shoes at his house (long story, and probably not nearly as scandalous as it sounds)
- I just got my new road bike
- I have training rides (road) scheduled for the weekends
- Until recently the trails have been a little too wet for mountain biking

Have fun this weekend, and hopefully I'll see you at the Cinderella.

-- Melissa

[Crash]

I have to agree with annie...road bike. I just have not aquired the skills to squeeze between the trees on the trails and huff and puff up the hills. I will admit when we are camping and I hit the trails in the early morning that it beats that cup of java.
One early morning I was cruising on a trail and a young deer was just off the side of the trail. I stopped and slowly came up to within 6 ft. of the deer and just talked to it. After we moved on another cyclist surprised me from behind and we started talking. He had thought I was cycling with my dog. He mentioned just how wonderful communication and beauty of nature is on the trails. That is when MTB wins out. Otherwise it is speed and distance on the roads.
Crash

[pedalfaster]

I spend most of my time on the road these days. Why? Because I'm Laaazy. So much easier to just hop on the bike and ride. MTBing in my current location requires a drive to the trailhead. I hate to drive.

[Irulan]

I dont' have a road bike so it's no brainer for me. Trails are either a 20 minute drive, road ride or right out my back door.



Irulan

[han-grrl]

I do most of my training on the road. it is easier to do consistent intervals on the road than on trail. so i spend about 50% on trail and the other on road. i prefer trail though

[AnnieB]

I adore the road - but the guy I adore, loves the trails - SOOO over the past few years, I have 'transformed' him into a roadie (can you say Merlin!!! ) - and he has very patiently instructed me in mtn techniques ('Don't brake! Don't brake! Just let the bike roll over the logs(rocks/etc.)')

I must admit I am terrified 95% of the time

I guess life is one big compromise, especially when the local trails are rocky singletrack...

[Draekyn]

I have to agree with Adventure girl, road riding seems like so much more work to me. Plus I just don't feel as comfortable riding on the roads, given that the people around here drive like maniacs. I enjoy mountain biking much more.

[annie]

I find it very interesting to read this thread! Everyone seems to know definitively which type of riding they prefer. What I'm wondering now is: Do most of us prefer the type of riding we started with, which would make sense, since that's what we've done the longest and are more comfortable with? I started with a road bike many years ago and just within the last few years finally got a mountain bike and ventured off road. If I had STARTED on a mountain bike and the road bike was a recent venture, I wonder if I'd choose the MTB as my first choice or if I'd still find road riding to be more for me. No way of knowing now, but it's something to ponder on a wet, rainy day when I am inside and not riding at all.

[AnnieB]

from one annie to another -

good question...I started on the road - at 29 years of age. I then started MTBiking at 34...

I always thought that I was a big chicken on the MTB since I was too old to have that fearlessness of the teenager or younger twenty-something -

I prefer your line of thought - and will use it from now on if you don't mind!

[Veronica]

I started off mountain biking about 15 years ago. Didn't much care for it and put slicks on my bike for a few years. Bought a house and stopped riding. Got back into it about two years ago. Primarily a road rider, but I have a lot more confidence in myself off road than I did years ago and so now actuallly enjoy that as well.

Veronica

[pedalfaster]

I started of riding and racing mountain bikes and only had a mountain bike for ~4 years. When I got my first road bike I was living in a large urban area with crazy drivers and I *hated* road riding. I would only drag out the road bike for group rides. I used my mtb for commuting as well and would spend long days linking all of the local (within riding distance) mtb trails.

A few years ago I moved to a small (30K) town in the midwest. We have miles and miles and miles of narrow, twisty, lightly travelled country roads. I can ride 10 minutes out of town and do a 60-miler and see maybe 5 cars. It's nirvana!

Sadly, the trade-off is that mtb trails are at least a 20-30 minute car-ride away

Like I stated before; I guess I'm lazy. I prefer whichever is easiest

[grannydea]

Well I started out on a mtb and am now a roadie. I have to say that I am better on the road than on the dirt. Its stupid I know but I can decend at 45+ on the pavment but have trouble going even 10 down hill on good dirt roads. But I do live in a remote part of northern Nevada and some days I can so a 30+ mile road ride and only see a couple of cars. Granted they are usually going over 70 but the are far and few between. Have to say a roadie at heart.
Dea