Jan 29, 2010
Whats The Difference Between A Road Bike And A Mountain Bike?
what parts are in the road bike that are not found in a mountain bike? and vice versa? can the road bike that the abuse of the of the offroad trails? and is the mountain bike good in the smooth asphalt or road?
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You are trying to use each bike for its unintended purpose….road bikes are just that they NEVER leave pavement and the differences…..how about NIGHT and DAY! All bikes that have gears have similar parts and are arranged similarly, brakes and shifters are on the handle bar and the only real differences are in the gearing No. of teeth in the crank and cassette on each type and tire/wheel size and geometry of the frames. Other than this they all work very similarly. A road bike taken off road will last about 1 minute before the wheels start to give up….at least on the trails that I routinely take my Mountain bike on!
There are a lot of differences. One of the main ones are how strong they are, also geometry, and other stuff.
A road bike doesn’t have suspension, have larger diameter wheels, but narrow and slick that are good for going fast on asphalt or road, and while they could be used off road, the trails shouldn’t be rough and you won’t have any good handling there. If you take it to rougher trails you are likely to put a lot of stress on the components. I would even say that you should refrain for doing any trail riding on a road bike.
A mountain bike has suspension, either only on front or on both wheels, the tires are a lot wider and knobby to have better traction on off road. You could ride a mouintain bike on asphalted or paved roads, but it won’t be as fast as a road bike, and some tires will likely wear out very fast on pavement.
They can both be used in either terrain, but the results are not the best. There is a branch of cycling called Cyclocross, which is basically racing road bikes on a dirt/mud/grass track. They fit road bikes with knobbly tires to get better grip. These races are hardcore.
Mountain bikes can easily handle paved roads, but they will go slower than a road bike. The frame design is made to give the rider a more stable riding position and more clearance when going out of the saddle. The larger tires help in creating a smoother ride, more grip, and protecting the rim. But they’re no good when you have to fight the wind or go fast.
These are just a few differences.
The bottom line is that each bike is specific for the job. Road bikes are for speed and distance. Mountain bikes are for going off road and handling obstacles.
road bikes and mountain bikes are different when it comes to speed and types of terrain you want to ride on. The wheels are alot wider and heavier on a moutain bike and rigged for gripping while road bike tires are very narrow and smooth. Also, there are more gears on a mountain bike b/c they are meant to climb whereas road bikes are meant strictly for the road. Yes roads to climb up and so its harder to climb with a road bike b/c less gears but you can still do it. I personally like the mountain bike b/c i like to do off road trails too. I like to be able to ride on the road (i love that too) and i also like to be able to just go through the forest and i particularily love climbing!! So its rather a personal choice. Road bikes are cool too bc you can go really fast on a road. They are very light.
If i was rich i would have a really expensive road bike and a really expensive mountain bike (i have one). Both would be perfect!! As far as the cross bikes, i heard they arent that great.
Good luck to you and buy something you will get alot of use out of.
Both types of bikes have the same basic parts, frame, wheels, handlebars, brakes, gear shifters, but these parts look different because they are used for different types of riding. The only thing that mountain bikes have that road bikes don’t is suspension. It si pretty obvious that the very thin tires on racing road bikes are totally useless off road, but some road bikes that use wider road tires, like cyclocross, touring, and hybrid bikes are surprisingly capable off road. Some mountain bikes are fairly good on the road, particularly if fitted with smooth, narrower tires, but the ones with extra long travel suspensions are a chore to ride on smooth surfaces. When you buy a bike, you should buy it for the type of riding you plan to do the most, no one bike does everything well. If you buy one type of bike and don’t use it for what it was designed for, you won’t enjoy it as much as if you had bought the right bike for your needs.
Roadie: skinny tires and rims, thin, stiff, lightweight frames, drop-bars, aerobars, rigid fork, rim brakes.
MTB: thick tires and rims, treaded, usually stiff but heavier, stronger frames, straight bars, rigid or suspension fork, fully suspended for Downhilling, usually disc brakes, sometimes V-brakes.
The Verdict: MTB rules.
a road bike has thin tires, and can go a lot faster. A mountain bike has wide wheels and lots of tread for grip.
I guess a mountain bike would be more sturdy, and more easier for you to go across rough terrain
i see no difference
this is way too open of a question!