Road biking vs. Mountain biking

[altagirl]

It's funny - I'm on the women's lounge of mountain bike review a lot, and one of the perennial subjects that the guys who jump in there ask is why "all the women are road biking instead of mountain biking". And it's a stupid question on a mountain biking forum because all of us just say - uh - how the heck would I know?

But it does make me wonder. I know a number of the women in my spin classes road bike, but I don't know them outside of class. But I'm friends with dozens of women who mountain bike. I can honestly say I don't really feel like I "know" any female roadies well enough to know their motivations. But I found it interesting that in the other biking thread, all the women who responded other than me ride the road, so maybe you all are a good sampling to pose the quesiton to?

So why do you prefer one or the other? Even if you've never tried one or the other, what makes one appeal to you more than the other - even if it's just your perception from what you know about it?

 

[Kimmyt]

I think it also depends on where a person lives. For example, I know a lot of women on this forum are from the Northeast, and I think the ratio of road to mountain bikers in general is skewed towards road. Maybe because its more accessible, maybe because humidity and high foliage content of mountain biking areas in the summer. I certainly don't think mountain biking is as mainstream out here as it is out West, where everyone (male or female) seems to ride in the dirt.

 

[lil mountain girl]

personally, i mtn bike . . .

the biggest factor is the nature vs. exhaust aspect of things.
i used to ride my bike to work on the highway -- 20 k of semis and fumes -- not my idea of fun

there are a lot of facets to mtn. biking like xcountry, downhill, trials, etc. -- it's a choose your own adventure (and comfort zone) -- contrary to popular (and surprisingly common) belief, you don't have to huck big stuff to have fun!

also, i find mtn biking more mentally stimulating. i like the technical aspect of it. for example i hate running -- i get bored easy -- but i like trail running because you have to be on top of your terrain.

it's kind of like tree skiing . . . you get a flow and then . . . :D

plus clipless pedals (and other foot fixation devices) scare me! :o

 

[altagirl]

plus clipless pedals (and other foot fixation devices) scare me! :o

Ooohh... I totally agree with you on everything else, but you should really try clipless pedals! They're honestly super easy to get out of (even in weird wrecks, I've never wound up stuck in the pedals). And the benefits are really incredible - you can really get a full round pedal stroke, bunnyhop easier, have more control, and your feet are not only aligned right, but you have the float for them to move around a bit where they don't if you're on flat pedals.

Okay, sorry - that was probably a little over-enthusiastic. But I think if you tried them you'd really love it. Try on something easy - practice getting in and out while totally stationary and leaning up against a fence or something you can hold on to. Then ride around a grass field getting in and out. If you practice enough it's super easy to get used to and becomes second nature. Don't be afraid to try them.

 

[abc]

OK, I'll bite.

I do both and know a lot of women who only rode on the road and NEVER on the trail.

First, it's a perception thing!

- Trail rides are dirty, sometimes muddy. Kind of have a "rough" image. Many of the "ladies" had great muscles and can climb a wall. But they don't want to get dirty.

- Crashes. It's inevitable that we'll get some minor bruises and scratches. So when I show up for road rides with fresh cuts on my shine, it's not a very good advertisement for other women to "try" mountain biking. You can't wear skirt to the office showing all those scars! ;)

Second, equally importantly, many women road riders don't have good enough bike control skills to survive a cruise on the easiest single track to enjoy it. Sad, but true.

Too many women roadies are afraid of a bit of sand or wet spots on the road. Significant percentage of women roadies can't ride hands-off. An average male roadie can take off his jacket and put it in the pocket without stopping. How many women roadies can do that?

Now, there're tons of guys who're lousy in bike handling skill also. But there're a lot more guys who're good bike handlers than women. Boys show off their bike hot-dogging skills when they're little. Girls don't. So many women riders don't have the skills with them while growing up. And there's a lot of resistance to learn them as adults.

So, if a women is afraid of rough surface on the road, she's not going to even think about riding off-road! Coupled with the first problem of a "rough" image, it's no surprise not too many women roadies bother with off-roading. BTW, I've met many guys who refuse to ride off-road also, usually for at least the first reason above. So, it's not entirely a women problem.

At least that's my perception hanging out with the roadies. Other ladies can chime in to correct me.

 

[Kimmyt]

Well, coming from a 'roadie' perspective, there is a good reason many roadbikers may find the mental transition to riding on rough trails and over rocks difficult to make. On our bikes, a small patch of gravel can be a deadly thing. It may not seem like much to someone who has thickly treaded tires, but if I'm cornering on a downhill at close to 40 mph, if my slicks hit a bit of gravel or sand, I'm wiping out. And I'm wiping out hard, possibly not surviving the wipeout.

I went out mountain biking the other weekend and enjoyed myself. The difficult transitional parts I noticed, areas I would have to concentrate on if I were to delve more fully into the sport, would be somewhat similar to some of the things abc mentioned.

Bike handling. I think my road bike handling skills are pretty darn good. I can dodge traffic/potholes/cars parked on the side of the road with people waiting to open their doors on me and other road hazards like a champ. However, the skills in mountain biking are much more different. You are first off, using your arms and upper body much more, which you don't do as much in road biking, hopping over things and also very importantly positioning your body differently on the bike. This was a big aspect that I noticed of mountain biking, the shifting of weight fore and aft of the saddle. Road biking, you do this somewhat, but not quite to the extent of mountain biking. Also, I was very shocked at how badly my cornering skills were. In road biking, you don't take corners quickly, because you're going 20 mph and will wipe out. In mountain biking, you're making sharp turns through trees (or into them, in my case) and it's a hard thing to get used to, that picking your line and riding OVER things instead of AROUND them.

Another thing that abc addressed, the bruises and cuts issue. Perhaps we, as women, do tend to have a more 'worrisome' nature. I know that I am constantly battling against my conscience in doing things in which I know may get me hurt. Mountain biking did scare me for that reason. I do too many activities, and focus too much of my energy on certain goals, to throw it all down the drain by endo'ing on my first mountain bike trip. It is a bit off-putting, the high frequency of injuries in a sport.

That being said, I already brought up my main point about mountain biking versus road riding. And I'm pretty sure that all of you that mountain bike live out west, right? I rode recently (mtb) with a girl who came from Utah and was big into mountain biking. She was frustrated with our trails, the high occurrence of rocks, the frequent mud-bogs you had to maneuver through without getting stuck. I haven't done much of the sport, but the trails we rode on didn't seem like beginner trails, but I was told that this was not a very technical area. I was hopping over rocks, riding bridges, through creeks and across muddy bogs. Well, getting stuck in them anyway.

I guess I'm a bit offended by abc's post, as a road rider, it makes me sound like someone's slightly slow younger brother who never took the training wheels off. But I guess to each their own, huh?



The point is the riding.

K.

 

[altagirl]

I live out west now, but I learned to mountain bike when I lived in the east. The main thing I notice about the difference is that the trails here in Utah all go straight UP. There are almost no trails nearby that are rolling, like I was used to when I learned to ride on the east coast trails. To me, I thought the riding out here was harder than the rolling technical stuff out east.

It's interesting regarding the fear of injury. I don't mind being banged up. Scratches and bruises I can deal with. I've needed stitches a handful of times and it's no big deal. Even my knee surgeries - well that stinks, but you recover. Getting hit by a car? Not acceptable. I've heard of a grand total of one mountain bike death from an accident in the 7 years I've been riding (and that's nationwide) and it was on a big jump, not just a normal wreck. Every year, I hear of at least 5 road biking deaths just locally. I think the national figure is like 750 a year.

I guess what gets me with road riding is the lack of control. I can't control the traffic around me. Plus, a collision with a vehicle is much more likely to end up in death or severe injury rather than the scrapes or even a broken bone that could happen if I wreck on a MTB. Not to mention, dirt is softer than pavement, and I wear armor when racing DH, so even when I wreck hard into pointy rocks - it's rarely a big deal.

I wonder how much of the fear of injury boils down to vanity? On the mountain biking forums, most of the girls are proud of our scars. Heck, the only time I wear skirts is when I have some cool looking scrape or stitches to show off. (I know I'm weird, but I'm not kidding...) And honestly, I guess I get egged on, because the guys I know (including my husband) think it's hot. Not that he likes seeing me get banged up, but he likes that I'm tough enough to get back on my bike and not mind. I was talking to one of my spin instructors who said she'd never ride off road, and it was all about being afraid of getting scraped up and not looking pretty. Instead she goes and rides the canyon road where bikers get killed every year. Doesn't make any sense to me, but I guess that makes sense to her.

And, abc's whole second point about handling skills - that's just a matter of going out and doing it. Handling skills come from practice. There are guys who learn as adults too and they're starting from scratch just like a woman is who is learning as an adult. I never rode a bike off pavement until I was 26, but I'm pretty good at it now. You don't have to be an expert trials rider to have fun. The perception is the problem - lots of women have the perception that they don't have the upper body strength or the handling skills or whatever - all of that comes with practice. And learning is fun!

 

[Gloria]

road vs Mountain

I have always wanted to road bike. Many of my male friends were huge into road biking, but it is really uncommon in our area to find women whom road bike. I never have taken it up yet for two reasons:
1) The males I knew were very serious and highly ranked bikers, far to good to ride with me. Never knew any women or even novice males to start out with.
2) Money. I have always been more inclined to Mountain Biking because the bike itself is more versatille and therefore a better investment. Although we live what some would call "rurally" now we moved from a town that is always named in the top 10 cities for bikers. The town sits down in a valley and is relatively flat, everyone owns a mountain bike and pre-kids your mountain bike was generally worth more than your car and your primary mode of transportation. Because the valley as they do, tend to get nasty inversions during the winter, we have alot of programs aimed at biking instead of driving even non-profits whom provide trailers to haul things like 2 x 4's. Given that a mountain bike is so much easier and practical for these multi-purpose uses I've always tended more to purchase this way instead of going with my desires.

 

[abc]

And I'm pretty sure that all of you that mountain bike live out west, right?

Actually, I live in the northeast.

But there's a point I totally missed. The "mentality" of riding road vs. trail.

On road, especially quiet country roads, you can be totally "zone out" and cruise. The roads are smooth, there's no traffic, and your legs just spin like they're attached to a silent motor. Very "zen" and very relaxing.

That rarely is the case off-road. Smooth is not the point, variation is. Challeng, obsticles, applying different technique to different terrains, constantly moving your body back and forth, left and right, going from up to down in a heartbeat, taking air when you least expect it yet still lands rubber side down, etc. A trail that's smooth and flat isn't very "interesting" for most mountain biker.

So, there're women who likes the smoothness of the road and hate the bone-jarring ride of dirts. But others who find the dirts fun and the road boring. Then there're those who enjoy both for different reasons.

I'm sorry some find my viewpoint offending. It wasn't meant to be.

It's ok some people don't take to mountain biking. I don't have problem with THAT. But there're times I'm a bit annoyed when I need to explain myself to roadie who never TRY mountain biking. They often make it sound like I'm being irresponsible by doing something so dangerous as mountain biking...

Don't you feel that way with people who never TRY skiing because they think it's so "dangerous"? You KNOW how much fun they are missing! Danger? What danger?;)

 

[altagirl]

Actually, I live in the northeast.

But there's a point I totally missed. The "mentality" of riding road vs. trail.

On road, especially quiet country roads, you can be totally "zone out" and cruise. The roads are smooth, there's no traffic, and your legs just spin like they're attached to a silent motor. Very "zen" and very relaxing.

That rarely is the case off-road. Smooth is not the point, variation is. Challeng, obsticles, applying different technique to different terrains, constantly moving your body back and forth, left and right, going from up to down in a heartbeat, taking air when you least expect it yet still lands rubber side down, etc. A trail that's smooth and flat isn't very "interesting" for most mountain biker.

So, there're women who likes the smoothness of the road and hate the bone-jarring ride of dirts. But others who find the dirts fun and the road boring. Then there're those who enjoy both for different reasons.

I'm sorry some find my viewpoint offending. It wasn't meant to be.

It's ok some people don't take to mountain biking. I don't have problem with THAT. But there're times I'm a bit annoyed when I need to explain myself to roadie who never TRY mountain biking. They often make it sound like I'm being irresponsible by doing something so dangerous as mountain biking...

Don't you feel that way with people who never TRY skiing because they think it's so "dangerous"? You KNOW how much fun they are missing! Danger? What danger?;)

I guess it's all about your comfort zone. I zone out a lot more on singletrack than I can on a road. That's what I love about riding - when you're in the zone and totally absorbed in it and everything just flows. (Same as skiing, really). But it takes a good amount time in the saddle to get there.

And I don't find your viewpoint offensive. Perception is reality, right? When women think they don't have the stregth of skills to ride off road and therefore they never try it... or never try skiing because it's "dangerous"... does it matter if it's true or not?

 

[Kimmyt]

You know, one thing I did notice when I was mountain biking two weekends ago, was the similarities I could notice to skiing. Particularly tree skiing.

The whole 'pick your line' thing, the looking where you want to go and not where you DON'T wanna go, etc, all these things are issues I have problems dealing with while skiing (I'm certainly not a strong tree-skiier) and also had problems with on the bike.

Road biking seems alot more like skiing groomers. Fast, and therefore can get dangerous, but the biggest danger is from someone else skiing (or driving) out of control and taking you out.

And deer. :D

K.

 

[altagirl]

You know, one thing I did notice when I was mountain biking two weekends ago, was the similarities I could notice to skiing. Particularly tree skiing.

The whole 'pick your line' thing, the looking where you want to go and not where you DON'T wanna go, etc, all these things are issues I have problems dealing with while skiing (I'm certainly not a strong tree-skiier) and also had problems with on the bike.

Road biking seems alot more like skiing groomers. Fast, and therefore can get dangerous, but the biggest danger is from someone else skiing (or driving) out of control and taking you out.

And deer. :D

K.

I totally agree. And I feel like the improvements I make in one sport definitely transfer to the other. Especially in the picking a line and focusing on where you want to go area.

 

[SnowGlider]

Sloth, habit, and lack of imagination?

I road bike for the same reason I downhill ski: mountain biking and cross-country skiing are too dang hard. In fact road biking is hard enough as it is, if you live in a hilly place.

Here are some more reasons I road bike:

I don't even know if women in their 50s are allowed to mountain bike. They weren't even invented until I was about 30.

I'm really motivated by miles on the cyclometer. I set a mileage goal each year. Last year I rode 700 miles. This year I'm going to try 1000.

I really enjoy watching the countryside glide by, visiting small towns, stopping by lakes for a picnic and a swim.

I even enjoy biking around cities: Montreal, Boston, Manhattan, Paris. It's a wonderful way to visit a city.

I toured a lot in my early 30s (Europe, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, Vermont, New Hampshire), and hope to take that up again this year. Touring allows you to visit new places. I biked 1000 miles around Europe and loved it.

I can't really say that I even know what mountain biking is about. It just looks too challenging to me, and dangerous!

In my price range (lowww), I can get a much lighter, sleeker road bike than mountain bike, to go farther with less effort.

 

[SnowHot]

I mountain bike

I was >this< close to getting a road bike a year ago, after doing a few local tours that were set up for Roadies. When I demoed the road bikes, I fell in love with the Trek Madone. Talk about a smooth ride:D

But then a few weeks later I was on my mountain bike and realized how much I loved it and didn't really need the road bike to enhance my bicycle fun time.

Besides, all my girlfriends have mt bikes and I'd have a hard time finding someone to ride the road.

I am the first to admit, I'm not a very aggressive mt biker, but maybe I can kick it up a notch this summer.

 

[ski diva]

I've never mountain biked, so I really can't say if I'd like it. Whether it's warranted or not, the idea of hurtling down a mountain over roots and rocks, dodging trees all the while (sounds a bit like skiing, doesn't it? :D ), does freak me out a bit. Trail riding, on the other hand, doesn't sound bad at all. I'd like to give that a try.

I have to say that I do enjoy road biking, though -- provided it's out in the country and there isn't a lot of traffic. I like the speed, along with the smoothness and rhythm of the action. I like the idea of traveling from one place to another. And I like how you get to see the country on an entirely different level than you would in a car. For example, my husband and I love to road bike out in Lancaster County, PA. You can ride past all the Amish farms where the men are using teams of horses in the fields, and the children are playing on scooters in the yard. Just lovely.

 

[SnowGlider]

What Ski Diva said!

I've wanted to bike the Amish country for a long time. Do you have campgrounds down there? Do the Amish talk to outsiders? Is the biking easy?

I grew up in Lewis County, New York, which has many Mennonite farms. It's really a beautiful area to visit. I love fields and farms and cows.

Hmm .. . maybe you've given me a touring destination for this year!

 

[ski diva]

Snowglider, it is somewhat hilly, depending on your route. I'd recommend finding a book about riding in Lancaster County or Southeast PA. I have a couple, but can't locate them off hand. I'm sure a good search on Amazon would pull up some.

Just don't go on a weekend, so you can avoid the tour buses. (Can you imagine how the Amish feel, being gawked at like that??? Though I'm sure they're used to it, by now. And I guess it brings in plenty of tourist dollars.)

I think it'd be easy enough to find campgrounds. I'm not familiar with any, but I'm sure there are listings for them available easily enough.

As for speaking to the Amish, I wouldn't presume to intrude on them while I was just biking by. There are many Amish who work at farm stands, in small shops, etc., and I'm sure they'd be happy to talk to you.

 

[altagirl]

I don't even know if women in their 50s are allowed to mountain bike. They weren't even invented until I was about 30.

At one of the national races I was at, there was a woman in the 65+ age group racing DH. (Which, I admit it, is dangerous). I know there are a ton of women your age riding and racing cross-country mountian bikes.

But kudos to you on the touring. That seems like way too much work for me!

 

[Gloria]

I don't even know if women in their 50s are allowed to mountain bike. They weren't even invented until I was about 30..

I share some of the same timeline views with you. I got my first mountain bike in 83-84? Then upgraded to a Trek 7000 in 1989. It was huge. At the time this was a top of the line bike, with an aluminum frame, very advanced for it's time with the first gen "rapid fire" shift mech. We didn't have alot of outfitting options I had fancy mount aero rims, some tires with black sidewalls ( really cool to have then ) and "mushroom" grips. toe clips were plastic buckets and the most we could do to pimp them out was to take the reflectors off. Ten years later when this bike was stolen, I replaced with another T-7000, for half the price I paid for the 1st. Then when that one got stolen a year later, I went to the shop and the bikes appeared to be missing half the frame and had springs all over at which point I knew I'd missed out on something. I ended up not buying a new bike at this point, I wasn't even sure what to get. New brands, upgrades etc. The beauty of all this new technology, as with most sports, is that it has opened up so many new opportunities for all kinds of people, so go ahead, ride a mountain bike at any age. There are so many levels of mtn biking to be enjoyed it's not all hairball adventures, there are alot of nearly abandoned forest service roads, and even paved trail systems around that I think it can be enjoyed by so many types of people and so many age groups.
Have a blast road biking this summer but don't be afraid to try a fat tire if the opportunity presents itself.

 

[volklgirl]

I do both (sort of). I try to con myself into putting miles on the road bike, but get so bored I just can't do it. Even the group road rides we do, we do on the hardtails with street tires. I put about 100 miles on the road bike last year, almost 800 on the hardtail, and over 600 on the full suspension.

I treasure the variety of scenery, terrain, and difficulty options in mountain biking. We can just go cruise on the road or a flat rail-trail to enjoy the scenery, hit the Cadillac Pathways cross country trails with lots of hills and rolling terrain for a cardio and upper body workout, do the North Country Trail for a vigorous workout with stunning views as a reward, hang out at a couple of 'freeride' areas to work on our coordination and balance with stunts, log rides, bridges, and jumps, or head up to Boyne Country for some lift serviced downhill and true freeride play time. You just can't get that kind of variety with a road bike.

The skills learned in mountain biking transfer directly to skiing....looking ahead, balance while in motion, weight transfer, learning to fall correctly, and even the head games involved in conquering a difficult line or stunt for the first time....gives you the tools and confidence to attack odd conditions and steeps while skiing.

Here's a pic of one of the stunts I finally nailed last year - it's a 3+' high A-frame over a huge downed log then an 8" wide teeter-totter about 1 bike length later:

A side view of the teeter:
https://www.mmba.org/gallery/album01/teeter1

Another one I like to ride (the far right edge, coming toward you):

Sometimes we just like to ride this kind of stuff: