Mountain Biking vs Road Biking, 5 Reasons You Require to Realize on Choosing A Bike of Short Commutes
Posted by tan xiao yan on
Nowadays, more and more people in the world know about the sports bikes. But most of them still know a little about the essential features of them. The eyes of people might only catch the superficial differences between a road bicycle and a mountain bicycle that they just look a little bit diverse on their appearance and the shape, yet their functions and feelings are nearly the same. In the fact, these two kinds of bicycles are essentially designed to sever entirely different purpose. They have their own advantages and disadvantages in varied fields.
Now, we are going to talk about the implications of these two bikes in our daily life. With the development of economy and technology, more and more private car are manufactured and sold. Buses, trains, bullet trains, and airplanes server in our lives. Then the traffic jam, congestion, noise pollution and air pollution are consequent. So many people start to have feelings of nostalgia and they even do something-ride a bike to work or to travel. So far, riding a bike to work has become a trend of our times. People’s works are mostly in the cities, and the distances between their homes and offices are not so long, which are usually are 3 to 5 miles far away. So mountain bike or road bike, that is a question.
How to choosing a suitable bike for your short commutes is really a technical job. So without further ado, here are my 5 Reasons you require to know why and how to choose the Mountain Biking or Road Biking:
The superficial features
Mountain bike and road bike are quite different on their appearances, which the former one looks like a lion while the other one shaped like a leopard.
mountain bike vs road bike
Mountain bike vs. Road bike
1) Tires, Rims, and Tubes:
The tires of a mountain bike are wider and have more traction, and they are thicker and more durable than those used on road bikes.
The tires of road bikes are thinner compared to mountain bikes. Narrow tires meant for riding on smooth surfaces; however mountain bikes might be better for city streets where the pavement is often uneven.
The rims and tubes of a mountain bike are thicker than a road bike.
2)Frame:
For the differences of the functions purposes of mountain bikes and road bikes, they are designed into diverse frames. The former one is designed like a muscle man, while the latter one is devised like a skinny and fragile girl.
The frame of a mountain bike is also heavier and thicker than that of a road bike as the emphasis is on stability and controls.The frames are made from aluminum, carbon fiber, steel, and titanium, and are built to withstand a lot of punishment. Frames often correlate with body proportions.
When it comes to the frame of a road bike, the emphasis is on attaining higher speeds with a lighter, aerodynamic body, which made of aluminum, carbon fiber, or titanium.
3)Handlebars:
The handlebar is an extremely critical part of a bicycle, which contributes to the directions, speed, the center of gravity and the handling of your bikes and so on. Depending on the various necessities of mountain biking and road biking, the shapes of their handlebars are devised differently. And both handlebars are good at controlling which will help you handle the bike during your short commutes.
Mountain bikes have flat or riser bars but what you choose has a lot to do with your bike and how you ride it.
Road bike handles bars are typically curled or dropped to accommodate many speed settings but flat bar style is also available.
2.The concrete functions
As we all known that the most common function of bikes is a tool of transport. However, currently, there is a growing number of people riding bikes for protecting environments, physical exercise and enjoying themselves. Generally speaking, mountain biking is on a purpose of riding in some mountain and forest trails for people to experience exciting feelings and enjoy nature. On the other hand, road biking is more modern which mainly focus on bicycle competition and touring along the flat roads. But, exactly these two sorts of a bike are both fit for the commutes in the city, for which are not too far, and the road situation is better to some degree.
Mountain bikes vs road bikes
1）Bike Types:
All-day endurance, cross country, downhill biking and free-ride biking are types of mountain bikes.
Roadster, recumbent, hybrid, touring and utility are types of road bikes.
2）Uses:
Made to handle terrain obstacles; typically for unpaved environments.
Designed to go fast on open roads, ideal for fitness enthusiasts and competitive riders.
3.The adaptability of the road situation
Since the cycling sport has been popular for many years, more kinds different bikes are designed. And those bicycles are specializing in various terrains or roads. For example, the mountain bike specializes on the terrain of hills, forest, and mountain trails filled with rocks and obstacles. It can overcome most of the tough and bumpy roads and trails, while it is not so fast and commonly used on the paved roads. On the contrast, the road bicycle focuses on the paved road in the big cities or suburb, and it is also widely used in the bicycle competitions, for its speed is so fast and the adaptability on the flat roads is really high. Comparing to the mountain bike, the latter is more suitable for cycling in the city.
Mountain bikes are used to ride in places that have no paved roads such as dirt tracks, over obstacles such as logs and rocks.Built for tough trails and roads that contain rocks, logs, branches, and even small boulders
The road bike is used to ride on paved roads. Best on paved roads to reach optimal speed and acceleration. Unlike MTB's, they have no rear suspension.
4.The speed
A road bike is designed to be lightweight and responsive on smooth pavement. These bikes have thin 700c-sized wheels and thin tires, which reduces rolling resistance and increases speed. Anyway, a road will help you a lot on the flat roads in the city, which can save your time to your office when there is a traffic jam. If you always get to your office a little bit late, then a road bike will save your time. But, there can be some off-roads in on your way to the work where the mountain bike might work better.
Mountain bikes are designed to conquer off-road terrains like dirt, mud, snow and gravel. These bikes are built especially tough, with thick tires and strong wheels that resist damage from impact. Suspension systems allow the wheels to absorb the vibration and impact from the tough trail. Mountain bikes usually feature flat handlebars, which place the rider in an upright position for balance and control. So, a mountain will be a better choice if there are some off-roads in your commutes and you don’t need to reach your office in a hurry.
Road bikes can attain much higher speeds than mountain bikes.
5.The feelings
Indeed, cycling with different bikes in different places will bring you some absolute different feelings. For example, if you cycle on a lakes trails, you may find the lakes are crystal clear, and the larger ones were blue with Glacial flour. And the mountains not far away are giant with some snow on them, and the sun is shining. The birds are singing, and the gears are shifting effortlessly. You will feel yourself in a totally different condition, and you have become one part of them, of nature. That’s what a mountain bike bring d to you. When you cycle with a road bike, it will be another kind of feeling. Its speed will make you feel like flying in the sky, so free, s cool, and never want to stop. Though your commutes are not so long, the feeling of wind may give you a nice mood for the whole day.
All in all, these two sorts of the bike have their own advantages, and disadvantages. Which one you want to choose as your transportation tool for you short commutes mainly depends on following reasons. Firstly, the shape and the color of the bike, as long you like and you adapt well to it, it is a good one for you. Those elements may affect your mood of the whole day when cycling it to the office. Secondly, if your commutes are not longer than five miles, they nearly work the same. Thirdly, you have to think about the road conditions of your short commutes, paved road and off-road, which one occupies a bigger part? If the former one does, road bike; while the latter one does, the mountain bike will may you easier. The last point is, according to the above, they play a similar role in the short commutes, don’t puzzled, just follow your hearts.