Hello everyone,,
There are real differences.
Weight is one, but I don't think it's the biggest one. Weight matters a lot up and down hills, as well as during acceleration (like after a light or stop sign). It matters a lot less during long straightaways.
Also, asphalt will straight-up eat up quality MTB tires. Like hybrid or roadie commuters often use touring tires, which last forever even if they're hybrid tires. Like most Schwalbe Marathon models last forever and a half. By comparison, actual quality MTB tires use much softer compound, and they get chewed up when they're not on dirt.
If you're on a cheap MTB, though, you probably have tires that are designed more for road endurance than off-roading. This is because designers know most cheap MTB's get used more on streets than on trails. So don't necessarily sweat that.
That said, regardless of the quality of your tires, you also have worse traction because of those tires because of the tread.
And the geometry is different. Road bikes straight-up offer better geometry for speed. Remember, aero matters way more than weight for straight, flat speeds.
And you get energy loss from your suspension. This can often be negated on a hardtail, if your front fork has a lockout. But lots of MTB forks have no lockout, and I don't think you can lock rear suspensions on full suspension bikes. Energy loss from your suspension isn't huge when you're on a straight, already at speed, and at a good cadence. It can be large when you're putting a lot of torque into the pedals, though, like when you're attacking a hill or launching yourself after a stop.
That said, really **** everything I just said.
What trumps all of that is your comfort and what actually keeps you commuting every day. The best bike is the bike that makes you want to ride, period. If you need the cushy ride and relatively relaxed riding position of a MTB to enjoy yourself and commute to work, who cares about anything else.
I have a decent road bike in my garage which isn't top-of-the-line but checks all the purist checkboxes. I commuted with it for years. I was Doris McLycra.
I also have a hybrid sitting inside my house that I actually use now. I enjoy riding that 1,000x more because it just suits my circumstances and my style far better. I also enjoy riding it way more.
Some people also think X or Y type of bike universally sucks because they've only ever used a bad one. But my road bike was entry-level, and my hybrid was the highest trim level of that model, so it has nice components. I also baby the latter way more because I'm more experienced with maintenance now. So my hybrid shifts like a dream compared to what I experienced with my roadie, which is really nice with how up and down my commute is.
There are real differences.
Weight is one, but I don't think it's the biggest one. Weight matters a lot up and down hills, as well as during acceleration (like after a light or stop sign). It matters a lot less during long straightaways.
Also, asphalt will straight-up eat up quality MTB tires. Like hybrid or roadie commuters often use touring tires, which last forever even if they're hybrid tires. Like most Schwalbe Marathon models last forever and a half. By comparison, actual quality MTB tires use much softer compound, and they get chewed up when they're not on dirt.
If you're on a cheap MTB, though, you probably have tires that are designed more for road endurance than off-roading. This is because designers know most cheap MTB's get used more on streets than on trails. So don't necessarily sweat that.
That said, regardless of the quality of your tires, you also have worse traction because of those tires because of the tread.
And the geometry is different. Road bikes straight-up offer better geometry for speed. Remember, aero matters way more than weight for straight, flat speeds.
And you get energy loss from your suspension. This can often be negated on a hardtail, if your front fork has a lockout. But lots of MTB forks have no lockout, and I don't think you can lock rear suspensions on full suspension bikes. Energy loss from your suspension isn't huge when you're on a straight, already at speed, and at a good cadence. It can be large when you're putting a lot of torque into the pedals, though, like when you're attacking a hill or launching yourself after a stop.
That said, really **** everything I just said.
What trumps all of that is your comfort and what actually keeps you commuting every day. The best bike is the bike that makes you want to ride, period. If you need the cushy ride and relatively relaxed riding position of a MTB to enjoy yourself and commute to work, who cares about anything else.
I have a decent road bike in my garage which isn't top-of-the-line but checks all the purist checkboxes. I commuted with it for years. I was Doris McLycra.
I also have a hybrid sitting inside my house that I actually use now. I enjoy riding that 1,000x more because it just suits my circumstances and my style far better. I also enjoy riding it way more.
Some people also think X or Y type of bike universally sucks because they've only ever used a bad one. But my road bike was entry-level, and my hybrid was the highest trim level of that model, so it has nice components. I also baby the latter way more because I'm more experienced with maintenance now. So my hybrid shifts like a dream compared to what I experienced with my roadie, which is really nice with how up and down my commute is.