Mountain Bike vs Road Bike (Speed)
- Thread starter terry1
- Start date
terry1 said:Hi
My husband intends to cycle a 100K road race on a mountain bike. Can anyone tell us what the average percentage difference in speed is for a mountain bike versus a road bike for this type of race.
Thanks
Race? I suspect you're mistaken and your husband will be participating in a 100k ride, not race. If it's a real race, odds are your husband would be dropped from the pack unless he's an unusually strong for a guy on a MTB in a road race. If it's not a race, who cares - it's fun anyway.
on my normal ride of 20 miles on rather flat terain,
i go 1 mph faster on a road bike than a mountain bike.
last year i rode several 100k events on the mountain bike.
it was just fine... on hills, i was much faster going downhill than just about everyone on road bikes. in fact, i was coasting faster than many road bike folks were pedding.
cu,
larryb
i go 1 mph faster on a road bike than a mountain bike.
last year i rode several 100k events on the mountain bike.
it was just fine... on hills, i was much faster going downhill than just about everyone on road bikes. in fact, i was coasting faster than many road bike folks were pedding.
cu,
larryb
I have 100psi slicks for my mtn bike and have also done both 100K & 100 mile organized rides too (although not recently). Your husband should have no problem and like the other poster said, he'll be fast in all the descents tooterry1 said:Hi
My husband intends to cycle a 100K road race on a mountain bike. Can anyone tell us what the average percentage difference in speed is for a mountain bike versus a road bike for this type of race.
Make sure he's using slicks !!
J.
Same results for me 2 to 3 mph (3-5km) My MTB has knobby tires. I'f I'm riding more than 16 miles (26km) I'll be on my road bike.keydates said:
terry1 said:Hi
My husband intends to cycle a 100K road race on a mountain bike. Can anyone tell us what the average percentage difference in speed is for a mountain bike versus a road bike for this type of race.
I ride both and both have computers over the same terrain and I agree with the 3 mph average. One has knobbies at 55 psi the other slicks at 120psi.
One weighs 29 lbs the road bike 17.1 with all attachments.
I'm about 4-5kph faster on the road bike generally.
I particularly find the road bike can take the hills much faster.
I particularly find the road bike can take the hills much faster.
Well, I have recently stepped into my first road bike two months ago, after almost two years of a Raliegh mountain bike. During that time, I changed the rear sprocket set to a 10 toothed cog pushed by 48 teeth on the crank. My top speed was pretty good, so I thought! One day, I decided to do about 45 min on a one mile track with a bunch of yuppy trek/specialized owners. Embarrassingly, I heard a whisper saying," well, I know who not to be behind". During the warm up I coasted and often had to hit the brakes to keep from passing the lead man. After he yelled out, " Lets go" and all of them crouched down leaving my great big 215lb azz to catch all the wind, the only time I saw them is when the lapped me. Over and over again! I was running slicks and fast gear and Im in pretty good shape. That 2 to 3 mph makes a hech of a lot of difference between the two bikes over the course of a race. Now on my Ironhorse Triumph, it like night and day. Sprinting and spinning are uncomparable to the advantage of the road bike. Enjoy the road with a road bike!!! I can bare witness.terry1 said:Hi
My husband intends to cycle a 100K road race on a mountain bike. Can anyone tell us what the average percentage difference in speed is for a mountain bike versus a road bike for this type of race.
Well, I have recently stepped into my first road bike two months ago, after almost two years of a Raliegh mountain bike. During that time, I changed the rear sprocket set to a 10 toothed cog pushed by 48 teeth on the crank. My top speed was pretty good, so I thought! One day, I decided to do about 45 min on a one mile track with a bunch of yuppy trek/specialized owners. Embarrassingly, I heard a whisper saying," well, I know who not to be behind". During the warm up I coasted and often had to hit the brakes to keep from passing the lead man. After he yelled out, " Lets go" and all of them crouched down leaving my great big 215lb azz to catch all the wind, the only time I saw them is when the lapped me. Over and over again! I was running slicks and fast gear and Im in pretty good shape. That 2 to 3 mph makes a hech of a lot of difference between the two bikes over the course of a race. Now on my Ironhorse Triumph, its like night and day. Sprinting and spinning are uncomparable to the advantage of the road bike. Enjoy the road with a road bike!!! I can bare witness.terry1 said:Hi
My husband intends to cycle a 100K road race on a mountain bike. Can anyone tell us what the average percentage difference in speed is for a mountain bike versus a road bike for this type of race.
terry1 said:Hi
My husband intends to cycle a 100K road race on a mountain bike. Can anyone tell us what the average percentage difference in speed is for a mountain bike versus a road bike for this type of race.
He will need: rigid fork, reverted stem (maybe a bit longer than current one), comfortable barends to lie on, 1' slicks, MTB crank with 48-36 rings and road cogset with smallest cog of 11 teeth. Difference in speed will be negligible.
On my daily commute during mtb race season (where I am top 3) I loose about 15 mins on 12 miles with the mtb vs roadie.
dot said:
If it is a race then to approach the speeds of a road bike the above would probably be necessary.
If it isn't a "race" but more of a "leisure ride" (regardless of how intensely ridden) then the slicks are probably all you need to change. I saw guys on MTB's with slicks when I did Vattern Rundan in Sweden last year (300km) and they did fine, but couldn't match the consistently higher speeds of the road bikes.
Similar threads
