What is the difference between mountain bikes and road bikes?

What is the difference between mountain bikes and road bikes? What are their advantages and disadvantages? Do road bikes make a big difference for long rides?

Cycling - 6 Answers - 2012-01-18 23:42:39

Best answer:
There are disadvantages to both types of bicycles – if taken out of their intended environment. There are huge advantages both types of bicycles have – if kept in the environment intended. If going purely off-road, nothing is better than a mountain bike or ATB. If riding purely on the streets, nothing is better than a good road bike. A mountain bike on the streets will be slower & more cumbersome. The wider 26” or 29” tires with a knobby tread pattern & lower air pressure will slow the rider down compared to a road bike. Not to mention the suspension parts. Suspension parts soak up or absorb energy from the rider. With every stroke of the pedals, part of his/her energy is absorbed into the bike & not transmitted to the rear wheel. Conversely, a road bike on an off-road trail can be downright dangerous if not deadly. The taller & thinner 700x23c or 700x25c tires usually hold around 100-125 psi and can not absorb the punishment or provide enough traction with their slick to semi-slick tread pattern. Now…want to get really confused? There are ways to adapt both types of bicycles to cross over into the other’s environment. Some mountain bikes have a “lock out” feature on the front suspension forks. This, in essence, turns from the front fork into a rigid fork, just like a road bike. By installing thinner slick or semi-slick tread tires, the mountain bike becomes more street and/or commuter friendly. Certain types of bicycles may look like road bikes, but they’re not. They’re Cyclocross bikes. These will have wider tires (around 700x32c) with a knobby tread pattern specifically design for off-road trails & races. More confusing? They can be broken down into even more specific details; such as cross country, trail, all mountain, gravity & recreational ATB and mountain bikes. There can be commuter road bikes, racing road bikes, endurance road bikes, single speed & fixed gear “track bikes” (for use on a Velodrome track) and my favorite – the “touring road bike” – designed & built to haul additional weight across long distances, either on paved roads or light off-road trails. Explore the links below from Specialized & Raleigh.

All answer:
Answer 1
their structures are different.
2012-01-18 23:43:43

Answer 2
They have a different design, most notably with the tires... mountain bike tires are cushier and they are meant to go through gravel, dirt, off-road paths, whereas road bikes have thinner tires that are meant for the road and they are often times much faster, to keep pace with other cars Mountain bikes aren't very good for riding on the road, or for flat surfaces as they don't move very fast and it's just not a good ride if you need it to commute
2012-01-19 04:51:05

Answer 3
Road bikes are generally lighter, and designed more for speed than comfort. They don't need the strength to handle rough ground, drops and jumps. They usually have narrow, high pressure, tyres, and wheels to match, to give a low rolling resistance, and help in speed and high distance riding. They usually have a riding position that lets you get down out of the wind, which also helps in speed and distance. Mountain bikes are generally more rugged to cope with rougher terrain, studded tyres to grip on loose surfaces, and often have suspension to help to maintain wheel contact with the ground (NOT for comfort!). The riding position is more upright, because when riding off road, control is a bigger factor than wind resistance. They often have disc brakes as these tend to keep the braking surfaces cleaner, and thus more efficient, in wet or muddy conditions. For long rides the main advantages for a road bike are the lower rolling resistance of the wheels and tyres, riding position to assist with wind resistance, and light weight. I have two cycles, one a performance hybrid, and the other a MTB based hybrid, both with similar gear ratios. The MTB based hybrid is consistently 1 or 2 MPH slower over the same route as the performance bike, even when fitted with slick road tyres. I believe this difference is down to the weight, tyres, and the riding position.
2012-01-19 05:26:25

Answer 4
Geometry: road vs. offroad requires dfferent handling characteristics and weight distribution, so frame angles and tube length ratios are different. Gearing: MTB's have lower ratios to handle steeper climbs and rougher, higher rolling resistance surfaces, sacrificing considerable top speed. Wheels: MTB's use larger, higher volume, lower pressure tires to reduce shock and vibration to the frame and rider. Suspension: MTB's have suspension, at least front, sometimes front and rear to improve handling and rider comfort on rough terrain. You can ride long distances comfortably on a mountain bike, but your average speed and elapsed time will be a lot slower than it would be on a road bike. You won't be able to to keep up with a group of friends on road bikes unless you're a really strong rider, and they're awful.
2012-01-19 05:48:48

Answer 5
There are disadvantages to both types of bicycles – if taken out of their intended environment. There are huge advantages both types of bicycles have – if kept in the environment intended. If going purely off-road, nothing is better than a mountain bike or ATB. If riding purely on the streets, nothing is better than a good road bike. A mountain bike on the streets will be slower & more cumbersome. The wider 26” or 29” tires with a knobby tread pattern & lower air pressure will slow the rider down compared to a road bike. Not to mention the suspension parts. Suspension parts soak up or absorb energy from the rider. With every stroke of the pedals, part of his/her energy is absorbed into the bike & not transmitted to the rear wheel. Conversely, a road bike on an off-road trail can be downright dangerous if not deadly. The taller & thinner 700x23c or 700x25c tires usually hold around 100-125 psi and can not absorb the punishment or provide enough traction with their slick to semi-slick tread pattern. Now…want to get really confused? There are ways to adapt both types of bicycles to cross over into the other’s environment. Some mountain bikes have a “lock out” feature on the front suspension forks. This, in essence, turns from the front fork into a rigid fork, just like a road bike. By installing thinner slick or semi-slick tread tires, the mountain bike becomes more street and/or commuter friendly. Certain types of bicycles may look like road bikes, but they’re not. They’re Cyclocross bikes. These will have wider tires (around 700x32c) with a knobby tread pattern specifically design for off-road trails & races. More confusing? They can be broken down into even more specific details; such as cross country, trail, all mountain, gravity & recreational ATB and mountain bikes. There can be commuter road bikes, racing road bikes, endurance road bikes, single speed & fixed gear “track bikes” (for use on a Velodrome track) and my favorite – the “touring road bike” – designed & built to haul additional weight across long distances, either on paved roads or light off-road trails. Explore the links below from Specialized & Raleigh.
2012-01-19 07:54:42

Answer 6
Road bikes are designed to be ridden on the road and mountain bikes are designed for dirt and rough terrain.
2012-01-19 10:09:20

Source: What is the difference between mountain bikes and road bikes?

	Thuỷ tiên khoe vú to trong nhà tắm		Linh Kong – ngực to và đẹp!
	Mặt học sinh ngực phụ huynh!!!		Một em diễn viên phim sex nhật bản cực phê
	Tàu nhanh – Nghỉ trưa của dân công sở		Cô Thủy Thủ khiêu gợi dâm đãng
	Những nàng showgirl “thiếu vải” sẽ cất điện thoại ở đâu?		Bóp vú người mẫu
	Video các tư thế quan hệ vợ chồng		Nữ Y tá lột áo khoe ngực trên truyền hình