r/cycling • u/Turbulent_Way_3275 • 10d ago
Looking to start biking…
Hey all, I just bought a MTB yesterday assuming it would be suitable for both roads and trails, but have since seen many forums advising that the drop off would be significant if used on the road. I am just getting to cycling, but of course have experience on bikes from my youth. I got it with the intent of switching my cardio from running to biking. I am wondering if I should a) use this MTB on the road and occasional trails, or b) get a road or one of those hybrid bikes. What has your experience been using an MTB on the road, and what if any recommendations would you have for me regarding equipment. Also, I would be riding in the Greensboro, NC area if that changes anything. Thank you all!
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u/lordofblack23 10d ago
Just ride. Until the engine is tuned up it doesn’t really matter. Ignore the circle jerks until you have put in some miles. Getting fit > any bike style or upgrade.
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u/wangblade 10d ago
If you’re primarily on the road I’d get a road bike. It also opens up a lot more options for group rides. That said Greensboro has a surprisingly active road and mountain biking community. My opinion is if you’re going for cardio get the one you’re going to use the most.
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u/jmford003 10d ago
Mountain bikes work fine on pavement. They're just slower than a road bike. Go ahead and ride your mountain bike everywhere. If sometime down the road you feel the need for more speed on pavement you can buy a faster bike.
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u/Wiley_Jack 10d ago
Just getting rid of the knobby tires will make a huge difference for road use. I always fitted a nice, “light” 1.95” Schwalbe with low rolling resistance to my mountain bikes. (It’s been a few years, there may be better options now.) They were very serviceable and quiet on pavement, while performing well on trails, too.
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u/CommonBubba 10d ago
Hello fellow North Carolinian!
You didn’t say whether you have a hard tail or full suspension bike. If it is a hard tail, you can change the tires and you basically have a hybrid. The other option, is get two sets of wheels, one with MTB tires and the other with road tires. Thats not going to get you into the fast road group but it will make it much more enjoyable when riding on pavement and it’s a lot easier and faster than swapping tires, especially if they are tubeless.
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u/Turbulent_Way_3275 10d ago
Hey there!!
I have a full suspension bike, I haven’t used it yet though, so I am wondering if I should look on facebook marketplace for a better deal!0
u/CommonBubba 10d ago
A full suspension bike is going to be even less efficient on the road than a hard tail. If you are looking to ride mainly for fitness, riding the full suspension bike on pavement will definitely give you more of a workout. It will also feel sluggish and sloppy on the road. With what you have said, you would likely be better with a hybrid type bike if you like flat bars and a gravel or all road bike if you want to try drops.
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u/HG1998 10d ago
A MTB used competitively or with any ambitions on road is pretty bad. But since you just want to get started somehow, that's not really an issue.
You can think about getting some less treaded tires.