I’ve had both a mountain bike (MTB) and a road bike for a long time.
I know that people who want to start cycling are very worried about these two choices (MTB vs road). Best is to ride both, but we’ll show you which one to buy first, or if you only have to buy one.
This article is for real, real beginners, so I will write it easily. And this article is not intended to give you the right answer. I would like to give you the knowledge you need to know to determine which choice will be a good choice for you.
한국어 : (Link) / english : (Link)
Table of Contents
MTB vs Road What’s the difference?
Let’s start with the very basics.
A mountain bike is literally a bicycle that is specialized for riding a mountain bike.
A road bike is a bike designed for riding on the road.
Let’s take a look at each of these differences.
MTB has thick tires.
Due to the nature of mountain bikes that have to run on mountains, they have thick tires.
In addition, the shape of the tire also has rubber bumps. This is to secure traction on dirt roads or stone roads. Instead, because of the high friction on the road, the speed is about 3 to 5 km/h slower than that of a road bike.
When you run long distances, the amount of stamina consumption also makes a difference.
The ratio of MTB gear is wide and the road is dense.
On a mountain bike, the pedaling feel changes dramatically with each gear change. On level ground, you may not be able to find the right gear ratio for you by shifting gears. Mountain bike gears make it easy to climb uphill.
On the other hand, road bike gear ratios are very tight. A single gear change doesn’t make a huge difference to your pedaling.
Therefore, it is a structure that can achieve the best pedal efficiency by finding the optimal gear ratio on a flat surface.
Therefore, in order to cover the limitations of the rear derailleur that needs to be compact, the crank side (also in the front) has a derailleur.
Still, on very steep climbs, you may have to tow because the gear ratio isn’t good enough.
The shape of the handlebar is different.
Road bikes can hold the handlebars in three ways. A mountain bike, on the other hand, can only hold the handle one way unless you have a separate “bar end” attached to it. If you have a bar end, you can steer in two ways.
How to grip a road bike
top grip
How to hold the top.
This grip has the advantage of maximum comfort.
hood grip
This is the most common type of grip.
drop grip
This is the position you hold when you are in a position to reduce air resistance or when you are braking a lot on a downhill.
How to hold a MTB grip
normal grip
If you don’t have a bar end, you’ll almost always hold it in this position.
bar end grip
This is the posture you hold when you want to change your posture, such as uphill or on a bicycle road.
As you can see in the image above, the basic position on a mountain bike is to be very comfortable on the brakes. You can hit the brakes at any time.
However, in the case of road bikes, the most comfortable position for holding the brakes is “drop”.
In the case of the “top”, it is not possible to hold the brake, and in the case of the “hood”, it is not comfortable to hold the brake, and when several fingers are raised on the brake lever for strong braking, it is often vulnerable to impact because there are not enough gripping fingers.
Since the thing that takes the most time on a road bike is the “hood”, it’s much more comfortable on a mountain bike when it comes to holding the brakes.
In fact, personally, I think that holding the “hood” is very vulnerable to sudden braking situations.
I ride by holding the lever like this, but when the second and third fingers are on the top of the brake lever, braking is difficult.
Mountain bikes are heavy. Road bikes are lightweight.
Mountain bikes are tough overall. It has the purpose of enduring any unpredictable shock.
On the other hand, road bikes are strong against expected impacts and have strong parts to maximize power efficiency.
Which bike should I buy?
Okay, now let’s talk about what we really want to do.
So far, we have looked at the functional differences between MTB and road bikes. Let’s see which choice you have to make, either from the user’s point of view or from the bike’s point of view.
Emotional difference between MTB and road bike from the point of view of the bike
MTB
MTB can go anywhere. Anything can be done. The brake performance is good, and if you take a little weight, you can cover all of them with one unit. “Heavy stability” is an advantage.
road bike
The advantage of a road bike is the feeling of zero resistance that only road bikes can feel when riding on smooth roads. You can move far with very little power, and the moment you move forward with power, you can get a creepy feeling like running on ice or flying.
Selection criteria from the user’s point of view
So what should I choose? It would be useful to distinguish a few cases.
- I want to ride a bike in the mountains
- I want to join the road bike club
If you fall under the above two cases, you don’t have to worry at all. You just have to buy the bike that fits.
- I want to ride a bicycle in the mountains => mountain bike
- I want to join the Road Bike Club => Road Bike
But I think most people don’t even know this.
How should I choose in that case? Let’s set out some guidelines.
Who should buy a road bike
- A person who wants to run faster than anyone else and is greedy for competition
- People who want to ride a bicycle mainly on bike paths (or roads for cars)
- Someone who is flexible and has good core strength
- A person who will only ride without any interest in the action of riding a bicycle and lifting the front wheel
- People who are fascinated by the design of road bikes
Who should buy a mountain bike
- A person who has a very uphill road near his house
- People who want to run even in the rain
- People who just want to ride a bike down a sidewalk or a few stairs
- People who want to enjoy leisurely riding while watching the scenery
- People who want to ride a bicycle and ride on dirt roads
- People who are fascinated by the design of mountain bikes
So what about gravel, which is neither mountain bike nor road?
These days “gravel” is growing in popularity.
It’s a bike that’s halfway between MTB and road.
Source: (Link)
I have 5 bikes. If the number of bikes was a little less, and commuting, I think I would have added one gravel.
However, gravel satisfies neither side because of the nature of the bike, which is neither mountain bike nor road.
Let’s say you choose a gravel as your only bike.
If you go to a road riding competition because your skills improve later, but no matter how hard you try, if you can’t make it to the top of the rankings, you’ll think it’s because it’s a gravel bike, right?
Or, if your skills improve later and you decide to go out on a mountain bike ride, will you be able to enjoy and ride the mountain course properly with gravel? Not at all.
Riding a mountain on a gravel is “able to ride”, not “enjoying mountain riding”.
Of course, if commuting by bike is your main purpose, gravel is great too.
And which one is more like a gravel, a MTB or a road bike? When I thought about it, I think it’s closer to a road bike.
I can’t do it at all when I think about whether it can cover the use of MTB with gravel.
So, can gravel cover the use of road bikes? If you think about it, it seems possible to some extent.
Then there are only two reasons to choose gravel over road.
That you can fit a little thicker tire on it. And the probability that the foot touches the front wheel is slightly lower than that of the road bike or does not reach it.
(There are differences in gear ratio, geometry, etc., but accepting those parts)
If this advantage comes to you, gravel can be a great alternative.
conclusion
I’m not sure if this article helped you decide whether to get your first bike for MTB vs road.
Mountain bikes and road bikes are completely different personalities.
Road bikes value pedaling efficiency and speed, while mountain bikes value control and braking.
20 years ago, the beginning of a bicycle was unconditionally MTB. These days, most people are starting out with road bikes.
In a way, I wonder if “looking cool” has a strong effect on the process of entering leports.
Twenty years ago it was a time when riding a mountain bike looked great. How are you now? Now is the time to take pretty pictures on your road bike and post them on “Instagram”. I also go to a pretty cafe.
You need to look at your own inclinations. I can’t take many pictures when I’m riding a mountain bike.
After having fun riding, only joy remains.
Road bike riders wear very expensive clothes and take care of their bodies before riding.
Mountain bike riders don’t wear expensive clothes because they often tear.
Riding right after the initiation will not be so extreme, but it seems certain that the points of enjoying MTB and road bikes are different.
To conclude in one line,
“MTB” if you like thrills, “road bike” if you have a strong desire to compete, and “gravel” if you are not interested in thrills and do not have a strong desire to compete. ^^