Why Do You Ride Mountain A Bike On Streets?

"Mike Vandeman" wrote

Stupidity. There's no reason to ride a bike with such high rolling
resistance,
unless you just love wasting money on tires.


hehehe..you just love showing how wrong you can be, don't you.
Q. What on a mountain bike inherently might cause "high rolling resistance"?
A. Nothing. Its a bicycle. Same basic components as any other bike.

The only difference, it seems, might be choice of tires. There is nothing
restricting a MTB to knobbies. 26" slicks are widely available and cheap. If
you ask when you buy it, the shop will often swap the knobbies for slicks,
for free.

And in fact, wider tires (of the same construction and pressure), often
offer *less* rolling resistance than skinnier tires.
http://www.discoveryride.com/human/rolling.html

Pete
What do YOU ride, Mikey? Still riding that 3-speed cruiser? Care to compare
the aerodynamics between a sit-up-and-beg cruiser with a MTB?

James Lynx wrote:
| I'm curious about something. I have been reading this forum on
| Mountain Bikes and notice that a lot of you either have two mountain
| bikes, one for mountain biking, and one with street/road tires for
| riding on the street, or you have one bike and you have two sets of
| tires/rims, one with knobs for the mountain biking and one with street
| tires.
|
| Curious why you choose to ride a mountain bike on the streets instead
| of a road bike.

snip

I do have a road bike. I also have several "mountain bikes" with road tires
and higher gear selections. It's a 'right tool for the job' sort of thing.
If I want to head out and deliberately do a 25+ mile fast ride without a
specific destination I'll grab my Cadex. If I plan on stopping several
times or have a particular place I'm going or something I'm out to find, my
"cargo" bikes are far mor practical.

On top of that, I'm a tinkerer. I'll get some idea I want to try and that
usually translates over my 8 bikes.

One bike is just a beater (91 Bridgestone MB-5) I keep at the store to run
errands on. Slowly but surely it'll evolve into something neat like my old
Schwinn High Sierra.


---
__o
_`\(,_ Cycling is life,
(_)/ (_) all the rest, just details.
The Nelson Paradigm =^o.o^=
http://intergalax.com
http://intbike.com
_______
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Mike Vandeman wrote:
| On Sun, 30 May 2004 18:28:55 +1200, "Westie"
| wrote:
|
| .James Lynx wrote:
| . I'm curious about something. I have been reading this forum on
| . Mountain Bikes and notice that a lot of you either have two
| mountain . bikes, one for mountain biking, and one with street/road
| tires for . riding on the street, or you have one bike and you have
| two sets of . tires/rims, one with knobs for the mountain biking and
| one with street . tires.
| .
| . Curious why you choose to ride a mountain bike on the streets
| instead . of a road bike. I am getting back into riding bikes
| after a 20 year . break from it. I'm 36 and used to ride a BMX Team
| Mongoose which I . still have but am too big for it now. I never
| liked your traditional . 10 speed bike, or as they call them now
| street bikes. I was even . considering fixing up my Mongoose and
| riding it again on the streets . but realized that I'm too big for
| that bike. I could do it but it . wouldn't be a pretty site. So the
| next logical step would be to get . another bike. Okay which one?
| I don't care for road bikes. They are . cool for some people but
| for me not my cup of tea so to speak. Okay . so what do I get a
| cruiser or a mountain bike? The cruiser I tried . was very nice.
| Very comfortable bike but I think I wanted something . more durable
| and also the option to jump off curbs and occassionally . ride on
| dirt. So I go for a mountain bike. Not a high end mountain . bike
| BUT a pretty good Fuji Discovery II. I think it's a good bike. . So
| far so good. I still kinda want to get a cruiser bike but for now .
| the mountain suits my needs. I changed the tires to street/road .
| tires because the tires with knobs create too much resistance in my
| . riding and it gets hard to ride especially in hilly areas where I
| . live. Maybe one day I'll get a cruiser and ride that on the
| street, . put mountain bike tires back on the Fuji and go off
| roading. . . So why do you ride a mountain bike on the road instead
| of riding a . road bike or even a cruiser?
| .
| .Did I miss something or didn't you answer your own question?
| .If you don't like road bikes, don't want a cruiser, feel too old to
| be .riding a BMX and do want something a little more robust to jump
| off kerbs, a .mountainbike is a logical choice.
|
| What's the big attraction of "jump off kerbs", other than trying to
| wreck your bike?

Just more proof you don't get it Mikey.


---
__o
_`\(,_ Cycling is life,
(_)/ (_) all the rest, just details.
The Nelson Paradigm =^o.o^=
http://intergalax.com
http://intbike.com
_______
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.682 / Virus Database: 444 - Release Date: 5/11/2004

On 29 May 2004 22:45:48 -0700, James Lynx wrote:

So why do you ride a mountain bike on the road instead of riding a
road bike or even a cruiser?

A lot of us bought a low- or mid-range bike first, then upgraded a couple
of year later. That other bike makes a good road-beater.

Also, a lot of us don't hold a lot of confidence in the durability of
those skinny-wheeled road bikes, particularly in suburban/urban situations
where there may be curbs to cross, as well as potholes, grates, etc.

--
-BB-
To reply to me, drop the attitude (from my e-mail address, at least)

BB wrote:
| On 29 May 2004 22:45:48 -0700, James Lynx wrote:
|
|| So why do you ride a mountain bike on the road instead of riding a
|| road bike or even a cruiser?
|
| A lot of us bought a low- or mid-range bike first, then upgraded a
| couple of year later. That other bike makes a good road-beater.
|
| Also, a lot of us don't hold a lot of confidence in the durability of
| those skinny-wheeled road bikes, particularly in suburban/urban
| situations where there may be curbs to cross, as well as potholes,
| grates, etc.

The mountain bike's main popularity was its practicality. It took over from
the Road Bike (then known as the "10-speed") because it was more comfortable
and easier to use. Only a very small fraction used them as full "off-road"
machines.

Today there are several more bicycle types intended for folks who just need
'a plain old bike.' Comfort bikes (look like mountain bikes but have a more
upright position) are my best sellers.


---
__o
_`\(,_ Cycling is life,
(_)/ (_) all the rest, just details.
The Nelson Paradigm =^o.o^=
http://intergalax.com
http://intbike.com
_______
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.682 / Virus Database: 444 - Release Date: 5/11/2004

So why do you ride a mountain bike on the road instead of riding a
road bike or even a cruiser?


I wonder myself. Get a cyclocross bike as its truly the best of bost worlds.

On Sun, 30 May 2004 17:05:52 GMT, "Pete" wrote:

..
.."Mike Vandeman" wrote
..
.. Stupidity. There's no reason to ride a bike with such high rolling
..resistance,
.. unless you just love wasting money on tires.
..
..
..hehehe..you just love showing how wrong you can be, don't you.
..Q. What on a mountain bike inherently might cause "high rolling resistance"?
..A. Nothing. Its a bicycle. Same basic components as any other bike.

The tires, dumdum. It is also overbuilt and inefficient for street riding.

..The only difference, it seems, might be choice of tires. There is nothing
..restricting a MTB to knobbies. 26" slicks are widely available and cheap. If
..you ask when you buy it, the shop will often swap the knobbies for slicks,
..for free.
..
..And in fact, wider tires (of the same construction and pressure), often
..offer *less* rolling resistance than skinnier tires.
..http://www.discoveryride.com/human/rolling.html

BS.

..Pete
..What do YOU ride, Mikey? Still riding that 3-speed cruiser? Care to compare
..the aerodynamics between a sit-up-and-beg cruiser with a MTB?

Who cares? I like to enjoy biking, not torture myself and others.
===
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande

On Sun, 30 May 2004 13:59:08 -0400, "The Nelson Paradigm"
wrote:

..Mike Vandeman wrote:
..| On Sun, 30 May 2004 18:28:55 +1200, "Westie"
..| wrote:
..|
..| .James Lynx wrote:
..| . I'm curious about something. I have been reading this forum on
..| . Mountain Bikes and notice that a lot of you either have two
..| mountain . bikes, one for mountain biking, and one with street/road
..| tires for . riding on the street, or you have one bike and you have
..| two sets of . tires/rims, one with knobs for the mountain biking and
..| one with street . tires.
..| .
..| . Curious why you choose to ride a mountain bike on the streets
..| instead . of a road bike. I am getting back into riding bikes
..| after a 20 year . break from it. I'm 36 and used to ride a BMX Team
..| Mongoose which I . still have but am too big for it now. I never
..| liked your traditional . 10 speed bike, or as they call them now
..| street bikes. I was even . considering fixing up my Mongoose and
..| riding it again on the streets . but realized that I'm too big for
..| that bike. I could do it but it . wouldn't be a pretty site. So the
..| next logical step would be to get . another bike. Okay which one?
..| I don't care for road bikes. They are . cool for some people but
..| for me not my cup of tea so to speak. Okay . so what do I get a
..| cruiser or a mountain bike? The cruiser I tried . was very nice.
..| Very comfortable bike but I think I wanted something . more durable
..| and also the option to jump off curbs and occassionally . ride on
..| dirt. So I go for a mountain bike. Not a high end mountain . bike
..| BUT a pretty good Fuji Discovery II. I think it's a good bike. . So
..| far so good. I still kinda want to get a cruiser bike but for now .
..| the mountain suits my needs. I changed the tires to street/road .
..| tires because the tires with knobs create too much resistance in my
..| . riding and it gets hard to ride especially in hilly areas where I
..| . live. Maybe one day I'll get a cruiser and ride that on the
..| street, . put mountain bike tires back on the Fuji and go off
..| roading. . . So why do you ride a mountain bike on the road instead
..| of riding a . road bike or even a cruiser?
..| .
..| .Did I miss something or didn't you answer your own question?
..| .If you don't like road bikes, don't want a cruiser, feel too old to
..| be .riding a BMX and do want something a little more robust to jump
..| off kerbs, a .mountainbike is a logical choice.
..|
..| What's the big attraction of "jump off kerbs", other than trying to
..| wreck your bike?
..
..Just more proof you don't get it Mikey.

Get WHAT? Can't answer that, can you?
===
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande

On Sun, 30 May 2004 14:14:48 -0400, "The Nelson Paradigm"
wrote:

..BB wrote:
..| On 29 May 2004 22:45:48 -0700, James Lynx wrote:
..|
..|| So why do you ride a mountain bike on the road instead of riding a
..|| road bike or even a cruiser?
..|
..| A lot of us bought a low- or mid-range bike first, then upgraded a
..| couple of year later. That other bike makes a good road-beater.
..|
..| Also, a lot of us don't hold a lot of confidence in the durability of
..| those skinny-wheeled road bikes, particularly in suburban/urban
..| situations where there may be curbs to cross, as well as potholes,
..| grates, etc.
..
..The mountain bike's main popularity was its practicality. It took over from
..the Road Bike (then known as the "10-speed") because it was more comfortable
..and easier to use.

You've got to be kidding. MTBs have greater rolling resistance and not a
comfortable riding position.

Only a very small fraction used them as full "off-road"
..machines.
..
..Today there are several more bicycle types intended for folks who just need
..'a plain old bike.' Comfort bikes (look like mountain bikes but have a more
..upright position) are my best sellers.
..
..
..---
.. __o
.. _`\(,_ Cycling is life,
.. (_)/ (_) all the rest, just details.
.. The Nelson Paradigm =^o.o^=
.. http://intergalax.com
.. http://intbike.com
.._______
..Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
..Version: 6.0.682 / Virus Database: 444 - Release Date: 5/11/2004
..

===
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande

"Mike Vandeman" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 30 May 2004 17:05:52 GMT, "Pete" wrote:

.
.hehehe..you just love showing how wrong you can be, don't you.
.Q. What on a mountain bike inherently might cause "high rolling
resistance"?
.A. Nothing. Its a bicycle. Same basic components as any other bike.

The tires, dumdum.

Addressed below.

It is also overbuilt and inefficient for street riding.

How so, Mikey? Please feel free to provide detail.
Perhaps you're thinking of the specialized engineless motorcycles known as
'DH' bikes. The vast majority of mountain bikes are not like that. As you
well know.


.The only difference, it seems, might be choice of tires. There is nothing
.restricting a MTB to knobbies. 26" slicks are widely available and cheap.
If
.you ask when you buy it, the shop will often swap the knobbies for
slicks,
.for free.
.
.And in fact, wider tires (of the same construction and pressure), often
.offer *less* rolling resistance than skinnier tires.
.http://www.discoveryride.com/human/rolling.html

BS.

Come now, Mikey. You dispute scientific studies comparing different street
tires? Done with no thought of mountain biking?
Do you have any different data? I'd like to see it.
("It's obvious" is not data)

How come there are no fat tire racing bikes? Aerodynamics and weight. trump
the rolling resistance difference. Oh, and construction.

.What do YOU ride, Mikey? Still riding that 3-speed cruiser? Care to
compare
.the aerodynamics between a sit-up-and-beg cruiser with a MTB?

Who cares? I like to enjoy biking, not torture myself and others.

It DOES make a difference, Mikey. Denigrate the efficiency of one style of
bike, when you yourself ride something worse?
Knowing what you ride helps provide a frame of reference for your opinions.

Pete