• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Become a Premium Member
  • About

Road Bike Rider Cycling Site

Expert road cycling advice, since 2001

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Bikes & Gear
  • Training & Health
  • Reviews
  • Cycling Ebooks
    • Ebooks Training
    • Ebooks Skills
    • E-Articles Training
    • E-Articles Nutrition
  • Member Area
  • Newsletter

Can I Use a Mountain Bike for Road Training?

QUESTION: I read your advice in Off-Season Training for Roadies about buying a used “beater bike” for sloppy roads. My local shop has an old mountain bike with a rigid fork for sale. It’s in great shape and the price is right, but are mountain bikes OK for road training? — Perry C.

COACH FRED: You bet! If you found a rigid-fork mountain bike in decent condition, you’ve got a prize. Just be sure you can make the saddle’s height and fore-aft position (relative to the bottom bracket) the same as on your road bike.

Here are a mountain bike’s advantages for a roadie:

—It’s versatile. You can put on smooth-tread tires for road training, or knobbies to ride on dirt roads, trails, or snow-covered roads. It’s a great bike for commuting and errands, too.

—It’s slow. This is an advantage when it’s cold because you’ll feel less windchill. If you ride the road with knobby tires, the extra rolling resistance will give you a great workout at a slower — and warmer — speed.

—It’s convertible. Check with your bike shop about installing a drop handlebar to get your exact road position. Then you’ll have a bombproof, year-round beater that you can use during any inclement weather. Here’s an example of a very high end drop bar mountain bike from Salsa.

Got cycling questions of your own? Submit yours here and we might cover it in a future article or newsletter.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search

Recent Articles

  • Monumental History of the Climb to Kaiser Bicycle Ride Published
  • Ornot Cycling Winter Gear Review Roundup
  • The Important Role of Carbohydrates
  • How far can you bike tour per day?

Recent Newsletters

Newsletter Issue No. 1060

Newsletter Issue No. 1059

Newsletter Issue No. 1057

Newsletter Issue No. 1056

Newsletter Issue No. 1055

Footer

Affiliate Disclosure

Our cycling expert editors and writers choose every product we review. We may earn an affiliate commission if you buy from one of our product links, at no extra cost to you. This income supports our site.

Follow Us

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook

Privacy Policy

Still Haven’t Found What You’re Looking For?

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

 

Loading Comments...