10 Reasons Why Road Bike Is Better Than Mountain Bike

Do you really need to know that there’s a different bike to handle different kinds of surfaces? If this is so, you should take a look at the construction of road bikes and mountain bikes. One of the major difference is the construction and dimensions of tires. But this difference gives them a combined potential to cover almost all kinds of surfaces.

If you want to ride on pavements, roads, riding tracks, a road bike is tailor made for these kinds of surfaces. But if you are interested in riding on hilly trails and rocky mountain, you are going to need a mountain bike for that.

So, this post is all about the differences between the two and explaining why you should prefer road bikes over mountain bike.

Here we go!

Road Bike vs Mountain Bike

1. Road Bike is the Predecessor

Arguably the major advantage of road bike over mountain bike is, it has a history and heritage. Road bikes were already more than a century old when mountain bike came into the scene.

2. Road Bikes are Speedy

Road bikes have aerodynamic design which is suitable for speed-racing. The sleek and lightweight body, along with high-profile tires and easier gear controlling, everything is meant to give you the speed.

In comparison, mountain bikes are designed for terrain. They have stronger road grip because of wider tires. Plus, they’re more suited for action sports. There’s no way you can make a road bike vs mountain bike comparison when it comes to speed.

3. Durability

This is certainly a debatable topic. Those in favor of mountain bikes point out that road bikes cannot withstand terrain surface and hence, they’re less durable. This may be true, but tires aren’t the only thing that counts.

When a mechanism is built for speed, its body is ready to take all the bumps and scratches. Road bike frame is an example of precision engineering and quite advanced as compared to mountain bikes.

4. Road Bike is Better for Health

The idea of riding on top of the hill or forest is an attractive one, but the question is not about what you get, it’s about how consistent you are with what you do for good health. Plus, outside weather and fresh air aren’t the only factors responsible for good health, your body is the main factor here.

Road bike give you the stretch and shape that enables you to grasp more air to your lungs and the body posture helps stabilize the flow of blood throughout from head to toe. Now, all you need is take your road bike out early in the morning when there’s less pollution. This is how, you can get a good workout and feel fresh without waiting for your vacations and heading to the mountain.

5. Road Bike Offers Better Energy Conversion

Answer is quite simple; the one that gives better workout. Here, the road bike can give you an advantage. It’s smart derailleur and gear system, ultralight weight and quick release front tire gives you better energy conversion. So, if you ride a road bike on daily basis, you’ll always look to add a mile or two with time.

On the other hand, you need to move your body quite a lot on the mountain bike, because it’s heavier and eats up your energy quickly. Unless, you’re a stunt-loving creature, you’ll feel far better on the road bikes.

6. Ease of Riding

In connection to the above, road bikes are far easier to operate with limited speed options and simple design features. All you need is ride and enjoy the ride. With mountain bike, you need practice and hard work to master the art, and people often don’t have that much time to spend.

7. Number of Options

Road bike gives you a lot of options to choose from. You can get a road bike at less than a $1000. Then there’s a wide range of sizes according to the height and leg length of the rider. There is a large variety of frame materials, chain-sets, tires. And, you have upgrading option too. Mountain bike, on the other hand, doesn’t give you as many options.

8. Road Bike Needs Less Maintenance

You can easily calculate when to change road bike tires, but you never know about MTB tires. They’re flatter, means they wear out quickly. As far as other aspects are concerned, road bike’s durable material makes it less vulnerable to damage. So, road bikes are far easier to maintain.

9. Road Bikes Are Portable

What will you do when you have a flat tire? Road bikes are merely 30 pounds so you can easily carry your bike to the repair shop. Mountain bikes are usually 15 to 20 pounds heavier, which means you need to drag the bike all the way to the shop (add extra resistance caused by flat tire).

10. Purposes

Road bike comes in a lot of designs, shapes and sizes. You can have a touring bike that offers space for baggage and other stuff. You can have a hybrid bike for tracking off the road. Then there are roadsters for speed lovers. With mountain bikes, you don’t get that many options, certainly not speed-riding.