I recently started biking and am preparing for a long distance ride with a group. The group is by now more experienced/fit than me. So, it’s understandable that I would have some difficulty maintenance up. But, each member of the group except me has bought a road bike & I’m wedged on a mountain bike until I can afford a road bike. The conundrum is, I am being really left in the dust! The group basically seems to reflect that I just need to push harder, but I honestly feel like I’m pushing as hard as I can – yet, I force as well be standing still…lol. Is a road bike much quicker than a mountain bike? Is is realistic for me to be expected to keep up with a group with road bikes on a mountain bike?
Also, any training tips are welcome…
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You can’t keep up with a road bike no topic how hard you teach. The shocks and tires eat up too much energy. You can try some high pressure 26 X 1.5 inch road tires but you will still have a hard time maintenance up. Go to the local Goodwill or Salvation Army and look for an grown-up road bike for cheap.
at least get some slick tires for it
preferably 1.5″ or narrower
80psi or higher
they are cheap
still, unless you are way more fit then them, or the route is actual trails, very nearly no way
wle
Suspect you by now know the answer. Tires are key with aerodynamics second and weight third.
Narrow slicks will make a HUGE difference. Some bar extensions mounted downward on cut down and narrowed handlebars can give you ersatz drop bars and stripping out as much weight as possible is always a plus (some new rims to go with your new tires will help too).
BTW, road bikes are always quicker…on the road. Ever consider hopping some curbs, tremendous some turf and commonly going places road bikes can’t go? If you’re going to wage war against road weenies, use all the tools you’ve got.
No, it is not realistic for you to keep up. Your group sounds like they a bunch of buffoons…why give you a hard time about it? Ignorance or venom I guess – it really doubtless makes them feel like they have larger penis’s if they are quicker.
I had similar quaestions when I started riding. I had a mountain bike that I converted to more of a street bike – place on a rigid fork and thin, completely slick tires. I was still left in the dust on my go back and forth to work by others on crappy road bikes. Then again, there are people I’ve seen on hybrid type bikes that are able to push at 20 mph, but it’s rare, and those bikes still have a geometry that is closer to a road bike, than a pure mountain bike is to a road bike. I beat up that mountain bike (and my legs) trying to keep up. The bike withstood what I threw at it but I finally learned that I needed a road bike when I started riding in a group. You can replace the front fork with something more rigid for like $70 (installed) and new, descent wuality slick tires for maybe $40/tire (with tubes) installed. So you’de by now be looking at around $150 or so. You can go to your local bike shop to get more accurate pricing though.
I would reflect about looking at Craigslist for a descent quality road bike – many excellent one’s were made in the 80’s in Japan and are still in nice shape so consider them. You can have an ok used road bike for around $250, depending on where you are in the country.
For training, it’s excellent to ride in a group, especially with more experienced and stronger riders. But also one’s who won’t discourage you – support is nice. So if they are just being friendly and raggin’ on ya, keep it up. Otherwise, try to find another group. To get better, do more. To get to carnegie hall? Practice, Practice, Practice. at a snail’s pace increase your distance (about 5-10%) each week. Measure your speed and cadence with a cycing computer (excellent cheap one’s available for under $30 or so). try to keep your cadence at above 70rpm’s. Climb hills – wonderfully painful, and effective. clipless pedals are excellent for efficiency too – and don’t forget about pedaling technique. Learn about technique from either one of the huge penis guys you rride with or from someone else – or the Internet has ok resources too, but you can’t really observe the technique on line. Consider cross training to increase cardio (running works well), and make sure you maintain a excellent diet for optimal performance. Oh, and of course, get a lot of rest for recovery and to give your muscles a chance to erect. Rest is highly neglected but very vital. Excellent luck, have fun.
You have several disadvantages. Extra weight, lower gearing, thick, heavily treaded tires, suspension, and less aerodynamic position all work against you. As well, you are behind on conditioning and experience which may well be the largest thing holding you back
Until you get a road bike, you’re basically… Well, see link below.
Really unrealistic for you to keep up…a thirty pound mtb is at a serious disadvantage when compared to an 18 pd road bike…and oh, I did just what you’re doing! At each race, the roadies would look at me like I was outta my mind…and I was. Either the group with you isn’t being honest or they like pound’n your butt; either way, someone in that group must lend you their #2 bike. If it’s all you have, the mtb, you’ll have some quality miles try to keep up…but no way you’ll keep up until that road bike sits in your garage.