A noticeable change.

[Keith Oates]

I commute on most days using a local made steel MTB, one of the reasons being that some of the journey is over some poor road surfaces. However recently I had to change my route because of some problem with the ferry service. This now means travelling on a reasonable road surface but I still used the MTB. On Friday I decided to use the Giant TCR for a change and it reduced the journey time by about 10 mins. Just shows how much difference a good raodbike is when covering long(ish) distances!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[spandex]

Its grate. I love it when some one comes into the bike shop I was working in with a load of cash and just look at the MTB's. Then I would ask them what riding they was hoping to be doing and none of it was off road and there ride was 7+miles in the city. Why look at the MTB's and not the road bikes?????

 

[simoncc]

It's the relatively affluent MTB commuters who baffle me. Why ride a high quality MTB on the road? They are slow, wide, energy sapping, have poor mudguards and are a target for thieves. Why would anyone use such a bike when a cheaper, faster thinner tyred tourer/audax/road bike would be so much better on all counts? Maybe these people are very prone to fads of all types.

 

[fossyant]

Simon...you've hit it on the nail there !!! Good MTB's need to be off road, they are 'orrible on road.... it's 'trendy' to have a full susser MTB !

 

[Tynan]

I think joe schmo thinks an MTB is a bike and others are fancy ones, the first two bikes I bought ages ago, when they were all the rage, for London commuting were MTBs

I think road bikes are seen as only for serious cyclists, not for commuters

 

[simoncc]

I think joe schmo thinks an MTB is a bike and others are fancy ones, the first two bikes I bought ages ago, when they were all the rage, for London commuting were MTBs

I think road bikes are seen as only for serious cyclists, not for commuters

Yes. I get the feeling that many tortoise like MTB commuters must think I'm some kind of unfashionable saddo even as I whizz effortlessly past them. MTBs for road use are something that some people just have to buy, just like the latest mobile phone, the latest laptop and the latest trainers. It's all about having the latest object that has been declared fashionable rather than having the best tool for the job you need doing.

 

[hackbike 6]

No perhaps they don't know much about bikes.

You'd be surprised,many of my workmates think all that buying a bike is about is popping down to Halfords and buying a bike is like buying a puppy for Christmas.

Not actually realising a bike is for life.Oh and it has to be the right size and not cheap crap wheels and components.

I remember a work colleague had a bike which he rode for a month and it started falling apart.Took it back to the shop and the shop owner said that he wasn't supposed to ride it every day.

 

[John the Monkey]

With all that said, there's a bloke rides an Orange and White front sus bike on Wilmslow Road some days who is scarily fast. If he ever gets a road bike...