Road bike barely faster than mountain bike !

[Alan B]

I've had my Specialised Rockhopper (hardtail) for 10 years and done a variety of off-road and on-road riding on it. I'm very comfortable on it, and for road use have 1.5 City Slicks fitted which make it very free running.

I've now become more interested in road riding and have joined the local club, and did the first 30 mile ride fine on the Rockhopper (in the slow group).

I decided to I really ought to have a road bike, so a couple of weeks ago bought a Giant Defy 2. It's a lovely bike but I'm not finding it much faster than the Rockhopper, although this is based on only four rides, and the weather has not been favourable.

Speed comparisons:
10.5 mile circuit fairly flat - Mountain Bike - 16.4mph
10.5 mile circuit fairly flat - Road Bike - 15.8mph

27mile hilly circuit (incl Cheddar Gorge) - Mountain Bike - 13.3mph
27mile hilly circuit (incl Cheddar Gorge) - Road Bike - 13.8mph

Are these figures surprising, am I going to get faster as I get used to the bike ?

 

[BSRU]

Personally, what bike I use makes a difference, my average on my road bike is at least 5kph more than using my heavy hybrid to commute using the exact same route. Probably not as big a difference going up or down hills but noticeably faster on the flat.

 

[mickle]

It's either you or the bike, so, assuming that the bike is ok, brakes aren't rubbing or the wheel bearings aren't over tight that leaves you. It's quite feasible that your body, familiar as it is with the position you adopt when riding your old bike, is'nt performing in the new position. The question is though; should you wait for your body to adapt to the new position or should you adjust the bike to fit you?

A little bit of both probably... I'd err on the side of adjusting the bike to suit you though.

Hope that helps! =)

This might be useful too.

 

[Canrider]

It's more complicated than 'MTB slow, road bike *fast*'..

Off the top of my head:
- You rode with the 'slow group', could have have gone faster? Or were you only just keeping up?
- What was your perceived exertion between the two bikes on the same circuit? Were you in comparable gears in each?
- Have you gone out with the group on the road bike?
(and of course there's weather--headwind? tailwind?)

 

[Banjo]

When I first changed from my Hybrid Trek to a Scott Road bike my average speeds actually dropped a bit. Firstly you need to get the bike fitting you perfectly ie seat position stem length etc. Then you just need to get some miles in so your body adapts to the much different position on the bike.

good Luck, its worth the effort.

 

[cyclingsheep]

There is one more possibility. Have you adjusted the bike computer for the difference in wheel circumference between the mtb and the road bike? If not then the extra size of the road bike per turn may be the reason as you'll actually be going faster on the road bike but for less revolutions but the computer is reading revolutions and calculating the distance. Just a thought

 

[siadwell]

When I started on a road bike after riding a slicked-up mountain bike for a while I was expecting speed increases of 10-20%, but didn't see them initially. I now find that on the flat, the road bike is much faster, downhill the MTB might be quicker as the chunky tyres/suspension/V-brakes make me more confident, and uphill there's not much in it as the limiting factor is me!

I'd echo the comments above about making sure you're comparing like with like, and also about it taking some time to get used to a different bike.

 

[mattobrien]

When I switched from MTB to Road bike (on the road) I found that I was 0.5 mph quicker on the first run out, so not a huge difference to begin with. I think I went from 16.7mph best (MTB) to 17.2mph (Road). This was over a 15 mile route.

I haven't necessarily got much quicker on my road bike, this year a goal I have is to average 18mph on my 21.5 mile route), then 20 mph, but I have managed to extend my distances, which I don't think I would have done on my MTB with nobblies.

The road bike is light and nimble, while my MTB felt heavy and that it required a lot of effort. Just need to get out a bit more and improve my fitness and all going to plan the first sportive won't be too painful.

 

[Alan B]

Thanks for comments. I'm comparing like with like, with the exception of wind. The flattish circuit had the wind blowing in opposite directions, and the hilly circuit on the road bike was done yesterday with a stiff breeze in my face for the final 10 miles. So maybe the averages will be more favourable as I ride more.

I agree with the comment about set up, and I need to refine these to get them right.

I also think there maybe something in getting the body to adapt, and getting used to leaning forward more whilst still able to peddle effectively.

I have just been surprised that there wasn't a big step change improvement, but the comments above help in explaining that it's not straightforward.

thanks, Alan

 

[fossyant]

What colour are the two bikes ?

You do know that red or blue road bikes are the fastest, and they go even faster if polished. Dirty bikes are slow !

 

[mickle]

fossyant makes a good point. But tests have shown that the increased speed of a clean bike is more than offset by the requirement to stop every few hundred yards to wipe it down.

 

[coffeejo]

Ditto what everyone else has said. It took a while for me to adjust to the new bike, as well as adjusting it to me, and then suddenly everything seemed to click.

 

[totallyfixed]

I have always ridden a road bike, but I have done the opposite to you and the first time I rode the mountain bike it felt slower than a sleepy slug. The mountain bike I have is only slightly heavier than my road bike, but, and here is the thing you notice straight away, no aero position into a headwind and definitely not as effective to climb on out of the saddle.
Once you get used to all the different hand positions, gear ratios etc you will see a difference. I'm not surprised you are not quicker with a new bike versus the one you have been riding regularly for 10 years. Hope you got the right size.

 

[Norm]

I think much of the speed difference is in the tyres - I got a 17% speed increase on a flat 7 mile route - which you've already got from changing to the 1.5" City Slicks.

After that, the weight difference is currently offset by your muscles being built up from riding on the MTB. Over time, I think that you will condition to the new position and your speed on the roadie will increase.

 

[Matthew Hicks]

I've got a reverse of the above (Warning: Boring Commuter Bike Stuff). I've retired a Claud Butler Urban 200 on the grounds of a broken frame, and bought a second hannd Gudereit. The Gudereit weighs significantly more and was sold with new road treaded tyres, rather than really nice slicks that I had. It's way faster, about 3-7 minutes over an 8.5 mile commute.
The only thing I can think of is the gears go up to eight (is that like the amp that goes up to 11?), but I hardly use eight as it makes my kneecaps hurt when I get off.