road bike or mtn bike which is safer in the wet

[cyclekat]

Hi I'm still a relative beginner and not sure whether my road bike will be safe when the roads are wet or will I be better off on my mtn bike.

 

[ianrauk]

Bike tyres can't aquaplane in the wet. Well not until you reach about 100mph that is.
You will be totally fine on a road bike in the wet. Slick road tyres have more grip on the tarmac then knobbly MTB tyres.

Just be careful around drains and painted lines.

 

[Rob3rt]

Suck it and see, try railing each one round a tight bend!

 

[Crackle]

Suck it and see, try railing each one round a tight bend!

And if you come off don't blame Rob.

Whichever you feel most comfortable on and as per Ian's advice, avoid white lines and drains.

 

[Firestorm]

Bike tyres can't aquaplane in the wet. Well not until you reach about 100mph that is.
You will be totally fine on a road bike in the wet. Slick road tyres have more grip on the tarmac then knobbly MTB tyres.

Just be careful around drains and painted lines.

Keep an eye open on roundabouts with petrol stations too , although this is a bit easier in the wet, vehicles often overfill or splash when refuelling and the cornering straight ofter the refill often puts fuel on the road.

 

[michaelcycle]

Your road bike will be fine but just ride a little more cautiously and allow yourself a little more time for braking and cornering.

 

[Dan B]

Whichever of them has mudguards ;-)

 

[boybiker]

The road will always be at its most slippery for the first 15 mins or so of rain as any oils in the road surface will be bought to the top. Take extra care and you will be fine just be warey of fuel, oil etc on the road as well as painted lines and drain covers as above .

 

[cyclekat]

Thankyou for all your replies they are helpful. Just had a week's holiday and it feels like starting all over again today. I'd only been to work two times on my road bike and am still getting used to it but I've been commutting for about 8weeks on my mtn bike. I want to get more confident on it so I guess it's best to just get out there on it. It's been great over the summer and iI don't want to give up when the wet weather comes.
The sun is shining in Birmingham now so should be ok this afternoon yippee.

 

[HLaB]

IME the road tyre will be better in the wet, the only tyres touch wood that I've lost the back of have been tyres with tread. More of a smooth tyre is in contact with the tarmac and deformation of nobblies can add to problems with control.

 

[Chris S]

Nobody's mentioned brakes yet, they twice as long to stop in the wet. A new cyclist may not realize this.

Road bikes tend to have caliper brakes to save weight, Mountain bikes have more powerful linear pull ones. They'd definitely be an advantage in the wet.

 

[on the road]

But it's still safe to use a road bike in the wet, you just have to brake earlier then you normally would.

 

[HLaB]

Nobody's mentioned brakes yet, they twice as long to stop in the wet. A new cyclist may not realize this.

Road bikes tend to have caliper brakes to save weight, Mountain bikes have more powerful linear pull ones. They'd definitely be an advantage in the wet.

I prefer road bikes brakes in the wet, for me they are more moduable (is that a word or have I just made it up )

 

[Born2die]

Just remember which bike your on had a major moment not too long ago when I took a wet bend on my mtb at race bike speed.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I prefer road bikes brakes in the wet, for me they are more moduable (is that a word or have I just made it up )

This maybe "modulable" French for being capable of modulated