Globalti
Legendary Member
I've been a fanatical MTBer for 21 years but in the last year I've gone further and further over to the true dark side of road riding. I was getting stale and fed up with riding the same routes with the same crew, getting filthy and then having to come home, clean the bike and myself and my kit and the attrition rate on gear was huge - round here it's very gritty and brakes, drivetrains and clothing wear out at a frightening rate. The worst were the winter night rides because although good fun they were invariably filthy and wet and I would end up freezing cold, hosing myself and the bike down late in the evening then blocking the shower with mud and getting moaned at for coming to bed late!
The other problem with MTBing is that it doesn't really get you that fit because you spend so much time standing around, yakking, fixing punctures or admiring the view. I was tired of the occasional conflicts with other trail users and the attitude of some fellow riders. I also grew to dislike the beer-swilling antics of some MTBers - they would spend the day in the saddle then finish in the pub necking lager and replacing all the energy with empty calories! Amazing numbers of MTBers actually have quite serious beer bellies as a consequence. On the road bike I'm loving the clean, pure feeling, the speed and the low maintenance. Road riding has shot my fitness into a different stratosphere. It's much more demanding as a discipline and you need to take more care of yourself to get the best from it.
The poor old MTB just gets taken out for the odd family trip nowadays. When I do ride on club trips I find I'm one of the fastest because I'm properly fit for the first time ever.
The other problem with MTBing is that it doesn't really get you that fit because you spend so much time standing around, yakking, fixing punctures or admiring the view. I was tired of the occasional conflicts with other trail users and the attitude of some fellow riders. I also grew to dislike the beer-swilling antics of some MTBers - they would spend the day in the saddle then finish in the pub necking lager and replacing all the energy with empty calories! Amazing numbers of MTBers actually have quite serious beer bellies as a consequence. On the road bike I'm loving the clean, pure feeling, the speed and the low maintenance. Road riding has shot my fitness into a different stratosphere. It's much more demanding as a discipline and you need to take more care of yourself to get the best from it.
The poor old MTB just gets taken out for the odd family trip nowadays. When I do ride on club trips I find I'm one of the fastest because I'm properly fit for the first time ever.
