Mountain bikes are unnecessary?

[WinkOsmosis]

I found this article.

http://www.adventurecorps.com/way/whoneedsatb.html

Excerpt:
I routinely dust every mountain biker I encounter on the trail. And I ride a road bike.

Furthermore, I think, no, I know, the mountain bike is the most over-rated, most improperly used, most over-built, and most greedily promoted piece of hardware to hit the sport and fitness industry in modern history. Ninety-nine percent of the miles ridden by 99% of the mountain bikes could, and should, be ridden on the first and only real all terrain bike, the 'road bike.' More bluntly, a road bike is equal to or better than a mountain bike if ridden with skill like I have.
...
And before you write in that I'm just some elitist roadie with a penchant for ATB-bashing, let me offer my credentials for having a credo worth splashing across this page: I've raced the Alaskan Iditabike three times and have set solo and tandem 24 Hour off-road cycling records. Off-dirt I've raced the Race Across America twice (9th in '87), two Ironmans, and broken numerous distance records, including San Francisco to Los Angeles. Importantly, I practice what I preach.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Even jumping a curb on a street bike can change your life forever.

 

[Cooljt1]

that dudes a retard

 

[TommyVercetti]

Try riding a road bike on a school campus, jumping off and on curbs, going down slight stairs and what not. Then I will see whose wheels are bent out of shape, the mountain bike's or the road bikes.

 

[CFster]

Yeah, WTF.

I've wacked rocks and downed tree limbs coming down a mountain on a offroad bike that would have had me carrying a street bike out of the woods on my back.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

I'm looking for a used mountain bike (for mountain biking).
Should I get a bike with suspension or no? I'm thinking that a $250 (used) bike with suspension won't be as good as a $200 bike without suspension. Also, do I have to wear spandex? That stuff can get expensive.

Look at this cool helmet I found.. Giro Bad Lieutenant Helmet

Full face

Another cool helmet

With helmets like these available, why does anyone wear dorky mushroom-head helmets?

 

[minendo]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis
I'm looking for a used mountain bike.
Should I get a bike with suspension or no? I'm thinking that a $250 (used) bike with suspension won't be as good as a $200 bike without suspension.

Look into the GT Aggressor. Picked mine up used (in great condition) for $125. As soon as I have some spare cash, I am upgrading the front suspension though.

 

[PowerMac4Ever]

Originally posted by: minendo

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis
I'm looking for a used mountain bike.
Should I get a bike with suspension or no? I'm thinking that a $250 (used) bike with suspension won't be as good as a $200 bike without suspension.

Look into the GT Aggressor. Picked mine up used (in great condition) for $125. As soon as I have some spare cash, I am upgrading the front suspension though.

how low you droppin it?

 

[tallest1]

Does this guy think roadbikes are made of titanium or something? A single curb could probably turn one into a pretzel

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: tallest1
Does this guy think roadbikes are made of titanium or something? A single curb could probably turn one into a pretzel

Mine is - it is one of these, and its frame is just as tough as my hardtail titanium MTB - one of these.

I think this editorial exaggerates the pros off road bikes and the cons of MTBs, but the fact of the matter is that, ridden skillfully, and with proper tire selection, a road bike is a surprisingly capable off-road machine. God knows cyclocross bikes (basically road bikes with greater tire clearance and cantilever brakes) have been around, and been ridden off-road, for decades longer than MTBs. Much like SUVs, most MTBs are seldom if ever used off-road, and are generally not well-suited to riding on the road. Even on narrow slicks, an MTB is a poor, SLOW substitute for a decent road bike.

 

[DurocShark]

I had a Trek hardtail that I loved. Only suspension was in the forks.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: Don_Vito

Originally posted by: tallest1
Does this guy think roadbikes are made of titanium or something? A single curb could probably turn one into a pretzel

Mine is - it is one of these, and its frame is just as tough as my hardtail titanium MTB - one of these.

I think this editorial exaggerates the pros off road bikes and the cons of MTBs, but the fact of the matter is that, ridden skillfully, and with proper tire selection, a road bike is a surprisingly capable off-road machine. God knows cyclocross bikes (basically road bikes with greater tire clearance and cantilever brakes) have been around, and been ridden off-road, for decades longer than MTBs. Much like SUVs, most MTBs are seldom if ever used off-road, and are generally not well-suited to riding on the road. Even on narrow slicks, an MTB is a poor, SLOW substitute for a decent road bike.

Yeah I don't see how a road bike can be significantly weaker than a mt bike, especially when you're talking about the frame bending.. If there is an impact strong enough to bend tube steel or aluminum, how well would your bones fare? Hmm.

Is the rear suspension on your mtb a strut? That looks cool.

 

[WhiteKnight]

I was watching last year's Tour de France and at one point Lance was forced off of the road because he narrowly avoided a crashed rider in front of him. He rode for about 100 yds offroad before he made it back onto the course and while he never looked out of control he sure was bouncing around. I doubt that most people would be as lucky on a road bike.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: WhiteKnight
I was watching last year's Tour de France and at one point Lance was forced off of the road because he narrowly avoided a crashed rider in front of him. He rode for about 100 yds offroad before he made it back onto the course and while he never looked out of control he sure was bouncing around. I doubt that most people would be as lucky on a road bike.

Actually, I think any reasonably experienced cyclist could have done the same thing. He was riding through a bare field, not a technical surface. He was lucky, IMO, only in the sense that he did not puncture - God knows what he might have ridden over in the tall grass.

 

[JulesMaximus]

This guy is an idiot. I've ridden road bikes for years and never tried a mtb until about 7 years ago. Bought a nice Trek 730. I rode it a couple times a week on local trails flying down hills and off jumps that a road bike couldn't handle. After my friend broke his ankle on a ride with me he stopped riding off road and I pretty much stopped then also (primarily because I don't want to ride alone lest something similar happen to me). Since then I put smooth road tires on my mtb rims and used the bike for commuting. I used my road bike some but found the mtb to be more comfortable and less likely to blow a tire (actually, I never lost a tire on my mtb-can't say that for the road bike).

So, this guy can go screw himself. He should be beaten for even making a stupid statement like that.

 

[Howard]

How do you properly determine the suitable frame size?

 

When he says road bike, does he mean the classic mountain goat handlebars and the extremely skinny wheels?

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: Howard
How do you properly determine the suitable frame size?

http://www.bsn.com/cycling/ergobike.html You can calculate using that.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: SampSon
When he says road bike, does he mean the classic mountain goat handlebars and the extremely skinny wheels?

Yeah. I dunno about the handlebars though. Those narrow bars give you less leverage.

 

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: SampSon
When he says road bike, does he mean the classic mountain goat handlebars and the extremely skinny wheels?

Yeah. I dunno about the handlebars though. Those narrow bars give you less leverage.

Ah, yea, I guess I can see the guys points. But, who cares. There are zealots in all walks of life, and this guy fits the mold perfectly.

I've destroyed way too many road wheels by going up and down curbs.

 

[StageLeft]

I don't believe him. Nobody takes a road bike on a real trail. i don't mean a dusty trail, but one with roots and stumps and steep, muddy hills.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

d

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis


Yeah I don't see how a road bike can be significantly weaker than a mt bike, especially when you're talking about the frame bending.. If there is an impact strong enough to bend tube steel or aluminum, how well would your bones fare? Hmm.

Is the rear suspension on your mtb a strut? That looks cool.

I actually have the hardtail model, the CHT. The Serotta softtail is basically a slightly more sophisticated version of the tried-and-true Moots YBB - it is basically a pivotless suspension that uses the titanium's inherent springiness to soften the ride of the rear end. The Serotta does the same thing but has a hydraulic shock rather than a simple elastomer bumper, like the Moots. Speaking of road bikes, Moots actually make this road bike with their YBB softtail rear end.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

I don't know how stock road rims would work for me, but when I was on the off road trails, I rode a hybrid and at 250 lbs, I didnt break it. It was also MUCH faster than a mountain bike. I found it to be the best all arounder

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Is this a good MtB helmet? Why doesn't everyone use full face helmets?

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: WinstonSmith
I don't know how stock road rims would work for me, but when I was on the off road trails, I rode a hybrid and at 250 lbs, I didnt break it. It was also MUCH faster than a mountain bike. I found it to be the best all arounder

What's the difference between a hybrid and a mountain bike?