I can not decide if I should get a road bike or mountain bike for my budget of $ 650 for a bike. I live on dirt roads but I do not want to drive slowly on a mountain bike when I hit the paved roads. Mountain biking is intended to land much worse, then a dirt road? He says they are off the road, but wouldnt riding on dirt roads can not be off-road? Im thinking that if I buy a road bike that I could always put studded tires on it, but I could not make a mountain bike any faster when I roll into town.
February 2nd, 2010 at 8:03 pm
Get a hybrid bike that is all you need.
February 2nd, 2010 at 8:05 pm
There are hybrids that are in between road and mountain. A road bikes tire may not handle the dirt road without popping a tire.
February 2nd, 2010 at 9:04 pm
Road bikes are really fragile, and their carbon forks (This depends on the bike you get) can snap really easily, so it doesn’t really matter if you put knobbly tyres on or not.
Mountain Bikes can stand up to a lot of harsh treatment so it’s probably best to get them. Also Mountain bikes are generally all-rounders as well, whereas road bikes aren’t as versatile.
Just another thing, It would be really, really, really, really, really uncomfortable on a road bike!
February 2nd, 2010 at 9:26 pm
I agree with the others–go with the hybrid. I have a very expensive mountain bike that I ride in the backcountry (I live in Breckenridge, CO), but I also have a hybrid that I use for town riding. It’s great because it works nicely on hills and I can take it off-road and not have to worry about it being uncomfortable.
If you ever find yourself in Breck, read up on my blog: http://www.breckenridge-lodgin.....wordpress/
I try to mention town activities, especially those that include biking!
February 2nd, 2010 at 9:33 pm
While I think that road bikes are tougher than some people think (myself included), I don’t know if you could put knobbies on a road bike that would make a difference. I don’t know how smooth or accidented the trails you want to ride are.
In a way, I think that a mountain bike is more versatile than road bikes, since you can ride both on and off road with them. You could have some semislick tires that would help when you’re riding on paved roads, and work decently for off road.
look for a hardtail, probably a 29er would be a good choice for what you’re wanting.
February 2nd, 2010 at 9:56 pm
I highly recommend buy it from….
http://www.amazon.com/gp/searc.....ive=390957
The prices are good and FREE Shipping.
Hope you find your favorite. Good Luck!