What would win in a race: a road bike or a mountain bike? It’s the ultimate sporting grudge match! In the MTB corner is Si, riding an XC bike over the mountain in the most direct route possible. Meanwhile, representing road cycling is Hank, taking his speedy drop bar machine the longer route along the roads to the finish. MTB vs road: which is harder?
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Mountain biking or road cycling: which is harder and which is better? 👀 Let us know in the comments below! 💬
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44 Comments
Mountain biking or road cycling: which is harder and which is better? 👀
I ride both, on the road my biggest concern is cars, but I just watch the road and maintain a good cadence. MTB, is a lot of sprinting, and figuring out lines over rough terrain.
It's all horses for courses, isn't it?
The roads around my home are mostly in a fairly poor state – unlike that lovely smooth tarmac that Hank was riding on – so I sometimes use my mountain bike for the roads. But mountain biking over an actual mountain, where you can be miles from the nearest piece of tarmac, has the potential to be far more technically demanding.
Mountain bikes tend to have a higher rolling resistance than road bikes; but the higher sustained speeds attained on the road means that air resistance is a bigger factor.
Neither one is consistently easier or harder than the other.
Do both. MTB is harder. No discussion to be had. Proof? You don't go for routine 100k MTB rides. No matter how easy the route is, if it's real MTB 100k is terrifying. Elevation is often achieved in a much more violent way. Going down hill isn't a rest but a skill test that will keep you hr engaged. The "roads" themselves say it all. In other words, unless you're a pro rider Ina world tour, you can't say your version of the sport is harder.
A true MTB ride is far more difficult than cushy road riding 🙂 It's like drinking from the fire hose and no time to relax. That's why it's so nice to get the road bike out and go for a nice smooth ride. Which one do I like the best? Whichever one I'm doing!
both is awesome 🥰
I rode MTB for 22 years until i decided to give Road a try. From my experience, the rule of thumb is 1 MTB mile is equal to 10 Road miles(Obviously as bit exaggerated). What makes MTB difficult is the spike in effort from constantly changing terrain and technicality. MTB isn’t something you find a rhythm in which burns you out quicker during a ride. Road, I’ve learned is all about sustained but relatively low effort over a distance. As mentioned already, Road can be as difficult as you’re willing to make it though.
I love it all. Gravel, road, MTB, urban commuting, etc. But when considering the effort needed to do a type of cycling, single speed MTB is often overlooked. I ride a steel, hardtail 29er with 3" Minions single speed (29T front, 22T rear). They call it a single speed, but there are actually three speeds: sit, stand (until you cant stand any more), and get off and push. It is HARD. Fantastic for building leg strength, and its a core, back, chest, and arm workout too! Highly recommended for anyone who hasnt tried it. Makes you feel like a kid riding a BMX on steroids.
So we're just going to leave it on a cliffhanger are we? 🍦😂
Hank: "Road cycling is as hard as you want it to be".
My reply: "MTB is as hard as route you've chosen (terrain) allows/requieres you to be" 🙂
Great comparrison. This roughly reflects my experience. Years of riding MTB and now on a road bike I feel like I am going places (and not just from one forrest to another). Much more controllable training sessions on road as well, that is why I tend to come back from road ride with much more fatigued legs. But in a good way 😉
Difinitely mountain biking is harder and the skillset needed to cover different kinds of terrain is more demanding than the road. Additional even if you are riding on tarmac, on a MTB, is stiil harder than using a road bike.
U can "stand up sprint" on a mtn bike, but its largely an inefficient, pointless climbing style for long ascents. So u hav to b content w yur butt on the seat for long durations (yes, even on a hardtail). There's also a bonus problem: all yur wght on yur butt, none on yur arms. Like sitting on a pike. Offroad i'll ride my ktm, thank u ! 😁.
Mentally I would day road biking is harder because you have less beautiful scenery to take your mind off of the pain in your muscles. Mountain biking on the other hand requires quick reflexes when going downhill over rocks and boulders. At the end of the day it depends on the rider.
I've always joked that comparing mountain biking to road riding is like comparing skateboarding to running.
Good takeaway though. Road riding is better 😉
Hi, could you make a video of a presenter (with an FTP of around 300-350W) on a downhill bike racing against a beginner (with around 200W FTP) on a midrange or top end road bike. 10 or 20 km long, mostly flat, no big climbs.
Okay now switch routes but not bikes 😁
@gcn what mount are you using for the insta on the mtb?
apples and oranges
mtb for sure
Mtb is harder on the body for sure. Road is harder on the quads IMO. Lots of coasting on the road bike in a pack of wolves. Mtb is basically solo effort… Cheers boys, funny vid.
if you have a nice forest no way in hell you choose fucking tarmaq haha
What about the different personalities: With their shaved legs shining in the sun, I found that the Lance Armstrong wannabees are generally socially inept on the road. They are so super focussed, wrapped up in their cycling mission and spandex, that they find it impossible to smile. They will pass you without a “how’s your father”, oozing arrogance. Shouting: “Hey peasant, my Campagnolo Super Record EPS costs £3500”. I can’t ever imagine going out for a pint with any of them. On Strava, I’ll have you know, I’ve knocked 0.032 seconds off that hill climb, me and Miguel Indurain are of one. There not the super obsessive type, with no mates, honest!
PS. I’m not a chunky mountain biker- honest!
You can ease up hills in any discipline but the technicality of mntn biking presents more challenges to your core. The desire for speed on the road, to me, makes the longer sustained efforts of road cycling more aerobically difficult. Just ride.
Road cycling is harder for many reasons, but a huge factor is that as you can go faster on a road bike, more wind is created meaning more power needed to sustain speed and therefore more suffering. The agony of going hard into both a tail and headwind full gas us harder than any form of mountain biking.
GMBN: 💩
I live in the Black Forest with hundreds of trails right out my door. The thing is they are almost all in the 12-18% range, so yeah, way harder than the roads. Way more fun with amazing views in my book too. The roads are amazing for motorcycles though!
MTB/off road is safer which factors in, esp in cities. The risk is under your control and no giant metal death machines are going to hit you! I’m new to cycling and much prefer the forests and marsh land to roads!
As someone who does both XC MTB and road.
I usually regard MTB distance (especially over difficult Terrain) to be equivalent to 2x the road difference.
So a 70km XCM marathon makes me feel similar levels of exhaustion and pain to a 140km road ride.
I do both and I think MTB is more mentally demanding because you are almost always picking up the right line to maximize speed and minimize the chances of falling.
Never have I agreed with the conclusion to any video as much as I do this one!
MTB harder physically. Roadbike much harder…. financially😂
MTB is extra dangerous because of the tight turns that could easily kill you.
Road is safer and more fun.
I love both but as you said road riding is basically only one thing whilst MTB can be soo much more and that's why I prefer it. If I would go for a ride in pouring rain id rather it be MTB than road, road for me is more place and weather dependant for it to be enjoyable.
Mountain biking is fysical harderin the basics, what better? The mindset where you in, sometimes on gravel sometimes outdoors
Mountain biking is way harder. As you said guys, road biking can be as hard as you make it which also means you can make it easy. When mountain biking, there’s no such a choice when climbing steep rough loose terrains. Full power and pace are required to maintain momentum which requires lots of effort and concentration. Climbing an 15 to 20 degrees off-road would require 10 times the power and concentration to make it through than doing similar ascents on a road bike.
On such loose rough ascents, one missed
pedal stroke or get one rear tire slip is all it takes to bring the bike to a halt.
All that said, mountain biking is a completely different cycling experience, a magical and an enchanting one. Nothing beats being away of civilization and deep into nature.
I rode my MTB almost a mile last Saturday and I was exhausted! Of course, that was a vertical mile – in addition to the 43 horizontal ones! 😛
I say pick the one you enjoy the most, but still do the other for some excellent cross-training
Gravel. U can get both. 😅
For me, roadcycling is a lot harder than mountainbiking. On the trails there is a lot of rest in the descents, while on the road you have to keep pedaling continuously (here in the Netherlands). I prefer the punchy efforts on the trails instead of the looong efforts on the road. Also on the open roads there is lot more wind than in the woods.
I am shocked with england environment what a beautiful country!
Who cares what is better, worse, harder, easier etc. as long as you are having fun ❤
From my anecdotal experience, MTB takes way more skill but road cycling is way more of a cardio workout
i hit my elbow and balls hard last month. I'll try Roadbike now 🤣