Home > People > Travel > Mountain Bike and Road Bike Compared

Difference Between Mountain Bike and Road Bike

email

Mountain Bike vs Road Bike

Any comparison between a road bike and a mountain bike has to keep in mind that road bikes are meant for speeds and style, whereas mountain bikes are meant for stability, balance and sturdiness. Both are meant for totally different specializations that necessitate their structure and parts to have differences. Though to a layman both bikes may look similar, and indeed both a road bike and a mountain bike are meant to carry a person on it and cover distances, there are differences that will be highlighted in this article.

It is clear from the outset that mountain bikes have to move on loose tracks and have to withstand lots of shocks and abuses that may lead to wear and tear to their frame and parts. On the other hand, road bikes are delicate to look at as they pretty much glide on smooth surfaces like metallic roads. Thus, mountain bikes are sturdier and have greater strength than road bikes that look fragile, at least in comparison to mountain bikes. Any cyclist riding mountain bikes knows there are differences in riding positions between a road bike and a mountain bike. This has to do with steep slopes and difficult terrains in mountainous regions as a cyclist has to sit more upright while riding.

The difference between MTB (mountain terrain bike) and a road bike is palpable at first glance with a wider, sturdier frame and wider tires with better traction to float on rough terrains. Road bikes are slender and more aerodynamic to achieve higher speeds, while MTB’s are created with a focus on stability and balance rather than speed and aerodynamic body.

On any given day, road bikes have greater speeds than mountain bikes. Road bikes can easily speed up to 50mph, while mountain bikes can barely pass through a speed of 20mph. The frames of road bikes are thinner and more aerodynamic that help a biker achieve high speeds. These bikes are designed to cut as much as possible wind and are deliberately kept light to speed up easily. The handle bars of a mountain bike are designed to provide better control and handling to the biker, and it is not surprising to see the rims and tubes of a mountain bike being thicker than a road bike.

What is the difference between Mountain Bike and Road Bike?

• Just like a racing car has great differences with ordinary passenger cars, mountain bikes are also different from road bikes.

• The tires of a mountain bike are wider and have more traction that tires of road bikes that are thinner.

• The frame of a mountain bike is also heavier and thicker than that of a road bike as emphasis is on stability and controls, whereas in a road bike, the emphasis is on attaining higher speeds with a lighter, aerodynamic body.

• Road bikes attain much higher speeds than mountain speeds.


Related posts:

  1. Difference Between Bike and Motorcycle
  2. Difference Between Bike and Bicycle
  3. Difference Between Road and Street
  4. Difference Between Mountain and Hill
  5. Difference Between Mountain Time and Eastern Time

Tags: , , ,

Copyright © 2010-2012 Difference Between. All rights reserved.Protected by Copyscape Web Plagiarism Detection
Terms of Use and Privacy Policy : Legal.
hit counters
eXTReMe Tracker
hit counters