How much faster is a good road bike than a mediocre mountain bike?
July 1, 2013 12:12 PM Subscribe
I've been commuting to work on an old mountain bike (pretty heavy, with wide, knobby tires). After about a year of steady progress, (taking off most of the winter), I'm up to between 10-15 miles each way (20-30 miles per day), and average around 15.5-16.0 mph (~3:45 per mile).
Anyway, I've been thinking about trying to ride with a few actual cyclists on longer weekend rides.
I don't think these guys are competitive racers, but they're all in good shape, and they all ride high-end road bikes (e.g., carbon fiber frames, etc.).
I'm not sure, but I think they average about 18-20mph on 1-2 hour rides.
So - I'm trying to figure out how much of a difference my bike makes (vs. my condition), and how far from being ready to ride with them.
I know my bike weighs a lot (plus a rack for my gear), and I'm sure the wide, knobby tires have much greater rolling resistance.
But realistically - how much faster could I expect to be on good road bike?
Is it remotely possible to quantify this? I'd hate to spend $2,000+ on a a new bike, only to discover that I'm 0.1mph faster than I was on my old beater...
Thanks in advance!
A much smaller investment would be to replace the knobby tires on your mountain bike with something a bit slicker. Reducing the rolling resistance will make a noticeable difference.
posted by steinwald at 12:22 PM on July 1, 2013 [6 favorites]
posted by steinwald at 12:22 PM on July 1, 2013 [6 favorites]
Also - most reputable bike shops are going to let you take something out for a test ride. Try out a couple road bikes and see if you can tell a difference.
posted by steinwald at 12:23 PM on July 1, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by steinwald at 12:23 PM on July 1, 2013 [3 favorites]
Another factor is that longer weekend rides are less stop-and-go than your typical commute so that brings the average up a bit.
But you can spend a lot less than $2,000 and be a good amount faster or at least enjoy your ride more! Absolute cheapest - go to your bike shop and get smooth road tires as skinny as your current rims will allow. This will cost about $100-$150 and you'll notice an enormous difference.
Likewise, you don't have to jump right to a carbon bike. You can get a nice intro-level road bike in steel or aluminum for about $1,000 and be a lot faster. I went from a "hybrid" bike after a couple of years to a touring bike (~$750 previous year model on sale) and the difference was astounding! Go on some test rides and see how it feels!
posted by mikepop at 12:23 PM on July 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
But you can spend a lot less than $2,000 and be a good amount faster or at least enjoy your ride more! Absolute cheapest - go to your bike shop and get smooth road tires as skinny as your current rims will allow. This will cost about $100-$150 and you'll notice an enormous difference.
Likewise, you don't have to jump right to a carbon bike. You can get a nice intro-level road bike in steel or aluminum for about $1,000 and be a lot faster. I went from a "hybrid" bike after a couple of years to a touring bike (~$750 previous year model on sale) and the difference was astounding! Go on some test rides and see how it feels!
posted by mikepop at 12:23 PM on July 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
The main ways you could gain speed by switching to a road bike are weight and a more aerodymanic riding position, I think rolling resistance is secondary.
If there are hills on these rides it will be hard to keep up with people on much lighter bicycles. Similarly at 20 MPH for a long distance you'll be doing a lot less work if you adopt a more aerodynamic position
That said a 2k road bike is definitely not necessary, for $800 you should be able to find a used aluminum road bike in excellent condition with good components that is substantially lighter than a mountain bike.
posted by 12%juicepulp at 12:28 PM on July 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
If there are hills on these rides it will be hard to keep up with people on much lighter bicycles. Similarly at 20 MPH for a long distance you'll be doing a lot less work if you adopt a more aerodynamic position
That said a 2k road bike is definitely not necessary, for $800 you should be able to find a used aluminum road bike in excellent condition with good components that is substantially lighter than a mountain bike.
posted by 12%juicepulp at 12:28 PM on July 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
I have to agree with the above posters. I put thinner, slick kevlar tires on my MTB (a rather heavy Montague Paratrooper) and it made a WORLD of difference. I was definitely faster after - and had better control and endurance. Try that approach first.
posted by fake at 12:36 PM on July 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by fake at 12:36 PM on July 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
Nthing slick tires. Especially if you otherwise really like your bike.
posted by biscotti at 12:47 PM on July 1, 2013
posted by biscotti at 12:47 PM on July 1, 2013
You're not going to be able to keep up with them on a mountain bike. It's not about your relative physiques, it's about the bike. This is sort of a "right tools for the job" situation. Would you debone a chicken with a butter knife?
Nthing that you don't need a high end carbon fiber road bike necessarily, just any old road bike will probably do.
posted by Sara C. at 12:48 PM on July 1, 2013 [3 favorites]
Nthing that you don't need a high end carbon fiber road bike necessarily, just any old road bike will probably do.
posted by Sara C. at 12:48 PM on July 1, 2013 [3 favorites]
I had a nice high end mountain bike with slick tires(early 90s handmade marin for those curious). It was pretty light as far as mountain bikes go. The slicks were a huge improvement, but more in the sense that an actual fried hot dog is infinitely better than a microwaved one.
The crappiest road bikes i've ever had would not only pull away from that thing like a ferrari away from a vespa, but were also way less tiring to ride.
I will note that i've never quantified this as whenever i get a bike with a cyclecomputer thrown in i just sell it or throw it in a drawer. But i've ridden a road bike around with friends who had slick-equipped MTBs(or even just knobby tire ones), cruisers, and other road bikes and even the guys who are in way better shape with me are really working to keep up on the mountain bikes. And inversely, what bike i was riding even if it was the MTB with slicks made a huge difference in keeping up with people. If i was on an MTB, i'd be falling behind or working really hard.
You don't have to spend a lot of money to get a good road bike. $300-4 is about the magic price point at which you can get something that will honestly be fine. Look at older trek's(1000, 1200, 1400 models are a good place to look), Cannondale's(basically any road bike model. Not an "H" number series, something like an r3/4/6/8/900 or a "2.8/3.0"), a lower end old bianchi. Avoid walmart brands and you should be fine. You'll also get infinitely more dollar value from a midrange(or even high end sometimes pops up for cheap!) older bike than a bottom end new bike. I've gotten bikes that were close to 2k new in the 90s for $200 before.
I also think going to a shop and going on some test rides is a good idea to get a feel for what kind of improvement it would make. But for me, it was just going out and buying something cheap but decent and riding the crap out of it that made me realize the difference.
And it's also hard to quantify how much more effort you'll subconsciously put in, and how much stronger and better you'll actually get when you're just able to see and feel how much more speed you're getting for the effort you put in. The first time a hill that was previously a bear feels like nothing you'll go :O
it may also be worthwhile for you to check out my answer in this thread, and the whole thread really
posted by emptythought at 1:05 PM on July 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
The crappiest road bikes i've ever had would not only pull away from that thing like a ferrari away from a vespa, but were also way less tiring to ride.
I will note that i've never quantified this as whenever i get a bike with a cyclecomputer thrown in i just sell it or throw it in a drawer. But i've ridden a road bike around with friends who had slick-equipped MTBs(or even just knobby tire ones), cruisers, and other road bikes and even the guys who are in way better shape with me are really working to keep up on the mountain bikes. And inversely, what bike i was riding even if it was the MTB with slicks made a huge difference in keeping up with people. If i was on an MTB, i'd be falling behind or working really hard.
You don't have to spend a lot of money to get a good road bike. $300-4 is about the magic price point at which you can get something that will honestly be fine. Look at older trek's(1000, 1200, 1400 models are a good place to look), Cannondale's(basically any road bike model. Not an "H" number series, something like an r3/4/6/8/900 or a "2.8/3.0"), a lower end old bianchi. Avoid walmart brands and you should be fine. You'll also get infinitely more dollar value from a midrange(or even high end sometimes pops up for cheap!) older bike than a bottom end new bike. I've gotten bikes that were close to 2k new in the 90s for $200 before.
I also think going to a shop and going on some test rides is a good idea to get a feel for what kind of improvement it would make. But for me, it was just going out and buying something cheap but decent and riding the crap out of it that made me realize the difference.
And it's also hard to quantify how much more effort you'll subconsciously put in, and how much stronger and better you'll actually get when you're just able to see and feel how much more speed you're getting for the effort you put in. The first time a hill that was previously a bear feels like nothing you'll go :O
it may also be worthwhile for you to check out my answer in this thread, and the whole thread really
posted by emptythought at 1:05 PM on July 1, 2013 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: I appreciate all the feedback so far - especially about the thinner, slick tires.
But my apologies - this was was my fault for not being specific enough in my question.
I'm actually looking for a reasonably specific concrete estimate for how much faster I might reasonably expect to go on a lighter road bike.
In other words - if I'm averaging 16mph on a 27lb mountain bike with knobby tires, could I expect 1 mph improvement with a 20lb road bike? 2mph? 0.25mph?
Of course - there are a dozen different variables that make it impossible to predict, but I'm just trying to get a rough gauge of much the right bike could help me close the gap between my current pace, and the pace of the group I'd like to ride with.
Or, is that just too difficult to predict?
Thanks again.
posted by stuehler at 1:09 PM on July 1, 2013
But my apologies - this was was my fault for not being specific enough in my question.
I'm actually looking for a reasonably specific concrete estimate for how much faster I might reasonably expect to go on a lighter road bike.
In other words - if I'm averaging 16mph on a 27lb mountain bike with knobby tires, could I expect 1 mph improvement with a 20lb road bike? 2mph? 0.25mph?
Of course - there are a dozen different variables that make it impossible to predict, but I'm just trying to get a rough gauge of much the right bike could help me close the gap between my current pace, and the pace of the group I'd like to ride with.
Or, is that just too difficult to predict?
Thanks again.
posted by stuehler at 1:09 PM on July 1, 2013
On my Trek hybrid (Multitrack 7300), I averaged about 5:30/mile.
On my new road bike, I average about 3:30/mile.
So, there's that.
posted by kbanas at 1:21 PM on July 1, 2013
On my new road bike, I average about 3:30/mile.
So, there's that.
posted by kbanas at 1:21 PM on July 1, 2013
There are a couple answers with numbers here. "A general rule of thumb is that if you are switching from a mountain bike with knobbies to a road bike you will be between 15-20% faster at the same watts/effort." Another: "You can change tires, increase pressure, lock out your suspension, and use clipless pedals, but if you are on a typical mountain bike, your gearing will still limit you to a speed which is roughly 30% slower than the same effort will produce on a mountain bike."
I think that last point is key -- bikes have gears with different tradeoffs between speed and power. You need gears designed for the same general speed as the group you want to to ride with.
(I got my steel-frame road bike on Craigslist for $200 from a guy who rebuilds bikes for charity, and I love it.)
posted by jhc at 1:24 PM on July 1, 2013
I think that last point is key -- bikes have gears with different tradeoffs between speed and power. You need gears designed for the same general speed as the group you want to to ride with.
(I got my steel-frame road bike on Craigslist for $200 from a guy who rebuilds bikes for charity, and I love it.)
posted by jhc at 1:24 PM on July 1, 2013
It's really very variable. Even the same bike can show a few mph difference just on the basis of having been freshly tuned up.
One thing you might consider to get a good comparison would be to check Strava or similar for stats from other people who ride the same routes you do; many of them will include info on the bikes they're riding.
And I second the suggestion that you do some test rides at local bike shops -- there's nothing that will give you a better idea what different kinds of bikes will do for you than actually testing them out. Other riders aren't you, so why not clock yourself on the same road with different bikes?
I wouldn't bother too much with trying to get a road bike off CL until you've gotten a feel for what size frame fits you best and had a chance to test some out, so you know what they feel like when they're awesome (even if utterly out of your price range). For some initial numbers, try this fit calculator -- standover height is not the only thing that matters (it's not even the most important thing for fit.)
I liked this piece on riding in a paceline for the first time, if you'd like some info on what specific things might make some bikes better for that purpose than others.
posted by asperity at 1:49 PM on July 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
One thing you might consider to get a good comparison would be to check Strava or similar for stats from other people who ride the same routes you do; many of them will include info on the bikes they're riding.
And I second the suggestion that you do some test rides at local bike shops -- there's nothing that will give you a better idea what different kinds of bikes will do for you than actually testing them out. Other riders aren't you, so why not clock yourself on the same road with different bikes?
I wouldn't bother too much with trying to get a road bike off CL until you've gotten a feel for what size frame fits you best and had a chance to test some out, so you know what they feel like when they're awesome (even if utterly out of your price range). For some initial numbers, try this fit calculator -- standover height is not the only thing that matters (it's not even the most important thing for fit.)
I liked this piece on riding in a paceline for the first time, if you'd like some info on what specific things might make some bikes better for that purpose than others.
posted by asperity at 1:49 PM on July 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: OK. Here's a bike power calculator. It has some presets built in. Going with the "MTB" preset and setting it at 16 mph, apparently you are generating 156 W of power.
If we change the bike to a road bike, hands on tops, and set the power to 156, we see your speed will be 17.1 mph. This may seem like a relatively small speed increase, but remember that aerodynamic resistance (which is the main factor in your total workload) increases with the square of your speed, so it takes a lot of work to go a little faster.
One thing this does not take into account is rolling resistance. As everyone said, changing to slick tires on your mountain bike will make a noticeable difference.
jhc: "if you are on a typical mountain bike, your gearing will still limit you to a speed which is roughly 30% slower than the same effort will produce on a mountain bike" This is true at the top end, but it's irrelevant for day-to-day riding. The top gear on my road bike is 119 gear-inches. At a cadence of 90 rpm, I'd be going 30 mph (note: I cannot sustain 30 mph except with a huge tailwind). On a mountain bike with typical gearing at that cadence I'd still be grinding along at 20+ mph.
posted by adamrice at 1:50 PM on July 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
If we change the bike to a road bike, hands on tops, and set the power to 156, we see your speed will be 17.1 mph. This may seem like a relatively small speed increase, but remember that aerodynamic resistance (which is the main factor in your total workload) increases with the square of your speed, so it takes a lot of work to go a little faster.
One thing this does not take into account is rolling resistance. As everyone said, changing to slick tires on your mountain bike will make a noticeable difference.
jhc: "if you are on a typical mountain bike, your gearing will still limit you to a speed which is roughly 30% slower than the same effort will produce on a mountain bike" This is true at the top end, but it's irrelevant for day-to-day riding. The top gear on my road bike is 119 gear-inches. At a cadence of 90 rpm, I'd be going 30 mph (note: I cannot sustain 30 mph except with a huge tailwind). On a mountain bike with typical gearing at that cadence I'd still be grinding along at 20+ mph.
posted by adamrice at 1:50 PM on July 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
Is it remotely possible to quantify this?
Time trial your mountain bike on a known, predictable short course (say, a mile or two), record your time.
Take a break for a little bit to recover.
Borrow one of your friends' nice road bikes and ride the same course again, record your time.
There you go, a concrete estimate.
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 1:55 PM on July 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
Time trial your mountain bike on a known, predictable short course (say, a mile or two), record your time.
Take a break for a little bit to recover.
Borrow one of your friends' nice road bikes and ride the same course again, record your time.
There you go, a concrete estimate.
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 1:55 PM on July 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
People have struggled with this question since the dawn of bikeforums.net. The problem is that "a mountain bike" could mean so many different things as could "a road bike." Just go test ride some stuff, borrow a bike for a weekend, or rent one for a week. Like any change in activity, it will take you a while to get used to the newer activity, so you'll get even better than the trial period shows.
Better yet, riding bikes is way more fun than arguing on the internet.
For more anecdata, switching between my old road bike to my fancy new carbon beast saves me 10 minutes over a 10 mile ride I do weekly. I don't have good data on how long I took in longer rides for the old bike.
posted by advicepig at 1:57 PM on July 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
Better yet, riding bikes is way more fun than arguing on the internet.
For more anecdata, switching between my old road bike to my fancy new carbon beast saves me 10 minutes over a 10 mile ride I do weekly. I don't have good data on how long I took in longer rides for the old bike.
posted by advicepig at 1:57 PM on July 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
I made the switch about a year ago (chunky mountainbike to hybrid) I'd say about 25-33% faster. And a lot less tiring.
But I can't annoy security guards by riding down flights of stone steps anymore.
posted by rhymer at 1:59 PM on July 1, 2013
But I can't annoy security guards by riding down flights of stone steps anymore.
posted by rhymer at 1:59 PM on July 1, 2013
When I switch between a Bianchi hybrid and a Trek road bike I notice a rough 15% performance increase.
You will notice a much greater advantage if you are drafting with a group of riders.
However, you can't just sit back in the draft, you will need to take your turns at the front.
The only real way to find out is to take a ride with them.
posted by mygoditsbob at 2:04 PM on July 1, 2013
You will notice a much greater advantage if you are drafting with a group of riders.
However, you can't just sit back in the draft, you will need to take your turns at the front.
The only real way to find out is to take a ride with them.
posted by mygoditsbob at 2:04 PM on July 1, 2013
Going from a heavy, 20 year old Schwinn hybrid to a new, entry level road bike, I gained about 20-25% average speed increase on similar rides.
posted by andrewraff at 2:07 PM on July 1, 2013
posted by andrewraff at 2:07 PM on July 1, 2013
i switched from a mountain bike to an older, metal road bike a few years ago and noticed the speed change immediately. my bike is old, as i said, but still a good bike and i don't think it's possible to really ride it slowly.
i once had the pleasure of riding a super high-end carbon-fiber racing bike and couldn't believe how amazing it was. it was a pleasure to ride and i never even though about changing gears till about 2.5 miles later when i was almost to my destination. i looked it up afterwards and it was a $9,000.00 bike! while i would never pay that much for a bike i can appreciate the fact that i've experienced both ends of the bicycle quality spectrum and can personally attest to the difference.
so, short-story-long, a different style of bike will definitely make a big change in your speed. as will new tires or even a new crank. you don't need to spend a lot to get a really great bike either. a little judicious Googling should give you an idea of what to go for. i'd think finding the stats on your current bike and comparing weight, parts etc. should allow you to decide on what best fits your needs. you can look at eBay and Craigslist or even used bike shops for deals. or visit the people at your local bike shop (or a couple different bike shops). tell them what you're looking for and how much you're willing to spend. don't be intimidated or afraid to look stupid with your questions and don't feel pressured to buy. if you already commute by bicycle you might want treat this as you'd treat buying a car.
p.s. i'm not really a bike person. i'm just a guy with the day off from work who's lately been researching ways to update my bike on the cheap.
posted by Conrad-Casserole at 2:17 PM on July 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
i once had the pleasure of riding a super high-end carbon-fiber racing bike and couldn't believe how amazing it was. it was a pleasure to ride and i never even though about changing gears till about 2.5 miles later when i was almost to my destination. i looked it up afterwards and it was a $9,000.00 bike! while i would never pay that much for a bike i can appreciate the fact that i've experienced both ends of the bicycle quality spectrum and can personally attest to the difference.
so, short-story-long, a different style of bike will definitely make a big change in your speed. as will new tires or even a new crank. you don't need to spend a lot to get a really great bike either. a little judicious Googling should give you an idea of what to go for. i'd think finding the stats on your current bike and comparing weight, parts etc. should allow you to decide on what best fits your needs. you can look at eBay and Craigslist or even used bike shops for deals. or visit the people at your local bike shop (or a couple different bike shops). tell them what you're looking for and how much you're willing to spend. don't be intimidated or afraid to look stupid with your questions and don't feel pressured to buy. if you already commute by bicycle you might want treat this as you'd treat buying a car.
p.s. i'm not really a bike person. i'm just a guy with the day off from work who's lately been researching ways to update my bike on the cheap.
posted by Conrad-Casserole at 2:17 PM on July 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
A good road bike will be lighter than your mountain bike, but that is not really where most of the improvement comes from. It is also stiffer, has less rolling resistance, puts you in a different riding position, and has different gearing. All of these make a difference. Even on a cheap road bike, you'll get the improved riding position and gearing, most of the improvement in rolling resistance, and some improvement in weight and stiffness. A more expensive bike will be lighter and stiffer, but the incremental improvement will cost you.
posted by mr vino at 2:32 PM on July 1, 2013
posted by mr vino at 2:32 PM on July 1, 2013
I want to echo the tires comments. I was surprised by how much of a difference putting slick tires on a hybrid made versus knobbies.
posted by 2oh1 at 2:33 PM on July 1, 2013
posted by 2oh1 at 2:33 PM on July 1, 2013
I own and ride regularly an old Schwinn hybrid. Heavy steel frame, platform pedals, flat handlebars, geared for climbing and city riding. (as others have suggested here, I have narrow-ish slick tires installed, which made a huge difference over the knobby mountain tires I had on there.) On my long rides of 30+ miles, I usually average between 14-15 miles per hour.
Last summer, though, as a treat, I rented a nice carbon-fiber road machine for a day. HOLY SHIT. On that bike, which wasn't even close to fit for me - the seat was sort-of-kind-of at the right height, but that's about it - I was already in the 16-17mph range, and was able to ride 45 miles and could have gone longer if I didn't have to get it back to the shop. It was almost TOO easy to ride.
That having been said, though, when I returned the rental bike I asked the guy at the LBS how big of a difference there was between that $3500 carbon bike and aluminum road bikes like the ones I was considering buying for somewhere between half and a third of the price. He told me "less than you think - especially when you're upgrading from an old hybrid."
So, the moral of this story: yes, a $2000 road bike will blow the pedals off your old mountain bike, but a $1200 bike would probably get you 95 percent of the way there.
posted by deadmessenger at 2:52 PM on July 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
Last summer, though, as a treat, I rented a nice carbon-fiber road machine for a day. HOLY SHIT. On that bike, which wasn't even close to fit for me - the seat was sort-of-kind-of at the right height, but that's about it - I was already in the 16-17mph range, and was able to ride 45 miles and could have gone longer if I didn't have to get it back to the shop. It was almost TOO easy to ride.
That having been said, though, when I returned the rental bike I asked the guy at the LBS how big of a difference there was between that $3500 carbon bike and aluminum road bikes like the ones I was considering buying for somewhere between half and a third of the price. He told me "less than you think - especially when you're upgrading from an old hybrid."
So, the moral of this story: yes, a $2000 road bike will blow the pedals off your old mountain bike, but a $1200 bike would probably get you 95 percent of the way there.
posted by deadmessenger at 2:52 PM on July 1, 2013 [1 favorite]
Maybe input some numbers on this calculator?
If you put a gun to my head and made me guess, I'd say 3 mph increase in speed but it's ridiculous to say anything specific without knowing a lot of parameters which you are not sharing in your posts.
Overall, my gut tells me that if you can do 15 mph on a mountain bike by yourself you can keep up with a group doing 18-20 mph on a road bike.
posted by 99percentfake at 4:13 PM on July 1, 2013
If you put a gun to my head and made me guess, I'd say 3 mph increase in speed but it's ridiculous to say anything specific without knowing a lot of parameters which you are not sharing in your posts.
Overall, my gut tells me that if you can do 15 mph on a mountain bike by yourself you can keep up with a group doing 18-20 mph on a road bike.
posted by 99percentfake at 4:13 PM on July 1, 2013
You should expect to be 15 to 20 percent faster, holding effort constant.
posted by jtfowl0 at 4:23 PM on July 1, 2013
posted by jtfowl0 at 4:23 PM on July 1, 2013
15 to 20 percent is in agreement with my own experience, but remember that it isn't fair to compare your average speed riding on your own with the average speed riding in a group, with all the attendant aerodynamic advantages. In other words, it's perfectly plausible that you could go from 16 to 18 mph by switching to a road bike, then from 18 to 20 mph by switching from riding alone to riding in a group.
tl:dr if you can keep up 16 mph solo on a MTB I bet you'll have no trouble keeping up 20 mph in a group on a road bike, assuming you know or can learn to ride safely in a group.
posted by primer_dimer at 5:40 AM on July 2, 2013
tl:dr if you can keep up 16 mph solo on a MTB I bet you'll have no trouble keeping up 20 mph in a group on a road bike, assuming you know or can learn to ride safely in a group.
posted by primer_dimer at 5:40 AM on July 2, 2013
As anecdata, I ride about 8 miles to work almost every day on a road bike. Yesterday, I did it on a mountain bike. Road bike time (including stopping for lights): about 34 minutes. Mountain bike time: about 42 minutes, a difference of 8 minutes over 8 miles.
Road bike has 25c tires, no tread, and I ride at 120/100 psi rear/front. Mountain bike has 2.1 tubeless tires that are moderately knobby and I ride 28/25 psi rear/front.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 6:41 AM on July 2, 2013
Road bike has 25c tires, no tread, and I ride at 120/100 psi rear/front. Mountain bike has 2.1 tubeless tires that are moderately knobby and I ride 28/25 psi rear/front.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 6:41 AM on July 2, 2013
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Averaging 18-20 mph over multiple hour rides requires some effort. That said, so does averaging 16 mph on a mountain bike, even on flat terrain! I think you definitely have some good base to work off of, but I think what's more important than your physical condition is your familiarity with longer rides in a group. Two hours is a reasonable time for anyone, but it's not a great idea to go from no group riding to a group of 18-20 mph riders who are probably pacelining without any practice. Is there an organized bike group in your area? Try some slower rides first - not for the physical effort, but for the group riding experience. Once you're comfortable riding in a group, ride in progressively faster groups, emphasizing safety and pacelining technique. Once you've done that, you'll have a great idea whether or not you can handle the group you're interested in.
posted by saeculorum at 12:20 PM on July 1, 2013 [3 favorites]