Road Bike Vs Mountain Bike Speed Difference

They are not as well suited for operating off the road.

Road bike vs mountain bike speed difference.

When it comes to speed you can t make a road bike vs. Mountain biking became a sport in 1970s and has since then diversified into cross country riding became an olympic sport in 1996. Less popular as difficult to film and televise and is the only mountain biking event at the summer olympics. Mountain bikes are created for off road cycling in non paved rough environments.

A mountain bike comparison. However if you put the mountain bike on the same touraine i e a smooth paved trail the difference in speeds between mtb and road bike should be closer. Jim s numbers indicate about a 17 20 increase in mph for a road bike versus a mountain bike. Some people find the dropped riding position difficult to maintain comfortably for a long time.

Mountain bikes are mainly designed for terrain as they feature wider tires and because of that they have got a stronger road grip making them slower. In general it takes more energy to propel a heavy mountain bike than it does a road bike. Road bikes are fast and easy to pedal on pavement. One interesting thing to note is that a lot of the speed difference in the test seemed to come in the first 10 yards along the test track as the bikes accelerated up to speed.

As we mentioned before mountain bikes get pawned more so you might save on the used market. On any given day road bikes have greater speeds than mountain bikes. Decent mountain bikes and road bikes will run upwards of 800. Based on the speed test i found the road bike rolled on average about 11 faster than the mountain bike.

Mountain bikes can scramble over roots and rocks that would stop a road bike in its tracks but when it comes to pavement a road bike will take the lead every time. Mountain bikes are harder to pedal and slower on pavement. This discrepancy in speed results from the weight of the bikes the position of the riders and other basic differences in construction. So the road bike vs mountain bike debate can t be settled on cost alone.