[Closed] Roadies taking over the asylum?

Loads of folk getting road bikes, lots of talk about lost mojo, fed up with wet summers and dirty winters.

yup.

keeping the training going

Reckon that'll be it.

That's sort of it for me as well. Not really the lost mojo part but I don't enjoy riding on bridleways and don't live near any good trails.. but I like to get out on my bike every day if possible so a road bike makes sense. The minimal faff is nice as well.

I succumbed and bought a road bike. It was rubbish! I nearly died of boredom! I just don't get the appeal at all!

So I sold it and bought myself a new hardtail! Getting muddy is brill!!! In fact I'm just about to go and clean the other nights filth off it! Some people need to just MTFU!!!! 😉

With binners here, nothing worse than a road ride, beyond dull. Very dull. Really dull.

Easier to clean me mtb than me road bike after picking up all the grime from the road too, don't know where thats come from

ffs, most of us ride bikes for fun, if the weathers crap we'll find something else to do & there's more to life than riding/training etc

That'll explain why when I took members of my road club out for a three hour blast around Woburn and the only people I saw out today taking advantage of the great conditions were;
A squad from Twenty3c and two groups from Team MK and Team Corleys. All roadies keeping the training going and having a blast.

I do mean we were and all the roadies were off road. The retro boys would have spaffed at all the ancient bikes that were out today, never seen so many V brakes in one place for ages.

ffs, most of us ride bikes for fun, if the weathers crap we'll find something else to do & there's more to life than riding/training etc

Come again 😉

I've gone the other way. After around 15 years when I only rode on the road I pulled a dusty old (rigid steel) MTB out of the shed last February, hit a local forest track, loved it and haven't touched the road bikes all year, during which time I've bought/built two MTBs and ridden a couple of times most weeks. I've even started selling some of my surplus road stuff. Guess I'm just counter-cyclical.

So I sold it and bought myself a new hardtail! Getting muddy is brill!!! In fact I'm just about to go and clean the other nights filth off it! Some people need to just MTFU!!!!

Off road conditions have been briiant foe a good while now. I've had to spend some time getting the hardtail ship shape to make the most of it.
If my cross race is off tomorrow I might do the short course Harp Hilly on the MTB.

I love both best of both worlds imo

^ indeedy doody.

I reckon it's just because the Roadies are more organised and structured! The are used to doing events and training sesions, whereas MTBist seem to be a bit more singular, in small groups, where if one party drops out, then it's real easy to just say "nah, i don't fancy it either" if there's only a couple of you going?

Think I rode my MTB 4, maybe 5 times in 2012... 😳

Mostly road, CX and track for me at the moment.

Dunno, I've ridden road bikes for years. But this forum is full of answers from a generally mtb perspective. So if you are a mtber looking to get a road bike, here is better than a dedicated road forum.

Wet, I can handle on or off road. But cold and especially zero or below is definitely better off road. Most of my road riding is done in summer and I generally do a lot more off road in winter.

I was out on the mtb yesterday in the snow and will be riding round Brickhill (or Woburn if you prefer) woods again tomorrow, I do own a road bike but it aint a patch on mountain biking.

Probably 50/50 this year for me, but the state of any trails round here means most of my riding kit is falling apart from the sandstone grit wearing the stitching out!!

Don't know why but I've lost a lot of motivation this year, started road racing back in 1979 & then slipped into MTB in late 80's.

Enjoy tinkering with bikes almost more than riding at the moment, I guess the weather has a fair bit to answer for as I remember being really motivated in 2003 & 2006 in really hot summers?

60 miles on my fixed road bike this AM. Saw a few othher clubs out. But when the SS insurance replacement arrives, I'll be back off-road. I love the snow and am missing it.

Kerv it was great over there today. The snow is still soft, if it freezes over it'll be a bugger.
See what happens overnight, might try Ashridge.

Not mojo here either but months of not having a single local route that didn't have a hike-a-bike section due to mud combined with hosing myself down and bucket washing 2-3 times has become pretty tiresome. I would still rather do that than no riding at all but at least if I get a road bike as kind of planned then it gives me some variation and will mean I can get out riding with dad before he gets to old.

Ah apologies if you were on mtb, all is forgiven!
pics of said retro bikes?

Good point with roadies being more organised & strict but most I know ride for a gain, target, time or event. Seldom it seems that many just go for a ride & see where they might end up

That and cycling seems to be the main hobby or with little else on the side whereas with the mtb folk there's other main hobbies/obsessions

Out on the mountain bike this morning at 7:30am across the local bridalways. Great fun in the snow 😀

I meant "bucket washing 2-3 times [b]A WEEK[/b] has become pretty tiresome".

2-3 times altogether would be pretty pathetic. 😆

Taking over? I've been here for years!

There are very few decent roady forums. STW is one of the best these days.

I have one as I got it cheap (road bike that is) used to ride to work and when I didn't want to go out on the trails by myself. Had it in mind to do some mega training on it. Didn't get much use in bad weather thats what the mountain bike is for.
Generally I don't get the slopping round in muddy trails thing thats when we would hit the rocky trails.

Now over in Oz most riders have both, I use it for something different and to get longer rides in as the local trails are all short. Now i'm broken and its sat in the (new) turbo trainer keeping the belly away.

No loss of mojo, no running to the dark side just enjoying bikes.

Exactly Mr carbon ,stw is a safe ,fluffy bunny of a site, where the road bike curious MTBers can have their questions answered. 😀

Road riding is great - almost as good as mtbing.

My permit arrived yesterday, staring at me all today making me feel guilty. Unfortunately too much else to do 🙁

I get bored doing one kind of riding. For me it's all riding a bike. In the deepest winter I tend to stay on the MTB as the higher speeds on the road increase the wind chill effect.

Oh dear all my clubs roadies loved it so much yesterday, we're out on the MTBs again today.
Just wait til the snow on the ground freezes, that'll take the smile off their faces.

On a serious note....sorry 😕 some of the guys stats show that a 10mph average off road ride is just a good a work out or better than a steady endurance pace road ride. So backs up what I've been telling the guys, well worth having a bog standard MTB in your collection for weeks like these. Sadly a few just won't have anything to do with MTBs, so I guess they'll have to sit at home while we get some great off road riding in 😀

i recently got a carbon road bike (have wanted a road bike for 20 odd years tbh).

i love it (am not giving up mountain biking though 🙂

Building a fixed/free tourer, wish that was ready to go right now.

MTB-Road-It's all good and sometimes it is nice to swing the other way.....Guess that makes me a Bi-Cyclist 😀

ust wait til the snow on the ground freezes, that'll take the smile off their faces.

When the snow freezes is when it's best IMO ! MK redways loads of fun at the moment.

ust wait til the snow on the ground freezes, that'll take the smile off their faces.
When the snow freezes is when it's best IMO ! MK redways loads of fun at the moment.

+1!

Oldgit - the workout in terms of effort can be similar, but there is a lot of core stability that goes in to off road stuff especially if it is muddy/slippy/icy, etc. That is why it makes a good all round session, whereas a road session tends to concentrate on the legs a lot more. I know there are exceptions, but I am limited to my turbo at the moment (dislocated kneecap) dreaming of just getting out.

Sadly a few just won't have anything to do with MTBs

IIRC you just need to call it 'Roughstuff'. Roadies don't mind that.

I seem to have given up both at the moment and just run or race cx.

Cold and wet runs take an hour and leave me as knackered as 3 hours on the road bike and i dont get cold feet or hands.
Training with a running club makes it a solid date in the diary too.

Rode my mtb a couple of times last year as i mostly rode on the road but going to try getting back on it a bit more this year.

manton69, true. I cherish my regular off road ride, even if it's just once a week. At my age core strength goes rapidly so I use a very fast XC ride to keep some strength there. And was an essential part of my cyclo cross training.
One of my club mates is a very good time trial specialists, he has been out off road with me these last two days and can;t believe how many aches he has in places he didn't think could ache.

Anyway, saw a good amount of MTBers out today. Though true to STW form all sat at the cafe at Ashridge 🙂

I'm a mountain biker at heart, but really enjoy getting out on the road. Its great to have the choice. Particularly on a sunny summer day after a wet spell, when you know the local (Chilterns) trails will be sloppy.

[b]i bought a road bike ten years ago, rebuilt it about 4 years ago. Hardly ride on road now because of the dangerous, but increasing minority of bike hating car drivers.

Now gone back to off road, which is the superior form of unpowered two wheel recreation (IMHO).

sunny=mtb or road
wet=road
icy=mtb and fast frozen trails

ride more on the road now as its easier and doesn't take up most of the day but enjoy the mtb more as i don't go as often or slog through mud. i actually prefer it in subzero temps as the trails are fast, very little cleaning of the bike needed and less people about.

there's more to life than riding/training

Trail bike for fun, Road bike for miles. They're both great.

Having never owned anything with drop bars in me entire life (in 1990 I went straight from BMX to MTB), I recently bought a Surly Cross Check. Fun, fun, fun. 😀

Anyway, saw a good amount of MTBers out today. Though true to STW form all sat at the cafe at Ashridge

Sadly a few just won't have anything to do with MTBs, so I guess they'll have to sit at home while we get some great off road riding in

This is irony, right? From the man who is constantly on the verge of getting rid of his mountain bike because he never rides it.

Sorry, that was unfair. It's just great that guys in their 60s and 70s like you are sill out there riding bikes. Any bikes.

Sorry, that was unfair. It's just great that guys in their 60s and 70s like you are sill out there riding bikes. Any bikes.

Interestingly my local road club ditched the idea of a Sunday club run today. Instead a few of us headed off road. 20 miles of snowy bridle ways and lanes was a much tougher workout than most road rides I do.

Judging by the trashed roads (potholes from the freeze) I think there are going to be some trashed road wheels out there. Some areas are so bad I may as well go mtbing as it would be smoother!

I've decided not to get rid of it, basically it's so old it's sort of composting by itself.

Been sorely tempted to road bike again this year - not 'cos I don't like mud - just the amount of time taken to clean the bike every flippin time I have been out for the last n months. BUT - have developed a cunning plan of using a road bike on a turbo and then out with the lads on the MTBs. This hasn't solved the cleaning issue but the interval training on the turbo has meant that I can monster the climbs and keep going for longer. So the stamina from the turbo is really paying off - but I won't be switching back. I will take my chances with deers, roots, badgers and trees rather than Mr White Van Man etc etc.....

That's whar I'm doing all this week, unless it clears up.
Two to three hours very steady XC, then an evening on the turbos in the warmies.

Took a group of 18 (mostly roadies that own an MTB) to Cannock yesterday, numbers probably boosted by the local club cancelling Sundays road ride cos the roads are pretty lethal right now.

Enormous grins all round!

They've all asked me to organise more regular off road rides!

😀

I did the same with my club. Sadly I don't think they'll be trying it again. 🙁