As everyone knows, the correct number of bikes to own is N+1, where N is the number you own now. But there’s only a certain number of road bikes you can own. What’s a bike addict to do? Get a mountain bike, of course.
The upstart rebel branch of cycling in the 1980s, mountain biking is now an established part of the scene, with thousands of people heading off to play in the woods every weekend. If you’ve not felt the call of the wild, here’s why you should give it a try.
It’s fun
Mountain biking takes you back to being a kid playing in the mud. You’ll get messy, you’ll slide around and you’ll probably fall off a few times. You’ll finish spattered in mud (or, if you get a rare dry trail day, covered in dust), stung by nettles and grinning like a loon while you share stories over a pint.
Escape the traffic
There was a time when minor roads were almost the exclusive preserve of cyclists, especially on Sunday mornings. But now everyone drives everywhere, all the time, so even the tiniest back roads are very rarely the quiet lanes of the pre-Sunday trading era.
To get away from motor traffic, a mountain bike makes it easy to head away from the roads and into the hills. You can ride ‘wild’ by-ways and bridleways, plus purpose-built trails at the many trail centres that dot the country. You’ve no right to ride on public footpaths, though.
Lack of traffic makes mountain biking especially appealing to beginner cyclists, who are often quite reasonably reluctant to ride alongside trucks and boy racers. Easy trails and forest roads are great for building basic riding skills.
Build your skills
For the most part, roads are predictable: they’re solid under your tyres and they provide grip up to a lean angle most people rarely attain. Things are very different off-road: surfaces are loose and slippery, and almost never even. You quickly learn to respond to the bike moving around under you, and to cope with slopes steeper than any road.
All of that translates into a big boost to your bike-handling skills that carries across to the road. I’m a mediocre mountain bike handler, but thanks to decades of off-road riding I’m faster downhill than most road cyclists. Which gives me a chance to catch up after being left behind on the climb.
Even more advanced mountain bike skills can be useful on the road. If you can jump or bunny-hop a mountain bike, you can hop a kerb to get away from an irate cabbie. The trail is a better place to learn that and many trail centres have skill-building areas where you can practice your technique.
Get intense
Mountain biking involves bursts of intensity that are hard to replicate on the road unless you’re very disciplined about exploring the upper limits of your heart rate range. You may even find your maximum heart rate is higher than you think, especially if you have a go at mountain bike racing.
Short bursts of high intensity can be a great part of your training mix; mountain biking is an ideal way to do them.
Explore the woods and moors
There are wonderful, remote, beautiful places you can’t get to by road, from the tops of the Quantocks to the depths of Kielder Forest and beyond. Sure, you could hike in, but who has time for that?
Go night riding
Riding off-road in the dark is unique. With the trail lit from your handlebars and helmet, you traverse the night in your own personal bubble. Trees and trail obstacles spring out of the dark and all your senses are boosted. You’ll encounter animals rarely seen in daytime: foxes, owls, badgers, ‘courting couples’ and more.
If general mountain biking is fun and hones your riding skills, night riding take it up to 11. Your reflexes sharpen up, and because it’s harder to see and anticipate the trail surface, you learn to ride loose and react to the trail as you hit each rock and tree root.
Ride with the kids
Many kid’s bikes have fat tyres for the extra cushion and grip they provide. That means they can go off road too. Kids love the fun and freedom of riding trails, and parents don’t need to constantly make sure the little ones don’t veer off under a truck.
Buy more new toys
If one of the things you enjoy about cycling is buying, using and arguing about gear and accessories, you’re in for a treat. Not only does mountain biking have its own specific set of toys, but mud and wet means things wear out faster so you’ll have plenty of shopping opportunities down the line.
Things that it’s a good idea to pick up include:
Hydration backpack. Even if you can fit bottles (and there’s not much room on many modern mountain bikes) drinking from them while riding is tricky and they tend to jump out on rough ground. A small backpack with a bladder carries far more water (up to three litres), is easier to drink from and can carry other stuff too, such as a jacket (see below), tools and spares.
Buyer’s guide to hydration packs for mountain biking
Jacket. Riding in the hills means you’ll encounter every whim of the good old British weather, often on the same day. A high-quality waterproof jacket tucked into your backpack is a must. As well as protecting you from the elements while you’re riding, it’ll come in handy for keeping you warm when you stop.
Buyer’s guide to waterproof mountain bike and gravel jackets
Helmet. You might not wear one on the road, but a helmet is probably a good idea for mountain biking. You’ll fall far more often when playing in the woods (some would say it’s part of the game) and a helmet can protect against minor but messy scalp wounds and low-hanging branches. It won’t save your life, but it’ll stop you bleeding on your favourite jacket and twiddling your thumbs in A&E waiting to be stitched up. A mountain bike helmet usually has a peak to help keep the sun (or, let’s be honest, rain) out of your eyes.
Buyer’s guide to mountain bike helmets
Off-road shoes and pedals. There are two schools of thought when it comes to off-road pedals and footwear. If you’re already comfortable with being clipped in, then double-sided SPD pedals and matching shoes are the way to go.
Many riders prefer not to be attached to the bike, so they use ‘flat’ pedals with grippy-soled shoes. Forums are full of religious wars between the two camps, but it’s ultimately down to personal taste.
Buyer’s guide to mountain bike pedals – what’s best, flats or clips?
Full-finger gloves. When (not if) you fall off, your hands will very likely hit the ground first. If you don’t want to spend the next hour picking gravel out of your palms, gloves are a must.
A bike
And of course you’ll need a mountain bike. There are now as many different types of mountain bike as there are road bikes, from stripped down single speeds and jump bikes right through to full suspension downhill rigs, oh, and not forgetting e-mountain bikes either. You also get a choice of wheel size on mountain bikes these days.
Buying your first mountain bike: the complete guide
Buyer’s guide to mountain bikes – get the best MTB for you
For all the latest mountain bike news and product reviews, pop over to our fabulously muddy sister site, www.off.road.cc. Here’s a useful list of mountain biking features and buyer’s guides.
-1024x680.jpg "“Clear anti-cyclist bias”: Lawsuit filed against Toronto police after cop doored cyclist… before ticketing rider over incident")
54 thoughts on “8 reasons why your next bike should be a mountain bike”
It’s certainly fun but if you
It’s certainly fun but if you’re SERIOUS about your road cycling I’d stay away. My shoulders have taken a right battering over the years and my knees and elbows could probably be better too.
Depends how hard you want to play I suppose as I like jumping which doesn’t help, as what goes up sometimes doesn’t come down how you expected. Totally different buzz to road cycling though.
I’ve become Strava obsessed this past year so I’ve barely ridden the MTB and BMX and as such I’m almost injury free in the upper body and my shoulder is has stopped clicking and grinding all the time.
Overall it’s a good skillset to have but probably best got under your belt when you’re young and bounce better if you’re the sort of person that pushes on.
Yorkshire wallet wrote:
Funny as I’ve ridden off road for 25+ years now and my body is just fine. Same goes for most MTBers I know though a few do have injuries, they are not from MTBing. I even ride a cross bike with skinny tyres and no suspension on the rocky trails we have here in the Peaks.
But then you say you like jumping [and crashing it seems], which is a seperate [and more extreme activity] from MTBing for most people.
Yorkshire wallet wrote:
I’d heartily disagree. Most of the best riders in my area, (including Jesse Sergent, who lives along the road), do tons of it in the off season for fun and for the very different muscle group recruitment. I’d love to buy one but I’ve only just got a new roadie, and the wife would execute me.
Totally agree with the
Oops! Just realised I was repeating myself from.comments already made a while ago under the mountain bike guide……
N+1, just do it !
I reckon that it’s good for
I reckon that it’s good for core strength building too. I reckon I see an increase in road performance after doing off road work.
You don’t have to use full finger gloves. I enjoy mtb in the summer when it isn’t a mud bath, and short finger gloves stull provide a lot of palm protection.
For those that enjoy speed and steep climbs, I love the South Downs Way. 100 miles and a lot more elevation thatn you’ll see on most road imperial century rides! Not terribly technical so good for roadies learning the ropes. Fantastic views too.
DaveE128 wrote:
I’m happy with mitts too. I get too hot with full fingers in Summer and that’s more of an issue than crashing for me.
Though it can be a mud bath at any time of the year.
that is IF you have mountains
that is IF you have mountains where you live…
tsarouxaz wrote:
The first thing you should know about mountain bikes is that the name is dumb. The French “Vélo Tout Terrain” (VTT – all terrain bike) is far more sensible. The English ATB equivalent never caught on, maybe because it just didn’t sound as good.
You defintitely don’t need mountains to have fun on an MTB.
DaveE128 wrote:
ATB is true
fixit bicycle clinic wrote:
Nice but not essential. I’m in Berkshire & we don’t even have hills, but thrashing round the woods with their 1-in-2 climbs, small yes, but still very nasty, gets the legs ready for Bealach na Ba…
Plus it’s just fun. &, as several people have noted, don’t get nearly as many close passes!
A the weekend, I did a thirty
A the weekend, I did a thirty mile loop that linked together bridlepaths and very narrow lanes on my Croix de Fer, fitted with 40mm Schwalbe Mondial tyres. A couple of the paths were probably at the cusp of what the bike is designed for and could really have done with some suspension, and controlling the decent on rough farm track with drops felt very precarious. Awesome fun though, and excellent for bike handlind skills.
Definitely getting one but
Definitely getting one but not to ride trails, just to keep myself fit and commuting over the winter when the road bike is just unsuitable.
On a recent sportive some
On a recent sportive some people were moaning about skidding in the gravelly bits and taking rough descents really slowly because they don’t use entry-sector-exit to read the road. Nothing wrong with the bike or the road, just a riding skill many roadies don’t have. So go mountain biking and learn it.
Initialised wrote:
So what, in general terms, is entry-sector-exit? Using jargon like this without any explanation really puts roadies off mountain biking. And mountain bikers off road biking, if we’re honest.
Bmblbzzz wrote:
So what, in general terms, is entry-sector-exit? Using jargon like this without any explanation really puts roadies off mountain biking. And mountain bikers off road biking, if we’re honest. — Initialised
It’s how you pick a line through a trail feature and plan on the fly where (not to) brake, how to handle roots, rocks, mud, change gear. Pick your entry point, pick your exit point set your speed and position and flow through rhe section of trail in between, like judging a tight corner on the road but also taking surface conditions, camber and your weight distribution into account to allow for maximum conservation of momentum.
Initialised wrote:
So what, in general terms, is entry-sector-exit? Using jargon like this without any explanation really puts roadies off mountain biking. And mountain bikers off road biking, if we’re honest.
— Bmblbzzz It’s how you pick a line through a trail feature and plan on the fly where (not to) brake, how to handle roots, rocks, mud, change gear. Pick your entry point, pick your exit point set your speed and position and flow through rhe section of trail in between, like judging a tight corner on the road but also taking surface conditions, camber and your weight distribution into account to allow for maximum conservation of momentum.— Initialised
Yeah, cheers. I found it in a few places in imbmag, but it actually took quite a bit of googling – first results were all economics, “barriers to sector entry”. Though it makes me think: isn’t the whole road/trail really just one series of “sectors” flowing into one another? Anyway, jargon ftl! (!) (insert ironic smiley…)
but I already have a mountain
but I already have a mountain bike… in fact 2 if I include my 29er… so… sadly :.) – my next bike will have to be a cyclocross… carbon… disc brakes… fun fun fun :.)
Hard tail MTB is difficult to
Hard tail MTB is difficult to beat for a true all rounder; commuting, bad weather, touring, off roading (up to a technical point), hooning about until you fall off. Great in the winter when you can get all muddy and then go and jet wash it, and then take it apart to regrease all the bearings. Comfortable, versatile, robust and fast enough to go out with the medium roadies at the weekend especially with some road oriented tyres. You can go explore some bridleways and get away from the cars. The more battered they get the better they look. You don’t have to justify wearing a helmet whilst riding one or get into arguments about disc brakes and best of all it’s different enough to your ‘good’ road bike that even the other half has to admit that it’s not just another bike.
I’ve done mountain biking for
I’ve done mountain biking for 20 years and never even heard the phrase “entry-sector-exit”????….
Severly tempted to get a MTB.
Severly tempted to get a MTB. I’ve been surveying the NCN for Sustrans recently and on non traffic-free routes, as mentioned – country lanes, i’ve noticed more or less a car turns up every thirty seconds for the whole duration of a year i’ve been surveying. I want my freedom back, the sort of stuff i get from hiking. MTB it is i reckon, in the future.
I think the remark “Mountain
I think the remark “Mountain biking takes you back to being a kid playing in the mud” just nails it for me.
I MTB’d for 20+ years following my best mate who, despite the p*ss taking, bought a MTB in his mid 20s. Being a mate, I ended up buying one too. Best thing I ever did, just like being a kid again, laughs, sore face grinning so much etc, etc.
Same best mate bought a road bike 3 years ago and like a sheep, and faced with the prospect of MTBing on my own, I ended up buying a road bike too.
Thoroughly enjoy the road action but, in my experience (others will be different) I just don’t smile as much.
Its not not better or worse, just different. MTBing definitely does give you a chance to improve your confidence on a bike when things get sketchy, but that’s a side benefit. It’s just great fun.
Do both, that’s my view.
Agree that it’s like being a
Agree that it’s like being a kid again. You can explore woods and riverbanks where you kind of know where you are but not exactly (unless you check your phone). You also find the best jumps and tracks that people have built out in the woods.
N+1
N+1
So why not. Unless you’re not allowed. And, at the moment, by Condor Bivio X converted to flat bar, with SLX 1X setup and hydro brakes, and 33c Schwalbe X-One tubeless is shredding it. Reminds me of a 1990’s rigid fork MTB. Now THAT’s taking you back to being a kid (or at least a vaguely irresponsible young adult).
Quote:
True. If you are a complete cunt who doesn’t care about the environment and thinks that relentlessly consuming ever more unnecessary bikes and upgrades is huge fun …..
That’s all of us then.
Wow, buzzkill.
Wow, buzzkill.
This year I bought a used
This year I bought a used 29er and tried it offroad. Well after the first time I had to clean I sold it at the same price.
Well if there weren’t vehicle emissions and especially “eco-friendly” diesels, road cycling would win everywhere.
I’ve just returned from
I’ve just returned from Southern Germany and was bitten by the MTB bug whilst there, fantastic MTB routes through forests and just great fun and great for allround fitness. Back home now in North Leeds and surrounding area which has a good range of off road routes which I’m looking forward to exploring when I pick up the MTB
The term ‘Mountain’ s
The term ‘Mountain’ s misleading – it’s off road riding, and you don’t need mountains. We run a 30 km MTB ride on Saturdays starting and finishing at Herne Hill velodrome for our 12+ year old riders. 75% off road on bridleways and tracks. There are plenty of roots, concrete steps, mud, gravel, sand, speed bumps, 45 degree sprint climbs, and descents, animals and ice cream vans to keep us amused…
And if you ride cross, MTB is very beneficial to your bike handling of those technical courses.
And, yes, helmets are compulsory.
http://www.hhycc.com
.. and you don’t need
.. and you don’t need mountains or much countryside. We at Herne Hill Youth run a weekly 25km MTB ride for our 12+ year old riders from Herne Hill (London) on Saturdays.
70% is off road on bridleways, tracks, parks and through woods. We have mud, steps, 1in1 spint climbs, descents, speed bumps, tram lines, kerbs, barriers, gravel, sand, grass, roots, rocks, puddles, streams, animals and ice cream vans all incorporated to add to the fun. Just use your imagination.
And if you race cross, MTB is the perfect way to hone your bike handling skills for those technical sections of courses, although they are getting more tame these days as more roadies join in. (We also run a cross version of the ride)
ww.hhycc.com
Just remember to look where
Just remember to look where you want to be, not what’s under your wheels. Buying 2nd hand bikes should include a budget for fork & rear suspension service…just to make sure it’s all perfect.
I prefer cycling
I prefer cycling
The CX bike is my current toy but still have my roadbikes and one mountain bike.
I love my mountain bike! I’ve
I love my mountain bike! I’ve made a few adjustments – this bike is purely for fun so it’s a bit of an unusal setup! Just one gear (39/15 – it’s hilly here!) so that’s something less to think about and drop bars for comfort. I’m used to narrow (33cm c-c) bars on my track bike so I’ve gone narrow here too (35cm c-c).
Richard1982 wrote:
BIKE PORN alert (minus points for the wrong pedals)
My next bike is going to be
My next bike is going to be trail bike. I hate the thought of another winter sat in front of the big screen, Zwifting away in my garage, I’d much rather be out riding for real without worrying about what lies beneath that puddle of water.
I purchased last years Scott
I purchased last years Scott Lt700 tuned framset, set about ordering parts to build my self a top notch xtrail mtb. Single XTR groupset, Hope hydraulic braking system, Stans tubeless wheels with Hope hubs, and bottom bracket. All anodised to match frame set.
First ride was a 50 miler, tired, but no aches or pains. I got a huge sense of achievement building up my bike and then to find it works flawlessly and comfy to boot 😀
Have to agree that drop bars
Have to agree that drop bars are more comfortable. Straight MTB bars get painful quickly, having next to no way to vary your grip. I can’t do more than an hour on MTB bars, where drops you can go for hours. You lose a little bit of manoeuvrability on twistier stuff with narrower drops, but you can work it around it mostly. Probably even helps with technical skills, with more transferable skills to road…
Also, helmets are _not_ compulsory – bull. If you like bimbling along, not too fast, and riding within yourself on soft earthen trails, then the natural helmet evolution provided you with likely will suffice. If you like pushing it on rocky trails, maybe you do want a helmet. Wear what suits the type of riding you do.
Be sensible and do what is right for you. Feel more than free to ignore the frothing helmet fascists if you’re just taking it easy.
Paul J wrote:
That’s why bar ends were a good idea. They seemed to go out of fashion when riser bars came in but I still have mine in a box somewhere (but no mtb to attached them too).
Duncann wrote:
That’s why bar ends were a good idea. They seemed to go out of fashion when riser bars came in but I still have mine in a box somewhere (but no mtb to attached them too).— Paul J
My 10 year old Boardman still has bar ends and I use them all the time! If I ever upgrade to a new MTB, I will be looking at getting bar ends on it.
That line about MTB taking you back to being a kid, that’s what any cycling does for me, not just MTB. I’m lucky enough to live 5 minutes from the South downs Way (or 5 minutes from the bottom of the hill that leads to the SDW…) I can’t imagine not riding on and off road. Some roadie mates have NEVER ridden off road, I just don’t understand them. I’ve never been to a man-made trail park though and hardly ever put either bike in the car to ride somewhere.
MTB riding is different; as the article says you are more likely to have higher intensity bursts but the opposite is true too. You are more likely to spend longer coasting taking in the view, and some of the faster downhills I just can’t pedal as my brain doesn’t have the capacity to cope with picking the least dangerous line. I don’t do any of the crazy jump routes though.
Paul J wrote:
Although you don’t get much in the way of hand position options, I think this is as much down to fit and suspension setup as anything. If your forks are set up so they actually work (many people have way too much compression damping and/or too high pressure) then there will be a lot less vibration and shocks than on a road bike. Choosing good grips makes a big difference too, like bar tape.
I cycled the South Downs Way on my MTB last year in one day, about 12.5 hours moving time, and had no hand discomfort issues at all, even with no bar ends. On the road bike, though, where I don’t think my fit is quite so sorted, I get hand discomfort on rides just a fraction of that duration.
Paul J wrote:
That’s just bad set up and being poorly informed on the subject of cycling in general. I’m relatively certain the thousands of MTBers racing in 12 and 24hour events on 740mm Straight Bars don’t have any trouble whatsover, myself included.
Re the helmet I am absolutely with you 100% on that one “Be sensible and do what is right for you” absolutely spot on though I would probably change the wording to “Only protect something if there is something inside worthy of protecting” I think that covers it better.
I believe MTB riding is a
I believe MTB riding is a good thing.
As mentioned, helps build skills that you wouldn’t otherwise have just riding the road. its also good for road racing, and specifically for crash avoidance. MTB teaches you that you can hit things and or lose your wheels without necessarily hitting the deck.
Good fun too.
My old MTB has big old L
My old MTB has big old L-shaped bar ends on, which I used a bit – mainly put them on to protect my hands from punching trees.
Never bothered putting any on when I bought a new MTB and can’t say I’ve ever missed them.
I’d very much like my next bike to be an upgrade MTB – better start saving up…
“Why your next article should
“Why your next article should be a road-bike article, road.cc”.
The way some “road” bikes are
The way some “road” bikes are going with disc brakes and suspension parts and wide tyres your next bike may well be a “mountain” bike, and that’s before we start on beards !
dreamlx10 wrote:
I thought the reason for needing a mountain bike that was because UK roads were so bad you needed one to actually get around from A to B.
Bluebug wrote:
That’s why I’ve got a 4×4.
I realise it’s against “the
I realise it’s against “the rules” but the peak on my mountain bike helmets does somewhat help when riding on the road at night, just dipping the head blocks out bright oncoming headlights.
ktache wrote:
Let’s be honest- anyone who lives by “The Rules” is a bellend.
Mathemagician wrote:
Totally agree.
Never really understood why, if the peak on the helmet was so abhorrent to road cyclists, that the peaked cycling cap underneath the “road” helmet is accepted/expected.
Pah, your next bike should be
Pah, your next bike should be a BMX.
Got my first mountain bike
Got my first mountain bike last december, at the age of 47! (Me, not the bike). I must admit it was only to allow me to commute in all weathers (ice tyres), so it got me through some dodgy conditions that I wouldn’t have dared venture out on the road bike in.
It was a massive spur of the moment purchase, I’d only gone into the bike shop for a browse, but it had a good discount AND I got the other half’s approval (encouragement even!). I know it’s heavy and slow, but it does put a different kind of smail on my face (if that makes sense), plus I live near some dedicated trails in Grizedale in the Lakes, so a great place to get off road.
For riders wanting more hand
For riders wanting more hand positions than a normal flat bar gives there is alway the Jones H bar, and it’s many copies (often cheaper), I’m loving mine, I still have to wrap the loop in mine. I could have done with a few less degrees on the bend, but that’s me.
So the same 8 reasons as 6
So the same 8 reasons as 6 years ago, 4 years ago, 2 years ago. Stop doing this Road CC. Posting a really old recycled story as your main news piece isn’t what I pay a subscription for.
The same comment as under
The same comment as under every repromoted feature (not ‘news piece’). Stop doing this Surreyrider. Posting the same old thing over and over isn’t what I come to the BTL for.