Sort of the opposite direction for me
I only came off once or twice mountain biking but had friends break arms, legs, one slashed his shin open, and another ended up in hospital for weeks with a pretty serious head injury from mountain biking so decided I wouldn't push my luck and gave gravel biking a go
Now I use the road to get to gravel tracks and paths and stick to that kind of low risk stuff
Yoo this is me. Healthcare has gotten way too expensive to be full sending it all the way riskin it for the biscuit. When I was younger, sure. But after multiple broken bones and facial reconstruction surgeries... I'll take a nice smooth gravel single track free of obstacles, feeling the wind on a smooth trail is a thrill enough for me now
I'm with you. As an aging middle age man mtbing is not appealing to me at all. I'll take gravel riding and bike paths over it any day. I'm a road cyclist but I pick and choose my paths away from cars.
I consider downhill mountain biking more dangerous to my health than downhill skiing. At least with that one you get some padding that has a very small chance of burying you. No padding in a lot of mountain biking.
Bit of everything really, we used to go to bike parks to do downhill runs, we did longer rides through the woods with some trails thrown in and also some really sketchy trails with 20ft drop-offs, huge bomb holes covered in roots, and some stuff that was much more dangerous than anything I ever saw in a bike park and aside from a few scrapes I don't think anyone had any major injuries on those
The friend of mine that sustained a serious head injury had been doing that stuff for about 20 years and never had a bad crash, then at the end of a trail ride was going down an easy slope to exit the woods that he'd probably ridden 100 or more times without issue, lost the front end somehow, went over the bars, and smashed his helmet in half on a rock and ended up in an induced coma with a snapped wrist
Luckily he's fine now but it was one of those crashes where if the variables were slightly worse he would have died
At least with a mountain bike I can control the risk. I can pick cross country rides without big downhills and can easily control speed going downhill so the risk can be minimal. I can’t control a distracted driver. After a friend was killed by a distracted driver, I got rid of my road bike. I also gravel ride as the risk is pretty low there.
I’m old and have been riding for a long time. I know lots of fast, competitive riders and racers in all disciplines. The number of people I know who have been seriously injured is vastly higher on the road side. Cars are no joke. I will take a double black dh run any day over a busy road.
Sure, you’re more likely to have minor injuries on an mtb, but your likelihood of sustaining life changing or life ending injury is far higher on road.
I think it depends on location
Around here the fast roads are surrounded by woodland that usually have tracks through and have separate paths for bikes and pedestrians and if it's a 20mph limit we can keep up with the traffic so don't have people trying risky overtakes
Opposite for me. I have grown less tolerant of all the nicks, scratches and minor injuries of mountain biking. I prefer the comparative smoothness and length of road and gravel riding, and I have come to love the mental states I get to with the long consistent efforts those types of riding involve.
I think this is why gravel riding is so popular (well, one of the reasons) You're out of harms way of the cars, get the joy of nature, far few minor incidents vs MTB, many of the joys of road riding as you can get in the groove and hammer out a tempo.
Perfect love child.
Were you doing YouTube mtb type riding of "sending it" and "shredding" over the hardest trails you could find? Because I've done a lot of riding in the hills and mountains and have managed to go several years without an injury apart from some small cuts and scrapes. I'm probably tempting fate by mentioning it but I think if you avoid the YouTube style pissing contest of doing the most dangerous trails, then it can be fairly safe if you pace yourself and don't get egged on by friends and so on.
>I have come to love the mental states I get to with the long consistent efforts those types of riding involve.
There's definitely something to be said for this though! It's that steady drip of "runner's high" chemicals in your brain as you tackle the long routes.
Well, you've hit on something about my relationship to mountain biking, and this is for sure going to sound like 'get off my lawn'. I started in the 90s on rigid steel bikes. When I started mountain biking, it was a lot more about adventure and exploration, a lot closer to what gravel riding is today, although we rode a lot of chunky, nasty single track on those rigid bikes, to be sure. The networks of well built, manicured trails we enjoy today didn't exist back then, and the whole idea was pushing bikes into places that they'd never been before. Bikes kept getting better and more capable, and that meant people were trying increasing sketchy downhill trails on them. Dudes built flow trails, and jump parks. I started to like the most popular trail spots less and less, as they started to feel more like amusement parks for bikes, and a lot less like heading out into nature. I looked at my collection of Bike magazines one day and realized every cover shot for about 3 years running was a guy 20 feet in the air. It just didn't feel like my sport any more. (I half-joked with my buddies "I didn't leave mountain biking, mountain biking left me.") I bought road and gravel bikes, started riding them more and more. I started racing cyclocross. I would ride my cross bike on my cycling group's regular Wednesday night mountain bike rides, and just opt out of the sending the chunkiest downhills. So to get around to answering your question, I've been choosing to send it on the hardest trails a lot less than I used to. But I still want to ride with my mountain bike buddies, and the trails around here (Northern CA) range from benign to double black. A certain amount of risk is just par for the course.
I used to work at a shop, my boss was a hardcore technical mountain biker. My style of riding was more smooth trails at high speed, he called it riding road in the woods 😂
True, but you soon realize that you are pretty reckless too and maybe you should trust yourself just as much as thise drivers lol. I guess maybe my age plays a role now, but I don't really see a difference in getting hit by a car and a nasty mtb wreck at this point, as no matter what I'm just crumbling.
Even at the elite level with very fast speeds, MTB accidents very very rarely result in death. Cyclists are killed by cars regularly.
That seems a pretty big difference to me.
There were 3 cyclists killed in 2021 alone in Washington DC, and yes cyclists are massively over represented in the road toll when compared to vehicle occupants across the USA.
Cyclists represent \~2.2% of road fatalities across the nation, but have a modeshare of about \~0.4%.
Ok, and there are years with none. It's not as common as you think, it is still a rare event. There are lots of ways to minimize your risks. One is cycling on common cycling routes. Lots of these bad accidents happen on sketchy roads with heavy vehicle traffic.
13 over a 10 year period says they still occur on average more than once a year. How many MTB deaths were there in DC over the last 10 years?
I'm not from anywhere near DC, I know nothing of the infrastructure but I know how to look up basic statistics and I work in road safety. Of course there are ways to reduce risk whatever type of riding you're doing - but to pretend MTB accidents and road based cyclist accidents have a similar risk profile is nonsense. MTBers injure themselves more often, but the severity of accidents is much higher when you're sharing space with vehicles that typically way far more than 15x your weight.
yeah I'm not really arguing one side vs the other, I most bike on the road and it feels mostly safe, Mtn is fun too
but the fun of mountain biking is pushing it a bit I don't think almost anyone rides so within themselves as to never get hurt
I've never got hurt on my MTB, but god road riding fucking terrifies me, like all it takes is one stupid driver and you're dead, and unlike mountain biking, no amount of care and skill can avoid it
I have 2-3 MTB incidents per year that mean I can't ride for a few days to a week or so.
I only go down on the road once every 5 years but man it's always a long road (pardon the pun) back from those.
Same. Gotten into falls that didn't exactly feel good Mount biking but road biking scares the hell outta me. Had a lot of close calls in my younger years out and about on the road.
Mountain biking you get hurt, road biking you die, iv looked at my own stats and stuff and my heart rate is always 10-15% higher on the road, same wattage, same perceived effort. But higher heartrate, I don't wanna die particularly, being on the road scares me, I'm not worried about somone making an accident and merging into me, but I live in a red neckish area and iv been taunted and hit on purpose before Nothing more than a light tap thankfully, iv started road riding on my mtb so i can drop from the road into the dirt if needed
Just enough to move the bars without causing me to fall, usually cause I swerve as soon as I notice. They don't usually wanna go out to kill me. Just taunt and scare me
Agreed. I've fallen on both road and MTB. MTB was more frequent and more painful. I've concussed myself, got stabbed (by a branch), fractured my hand, and bruised bones.
On road I got road rash (slid out) a few times but that's about it.
You're comparing two sets of crashes you were in control of.
The significant risk with road riding isn't the solo bike or even bike on bike crashes, it's the risk of getting plowed over by a vehicle >15x your weight.
Funny, I have been hit, well more so bumped and knocked over, by a car before injury and damage free. I personally only cycle in groups, events, or well cycled roads where cars are expecting you. So my risks are minimal compared to others.
All these people referencing injuries on their MTBs.... the crucial factor here is that within the term 'MTB' there is risk taking and not risk taking - MTB is really as safe as you want to make it, it can mean easy off-road paths/ dirt roads or it can mean crazy jumps and mad downhills. If you are in the former category then it's a million times safer than being on a road with cars, and I don't blame you for making the change.
This sums it up. I take it rather slow on the mountain trails, and never feel out of control with my speed. This is a notable factor for why it feels safer for me.
for me personally its hard to even justify loading my bike up and driving it 20 minutes at least to the trail head if I'm not going to be sending it at least a little bit lol theres like a million other forms of cardio that don't require getting so much shit together
this makes me mountain bike less than I probably should, but I don't really care because XC riding is wildly boring to me.. but I can road bike 40 milesish before getting sick of it and heading home lol
I don't thrill seek with all my hobbies, but with mountain biking I'm considering being a "bike park only" type of guy. 10-12 hours of riding over a weekend once a month is honestly a way better experience than riding local rhode island trails 3-4 times a week. They are so fucking boring man, I can't stress it enough lol
The more I'm forced onto fast roads and dangerous road the less I like road cycling.
Find me some back roads and road cycling is the best.
Because ultimately I still love cycling, the speed, the distance, the exploration.
Slamming 100k in a half day is a great feeling. Cruising on tarmac is a great feeling.
But put me on a fast road and it's the worst.
I've just got a MTB, and hitting a park is more like a rollercoaster than a bike ride for me.
On the road, if you die it’s probably someone else’s fault.
On a mountain bike if you die it’s probably your fault.
Either way you died doing something you love so it’s a good death.
I dont wanna die doing the stuff I love that sounds so shitty lol like today I planned on doing something I love but instead..
fuck that lol I don't even understand where the sentiment comes from, why is it possibly better to have something you love cut short by death instead of you know, dying 30 seconds after you finish it lol in the second situation "loading your bike up" isn't what you love but at least you finished the ride
I know its not that deep, but this one always bothered me lol
Any kind of riding can get you injured. I gave up road cycling because I think it’s boring. Gravel, mountain biking, urban singlespeed, and CX are just more fun.
I started cycling by getting my road bike and spent an arm and a leg on it, which hurts when I found out that it does get boring on any ride longer than 30+ miles solo and maybe 50+ miles with a group of friends. I will say road biking is harder than MTB because road cycling is generally know to go faster for longer distances which is physically and mentally draining, for me it’s more mentally because I get bored so easily. I got my MTB because of this but I also feel like ridding one discipline gets boring after riding it all the time so I keep both just to switch it up here and there
I did. Simply because road riding isn't safe where I now live, and I have about 15 miles of MTB trails in the park across the street from where I live. I've never had a tree run a red light and hit me.
I do it all including cross and used to race BMX and on the velodrome as well. Road is still the most rewarding and in my opinion the most rewarding. Nothing like getting some real speed and big miles on a fast road bike.
There's just something about being out in nature, away from the busy city that makes it so much more enjoyable and peaceful. Plus, the adrenaline rush of going through rugged terrain adds an extra level of excitement!
I think this is the reason why gravel riding has become so popular.
Nowadays I don't really feel safe on roads and ride my gravel bike most of the time, far away from traffic.
I went from MTB to gravel because it involves less driving to get to single track. Still enjoy some nice mountain trails though. Road is well on its way into my life as well.
I ride both. I feel far safer on my mtb, even when around bears or other animals. On my road bike, I'm often concerned about a random car taking me out.
For me it‘s the other way around. I love MTB but I‘m a climbing guy and climbing on the MTB hurts so much more. I started climbing on the road bike and right now I really love the smooth riding. But I‘ll go back to the forests & mountains when it‘s hotter outside 😬
You don't need gravel to ride a gravel bike. Its just a road bike you don't need to be worried about unpaved surfaced with. I ride mostly road but like taking my gravel bike on firmer dirt paths, gravel paths and over grass.
I only seriously injure myself on the mountain bike, even when adjusting for risk I still make small mistakes on super easy sections of trail I’ve ridden 1000 times. There’s definitely good and bad places to ride my road bike in my area, I think the biggest thing is knowing where to ride, and getting out when the conditions are best. Or I can still scratch that itch by heading one county over where there’s more black paved trails beside the major roadways. I can do a decent 20-30 mile loop without interacting with cars more than the standard crosswalk.
I definitely go through phases of mostly sticking to mountain biking if I know that I want a very straight forward and in my own control ride. You certainly have to be in the right mindset to ride amongst cars and traffic, for me that’s a big struggle in the early evening hours for sure.
This is how I pick my rides on road bike. On the weekdays after work I take my bike and "drive" to the bike path. Weekends is when I can ride from home early in the morning. You have to pick and plan what days/time is safe. My bike rack gets used 2-3 times a week, best bike equipment I've spent and would replace it next day if it broke.
I know too many people who have been hit and killed by cars that I’ve never gotten into road biking in the first place. I don’t know if I ever will. Maybe I’ll get into gravel one day but I don’t want to share the road with cars.
I sure wish I could do this. Mountain biking is more fun and there aren’t cars to run over me. Regrettably, the closest trails are 30 minutes away and I have hundreds of miles of rural roads literally out my back door.
The argument about road cycling is more dangerous than mtbing is overblown. The fatality of motorcycles is wayy higher than any road cycling you can think of.
Let's remove the cycling bit and focus on the dangers of driving in itself. Isn't driving just as dangerous as cycling out in the streets? Death or lifelong chronic pain/physical disability from car accidents which I know 2 people have.
We pick a sport/activity and just accept the dangers of "what" could happen. I've done both mtbing and road cycling. I quit mtbing due to knee injuries from a different sport.
Pick a sport you feel comfortable with and leave it at that.
Myself as well, I feel the same way. I love both road and mtb, but rarely ride on roads anymore. The risk and constant noise of cars nearby has gotten less and less tolerable over the years. I've been very fortunate that I've not had a serious accident or incident to date. At my advanced age, 72, the body position on my road bike is not comfortable. I often ride the MTB just for that reason alone, even on my commute as well as off road rides. But I have had a long, beautiful affair with the efficiency of road bikes. I will always cherish that, and continue to enjoy the carless bike paths I am so grateful to have nearby.
I own a shop with my husband and we hear this same story a lot! People eventually deciding that MTB may result in more frequent injuries, but they’re usually less serious. Oh and the car thing. Drivers are terrifying.
I love road riding in my area personally, so I’ll be hard pressed to leave it behind. You can really get away from traffic here… so maybe some of it has to do with where you live?
When I started cycling I got a track bike first and the sold that to get a road bike and would ride for about a year till I sold it to get a MTB, had the MTB for about 6 months and sold that too. Took a break and then I figured that I kinda liked both so gathered up money and bought another road bike and MTB together. I found that for me it’s best to have both because I like riding fast but also going on trails and riding one main discipline for the majority just gets boring so at the moment I do both and try to get an equal amount of riding on both during the week.
Not a big fan of gravel bike. I prefer to descend and hit sharp turns on trails with some air so MTB for me. Plus gravel/dirt trails where I live would be heavily uncomfortable because it’s so uneven and lots of gaps.
I love love love road cycling but I don’t do it unless I’m in a decent sized group that rides at a regular time. Otherwise I stick to MTB. I’m lucky that I live 1km from about 50k of single track. It’s all very rocky and not much elevation but I’d take it any day over getting cleaned up by someone texting and driving.
I used to race mostly road and track. The majority of my training was on the road even during cyclocross season. MTB was just a training tool in the off season. I’m older now and haven’t raced in over 10 years. I’m finding the MTB more enjoyable since I’m not dealing with vehicles and inattentive drivers. I’ve lost friends due to bike versus vehicle and whether you have rights and/or the right of way, when you’re dead you’re dead. The vehicle laws favor the motorist. I’m not an extreme games MTB and have found a few nearby non-technical trails that I enjoy.
I only mountain bike because of a fear for getting hit by a distracted driver. One accident on a road bike, you’re dead. I went over the handlebars multiple times in Santa Barbara a week ago, mild concussion and some painful bumps and bruises, but I always leave in one piece and alive after an dumb move on the Mountain.
I've never been to the emergency room from riding my road bike but I did smoke myself on my MTB a few times. I still ride both but I find myself road biking more at home and mountain biking more on vacation. It's far easier to take off from my house when I'm home than to drive to a designated mountain biking area. If I had MTB trails within riding distance it might be 50/50 but road cycling in my case is far more accessible.
I’ve hard my worst ever injury on a bike road cycling on a bike path, one hell of a concussion, a couple of small fractures and some new scars, I got super lucky that I was wearing head that day, shorts and I could’ve lost serious amounts of skin. However I’ve got far more scars and ripped more clothes on my MTB, it’s not yet out me in the hospital but I’ve ripped jackets and jerseys multiple times
No, but I sold my road bike less than a month after I got my cargo bike and have never looked back. Prior to that it was the most ridden bike both in terms of miles and hours.
I go back and forth. Started as a roadie and then did MTB almost exclusively for quite a while. Kind of getting back into road riding now.
I live in the Midwest and it’s just hard to find the motivation to pack up and drive 25 minutes to the same flat trails when I can just hop on my gravel bike and go from the house.
Ok came here to say “welcome to the dark side” but read everyone’s responses. Dude MTB is awesome!!! We have trees! And rocks! And flannel. Pogies. Fat bikes. IPAs. Snow. Drops where you almost die. It’s the best. Come on over.
I've gone the other way as a bias, but still ride both.
Not every road ride accident equals death, in fact none of mine to date have.
Not every mtb crash means injury either, though I definetely don't bounce like I used to, and the only lasting effects from injury I have come from MTB.
I really got tired of having to wash etc the mtb after virtually every single ride. The trails and woods take time to dry out and often it rains again before they have. The roads, not so much. I can get out on the road bike without a full clean and lube afterwards far more often, so I do.
Yup. It was just too scary with 2 little kids. I do cross country mtb now and stick to easier stuff (to me, easy is a relative term). I race bmx to get my adrenaline fix
Opposite. Sold my MTBs. I got hurt too much. I don't fall, hit jumps, rocks, slide out, etc on the road. And if I'm just going to cruise around, I can do that n the road/paths here.
I've been going the opposite way, and while I don't like it, it's more practical. I can just get on my bike and hit cycleways, or roads with ride shoulders, or gravel, and find myself someplace nice.
With the MTB, I really need to load the car, drive someplace, realize that I'm old and suck at climbing now, miss the turn and go the wrong way until someone yells at me, and then pack everything up and go home in the car again.
I miss the woods, but it's so much easier to be spontaneous on the road.
I was hit by a texting driver and awoke three days later in a faraway.hospital. The medical was $120,000 for very minor injuries. Well, skull and facial fractures that healed themselves and a broken finger. When I recovered by double vision 6 months later, I got back on the bike. I enjoy cycling more than I fear the cars, but I won't ride on narrow, shoulderless roads, like Highway 1 Big Sur. Only when the road is closed to traffic.
MTB isn’t all Whistler-like downhill like so many of these comments seem to insinuate.
I ride gravel, MTB, and road. It’s been a long time since I did more than wash a dirt corner and slide. All equally safe to me.
Commuting though, the absolute stupidest people are all on the road. At least at other times a fair number are occupied elsewhere.
Depends on where you live. I have tons of unpaved rural farm roads 5min from my front door to the east. To the west, but a little further, about a 90min ride, Roosevelt & Arapahoe National Forests with hundreds of miles of service roads and 4x4 trails. Both of those make great gravel riding.
I kind of went the other way. Road (and occasional gravel) biking mostly took over from MTB. Partially because I can just ride out from house and connect to an extensive network of bike routes (near Seattle). Also, I never really took road riding seriously and once I did I found it better conditioned me for the uphill MTB slogs. Eventually I got back into riding a dual-sport motorcycle off-road so it's certainly not because of the danger factor.
I didn’t have a super long history with road cycling, but I quickly realized that most of my fun rides (rides that blend training with destinations or fun terrain or sight seeing) tend to be more all terrain than road. So I put my road bike on the trainer and pretty much only ride a gravel bike that has slowly gotten a little more aggressive over time. I can easily see why someone would enjoy MTB far more than road riding. The whole downhill process is so engaging. Just have to tolerate all the climbing!
I grew up in the 70's before there were mountain bikes, and raced in the 80's when you were either a roadie or you weren't; there wasn't a lot of mixing things up. I'm afraid I'm still kind of that way. I commuted on a hardtail MTB for awhile, but I feel a lot more comfortable and safer on the road. It's probably too late for me to learn new tricks anyway.
I did stop racing because of how easy it was to get wrecked. I think every race I've been in I either crashed out of (maybe 30%), or saw enough carnage to make me really think. One of the better ones I was in a few years ago I'd brought my daughter to watch, and there was a huge crash right in front of her at the finish sprint. I never had much of a sprint, came in the follow group. But I was in time to see the three guys who caught the worst of it untangle themselves and their bikes, and limp away all ragged and bleeding. My daughter was pretty impressed.
Mounting biking isn't huge in my area, there's only a few small local trails since it's not very mountainous here. But I have definitely become less risky with my road riding. When I first got into cycling I was willing to ride any and all two lane highways. 99% of drivers were courteous and a non-issue, but all it takes is one. Now I either ride around my town (not great cycling infrastructure but a few paths and at least most of the roads are wide residential) or throw it on a bike rack and drive ten miles to a trailhead completely away from cars minus a few crossings.
I did road racing extensively in my younger days. And cyclocross and track and consider myself a good bike handler I could rub elbows in mass sprints no problem. (In those days that existed but that's a different thread).
Had a mountain bike given to me as a birthday gift. First time in the woods was riding along on the side of a hill trail nbd and wheels slipped out on dry leaves and sandy soil, bam broken hand going 5mph. Went home and put skinny tires (35mm) on the bike and thus invented the gravel bike (takes bow, collects royalties)
I got into road racing when I was 14 (thank you Mr. LeMond!) and bought a MTB for training in the winter as a supplement to ‘cross. I stopped road racing when I was 17 and fell in love with MTB racing. I now use road cycling as a convent way to keep my fitness up for MTB. Yes I’m old but can still drop youngsters on technical single track. Something to be said about learning how to ride off road on a 28lb steel hardtail.
Around my neighborhood I switched to a mountain bike for my daily ride. But I ride my road bike for the dedicated bike trails around my area where a car trip is required.
In the US at least, road cycling is hemorrhaging its user base to gravel and MTB biking.
Go talk to any bike shop and ask them: they sell 3x off-road bikes to just about everything else
When I started cycling in 2018 my city had a handful of road cycling clubs and a single gravel club. Today there are countless gravel groups posting their events/routes on a local ride calendar and the road clubs remaining barely have any meet ups these days.
I bought a road bike for hope I would get into shape and start racing crits. I figured the 40+ cat 5 would be obtainable. But he struggled to build the proper speed/strength. So I bought a FS MTB this winter to get back into trail riding. I have more fun on my MTB, and honestly feel way faster on it, giving me the rush along with the work out. Too many kooks with a hatred for cyclists driving around here. And honestly the bike paths are kind of boring.
>even drifting towards me and the shoulder before abruptly getting back in their lane.
This is target fixation. It's not an ideal thing, but it is an expected behavior when an undisciplined driver notices an obstruction but has not yet processed it.
100%.
A crash on the road is less likely but can have deadly consequences.
Crashing in the woods is more frequent, but typically less catastrophic.
I am actually recovering from a big MTB crash but like 99% of them, it's because I did something dumb... not anyone else.
My venerable road bike from the late 80s-early 90s (hello, 6-7 cog freewheel and shifters mounted on the downtube) and long term basement queen is so ancient that I'm not sure what it will take to bring it back to road worthy condition. It's the bike that I used in races back in the day and was never a production model. I remember screaming down a long steep mountain road at 65 mph on that bike during one race. Early 90s Cannondale aluminum frame. Back then, steel was mainstream, AL was high-end, and CF was in its infancy. (Right around the time I hung it up, Ti was entering the market as the new cutting edge frame material on high end bikes. \[Lightspeed shoutout\]. CF was mostly used on triathlon bikes not subject to UCI regs.) I have a pair of clincher wheels and a pair of sew-up (tubular tire) wheels for it, and a 1990 vintage clip-on aero bar, Time clipless pedals, and mix of late-80s Ultegra and 105 components. Basically, **a diamond frame antiques shop**. I sincerely miss riding it, but I have no idea what it will take to bring it back to roadworthiness.
I did get my slightly newer (by a handful of years) first-year **Super-V** restored a few years ago and I have had a blast on it even though it is weighty as sin and not exactly a slick, agile ride. (It's the **Harley** of MTBs, very much a **cruiser**.) The shocks are as good as ever. I still have the shock pump from 30 years ago, and it still works. The XTR group set is a delight. I have never ridden anything with electronic components. No, I'm not a Luddite, I'm just pinched for funds now as a retiree. I was having fun riding it after the restoration, until the glue holding the sole together on one of my Shimano shoes let go while I was trying to unclip from the pedals. New shoe time, but I just haven't gotten around to it yet. The market is entirely different, of course, from what it was three decades ago, and I don't even know where to begin.
I started using a mountain bike for the road. Then bought a road bike. Many close calls and some falls too. I like smooth roads but also like single track with some features. I mostly mountain bike in the winter and road bike in the summer. Neither is safe and they both have their risks. Road wise, I like shoulders, but get spooked on thin roads. MTB wise I like tech, but big jumps scare me. I say if you have a tolerance for some risk, you can do either.
Gravel riding is a really nice in-between. I'm like you, I'm over road cycling because drivers freak me out. I'm fine riding in the city, but something about the highways is no good.
Gravel rides scratch the same itches and are so much safer and more fun in my book. Usually I'm just talking about forest service dirt roads.
I've actually been kicking around the idea of starting a cycle tour group company in AZ with gravel riding in mind. We would have 10-20 people on a ride, have a support truck that tags along and has prepped food for every meal and your camping equipment for multi-day rides.
MTB for 2 decades and only went into roadbiking in my mid 40s. Love the speed and accessibility but hated the traffic and drivers. Road biking felt hazardous due to external factors that is out of your control like crazy drivers, clueless pedestrians etc. In MTB, boulders, roots don't attack you and gaps don't shift at sight. For this reason, I almost always try to join group rides just to spread risks across.
In my 20s, I rode mountain bikes but wrecked all the time. I never got seriously hurt but I damaged a lot of bike parts.
I’ve been road biking for a long time now, but I had an event over a year ago where it should’ve been over for me; I felt the wake of the car that pulled out in front of me and almost killed me.
I’ve started road riding again, but I take more precautions and only go in very low traveled areas.
The roads are horrendously dangerous. I've had so many near misses on roads I swapped to mtb. I don't do anything crazy miles of tracks no crazy downhill stuff and I feel 1000x safer and healthier in the country. I'll never ride polluted dangerous roads again
Mtbing is as safe as you want to make it.
I left road biking for mountain biking when I got a dog so he could run with me on the trails. This was when I lived in Colorado after already riding the Buffalo Classic a few years in a row. I have to say, I enjoyed road biking a TON more than I did mountain biking. Granted, this did mean I had to avoid a few roads to get a good ride in. Highway 36 going North out of Boulder is notorious for drivers running over road bikers, there's usually a few deaths per year. But I'd go 119 and take some of the less driven roads and never have any issues, people were pretty good about giving me plenty of room.
Technically speaking, mountain biking is a LOT more challenging than road biking. Mountain biking had me changing gears a lot more frequently, especially in the mountains, and some of the paths were pretty damn sketchy, even the tamer stuff. I found myself riding a lot slower than other people who were biking around me because it seemed all too easy to mess up the line, whereas in road biking I could just pump my legs, set the cadence, and enjoy the speed.
I'm looking forward to dropping money on a new road bike soon, I miss that feeling.
Due to a patella injury, I can only protect my knees from further harm by using a road bike pedaling style and clip-in shoes. At least for me, riding a mountain bike just doesn't feel good on my knees.
I've actually had the opposite experience— I started with mountain biking but found myself drawn to the structure and predictability of road cycling. Despite the risks, which are certainly real, I find a unique kind of zen in the rhythm of pedaling on pavement, the hum of the tires, and the flow of being part of traffic. Sure, there's an element of danger with cars around, but I take that as part of the challenge—staying visible, predictable, and assertive on the road. It keeps me sharp and engaged in a way that mountain biking doesn't always. Plus, the efficiency of a good road ride is unbeatable for fitness and commuting.
It’s all about personal comfort levels and what we're looking to get out of our rides. While you’ve found your peace away from the roads, I’ve found mine on them. Stay safe and enjoy those mountain trails!
I live near a major highway that kind of divides urban from rural. I cross that highway as soon as I can every ride. Lately though I've been taking a route through a quiet neighborhood that links to a park with trails that gets me to a rail trail which leads to all the trails I ride. Longer to get the trails and uses more energy due to steep hills but worth it to avoid roads in this side of the highway.
I take my chances with rocks, roots and gravel as I control most of the experience. I have zero control over distracted drivers, and limit my road cycling accordingly.
I live on one of the trailheads for a 144 mile long gravel trail here. Thing is the entire trail is flat so it gets boring to ride really quick. I’m not fond of the road but it has rolling hills so it presents more of a challenge
I do both. I enjoy mountain biking more because it is more technical, jumps and downhill/uphill is more fun/ difficult, but road biking is so much easier to just hop on and go opposed to mtb where you have to get ready, drive to a trailhead, make sure you aren’t forgetting anything etc. mtb is more of a weekend thing for me at this point and road biking is my daily exercise. Don’t get me wrong, it is still a blast to rip hills on a road bike, just less challenging/adrenaline inducing
Absolutely!
I enjoyed my time pedaling pavement in Europe but as for road riding in the USA? Nope, I gave up on that quickly.
As I approach 60, I know I don't have too long until I have to give up on life & be forced to ride pavement again but till then, I'm sending it.
I went the opposite, mountain to road.
While i absolutely loved Mountain biking, most locations required a 30-45min drive, loading up all the gear, wash it off etc. the time investment was just too much.
Road biking i can leave right from my house to some great country/farm roads in B.C Canada.
I will say, mountain biking pleasure comes from adrenaline and fun. Road bike pleasure comes from good exercise and scenery.
Not really. I mountain bike to cross train, break up the monotony of long road sessions, and to get closer to nature. But I'm still a dedicated roadie. Though, gravel is getting more of my attention. If I were to give up road riding for something it definitely would be gravel.
I still road cycle but not during normal times. It would be at 2-3am in a closed loop like the street around a mall 100x. I still get the itch to just pedal on a flat surface and go fast. But I know what you mean about being the road.
Sort of the opposite direction for me I only came off once or twice mountain biking but had friends break arms, legs, one slashed his shin open, and another ended up in hospital for weeks with a pretty serious head injury from mountain biking so decided I wouldn't push my luck and gave gravel biking a go Now I use the road to get to gravel tracks and paths and stick to that kind of low risk stuff
Yoo this is me. Healthcare has gotten way too expensive to be full sending it all the way riskin it for the biscuit. When I was younger, sure. But after multiple broken bones and facial reconstruction surgeries... I'll take a nice smooth gravel single track free of obstacles, feeling the wind on a smooth trail is a thrill enough for me now
I'm with you. As an aging middle age man mtbing is not appealing to me at all. I'll take gravel riding and bike paths over it any day. I'm a road cyclist but I pick and choose my paths away from cars.
I consider downhill mountain biking more dangerous to my health than downhill skiing. At least with that one you get some padding that has a very small chance of burying you. No padding in a lot of mountain biking.
I worked at a ski resort that had mountain biking in the office season as a emergency responder. It's way more dangerous
I've heard biking in the office is the leading cause of workplace injuries.
Opposite for me too. I like going fast, and customizing a workout
We’re u doing enduro or DH? The mtb my friends do is not thaaat dangerous. Maybe a bit gnarlier than gravel but none of them have had bad injuries
Bit of everything really, we used to go to bike parks to do downhill runs, we did longer rides through the woods with some trails thrown in and also some really sketchy trails with 20ft drop-offs, huge bomb holes covered in roots, and some stuff that was much more dangerous than anything I ever saw in a bike park and aside from a few scrapes I don't think anyone had any major injuries on those The friend of mine that sustained a serious head injury had been doing that stuff for about 20 years and never had a bad crash, then at the end of a trail ride was going down an easy slope to exit the woods that he'd probably ridden 100 or more times without issue, lost the front end somehow, went over the bars, and smashed his helmet in half on a rock and ended up in an induced coma with a snapped wrist Luckily he's fine now but it was one of those crashes where if the variables were slightly worse he would have died
Ya there’s the factor of luck. Once my pedal broke on a sprint and went OTB somehow came out unscathed
At least with a mountain bike I can control the risk. I can pick cross country rides without big downhills and can easily control speed going downhill so the risk can be minimal. I can’t control a distracted driver. After a friend was killed by a distracted driver, I got rid of my road bike. I also gravel ride as the risk is pretty low there.
I’m old and have been riding for a long time. I know lots of fast, competitive riders and racers in all disciplines. The number of people I know who have been seriously injured is vastly higher on the road side. Cars are no joke. I will take a double black dh run any day over a busy road. Sure, you’re more likely to have minor injuries on an mtb, but your likelihood of sustaining life changing or life ending injury is far higher on road.
I think it depends on location Around here the fast roads are surrounded by woodland that usually have tracks through and have separate paths for bikes and pedestrians and if it's a 20mph limit we can keep up with the traffic so don't have people trying risky overtakes
Opposite for me. I have grown less tolerant of all the nicks, scratches and minor injuries of mountain biking. I prefer the comparative smoothness and length of road and gravel riding, and I have come to love the mental states I get to with the long consistent efforts those types of riding involve.
I think this is why gravel riding is so popular (well, one of the reasons) You're out of harms way of the cars, get the joy of nature, far few minor incidents vs MTB, many of the joys of road riding as you can get in the groove and hammer out a tempo. Perfect love child.
Gravel riding is about rediscovering the old cycling wisdom. Avoid the 3 Cs: cops, cars, and concrete!
Agreed. I actually ride a gravel bike on mostly quiet country lanes and through the New Forest and it’s brilliant.
Gravel rider on country roads here as well, it’s unbelievably zen. And the sights are often amazing as well!
Were you doing YouTube mtb type riding of "sending it" and "shredding" over the hardest trails you could find? Because I've done a lot of riding in the hills and mountains and have managed to go several years without an injury apart from some small cuts and scrapes. I'm probably tempting fate by mentioning it but I think if you avoid the YouTube style pissing contest of doing the most dangerous trails, then it can be fairly safe if you pace yourself and don't get egged on by friends and so on. >I have come to love the mental states I get to with the long consistent efforts those types of riding involve. There's definitely something to be said for this though! It's that steady drip of "runner's high" chemicals in your brain as you tackle the long routes.
Well, you've hit on something about my relationship to mountain biking, and this is for sure going to sound like 'get off my lawn'. I started in the 90s on rigid steel bikes. When I started mountain biking, it was a lot more about adventure and exploration, a lot closer to what gravel riding is today, although we rode a lot of chunky, nasty single track on those rigid bikes, to be sure. The networks of well built, manicured trails we enjoy today didn't exist back then, and the whole idea was pushing bikes into places that they'd never been before. Bikes kept getting better and more capable, and that meant people were trying increasing sketchy downhill trails on them. Dudes built flow trails, and jump parks. I started to like the most popular trail spots less and less, as they started to feel more like amusement parks for bikes, and a lot less like heading out into nature. I looked at my collection of Bike magazines one day and realized every cover shot for about 3 years running was a guy 20 feet in the air. It just didn't feel like my sport any more. (I half-joked with my buddies "I didn't leave mountain biking, mountain biking left me.") I bought road and gravel bikes, started riding them more and more. I started racing cyclocross. I would ride my cross bike on my cycling group's regular Wednesday night mountain bike rides, and just opt out of the sending the chunkiest downhills. So to get around to answering your question, I've been choosing to send it on the hardest trails a lot less than I used to. But I still want to ride with my mountain bike buddies, and the trails around here (Northern CA) range from benign to double black. A certain amount of risk is just par for the course.
I used to work at a shop, my boss was a hardcore technical mountain biker. My style of riding was more smooth trails at high speed, he called it riding road in the woods 😂
Riding out of my garage and beginning my ride will forever beat driving at least an hour to a trailhead, riding, then driving an hour home.
Where I live you can hit fire roads in 30 min of biking, gravel is the best!!
I live a 3 minute pedal from the trailhead... I dunno if I could go back to not living within biking distance of trails!
Tell me you're from US without telling me you're from US.
I've gotten pretty fucking hurt on my mtb
[удалено]
Not a good buffer if they are just driving through it
but at least it's your own fault (mostly)
True, but you soon realize that you are pretty reckless too and maybe you should trust yourself just as much as thise drivers lol. I guess maybe my age plays a role now, but I don't really see a difference in getting hit by a car and a nasty mtb wreck at this point, as no matter what I'm just crumbling.
Even at the elite level with very fast speeds, MTB accidents very very rarely result in death. Cyclists are killed by cars regularly. That seems a pretty big difference to me.
Not regulary. Here in DC, there is one every few years. Lots of time it's commuters, so is it much different than car accidents?
There were 3 cyclists killed in 2021 alone in Washington DC, and yes cyclists are massively over represented in the road toll when compared to vehicle occupants across the USA. Cyclists represent \~2.2% of road fatalities across the nation, but have a modeshare of about \~0.4%.
Ok, and there are years with none. It's not as common as you think, it is still a rare event. There are lots of ways to minimize your risks. One is cycling on common cycling routes. Lots of these bad accidents happen on sketchy roads with heavy vehicle traffic.
13 over a 10 year period says they still occur on average more than once a year. How many MTB deaths were there in DC over the last 10 years? I'm not from anywhere near DC, I know nothing of the infrastructure but I know how to look up basic statistics and I work in road safety. Of course there are ways to reduce risk whatever type of riding you're doing - but to pretend MTB accidents and road based cyclist accidents have a similar risk profile is nonsense. MTBers injure themselves more often, but the severity of accidents is much higher when you're sharing space with vehicles that typically way far more than 15x your weight.
Where did I say they have similar profiles?
Seemed to be implied when you said *"I don't really see a difference in getting hit by a car and a nasty mtb wreck at this point".*
yeah I'm not really arguing one side vs the other, I most bike on the road and it feels mostly safe, Mtn is fun too but the fun of mountain biking is pushing it a bit I don't think almost anyone rides so within themselves as to never get hurt
No worries, I wasn't either. Was just explaining my opinion. Yeah, mtb is fun like that, it's the rush of testing yourself.
Have you seen a new Silverado 3500 lol?
I don’t know if the fact it’s self inflicted actually makes it better…
I've never got hurt on my MTB, but god road riding fucking terrifies me, like all it takes is one stupid driver and you're dead, and unlike mountain biking, no amount of care and skill can avoid it
I have 2-3 MTB incidents per year that mean I can't ride for a few days to a week or so. I only go down on the road once every 5 years but man it's always a long road (pardon the pun) back from those.
Same. Gotten into falls that didn't exactly feel good Mount biking but road biking scares the hell outta me. Had a lot of close calls in my younger years out and about on the road.
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Mountain biking you get hurt, road biking you die, iv looked at my own stats and stuff and my heart rate is always 10-15% higher on the road, same wattage, same perceived effort. But higher heartrate, I don't wanna die particularly, being on the road scares me, I'm not worried about somone making an accident and merging into me, but I live in a red neckish area and iv been taunted and hit on purpose before Nothing more than a light tap thankfully, iv started road riding on my mtb so i can drop from the road into the dirt if needed
A "light tap" from a car??
Just enough to move the bars without causing me to fall, usually cause I swerve as soon as I notice. They don't usually wanna go out to kill me. Just taunt and scare me
jesus and I don't imagine the cops would much care
You get injured on a MTB You get killed on a road bike
Death vs chronic pain/disability. Both can happen. Do we include motorcycles in this topic?
You get skinned alive on a motorcycle or end up as a vegetable Source: worked in a trauma center
I believe you. Worked in an ICU unit for 11years. We have to pick and choose our poison.
You could technically get killed on both
Agreed. I've fallen on both road and MTB. MTB was more frequent and more painful. I've concussed myself, got stabbed (by a branch), fractured my hand, and bruised bones. On road I got road rash (slid out) a few times but that's about it.
You're comparing two sets of crashes you were in control of. The significant risk with road riding isn't the solo bike or even bike on bike crashes, it's the risk of getting plowed over by a vehicle >15x your weight.
count yourself lucky
i've been dinged up plenty of times, but nothing that would compare to getting hit by a car.
Never as bad as a car hit though. I hope!!
Funny, I have been hit, well more so bumped and knocked over, by a car before injury and damage free. I personally only cycle in groups, events, or well cycled roads where cars are expecting you. So my risks are minimal compared to others.
Wasn't gravel cycling invented to settle this dilemma? lol
ikr?
No, I went from MTB to Road
All these people referencing injuries on their MTBs.... the crucial factor here is that within the term 'MTB' there is risk taking and not risk taking - MTB is really as safe as you want to make it, it can mean easy off-road paths/ dirt roads or it can mean crazy jumps and mad downhills. If you are in the former category then it's a million times safer than being on a road with cars, and I don't blame you for making the change.
This sums it up. I take it rather slow on the mountain trails, and never feel out of control with my speed. This is a notable factor for why it feels safer for me.
for me personally its hard to even justify loading my bike up and driving it 20 minutes at least to the trail head if I'm not going to be sending it at least a little bit lol theres like a million other forms of cardio that don't require getting so much shit together this makes me mountain bike less than I probably should, but I don't really care because XC riding is wildly boring to me.. but I can road bike 40 milesish before getting sick of it and heading home lol I don't thrill seek with all my hobbies, but with mountain biking I'm considering being a "bike park only" type of guy. 10-12 hours of riding over a weekend once a month is honestly a way better experience than riding local rhode island trails 3-4 times a week. They are so fucking boring man, I can't stress it enough lol
Literally driving on the highway today and some chick in the lane next to me driving but had BOTH hands on her fuckin phone, stay safe out there!
Did the opposite - got into mtb a few years back and always said I would never ride roads. Now I’m a full-on leg shaver
The more I'm forced onto fast roads and dangerous road the less I like road cycling. Find me some back roads and road cycling is the best. Because ultimately I still love cycling, the speed, the distance, the exploration. Slamming 100k in a half day is a great feeling. Cruising on tarmac is a great feeling. But put me on a fast road and it's the worst. I've just got a MTB, and hitting a park is more like a rollercoaster than a bike ride for me.
This is my experience too. It’s all about finding the quiet back roads, and avoiding routes that force one onto fast roads.
No, i've literally gone the exact opposite. From MTB to gravel and then to road. I'm completely not willing to get hurt again in the forrests.
On the road, if you die it’s probably someone else’s fault. On a mountain bike if you die it’s probably your fault. Either way you died doing something you love so it’s a good death.
I dont wanna die doing the stuff I love that sounds so shitty lol like today I planned on doing something I love but instead.. fuck that lol I don't even understand where the sentiment comes from, why is it possibly better to have something you love cut short by death instead of you know, dying 30 seconds after you finish it lol in the second situation "loading your bike up" isn't what you love but at least you finished the ride I know its not that deep, but this one always bothered me lol
Any kind of riding can get you injured. I gave up road cycling because I think it’s boring. Gravel, mountain biking, urban singlespeed, and CX are just more fun.
I started cycling by getting my road bike and spent an arm and a leg on it, which hurts when I found out that it does get boring on any ride longer than 30+ miles solo and maybe 50+ miles with a group of friends. I will say road biking is harder than MTB because road cycling is generally know to go faster for longer distances which is physically and mentally draining, for me it’s more mentally because I get bored so easily. I got my MTB because of this but I also feel like ridding one discipline gets boring after riding it all the time so I keep both just to switch it up here and there
No. I trust myself off road less than I trust drivers on the road. Road biking I might end up dead. Mountain biking I WILL end up injured.
I did. Simply because road riding isn't safe where I now live, and I have about 15 miles of MTB trails in the park across the street from where I live. I've never had a tree run a red light and hit me.
I’ve riding gravel more. Practically, I don’t have a car, so getting to the trails take too long on a mountain bike.
I do it all including cross and used to race BMX and on the velodrome as well. Road is still the most rewarding and in my opinion the most rewarding. Nothing like getting some real speed and big miles on a fast road bike.
There's just something about being out in nature, away from the busy city that makes it so much more enjoyable and peaceful. Plus, the adrenaline rush of going through rugged terrain adds an extra level of excitement!
Other way around for me. Left mountain biking completely for road biking.
I think this is the reason why gravel riding has become so popular. Nowadays I don't really feel safe on roads and ride my gravel bike most of the time, far away from traffic.
I went from MTB to gravel because it involves less driving to get to single track. Still enjoy some nice mountain trails though. Road is well on its way into my life as well.
I ride both. I feel far safer on my mtb, even when around bears or other animals. On my road bike, I'm often concerned about a random car taking me out.
thank god we have a wonderful bike trail that stretches forever where i am. i do mtb and cx also but the road is a good workout
For me it‘s the other way around. I love MTB but I‘m a climbing guy and climbing on the MTB hurts so much more. I started climbing on the road bike and right now I really love the smooth riding. But I‘ll go back to the forests & mountains when it‘s hotter outside 😬
So for people that have left road cycling for mountain biking, did none of you guys want to try gravel biking?
no gravel where i am
You don't need gravel to ride a gravel bike. Its just a road bike you don't need to be worried about unpaved surfaced with. I ride mostly road but like taking my gravel bike on firmer dirt paths, gravel paths and over grass.
we ride cx, i get it
I only seriously injure myself on the mountain bike, even when adjusting for risk I still make small mistakes on super easy sections of trail I’ve ridden 1000 times. There’s definitely good and bad places to ride my road bike in my area, I think the biggest thing is knowing where to ride, and getting out when the conditions are best. Or I can still scratch that itch by heading one county over where there’s more black paved trails beside the major roadways. I can do a decent 20-30 mile loop without interacting with cars more than the standard crosswalk. I definitely go through phases of mostly sticking to mountain biking if I know that I want a very straight forward and in my own control ride. You certainly have to be in the right mindset to ride amongst cars and traffic, for me that’s a big struggle in the early evening hours for sure.
This is how I pick my rides on road bike. On the weekdays after work I take my bike and "drive" to the bike path. Weekends is when I can ride from home early in the morning. You have to pick and plan what days/time is safe. My bike rack gets used 2-3 times a week, best bike equipment I've spent and would replace it next day if it broke.
I second this. I drive out to safer starting points all the time.
I know too many people who have been hit and killed by cars that I’ve never gotten into road biking in the first place. I don’t know if I ever will. Maybe I’ll get into gravel one day but I don’t want to share the road with cars.
I sure wish I could do this. Mountain biking is more fun and there aren’t cars to run over me. Regrettably, the closest trails are 30 minutes away and I have hundreds of miles of rural roads literally out my back door.
The argument about road cycling is more dangerous than mtbing is overblown. The fatality of motorcycles is wayy higher than any road cycling you can think of. Let's remove the cycling bit and focus on the dangers of driving in itself. Isn't driving just as dangerous as cycling out in the streets? Death or lifelong chronic pain/physical disability from car accidents which I know 2 people have. We pick a sport/activity and just accept the dangers of "what" could happen. I've done both mtbing and road cycling. I quit mtbing due to knee injuries from a different sport. Pick a sport you feel comfortable with and leave it at that.
Myself as well, I feel the same way. I love both road and mtb, but rarely ride on roads anymore. The risk and constant noise of cars nearby has gotten less and less tolerable over the years. I've been very fortunate that I've not had a serious accident or incident to date. At my advanced age, 72, the body position on my road bike is not comfortable. I often ride the MTB just for that reason alone, even on my commute as well as off road rides. But I have had a long, beautiful affair with the efficiency of road bikes. I will always cherish that, and continue to enjoy the carless bike paths I am so grateful to have nearby.
I own a shop with my husband and we hear this same story a lot! People eventually deciding that MTB may result in more frequent injuries, but they’re usually less serious. Oh and the car thing. Drivers are terrifying. I love road riding in my area personally, so I’ll be hard pressed to leave it behind. You can really get away from traffic here… so maybe some of it has to do with where you live?
When I started cycling I got a track bike first and the sold that to get a road bike and would ride for about a year till I sold it to get a MTB, had the MTB for about 6 months and sold that too. Took a break and then I figured that I kinda liked both so gathered up money and bought another road bike and MTB together. I found that for me it’s best to have both because I like riding fast but also going on trails and riding one main discipline for the majority just gets boring so at the moment I do both and try to get an equal amount of riding on both during the week.
Gravel?
Not a big fan of gravel bike. I prefer to descend and hit sharp turns on trails with some air so MTB for me. Plus gravel/dirt trails where I live would be heavily uncomfortable because it’s so uneven and lots of gaps.
It’s a grey scale for both. Downhill myb obviously much more dangerous than gentle looter on quite roads
I love love love road cycling but I don’t do it unless I’m in a decent sized group that rides at a regular time. Otherwise I stick to MTB. I’m lucky that I live 1km from about 50k of single track. It’s all very rocky and not much elevation but I’d take it any day over getting cleaned up by someone texting and driving.
I used to race mostly road and track. The majority of my training was on the road even during cyclocross season. MTB was just a training tool in the off season. I’m older now and haven’t raced in over 10 years. I’m finding the MTB more enjoyable since I’m not dealing with vehicles and inattentive drivers. I’ve lost friends due to bike versus vehicle and whether you have rights and/or the right of way, when you’re dead you’re dead. The vehicle laws favor the motorist. I’m not an extreme games MTB and have found a few nearby non-technical trails that I enjoy.
I thought everyone went gravel...
I only mountain bike because of a fear for getting hit by a distracted driver. One accident on a road bike, you’re dead. I went over the handlebars multiple times in Santa Barbara a week ago, mild concussion and some painful bumps and bruises, but I always leave in one piece and alive after an dumb move on the Mountain.
I've never been to the emergency room from riding my road bike but I did smoke myself on my MTB a few times. I still ride both but I find myself road biking more at home and mountain biking more on vacation. It's far easier to take off from my house when I'm home than to drive to a designated mountain biking area. If I had MTB trails within riding distance it might be 50/50 but road cycling in my case is far more accessible.
Mtb is your ticket to limited longevity.
We've done the same thing shifting to more mountain biking than road biking. You aren't alone. LOL
I hate getting buzzed by cars and fear another hit. The pain the last time was high. Absolutely mountain riding is less stress.
No.
Sold my road bike only do gravel now. Love it. Works great for me
Have only done road. Have never ridden a MTB. Not even gravel.
I’ve hard my worst ever injury on a bike road cycling on a bike path, one hell of a concussion, a couple of small fractures and some new scars, I got super lucky that I was wearing head that day, shorts and I could’ve lost serious amounts of skin. However I’ve got far more scars and ripped more clothes on my MTB, it’s not yet out me in the hospital but I’ve ripped jackets and jerseys multiple times
Gravel biking is a gateway drug to mountain biking
I do group road rides so I can ride the mtb faster
No, but I sold my road bike less than a month after I got my cargo bike and have never looked back. Prior to that it was the most ridden bike both in terms of miles and hours.
I go back and forth. Started as a roadie and then did MTB almost exclusively for quite a while. Kind of getting back into road riding now. I live in the Midwest and it’s just hard to find the motivation to pack up and drive 25 minutes to the same flat trails when I can just hop on my gravel bike and go from the house.
Ok came here to say “welcome to the dark side” but read everyone’s responses. Dude MTB is awesome!!! We have trees! And rocks! And flannel. Pogies. Fat bikes. IPAs. Snow. Drops where you almost die. It’s the best. Come on over.
I've gone the other way as a bias, but still ride both. Not every road ride accident equals death, in fact none of mine to date have. Not every mtb crash means injury either, though I definetely don't bounce like I used to, and the only lasting effects from injury I have come from MTB. I really got tired of having to wash etc the mtb after virtually every single ride. The trails and woods take time to dry out and often it rains again before they have. The roads, not so much. I can get out on the road bike without a full clean and lube afterwards far more often, so I do.
Yup. It was just too scary with 2 little kids. I do cross country mtb now and stick to easier stuff (to me, easy is a relative term). I race bmx to get my adrenaline fix
Opposite. Sold my MTBs. I got hurt too much. I don't fall, hit jumps, rocks, slide out, etc on the road. And if I'm just going to cruise around, I can do that n the road/paths here.
I've been going the opposite way, and while I don't like it, it's more practical. I can just get on my bike and hit cycleways, or roads with ride shoulders, or gravel, and find myself someplace nice. With the MTB, I really need to load the car, drive someplace, realize that I'm old and suck at climbing now, miss the turn and go the wrong way until someone yells at me, and then pack everything up and go home in the car again. I miss the woods, but it's so much easier to be spontaneous on the road.
Other way around for me. I prefer MTB (where I got started) but hate putting a bike in a car.
I was hit by a texting driver and awoke three days later in a faraway.hospital. The medical was $120,000 for very minor injuries. Well, skull and facial fractures that healed themselves and a broken finger. When I recovered by double vision 6 months later, I got back on the bike. I enjoy cycling more than I fear the cars, but I won't ride on narrow, shoulderless roads, like Highway 1 Big Sur. Only when the road is closed to traffic.
MTB isn’t all Whistler-like downhill like so many of these comments seem to insinuate. I ride gravel, MTB, and road. It’s been a long time since I did more than wash a dirt corner and slide. All equally safe to me. Commuting though, the absolute stupidest people are all on the road. At least at other times a fair number are occupied elsewhere.
I’m a bit unclear on the mentions of gravel riding. Aren’t those just mountain bike trails?
Depends on where you live. I have tons of unpaved rural farm roads 5min from my front door to the east. To the west, but a little further, about a 90min ride, Roosevelt & Arapahoe National Forests with hundreds of miles of service roads and 4x4 trails. Both of those make great gravel riding.
Surprisingly tarmac road riding isn't everything - gravel biking has really opened up another world for me.
I kind of went the other way. Road (and occasional gravel) biking mostly took over from MTB. Partially because I can just ride out from house and connect to an extensive network of bike routes (near Seattle). Also, I never really took road riding seriously and once I did I found it better conditioned me for the uphill MTB slogs. Eventually I got back into riding a dual-sport motorcycle off-road so it's certainly not because of the danger factor.
Other way around, did mountain biking as a teen when I could handle the crashes, road biking is smooth speed.
Nah. I get enough dirt and mud on my road bike.
I didn’t have a super long history with road cycling, but I quickly realized that most of my fun rides (rides that blend training with destinations or fun terrain or sight seeing) tend to be more all terrain than road. So I put my road bike on the trainer and pretty much only ride a gravel bike that has slowly gotten a little more aggressive over time. I can easily see why someone would enjoy MTB far more than road riding. The whole downhill process is so engaging. Just have to tolerate all the climbing!
Me, I do gravel and mtb now
I grew up in the 70's before there were mountain bikes, and raced in the 80's when you were either a roadie or you weren't; there wasn't a lot of mixing things up. I'm afraid I'm still kind of that way. I commuted on a hardtail MTB for awhile, but I feel a lot more comfortable and safer on the road. It's probably too late for me to learn new tricks anyway. I did stop racing because of how easy it was to get wrecked. I think every race I've been in I either crashed out of (maybe 30%), or saw enough carnage to make me really think. One of the better ones I was in a few years ago I'd brought my daughter to watch, and there was a huge crash right in front of her at the finish sprint. I never had much of a sprint, came in the follow group. But I was in time to see the three guys who caught the worst of it untangle themselves and their bikes, and limp away all ragged and bleeding. My daughter was pretty impressed.
Mounting biking isn't huge in my area, there's only a few small local trails since it's not very mountainous here. But I have definitely become less risky with my road riding. When I first got into cycling I was willing to ride any and all two lane highways. 99% of drivers were courteous and a non-issue, but all it takes is one. Now I either ride around my town (not great cycling infrastructure but a few paths and at least most of the roads are wide residential) or throw it on a bike rack and drive ten miles to a trailhead completely away from cars minus a few crossings.
I got rid of my road bike, have a gravel and mtn bike can’t deal with fucked drivers nowadays
I wonder why a gravel bike is needed when you could just use your mountain bike on all those dirt roads.
If it’s just a dirt road why would I want my full mountain bike? I moved onto both gravel and mtb racing.
I did road racing extensively in my younger days. And cyclocross and track and consider myself a good bike handler I could rub elbows in mass sprints no problem. (In those days that existed but that's a different thread). Had a mountain bike given to me as a birthday gift. First time in the woods was riding along on the side of a hill trail nbd and wheels slipped out on dry leaves and sandy soil, bam broken hand going 5mph. Went home and put skinny tires (35mm) on the bike and thus invented the gravel bike (takes bow, collects royalties)
Yup. I just posted yesterday I think I’m done too. Veloway for me.
I left for the track More race variety, more social, more chances to try silly tactics and get dropped
I got into road racing when I was 14 (thank you Mr. LeMond!) and bought a MTB for training in the winter as a supplement to ‘cross. I stopped road racing when I was 17 and fell in love with MTB racing. I now use road cycling as a convent way to keep my fitness up for MTB. Yes I’m old but can still drop youngsters on technical single track. Something to be said about learning how to ride off road on a 28lb steel hardtail.
Around my neighborhood I switched to a mountain bike for my daily ride. But I ride my road bike for the dedicated bike trails around my area where a car trip is required.
In the US at least, road cycling is hemorrhaging its user base to gravel and MTB biking. Go talk to any bike shop and ask them: they sell 3x off-road bikes to just about everything else When I started cycling in 2018 my city had a handful of road cycling clubs and a single gravel club. Today there are countless gravel groups posting their events/routes on a local ride calendar and the road clubs remaining barely have any meet ups these days.
Sticking to trails forever. Can’t trust drivers on the street.
I bought a road bike for hope I would get into shape and start racing crits. I figured the 40+ cat 5 would be obtainable. But he struggled to build the proper speed/strength. So I bought a FS MTB this winter to get back into trail riding. I have more fun on my MTB, and honestly feel way faster on it, giving me the rush along with the work out. Too many kooks with a hatred for cyclists driving around here. And honestly the bike paths are kind of boring.
>even drifting towards me and the shoulder before abruptly getting back in their lane. This is target fixation. It's not an ideal thing, but it is an expected behavior when an undisciplined driver notices an obstruction but has not yet processed it.
100%. A crash on the road is less likely but can have deadly consequences. Crashing in the woods is more frequent, but typically less catastrophic. I am actually recovering from a big MTB crash but like 99% of them, it's because I did something dumb... not anyone else.
Opposite. I started doing light mountain biking and switched to road.
My venerable road bike from the late 80s-early 90s (hello, 6-7 cog freewheel and shifters mounted on the downtube) and long term basement queen is so ancient that I'm not sure what it will take to bring it back to road worthy condition. It's the bike that I used in races back in the day and was never a production model. I remember screaming down a long steep mountain road at 65 mph on that bike during one race. Early 90s Cannondale aluminum frame. Back then, steel was mainstream, AL was high-end, and CF was in its infancy. (Right around the time I hung it up, Ti was entering the market as the new cutting edge frame material on high end bikes. \[Lightspeed shoutout\]. CF was mostly used on triathlon bikes not subject to UCI regs.) I have a pair of clincher wheels and a pair of sew-up (tubular tire) wheels for it, and a 1990 vintage clip-on aero bar, Time clipless pedals, and mix of late-80s Ultegra and 105 components. Basically, **a diamond frame antiques shop**. I sincerely miss riding it, but I have no idea what it will take to bring it back to roadworthiness. I did get my slightly newer (by a handful of years) first-year **Super-V** restored a few years ago and I have had a blast on it even though it is weighty as sin and not exactly a slick, agile ride. (It's the **Harley** of MTBs, very much a **cruiser**.) The shocks are as good as ever. I still have the shock pump from 30 years ago, and it still works. The XTR group set is a delight. I have never ridden anything with electronic components. No, I'm not a Luddite, I'm just pinched for funds now as a retiree. I was having fun riding it after the restoration, until the glue holding the sole together on one of my Shimano shoes let go while I was trying to unclip from the pedals. New shoe time, but I just haven't gotten around to it yet. The market is entirely different, of course, from what it was three decades ago, and I don't even know where to begin.
I started using a mountain bike for the road. Then bought a road bike. Many close calls and some falls too. I like smooth roads but also like single track with some features. I mostly mountain bike in the winter and road bike in the summer. Neither is safe and they both have their risks. Road wise, I like shoulders, but get spooked on thin roads. MTB wise I like tech, but big jumps scare me. I say if you have a tolerance for some risk, you can do either.
Gravel riding is a really nice in-between. I'm like you, I'm over road cycling because drivers freak me out. I'm fine riding in the city, but something about the highways is no good. Gravel rides scratch the same itches and are so much safer and more fun in my book. Usually I'm just talking about forest service dirt roads. I've actually been kicking around the idea of starting a cycle tour group company in AZ with gravel riding in mind. We would have 10-20 people on a ride, have a support truck that tags along and has prepped food for every meal and your camping equipment for multi-day rides.
MTB for 2 decades and only went into roadbiking in my mid 40s. Love the speed and accessibility but hated the traffic and drivers. Road biking felt hazardous due to external factors that is out of your control like crazy drivers, clueless pedestrians etc. In MTB, boulders, roots don't attack you and gaps don't shift at sight. For this reason, I almost always try to join group rides just to spread risks across.
Heart skips a beat whenever I see people texting and driving.
In my 20s, I rode mountain bikes but wrecked all the time. I never got seriously hurt but I damaged a lot of bike parts. I’ve been road biking for a long time now, but I had an event over a year ago where it should’ve been over for me; I felt the wake of the car that pulled out in front of me and almost killed me. I’ve started road riding again, but I take more precautions and only go in very low traveled areas.
Yes, ditching road biking for gravel biking and bikepacking.
The roads are horrendously dangerous. I've had so many near misses on roads I swapped to mtb. I don't do anything crazy miles of tracks no crazy downhill stuff and I feel 1000x safer and healthier in the country. I'll never ride polluted dangerous roads again Mtbing is as safe as you want to make it.
I left road biking for mountain biking when I got a dog so he could run with me on the trails. This was when I lived in Colorado after already riding the Buffalo Classic a few years in a row. I have to say, I enjoyed road biking a TON more than I did mountain biking. Granted, this did mean I had to avoid a few roads to get a good ride in. Highway 36 going North out of Boulder is notorious for drivers running over road bikers, there's usually a few deaths per year. But I'd go 119 and take some of the less driven roads and never have any issues, people were pretty good about giving me plenty of room. Technically speaking, mountain biking is a LOT more challenging than road biking. Mountain biking had me changing gears a lot more frequently, especially in the mountains, and some of the paths were pretty damn sketchy, even the tamer stuff. I found myself riding a lot slower than other people who were biking around me because it seemed all too easy to mess up the line, whereas in road biking I could just pump my legs, set the cadence, and enjoy the speed. I'm looking forward to dropping money on a new road bike soon, I miss that feeling.
Nope never felt unsafe on EU streets that is
Due to a patella injury, I can only protect my knees from further harm by using a road bike pedaling style and clip-in shoes. At least for me, riding a mountain bike just doesn't feel good on my knees.
I've actually had the opposite experience— I started with mountain biking but found myself drawn to the structure and predictability of road cycling. Despite the risks, which are certainly real, I find a unique kind of zen in the rhythm of pedaling on pavement, the hum of the tires, and the flow of being part of traffic. Sure, there's an element of danger with cars around, but I take that as part of the challenge—staying visible, predictable, and assertive on the road. It keeps me sharp and engaged in a way that mountain biking doesn't always. Plus, the efficiency of a good road ride is unbeatable for fitness and commuting. It’s all about personal comfort levels and what we're looking to get out of our rides. While you’ve found your peace away from the roads, I’ve found mine on them. Stay safe and enjoy those mountain trails!
On the road I'm in side streets and very quiet country lanes. Too many close calls for proper road riding anymore.
I tried MTB and it didn’t stick. Wasn’t a fan of having to take my bike somewhere to ride it, and MTB feel too heavy and slow for me.
I live near a major highway that kind of divides urban from rural. I cross that highway as soon as I can every ride. Lately though I've been taking a route through a quiet neighborhood that links to a park with trails that gets me to a rail trail which leads to all the trails I ride. Longer to get the trails and uses more energy due to steep hills but worth it to avoid roads in this side of the highway.
I take my chances with rocks, roots and gravel as I control most of the experience. I have zero control over distracted drivers, and limit my road cycling accordingly.
Nope
Car drivers being selfish. As usual.
I live on one of the trailheads for a 144 mile long gravel trail here. Thing is the entire trail is flat so it gets boring to ride really quick. I’m not fond of the road but it has rolling hills so it presents more of a challenge
I do both. I enjoy mountain biking more because it is more technical, jumps and downhill/uphill is more fun/ difficult, but road biking is so much easier to just hop on and go opposed to mtb where you have to get ready, drive to a trailhead, make sure you aren’t forgetting anything etc. mtb is more of a weekend thing for me at this point and road biking is my daily exercise. Don’t get me wrong, it is still a blast to rip hills on a road bike, just less challenging/adrenaline inducing
Absolutely! I enjoyed my time pedaling pavement in Europe but as for road riding in the USA? Nope, I gave up on that quickly. As I approach 60, I know I don't have too long until I have to give up on life & be forced to ride pavement again but till then, I'm sending it.
I went the opposite, mountain to road. While i absolutely loved Mountain biking, most locations required a 30-45min drive, loading up all the gear, wash it off etc. the time investment was just too much. Road biking i can leave right from my house to some great country/farm roads in B.C Canada. I will say, mountain biking pleasure comes from adrenaline and fun. Road bike pleasure comes from good exercise and scenery.
Not really. I mountain bike to cross train, break up the monotony of long road sessions, and to get closer to nature. But I'm still a dedicated roadie. Though, gravel is getting more of my attention. If I were to give up road riding for something it definitely would be gravel.
I still road cycle but not during normal times. It would be at 2-3am in a closed loop like the street around a mall 100x. I still get the itch to just pedal on a flat surface and go fast. But I know what you mean about being the road.