Can you ride a mountain bike on the road?

Riding your mountain bike on the road is something that can be done, but should you? Why would someone want to ride a mountain bike on the road? What should you keep in mind if you do? Read on for more about taking your MTB road riding.

Why use a mountain bike on the road?

While many people would think mountain bikes are purely for trail riding, and road bikes are the only bikes to take on the road, the fact is that you can take your MTB on the road if you so choose. Here’s why some riders choose to use their mountain bikes on the road.

Transportation

Transportation is an obvious reason you’ll find mountain bikes on the road in addition to road bikes.

Some riders don’t have a car, or they don’t have a bike rack that allows them to easily transport their MTB to their local trail system. But there’s no reason to let a lack of a car or bike rack prevent you from shredding those trails, and as long as they’re not too far, simply riding to the trails on the road is a great option.

On top of riding to the local trails, a mountain bike, while not as fast or efficient as a road bike, still gets you wherever you need to go pretty effectively, and in much faster time than it’d take to walk.

Poor trail conditions

Sometimes, your local trail conditions just aren’t quite what they need to be to allow for a fun ride. Maybe you recently had a rain storm and the trails are too soft and risk damage from being ridden on. Nobody wants to be that person who leaves big ruts from riding when conditions aren’t good enough for it.

Maybe its early in the season, and while the roads are clear, the trails still have snow and ice on them.

Regardless of why your local trails aren’t quite rideable, riding your mountain bike on the road can be a great option to still get your biking fix!

Conditioning

Mountain biking is a great avenue to get some exercise and stay on top of your fitness. But sometimes you just want to get a quick ride in and the trails are too far away, or they’re not able to be ridden due to poor conditions.

Taking your mountain bike for a ride on the road is a great way to get that exercise in when you’re not able to ride at the trails, for one reason or another.

You’re able to work on climbing hills and logging lots of miles to keep your body in great shape for whenever you are able to get back on the trails.

Based on personal experience, working on your conditioning by riding on the road can make a big difference to your stamina and pedaling efficiency when you’re able to get back to trail riding.

Urban mountain biking

Another reason some riders will take their MTB on the road is to do urban mountain biking, including riding features like stairs, drops and other obstacles that are built for pedestrians in a city.

Riding the obstacles found in a city can be a fun way to get some practice in. This kind of mountain biking can be fairly extreme, like riding down or dropping off large staircases or retaining walls, but can also include milder things like simply dropping off a curb or bunny hopping back onto one.

Urban MTB can be a great way to simulate riding rough off road terrain.

Just make sure that before you decide to do any urban mountain biking that you check in to whether it is allowed in your town or city, and keep an eye out so you don’t have any collisions with cars or pedestrians.

Things to consider when riding your mountain bike on the road

Here are some important factors to keep in mind if you decide to ride your mountain bike on the road:

Safety

Something you definitely need to consider when riding your mountain bike on the road is safety. You definitely still need your helmet, and while roads won’t have the rough terrain that trails do such as rocks, roots, and other obstacles (hopefully!), they have something you won’t see on the trails: cars.

This means that if you will be riding on the road, you need to take extra care to be aware of what is around you and any cars that could be coming.

While you might be more likely to get minor injuries while trail riding due to the challenge of the trails, you are much more likely to get seriously injured or killed on the road thanks to cars being added to the mix.

While on the trails you simply ride the trail, on the road you will need to be aware of and follow the rules of the road. This means riding on the right side of the road (in the US) and obeying stop signs and traffic lights.

In some places you may be able to ride just on the side of the road in sand/gravel, or even on the sidewalk, but this depends on local laws.

Is it legal?

One thing you need to think about if you’re going to ride your mountain bike on the road is whether or not it’s legal in your area. The good news is that in most areas, riding your bike on the road is legal, regardless of whether you’re riding a road bike or a mountain bike.

Generally speaking, the law requires cyclists to ride on the right side of the road, and follow most of the same rules as cars on the road do. like obeying traffic lights and stop signs.

In some places you will be able to ride on sidewalks to keep more distance between yourself and car traffic, but many towns and cities prohibit this.

Tire wear

An important consideration if you decide to ride your mountain bike on the road is tire wear. Compared to the tires on road bikes, mountain bike tires are thicker, with more tread, which is designed to provide grip on the wide variety of surfaces found on mountain bike trails.

On average, mountain bike trails will be softer compared to riding on the road. Riding with mountain bike tires on the road will cause them to wear out faster than they otherwise would if you only rode them on trails.

This can reduce the amount of tread and grip your tires will have on the trail more quickly. To make sure your bike is able to provide the traction you need on trail, you’ll need to replace your tires more frequently.

Efficiency

Tires

Compared to road tires, the tires on mountain bikes roll less efficiently. The extra size and tread on the tires of mountain bikes creates far more rolling resistance by comparison.

This added rolling resistance won’t necessarily be as noticeable on climbs, where gravity is working against you whether you’re on a road bike or a mountain bike. However, on flat ground it becomes much more noticeable.

You’ll really notice the rolling resistance when you are on a flat section of road, give your mountain bike a few pedal strokes, and then let the bike roll on its own.

When testing a mountain bike with a road bike side by side, the road bike rolls much further on a flat road after the same number of pedal strokes.

This means that to travel a particular distance on your mountain bike compared to a road bike, you are going to need to exert yourself a lot more.

Suspension

Beyond the loss of efficiency from the tires of mountain bikes compared to road tires, the suspension is another way that mountain bikes are less efficient for road riding.

Most mountain bikers will understand the concept of pedal bob, which means your suspension soaks up some of the energy from your pedaling, especially going uphill, but also on flat ground.

By comparison, most road bikes do not have suspension, so they do not suffer the same energy loss. This is another reason pedaling a mountain bike on the road is much more labor intensive than a riding a bike made for road riding.

Best types of mountain bike for road riding

Which type of mountain bike is best for road riding? By and large, the best, most efficient mountain bikes for riding on the road will be bikes with less suspension and less travel, as well as bikes with smaller tires that have less tread.

Cross country bikes

Hardtail mountain bikes, with only suspension in the front fork, are the most common type of bike used for cross country riding, but fully rigid bikes (meaning mountain bikes with no suspension) are also used for this purpose. Cross country mountain bikes also typically have less aggressive tread and generally thinner tires.

And while hardtails have suspension in the front fork, they don’t typically have a lot of suspension travel, so pedal bob on these bikes is less of an issue compared to longer travel bikes.

As a result, XC mountain bikes are the best type of MTB for riding on the road because they are more efficient for pedaling and they will usually roll better due to their less aggressive tire tread.

Trail bikes

Trail bikes fall somewhere between cross country bikes and enduro and downhill MTBs in terms of their tire size and tread, and also their suspension. Some trail bikes are hardtails with longer travel suspension in the fork, and some have both front and rear suspension.

Trail bikes work okay on the road but they won’t be the fastest or best option. Relative to cross country mountain bikes, trail bikes will have both more pedal bob and more rolling resistance from the tires, making them less well suited to riding on the road.

Enduro and downhill bikes

Bikes designed for enduro and downhill riding are almost always full suspension mountain bikes with relatively long travel and large, knobby tires. Downhill bikes tend to have longer travel compared to enduro bikes, but both bike types are designed for hitting rough terrain at speed, not for riding on the road.

You can ride these bikes on the road, but because of pedal bob and rolling resistance of the tires, you won’t be very efficient or very fast.

Equipping your bike for the road

Mountain bikes with suspension will often have a suspension lockout that allows you to basically “turn off” the suspension in a fork or shock, and its a good idea to do so if you’ll be riding on the road to reduce or eliminate the energy loss from pedal bob.

You should also consider which tires to use, and their tire pressure. Higher tire pressure will roll more efficiently on paved roads.

If you do a lot of your riding on the road and stick to mellower mountain bike trails while trail riding, you should consider getting smaller tires that have smoother, less aggressive tread patterns to reduce the rolling resistance while road riding.

Frequently asked questions

Are mountain bikes okay for street riding?

Yes, as long as your local laws allow it, you can ride your mountain bike on the road. You should first make sure you understand any laws that apply to cyclists in your area including weather or not you’re allowed to ride your bike on the sidewalk.

Is it harder to ride a mountain bike on the road?

No, nothing is particularly difficult about riding your mountain bike on the road. It’s actually easier compared to trail riding as you don’t need to contend with uneven surfaces and obstacles. However, relative to a bike designed to be ridden on the road, mountain bikes will be slower and pedal and roll less efficiently.

Can I convert my mountain bike to a road bike?

You can definitely optimize your mountain bike to be used on the road. The best way to do this is by putting smaller tires with less tread on your bike, keeping the tire pressure higher, and locking out your suspension if your bike has that capability.

Conclusion

Riding your mountain bike on the road can be a fun way to get in some exercise and scratch that riding itch if you’re unable to get out on the trails. Just make sure you’re aware of the laws in your area, consider adjusting your tires and suspension, and most importantly, ride safely.

The Apex Adventurer