Are mountain bikes good for the road?

After exclusively riding everywhere for 2 years on my Scott Scale 70, I learned a few things about riding mountain bikes on the road. In this article, we’ll look at 6 reasons why MTBs are not good on the road and 6 counterpoints why they are. We’ll finish with a few tips to set up a mountain bike to become a killer commuter bike.

Let’s get started.

Are mountain bikes good for the road?

Most mountain bikes are slow, heavy, and inefficient on the road. But they are also comfortable to ride, safe, and open up shortcuts through cities that other bikes could never take. And in the fall and wintertime, they are the best bikes to ride on wet leaves, ice or snow.

6 reasons Why Mountain bikes Are not good on the road

Most of the year, an MTB is not as good on the road as a road bike or hybrid.

There are lots of reasons for that.

1. The big knurly tires found on most mountain bikes create more rolling resistance, which makes it an overall slower and louder bike on asphalt.
2. The upright riding position creates a lot of drag (wind resistance) compared to a road bike. This makes it even slower.
3. Most MTB gear ratios don’t allow you to go very fast on the road. These bikes are made to quickly shift on winding trails and to climb mountains, not for top speeds on flat roads.
4. MTBs usually have bad fenders. They are often afterthoughts and don’t work as well as their road-riding cousins. That can be a problem when commuting in the rain wearing your work clothes (which you should never do anyway). Many mountain bikers have shown up in the office with road spray on the back of their coats.
5. A mountain bike is much heavier, especially a full-suspension bike.
6. A full suspension and big tires make an MTB flex and bounce on the road which makes it much less efficient. A lot of the energy that a rigid frame and thin road tires would transfer into forward motion, is lost in up-and-down travel. Rear suspensions also create more maintenance, add more weight, are more expensive, and often prevent you from adding mudguards to your bike. All while not adding any benefits on the road.

As you can see, MTBs are almost always going to be slower than road bikes due to their inefficiencies in drag, rolling resistance, weight, and lower gearing.

So what are their redeeming qualities?

Let’s look at them now.

6 reasons why mountain bikes Are Good on the road

1. A mountain bike is better than a road bike in fall and winter. Wet leaves, sand, snow, or ice on the pavement can be dangerous on a road bike while a mountain bike can often safely ride over these surfaces without too many issues. This is where the big knurly tires start to shine.
2. You can take routes that road bikes could never go on. Rough back alleys, cobblestone, sandy construction zones, gravel roads, and even some steps can be safely maneuvered on a mountain bike without losing much speed. These shortcuts open up a new world of city riding and are the main reason why MTBs can often go faster across the city than other bikes even though their top speeds may be slower.
3. A sense of adventure and a go-anywhere attitude. Let’s face it: mountain bikes are fun and hybrid bikes are boring. An MTB makes you feel free to go anywhere and explore the city. To find trails that you didn’t know existed and that aren’t even meant to be trails. While all other bikes are tied to the same roads with cars and busses and all the other same old hybrid bikes.
4. Peace of mind. Sometimes there will be close calls in traffic. It can be scary but that’s how it is. Other bikes and pedestrians can cross your road without seeing you (or you them), cars cutting you off, doors opening from parked cars, etc. The wider handlebars and frame geometry make it a much more nimble and responsive bike than can make quick direction changes and react faster. Because that’s what these bikes were built for. On an MTB, it’s nice to know that you can jump a curb if necessary or safely roll into the ditch to avoid a car. Potholes are also a lot easier to maneuver, jump over, or ride through than on any other bike. MTBs are the king of rough roads and close calls.
5. MTBs often have dedicated climbing gear ratios that are unavailable to other bicycles without upgrades. So if you live in a hilly area, a mountain bike can be a great choice for that fact alone. The climbing gears make uphill stretches or riding underpasses much easier than on a city bike.
6. The upright riding position makes it much more comfortable and safer in traffic since it allows you a better view of your surroundings. Your awareness of the traffic is generally much better on a mountain bike than on a road bike. But to be fair, a hybrid bike has the same riding position as a purpose build city bike.

How to set up a Mountain bike for commuting

As you can see, there are some good reasons for and against riding a mountain bike on the road.

I personally think that the Pros massively outshine the Cons and that mountain bikes are very good for the road.

Especially if you set your bike up correctly and ride it in fall and winter. It beats a road bike hands down in those months.

As a matter of fact, a while back a lot of people started converting old hardtail mountain bikes from the 1980s to 1990s to dedicated commuting bikes.

So let’s take a look at how to set up your MTB correctly:

1. If possible, ride a hardtail on the road.
2. Front suspension is optional if you do want to take it off-road at points. They are heavy but very versatile. Consider locking it out or limiting the travel for riding on roads.
3. If you have a rear suspension bike, give it less travel sag by increasing the pressure. Try a quarter of the maximum travel and see how it feels.
4. Add a chainstay protector to silence your bike and avoid the chain slapping around, taking off paint chips, and causing rust issues (on steel frames).
5. Run thinner and slicker tires at a higher pressure. 50 PSI is a good starting point for most riders and tires.
6. Add a bike rack, fenders, and better lights to make them safer urban bikes. Also, make sure to wear visible clothes.
7. Give it a kick-ass road warrior name. Refer to our article Top 8 names for a bike and one to avoid if you need some inspiration.

Here is a great video that explains the process of converting a mountain bike to a commuter in more detail:

It all comes down to what bike you have at home. So ride the bike you already have.

If it’s a mountain bike, great. You may have a winner on hand.

MTBs allows you to go anywhere, but you may have to pedal harder at times.

That is why sweating is a bigger issue when commuting on mountain bikes rather than on hybrids.

I wrote the article How to bike to work without getting sweaty which looks at some simple tips to avoid sweat stains and body odor when riding to school or work.

The tips are simple and easy to follow and help especially well when commuting on a mountain bike.

Be sure to check it out next.