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ITESM - CQ

In this essay I will point out the main differences between road bicycles and mountain bicycles, however, in the process of doing so, I will also discuss some similarities. I shall intend to make an unbiased comparison of both types of bikes while covering what I consider are the main aspects in which they differ. Included in these main aspects for comparison are riding speed, riding type / technical details, mechanics / components and, finally, rider differences. Speed-wise, road bikes are much faster than mountain bikes. Typically, a road biker may be going at speeds of up to 75 miles per hour (the Tour de France average was 34 miles per hour) while a mountain biker's average will rarely be over 20 miles per hour. Mountain biking is far more technical riding process than road biking. Because mountain biking is mostly done off-road, trails can be full of stones, roots, tree trunks, and other debris. Therefore, it requires more concentration and technical ability on behalf of the rider. On the other hand, road biking is done on paved roads, thus reducing the rider's need to concentrate on the road as much and rather letting him focus on his stamina or other physical aspects. Road bikes are designed to cut the wind as much as possible (this also makes them faster). Their frame's tubes are a lot thinner and lighter, their forks hardly ever have shocks, their rims and tires are also thinner and their handlebar is shaped differently so that the rider can keep his body as close to the bike as possible. In contrast, mountain bikes' frame tubes aren't normally as thin, shocks are now very common, their tires have more tread for better traction and their handlebars emphasize on the best control and handling possible. The last difference is one I personally seem to notice, although it is not at all a general rule. Most road bikers are taller and have wider hamstrings than mountain bikers. This difference can be seen in comparing Lance Armstrong, the current road biking champion, and Miguel Martinez, the current mountain biking champion. I think this difference is related to the riding process: longer and wider legs mean more pedaling power which is very important in road biking, and a more petit body means riding closer to the ground which translates and greater control and maneuverability (essential in mountain biking). As seen in this essay, there are several very important differences between road biking and mountain biking, yet none of them for the worse. In my case, I prefer mountain biking, I'm not exactly sure as to why, but I think it's because of what I said in the technical differences: bumpier roads equals more jumping around, and for me, that makes the ride more entertaining.