Mountain Bike Vs Road Bike Speed

Based on the speed test i found the road bike rolled on average about 11 faster than the mountain bike.

Mountain bike vs road bike speed. Mountain bikes have wide knobby tires for good traction and shock absorption front and rear suspension and up to 30 gear speeds to be used on a variety of terrains. Free ride bikes have less emphasis on weight and more on strength. As we mentioned before mountain bikes get pawned more so you might save on the used market. Road bikes are slender and more aerodynamic to achieve higher speeds.

On any given day road bikes have greater speeds than mountain bikes. A road bike encourages its rider to sit crouched forward while mountain bike riders sit in an upright position. At high speeds wind resistance can slow down a mountain biker. Mountain bike wheels come with 26 to 29 inch options and always feature tires with raised lugs.

One interesting thing to note is that a lot of the speed difference in the test seemed to come in the first 10 yards along the test track as the bikes accelerated up to speed. This means a person riding a road bike is more aerodynamic which enables acceleration. There are different designs of bikes for the optimal types of uses. The road bike was running standard road bike tires at about 80psi.

So the road bike vs mountain bike debate can t be settled on cost alone. These lugs act like teeth for loose soil digging in and providing traction and grip where the smooth tires on a road bike would slip.