As a cycling uncle who has been riding for over 20 years and playing with bikes for over 10 years, I have witnessed this sport rise in popularity around 2008/2009 then decline, and recently make a comeback in the last two years. I have also seen the changes in the types of bikes ridden on the roads over the past decade. I can only say that cyclists’ understanding of this sport has become more nuanced over time.
Why is that? It’s because over a decade ago, most mountain bikes were “road warriors” – mountain bikes ridden on roads. But mountain bikes were not designed for riding on roads, they were designed for off-roading. So the geometry and handling of mountain bikes are not actually suitable for long periods of steady pedaling. They are better suited for controlling the bike over rugged off-road terrain. So the shift from mountain bikes to road bikes on the roads was almost inevitable.
Then where have all those “road warrior” riders gone in these 10+ years? For cyclist friends I knew from that era, there are three outcomes:
First, they transitioned from being young and single to married with kids in their middle age, then they had no time left to ride and quit the sport.
Second, dedicated mountain bikers went off-roading more as they got older and got cars that could take the bikes straight into the mountains to go off-roading, so you don’t see them on the roads much anymore.
Third, they switched to road bikes, because road bikes simply provide a much better experience on paved roads compared to mountain bikes.
Of course, there are still “road warriors” out there, but they tend to be older recreational riders. Their core belief in riding mountain bikes on roads is hard to change. This mindset likely stems from the early days of China’s Reform and Opening up in the 1990s, when American culture started to pour into China. The first batches of “sport bikes” entering the Chinese market were almost all mountain bikes, so for many people from that generation, mountain bikes were synonymous with high-end bikes.
There are also many misconceptions cyclists have about road bikes:
Misconception 1: China’s road conditions are poor, mountain bikes are more suitable for China’s roads.
In terms of road conditions, Europe is the heartland of road cycling, and its roads are far worse than China’s. Look at professional bike races and you’ll see. Especially in the Flanders region of Belgium, where cycling originated, their cobblestone classic races are notorious for atrocious road conditions that are hard to imagine.
The infamous “Hell of the North” Paris-Roubaix with its cobblestones.
The famous white gravel races, how is that even considered a road?
Gravel bikes have also become more popular in Europe in recent years, which is inseparable from Europe’s terrible road conditions. Gravel bikes are not that popular in China, because the roads Chinese cyclists ride are much better in comparison.
Mountain bikes may appear to have better shock absorption for a smoother ride, but the suspension on mountain bikes, front, and rear, is actually designed for handling and control rather than shock absorption. Simply put, they are meant to keep the tires glued to the ground off-road, not for rider comfort. The suspension does little on paved roads other than absorbing major bumps like manhole covers or speed bumps.
The reason we feel mountain bikes handle rough pavement better is actually due to the tires. Wider mountain bike tires allow lower tire pressure, so they absorb high-frequency vibrations better and feel more comfortable. In terms of the bike frames and forks themselves, the bulky mountain bike fork does not dampen vibrations nearly as well as the slender road bike fork. Many road bikes today can also fit up to 32mm or even wider tires. With tubeless road tires becoming more common, road bike comfort on rough pavement is comparable.
Misconception 2: Road bikes are flimsy and break easily
This is not entirely untrue. Mountain bikes are undoubtedly more durable against crashes with their weight and thick tubing. At a glance, road bikes do look more “delicate”. But for most recreational riders, is that level of durability or crash resistance really necessary? Looking at the atrocious cobbled roads of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix again, professional riders routinely blast through them at 50+ km/h and their bikes hold up fine. Do you say the pros use different bikes from what we can buy? That’s not true. UCI rules mandate pros use commercially available equipment, so what they ride is purchasable for consumers. In fact, pros use the lightest, highest-end gear possible, so consumer-grade stuff would only be more robust, not less. So while road bikes are less durable than mountain bikes, their strength is adequate even for light off-roading.
This includes “delicate-looking” carbon fiber frames, which are actually extremely durable. American Cycling Network once did an impact test on a Chinese carbon frame:
It withstood being thrown from a height with no problem. As long as you don’t buy counterfeits, road bike frames have adequate strength for use. Most carbon frames nowadays even have lifetime warranties.
Misconception 3: Road bikes are only good for racing
I’ve chatted with many longtime “road warrior” fans, and they tend to feel road bikes with their aggressive low position are only suitable for racing, since I don’t race I don’t need one. But there is a lot of diversity among road bikes, with many types, not just aggressively low-race bikes. There are also endurance and even gravel bikes with high handlebars, to which you can add racks and fenders for touring with no problem.
With any sport, as you play it for a long time, you will naturally gravitate towards the “competitive” aspect, not necessarily to compete but to get closer to that mindset. It’s like the old men and women playing ping pong in our community, they won’t just play “fun” shots the whole time. After playing for long enough you naturally pick up techniques like spins and smashes, and pay more attention to gear upgrades. Cycling is the same, the desire to go faster, higher and stronger is a natural tendency for sports enthusiasts. So a lot of (not all) “road warriors”, upon reaching this mindset, will look for equipment that allows them to go “faster”, and road bikes with their inherent advantage on paved roads become the logical choice. I’ve seen dedicated weight-weenie road warriors spend tens of thousands on their mountain bikes, and I can feel their envy and jealousy when they get dropped by sub-10K mid-range road bikes.
Misconception 4: Road bikes are expensive
Not necessarily, forget about the $790 Tommasini I mentioned earlier, looking at the market over a decade ago, GIANT had the Windcheater series around ¥2000, OCR series around ¥3000, and higher-end TCR 6xxx series, comparably priced with mountain bikes, just less common due to lower demand.
It’s the same today, Decathlon’s entry RC100 is priced at ¥1799, not necessarily more expensive than mountain bikes. Of course, same-tier mountain bikes still cost less than road bikes, since the road group sets cost a lot more than mountain bike shifters and derailleurs.
Many design aspects of mountain bikes meant for off-roading become disadvantages on paved roads.
High bottom brackets improve clearance off-road, but raise the center of gravity on roads, reducing cornering safety and pedaling stability.
Wide flat bars aid control over heavy front suspension off-road, but on roads they feel overly flexible and less stable for long rides, placing extra stress on the wrists, elbows, and shoulders.
So for long stable rides, optimal handlebar width matches shoulder width. Road bike drop bars also aren’t just for racing, the multiple hand positions reduce fatigue over long distances.
Based on the above, many seasoned riders will gradually transition from mountain bikes to the road. Beginners follow the crowd blindly. When a newbie gets led into cycling by a mountain bike veteran, their first bike will naturally be a mountain bike too. As those veterans slowly switch to the road, the new riders they mentor will also go on road bikes. This is probably one of the reasons for the increasing popularity of road bikes.
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Post time: Jul-14-2023