Road Bike vs Mountain Bike vs Folding Bike; speed difference?

[kamas]

Have you found any significant difference in your speed during your commutes on road bikes vs mountain bikes? What about those folding bikes like the dahon?

[turboseize]

I do not have experience with folding bikes, but with road bikes and mountain bikes.

A road (racing) bike will be fastest. Small tires and high tire pressure make for low rolling resistance, the low handlebars reduce frontal area and thereby drag, and it's light weight means it is much easier to accelerate.
A mointain bike will suffer from it's weight (both the total weight and especially the heavier tires, which with their rotating mass sevrely punish acceleration) as well as the much higher rolling resitance. You can mitigate that somewhat by higher tire pressures - when driving on tarmac, i pump my mountain bike tires up to 4.5 bar (sidewall maximum). If not, I'll go as low as 2.5 bar... In comparison, in a road bike I drive 6-8 bar.
Also adding to the higher rolling resistance is tire profile. Knobby tires are great on dirt but a pain on tarmac. But who says you need to drive knobby tires on your mountainbike? Changing tires is definitely cheaper than buying another bike. :-)

What to drive totally depends on your commute. A road (racing) bike ist stylish and incredibly fast, but on cobblestones or dirt roads it's going to suck. Mointain bikes are slow, but go anywhere, and if the tarmac is bad you just don't care.
And of course you can always customize your bike.
Got a mountain bike, but only drive tarmac? Get rid of your knobby tires and buy some Schwalbe Big Apple (drastically reduced rolling resstance).
Have a racing bike and bad roads? Fit fenders (to protect your back/clothing from dirt) and exchange your 20 or 23mm racing tires against 28mm Schwalbe Marathon (much sturdier and flat resistant).

Have you found any significant difference in your speed during your commutes on road bikes vs mountain bikes?

A year ago, I would somedays drive to the barracks by bike. Taking the road bike would mean 26km on tarmac, with the mountain bike I could take a shortcut on rather bad dirt ways, meaning only 18km. Commuting time would be roughly the same...

[davisgang90]

I'm new to the cycling gig, but I've been riding a road bike to work on a paved trail and I find I pass lots of mountain bikes with ease.  It isn't because I'm in great shape.  The road bike just plain accelerates much faster and maintains speed with much less effort.

[Jimbo]

For folding bikes, the problem is usually the low aount of gears and the fact that the top gear would not be a top gear on most other bikes. They are smaller, and that affects everything. (I own a Dahon Speed with 7 gears and a hub gear) However, if you stop a lot (city riding, let's say) a hub gear will allow you to accelerate quickly.

Food for thought.

[ThatGuyFromCanada]

Last summer I blew a spoke on my road bike and had to ride the mountain bike to work a few days while I repaired the road bike. I noticed a 20%-25% decrease in speed on the mountain bike - it felt like going from a Lamborghini to a dump truck!

[GuitarStv]

A road bike is significantly faster than a mountain bike.

- Your upper body position is lower on a road bike, which means you get less drag from wind when cycling quickly.  Also helps a lot when it's windy out.
- Narrower, higher pressure tires have less rolling resistance.
- Less knobs/treads mean less rolling resistance.

Biking 20km to work on my mountain bike took about an hour.  Switching to slicks on my mountain bike brought that speed down to about 50 minutes.  Switching to my touring bike brought the time down to just over 40 minutes.

[clutchy]

I have a road bike but for commuting I use a road/hybrid.  It's a bit tougher and less expensive to repair.  It also has more gearing and I like to use a single pannier for my work stuff instead of a backpack. 

basically I enjoy my road bike but I don't like to put commuting miles on it because of the component cost.

[lauren_knows]

I have a hybrid and a road bike. The road bike is MUCH faster. However, if you're going to be riding on any sidewalks at all during a ride, or care to go offroad even in the slightest (like in the grass for a short bit, or a dirt path), I'd suggest a hybrid.  I just did a 1hr ride on my road bike yesterday that took me through some areas where I didn't feel comfortable riding in the street (45mph limit), so I was on the sidewalk.  Man, the bumps and cracks in the sidewalk were giving my poor road bike a beating.

[Albert]

I use a hybrid bike for all my needs. No doubt road bike would be faster, but in my opinion also less safe in non-controled conditions.

[wing117]

I'm running a mountain bike with 2" wide semi slick tires (Serfas Drifter tires) and average 13-15mph over 8 miles one way. I'm seriously thinking of grabbing some higher pressure 1.5" tires to get some better speed, but wouldn't go narrower than that.

I'd speak heavily for having disk brakes, some stiffer shocks and a good, solid frame for a commuter. I have 1.5 miles of road, 3 miles of gravel and 3.5 miles of multi-use path and have ridden in some bad storms for my commute. I wouldn't put a road bike through the mud, gravel, grit and (scarily) deep water I've encountered.

I have a good friend who runs his road bike for weekend riding and a modified mountain bike for commuting (slicker tires, stiff springs, additional storage). He averages 22-25mph on the road and 15-18 on the mountain.

[mpg350]

Road bike is going to be faster but one option is get a mountain bike and put on some slicks. 

It made a huge difference and my mountain bike feels so much quicker and faster now.

If you don't ever plan to mountain bike or not that serious with road bikes I would get
a hybrid bike.

I wouldn't get a folding bike.

[StarswirlTheMustached]

I don't think a racing bike is very practical for commuting-- but it depends what you mean by "road bike". I know my sister-in-law's fancy carbon fiber framed costs-what-we'd-pay-for-a-car bike would not survive my commute. If the frame didn't crack, you'd have to retrue the wheels halfway there. (And I'm not going offroad-- our roads just aren't well maintained.) There's not actually anything wrong with that-- I wouldn't drive a Ferrari on my commute, either.

That said, yes. Faster. (Just like the Fararri is faster) When it comes to top speed, your weight is basically irrelevant: wind and rolling resistance vs. how much power your legs put out determine how fast you can go. So, the lower your rolling resistance, and the more aerodynamic your riding position, the faster you'll go. The skinny road bike tyres do have lower rolling resistnance, but getting high-pressure slicks for a mountain bike or a folder will take away most of that advantage. You'll never be able to crouch down into the super-aero position on a mountain or commuter bike, but you probably wouldn't do that on your regular commute anyway: it's really hard on your back. Especially if you have a backpack, which you will, because a fancy speed bike doesn't sport a rack.

Now, the weight makes a difference for acceleration, and obviously, hill-climbing. Folding bikes are typically fairly light, and some have hub gears which you can shift while stopped-- which will get you off the blocks very nicely indeed. Racing bikes spare every ounce, if you're willing to pay. Mountain bikes are tanks, though, and can take crappy road conditions.

That said, I average 20km/h on hilly, awful bumpy roads on my hybrid bike with the front shocks bouncing almost all the while. (I'm told shocks take 10% of your power, but it's better than being bounced in to traffic.) It's my ideal commuter: the shocks have a quick on/off adjust, so I can get extra speed on smooth sections, the tyres are smooth in the middle, with stubs on the edge-- the stubs never touch the ground unless I start to sink in and need them-- and she's got disk breaks, so when the aforementioned potholes warp my rim, I don't have to fumble with a spoke wrench or disconnect the breaks in order to get home. (which has happened to me before.)

You know what else makes a huge difference, though? The cyclist. I've caught up to and passed many times lycra-suited guys on umpteen-thousand-dollar road bikes that they take out every couple weeks to "race" because I do this shit every day.
(Then we get to the hill-climb, and they kick my ass, but I don't like to talk about that part.)

As for folding bikes? They're not made to be good bikes; they're made to be bikes that fold. There are design tradeoffs that you just cannot escape, and I'd only get one if I really, really needed to squash the bike down for some reason.

tl;dr: Don't drive a Ferrari to work. get a hybrid bike with high-pressure, not-too-knobby tyres. Only get a folding bike if you absolutely need to fold it up for some reason.

[mpbaker22]

Not sure if this is the best comparison as I have a nice road bike and a crappy craigslist mountain bike.  The road bike was $800 (think low end, new, racing bike) and fit precisely to me, and I've put several thousand miles on it.  The mountain bike was $80 (think crappy quality, but definitely above walmart), doesn't really fit, and I've put several hundred on it.

The difference is 17 mph on the road bike over 12 miles with load vs. 10-12 mph on the mountain bike over 6 miles with load.  Those are the two types of trips I've done most frequently with easiest, so the most exact times.  The road bike is definitely faster, but certain situations call for the mountain bike.  Both routes include similar amounts of stopping while waiting for lights.

[BrooklineBiker]

Hi,
A steel touring bike like a Surly Long Haul Trucker will have good gearing for hills like a mountain bike as well as sturdy wheels that can take a reasonable hit from a pothole. You get a somewhat aerodynamic posture and narrower tires for some speed. You can also put on wider knobbier tires for winter like on a mountain bike. I use that for my commuting and shopping here in Boston, MA pretty much year round.
Other bikes that would work similarly include the Surly Cross Check, Trek 520, and Bianchi Volpe.
Best, Neil

[MrThatsDifferent]

Before starting the comparison, we have a clear idea about those bikes. Let's start the comparison.

Road Bike:
A road bike is a bike that a rider ride in the road. basically, this type of bike is made for riding on the road. You can use this type of bike to work or to move from one place to another. Road biking can be called the original source of cycling. Most of the early cycles were Road Bicycle. This type of bicycle is lightweight and you can get it in a very tight budget.  A road bicycle is designed from racing and mountain bike.  It can be single gear or multi-gear with single speed to 24 speed.

Mountain bike:
A mountain bike is a bike that designed to ride on the mountain. It has a suspension fork. A little bit heavier than a road bike. If you want to ride in the mountain area then this type of bicycle will best for you. A mountain bike has fat tires and a strong frame. it has single speed to 24 speed also.

Folding Bike:
Folding bike is a bike that you can easily fold and carry in your luggage. You can get a folding road or a mountain bike.

Final Words:
All of the bikes has it's different uses. So it really hard compares those type of bike. you need to concern about your need. If you want to ride on the mountain then pick a mountain bike, and for the general purpose of use, you can pick a road bike. Finally, it depends on your needs.

Thank you Captain Obvious

[ChpBstrd]

My 4.5 mile commute is all hills and stoplights. I obtained about an equal time on my Jamis full suspension mountain bike as I achieved on my steel Italian road racing bike. Also, I arrived at work not at all sweaty when taking the mountain bike, but fairly winded on the road bike.

The reason for this counterintuitive outcome is that on the road bike I am forced to somewhat keep up with the cars, accelerating from stoplight to stoplight, sometimes uphill. Then I’d stop at the next red light and wait a few minutes before repeating. On the mountain bike, I tend to behave like a hooligan - riding on cracked up sidewalks, jumping curbs, and zig zagging around stopped traffic, choosing to be a “car” when the light is green and a “pedestrian” when the light is red. Basically riding like an asshole (but not inconveniencing anybody, and perhaps entertaining some) and also keeping a more consistent pace and not wearing myself out on a series of sprints. Also, the lowest gear on my road bike is too tall for me to climb a monster hill on the way home at faster than about 6mph, so that’s a get off and push situation rather than a back up traffic situation. Yet on the MTB I can spin right up it, on the sidewalk.

So try both. The path will determine the tool. For me, the MTB wins because it involves more fun and less sweat.

A folding bike will be less efficient than the road bike and less versatile than the mountain bike. The only reason to take this route is if storage is at a premium at home, at work, or in your carpool buddy’s trunk.

[GuitarStv]

My 4.5 mile commute is all hills and stoplights. I obtained about an equal time on my Jamis full suspension mountain bike as I achieved on my steel Italian road racing bike. Also, I arrived at work not at all sweaty when taking the mountain bike, but fairly winded on the road bike.

The reason for this counterintuitive outcome is that on the road bike I am forced to somewhat keep up with the cars, accelerating from stoplight to stoplight, sometimes uphill. Then I’d stop at the next red light and wait a few minutes before repeating. On the mountain bike, I tend to behave like a hooligan - riding on cracked up sidewalks, jumping curbs, and zig zagging around stopped traffic, choosing to be a “car” when the light is green and a “pedestrian” when the light is red. Basically riding like an asshole (but not inconveniencing anybody, and perhaps entertaining some) and also keeping a more consistent pace and not wearing myself out on a series of sprints. Also, the lowest gear on my road bike is too tall for me to climb a monster hill on the way home at faster than about 6mph, so that’s a get off and push situation rather than a back up traffic situation. Yet on the MTB I can spin right up it, on the sidewalk.

So try both. The path will determine the tool. For me, the MTB wins because it involves more fun and less sweat.

A folding bike will be less efficient than the road bike and less versatile than the mountain bike. The only reason to take this route is if storage is at a premium at home, at work, or in your carpool buddy’s trunk.

Also important to note . . . the type of riding you're describing on your mountain bike is significantly more dangerous for you and people around you.

[roomtempmayo]

A road bike will be faster and smoother, but most "pure" road bikes don't have braze-ons (the little attachment points) for racks or fenders which can be really nice for commuting.  Many won't accommodate a tire wider than about 25-27mm wide, and sometimes it's nicer to have tires a bit wider.

I'm in agreement with others who say you want a bike that'll accommodate tires at least up to 35mm, with the option for racks and fenders.  Whether it has dropped handlebars or flat bars is just personal preference.  I think suspension - a fork and/or seat post - isn't ideal on pavement.

If you're asking this question because you already have a mountain bike and you're thinking about a road bike, a good way to make a mountain bike into a better commuter is to swap the tires to something smoother and narrower.  Serfas used to make a 26x1 smooth tire that did a great job of turning an early to mid 90s rigid mountain bike into a grocery getter, commuter, or bar beater.  If you have a mountain bike and want more of a townie, that's probably the first and cheapest step to take.

Edit: Looks like Panaracer makes the Pacela in 1.25, 1.5, and 1.75.  One of those would probably be my choice for turning a mountain bike into a commuter.  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B01L8PO/ref=twister_B076XZKDZ7?th=1&psc=1

[ChpBstrd]

My 4.5 mile commute is all hills and stoplights. I obtained about an equal time on my Jamis full suspension mountain bike as I achieved on my steel Italian road racing bike. Also, I arrived at work not at all sweaty when taking the mountain bike, but fairly winded on the road bike.

The reason for this counterintuitive outcome is that on the road bike I am forced to somewhat keep up with the cars, accelerating from stoplight to stoplight, sometimes uphill. Then I’d stop at the next red light and wait a few minutes before repeating. On the mountain bike, I tend to behave like a hooligan - riding on cracked up sidewalks, jumping curbs, and zig zagging around stopped traffic, choosing to be a “car” when the light is green and a “pedestrian” when the light is red. Basically riding like an asshole (but not inconveniencing anybody, and perhaps entertaining some) and also keeping a more consistent pace and not wearing myself out on a series of sprints. Also, the lowest gear on my road bike is too tall for me to climb a monster hill on the way home at faster than about 6mph, so that’s a get off and push situation rather than a back up traffic situation. Yet on the MTB I can spin right up it, on the sidewalk.

So try both. The path will determine the tool. For me, the MTB wins because it involves more fun and less sweat.

A folding bike will be less efficient than the road bike and less versatile than the mountain bike. The only reason to take this route is if storage is at a premium at home, at work, or in your carpool buddy’s trunk.

Also important to note . . . the type of riding you're describing on your mountain bike is significantly more dangerous for you and people around you.

One reason for using the MTB is that when cars are cutting off other cars, honking and swerving, while trying to pass me, it just kills the zen of riding to work. Also, I'm usually the only pedestrian.

[Just Joe]

Started riding my older mtn bike to work and around town several years back. Wore out the rear tire and switched to Scwalbe Marathon tires. The rolling resistance improvement was huge. Riding it some more an I stiffened up the fork preload (very basic spring fork). Also discovered more speed on hills. We have alot of hills here. Basically my pedaling was causing the fork to bob a little and soak up some of my pedaling energy. Everyone prob knows this but whatever.

Went on to go full commuter with fenders, more comfortable seat, grips, disc brakes, panniers, and blinky lights.

I love riding that bike. It is strong and capable of coping with whatever roads I want to ride on - gravel, dirt, bumpy country roads, whatever.

Switched to disc brakes b/c the hills were overheating and consuming my V-brake pads too quickly. I'm not a 105 lb fashion model. Now my disc brake pads last a season or more and stop better regardless of the riding conditions (wet, mud, etc). I'm running cheap Tektro cable calipers but they work great. I know the hydraulic brakes a nicer and I even own a set I have never installed. The cable brakes though have been very trouble free aside from occasional pad adjustments which take less than a minute per wheel.

I think they key here is to maintain your bike and have a halfway decent machine i.e. nicer than a big box store discount bike. That means to me bringing it inside out of the weather and so it doesn't get stolen. In some environments that might necessitate a folding bike.

[GuitarStv]

My 4.5 mile commute is all hills and stoplights. I obtained about an equal time on my Jamis full suspension mountain bike as I achieved on my steel Italian road racing bike. Also, I arrived at work not at all sweaty when taking the mountain bike, but fairly winded on the road bike.

The reason for this counterintuitive outcome is that on the road bike I am forced to somewhat keep up with the cars, accelerating from stoplight to stoplight, sometimes uphill. Then I’d stop at the next red light and wait a few minutes before repeating. On the mountain bike, I tend to behave like a hooligan - riding on cracked up sidewalks, jumping curbs, and zig zagging around stopped traffic, choosing to be a “car” when the light is green and a “pedestrian” when the light is red. Basically riding like an asshole (but not inconveniencing anybody, and perhaps entertaining some) and also keeping a more consistent pace and not wearing myself out on a series of sprints. Also, the lowest gear on my road bike is too tall for me to climb a monster hill on the way home at faster than about 6mph, so that’s a get off and push situation rather than a back up traffic situation. Yet on the MTB I can spin right up it, on the sidewalk.

So try both. The path will determine the tool. For me, the MTB wins because it involves more fun and less sweat.

A folding bike will be less efficient than the road bike and less versatile than the mountain bike. The only reason to take this route is if storage is at a premium at home, at work, or in your carpool buddy’s trunk.

Also important to note . . . the type of riding you're describing on your mountain bike is significantly more dangerous for you and people around you.

One reason for using the MTB is that when cars are cutting off other cars, honking and swerving, while trying to pass me, it just kills the zen of riding to work. Also, I'm usually the only pedestrian.

Rather counter-intuitively, cycling on the sidewalk is much more likely to end up in an accident with a car.  Automobiles do not expect things moving at cyclist speed on sidewalks, and any intersection between a road / sidewalk (driveways, parking lot entrances, side streets, etc.) is extremely dangerous.  I really wish that someone had told me this when I started cycling.  It would have saved me two accidents.

[GreenToTheCore]

Rather counter-intuitively, cycling on the sidewalk is much more likely to end up in an accident with a car.  Automobiles do not expect things moving at cyclist speed on sidewalks, and any intersection between a road / sidewalk (driveways, parking lot entrances, side streets, etc.).  I really wish that someone had told me this when I started cycling.  It would have saved me two accidents.

Piling on.
Also, please be aware that your actions are impacting the broader community. When people try to blame me for their poor driving awareness, they usually cite bicyclists like you. "All bicyclists are rule-breaking hooligans. You all deserve to be hit."

This page has some neat visuals:
https://cyclingsavvy.org/road-cycling/

[pudding]

A bit off topic, but I put an electric motor on my mountain bike and had 50k an hour out of it the other day. Great for commuting.

[PDXTabs]

I started commuting on a road bike. They're fast but they honestly aren't great commuters, because IMHO you want a rack and fenders and tires that are at least 28mm wide. There are a handful of bicycle that fit that bill, but not many - and the fenders will be finicky because there isn't much room to spare. A far better option IMHO is a cyclocross or even an "urban" bicycle. The classic cyclocross commuter is a Surly Crosscheck (reasonable used) and my new favorite urban bicycle is the Raleigh Redux 1.

I don't have any experience with folding bicycles, but some people love them, so they must be alright.

[GreenToTheCore]

Scattered thoughts:
- Mountain bike suspension is cushy but can sacrifice some power
- A hard-tail mountain bike is easy to convert to a nice commuter: add less knobby tires and a seat stem rack
- I use a cyclocross as my commuter. It's the best of both worlds: light and skinnier tires like a road bike, more upright position and slightly wider tires like a mountain bike. Also has fender and rear rack attachment points. 

Whatever bike you use, I think the main speed considerations are the bike weight, the tire resistance, gearing, and route choice.
The main commuting comfort considerations for me are seated position, fenders & saddle bags, ease of maintenance, and learning bike handling skills.

Happy riding!

[mtnrider]

Folding bikes usually have smaller wheels.  This affects the gearing as mentioned above, but it also affects the ride of the bike.  Potholes and bumps will rattle your bones.  Riding one for a long distance isn't especially fun, and you'll probably have to go slower due to the jostling.

I'd go with either a good quality unsuspended mountain bike with slicks or a rugged road bike like a Long Haul Trucker.  You wouldn't typically choose a racing bike or a fully suspended mountain bike for commutes.

[Not Sure]

In my experience, riding rigid mountain bikes in road groups, riding a full suspension mountain bike with my wife on her road bike (bad idea), and commuting on just about all types of bikes -- I'd guess roughly:

* Riding position and tires -1mph.
* Front suspension -1mph.
* Rear suspension -2mph.

[moof]

I bounced back and forth a couple times due to my beater road bike (cyclocross, but whatever) being down for maintenance.  With slicks my mountain bike was 5-10% slower at most on city streets, no major hills.  Top speed if you are pushing it, and climbing hills suffer the most.  Just tooling along at medium effort is only a slight disadvantage if you have good air pressure on slick tires for both bikes.

You could probably get another 5-10% for the same exertion by getting a top of the line bike instead of the $1k or less “gud’nuf” bikes I max out at.

More than speed, get a bike setup so that you enjoy riding it, so you will actually do so.

[js82]

In my experience, riding rigid mountain bikes in road groups, riding a full suspension mountain bike with my wife on her road bike (bad idea), and commuting on just about all types of bikes -- I'd guess roughly:

* Riding position and tires -1mph.
* Front suspension -1mph.
* Rear suspension -2mph.

1 mph seems low for riding position + tires based on my personal experience riding a rigid-suspension mountain bike with a road group.  That said, I'm comparing road bike slicks to full tread mountain bike tires, and there are plenty of steps in between.  On a related note, I'm really tall, so riding a mis-sized bike might have also compromised my efficiency somewhat - the times I rode a mountain bike with a road group, it was borrowed.