Buy New RB or a MTB
I'm on the fence between replacing my 10yr old entry level road bike - Fuji Pro -with a full carbon road bike or buying a FS XC 29'er like the Specialzed Epic Marathon (carbon). Note: My Tri bike - Specialized Transition Pro -is race ready, Zipps, PM etc.
Argument for Road:
Great for climbing & group rides. Training most closely mimics Triatlon riding, roads, steady effort etc.
Argument against:
I could just keep riding the old basic road bike I have even if it's not as cool and pretty as my Tri set up.
Argument for MTB:.
There are 100s of miles of great dirt near me The idea of "cross-training" in the winter months is appealing. It's fun and novel. MTB would give me new perspective/ training and refresh the Tri bike experience.
Argument against MTB: Lots of short intense efforts mixed with coasting & downhills could be less effective at building fitness?
My races this year: Coming off IMAZ '14 will focus on 2 oly's in first half and a 70.3 in Fall '15.
Goal One: build up that elusive FTP without burning out.
So, what would you do? Thanks in advance for opinions/ experience/ data/ feedback.
Argument for Road:
Great for climbing & group rides. Training most closely mimics Triatlon riding, roads, steady effort etc.
Argument against:
I could just keep riding the old basic road bike I have even if it's not as cool and pretty as my Tri set up.
Argument for MTB:.
There are 100s of miles of great dirt near me The idea of "cross-training" in the winter months is appealing. It's fun and novel. MTB would give me new perspective/ training and refresh the Tri bike experience.
Argument against MTB: Lots of short intense efforts mixed with coasting & downhills could be less effective at building fitness?
My races this year: Coming off IMAZ '14 will focus on 2 oly's in first half and a 70.3 in Fall '15.
Goal One: build up that elusive FTP without burning out.
So, what would you do? Thanks in advance for opinions/ experience/ data/ feedback.
0
Comments
I think it's about what your objectives for the ride are.
I like to think I bought a mtn bike to have fun riding a bike: enjoying nature, have fun hitting some sweet jumps, like Napoleon Dynamite, stuff like that
. The problem I kinda have locally is that to get to anything "fun," I need to grind up a forest road for an hour or more. I know how to grind for hours, I've been doing that on a road bike forever, so I want to have fun on a mtn bike. As a result, I think I train harder, get more out of a road bike ride, because my head is just in a meh, I want to just enjoy myself mode on a mtn bike. I should probably drive to more trailheads vs climbing 2k just to bomb down the same road.
Anyway, I consider about Oct-Jan to be great mtn bike time...and to just enjoy riding your bike because riding bikes is awesome. But after that I would find myself gravitating more toward the road bike, because I feel it's a better training platform.
I would totally go road bike and I would buy this
http://members.endurancenation.us/Forums/tabid/57/aft/17694/Default.aspx#195914
Good idea! I'd like to keep this to $5k or under, possibly with a second PM since my Quark is not easy to swap out. Going used route could allow for both a newer RB and a MTB.