What's the best way to commute by bike: City, road bike or mountain bike?
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- Опубликовано: 7 ноя 2017
- As a rootless, tribeless and bike-agnostic cyclist, I ride anything with two wheels. My daily commutes can range from fast road bikes when I'm looking for a workout, to a city cruiser when I'm on a slow roll to the pub. But I've often wondered which method was best for my commute to work.
So I decided to test three methods to compare:
1. A slow bike, ridden safely on bike lanes and separated bike paths.
2. A fast road bike, ridden as quickly as possible on the most direct route, no matter how much traffic I might confront or how much of a asshole I might be while on the road.
3. A mountain bike, ridden in the most direct route possible, whether a road exists or not.
I tracked each ride on the app Strava, and took note of a few more subjective measurements. Here are the results:
My city bike: comfortable, sure and steady.
The slow ride
Distance: 9.1 kilometres (bike lanes aren't always the most direct route)
Time: 28:09
Average speed: 19.6 km/h.
Description: It was an easy and relaxing ride that felt safe. I arrived at work feeling energized, but not worn out. And best of all: no shower required once I arrived at the office.
Technically a cyclocross bike, this ride is light, fast and gets around quickly.
The road bike
Distance: 7.4 kilometres (I took the most direct roads possible, no matter the traffic volume)
Time: 17:23
Average speed: 25.6 km/h
Description: It was a fast, aggressive ride, and it felt that way. Being alongside rows of traffic for most of the ride doesn't make for the most relaxing experience, especially when you need to cut across those lanes of traffic to make a left turn. And since I was channeling the stereotypical asshole cyclist, I took stop signs more like suggestions, which undoubtedly annoyed others on the street. I arrived sweaty, buzzing and a little harried.
This hard-tail mountain bike is a dream on single-track.
The mountain bike
Distance: 7.9 kilometres (I thought cutting through green spaces would save distance, but it didn't really, partly because my navigation was bad. Who knew roads were actually direct and efficient?!)
Time: 23:33
Average speed: 20.3 km/h
Description: While it was fun finding single-track through urban parks, this was by far the most work. I arrived sopping and wheezing. This proved what you probably already knew: Getting around in a city works best on roads that were built for exactly that.
The verdict
Sorry for the disappointment, but this didn't really clear anything up for me. I still see myself using both the slow city bike and the fast road bike at times (the mountain bike, well, I'll save that for the mountains). My advice: Choose your favourite style and enjoy every minute of it.
Music by Mark Race.
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Tom Babin is the author of Frostbike: The Joy, Pain and Numbness of Winter Cycling: www.rmbooks.com/book_details.p...
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I am so happy that I can commute through bike-only lane. I live suburban Seoul area, and there are extensive bike lanes along either side of a river. There also are separate pedestrian-only path, so virtually no walkers in the bike lanes. I didn't realize how lucky I am until I see this video. Thanks for the post.
Just because you have a road bike doesn't mean you should cycle aggressively or a mountain bike you should take the shortest route Planning your route, following traffic rules and giving simple courtesy to your fellow commuters and pedestrians is the best way to commute.
The ride stiffness will psychologically make one ride more aggressively. At first one might be hesitant to ride a stiff bike/vehicle, because of how more bumpy and agile the ride is, but after a while will start embracing it and try to reach the destination faster, or simply ride faster, unless there is a stronger urge for a more comfortable riding. Not justifying the comparison though, but it's not all wrong either.
For me the lower, more forward riding position and decreased comfort forces me to ride a road bike faster than other types of bike.
@@xypleth that was very helpful, actually. Thanks! I didn't fully realise that road bikes were that uncomfortable
@@johnfronda8013 Road bikes are comfortable on a perfect asphalt, as well as faster. Though once there's any significant bumps on the road, a wider tire bicycle will be the faster one, simply because of the loss of momentum due to a force converted into an upwards motion, rather than rolling over it and being absorbed into the tire.
I only wish I had realized this sooner, but I fell for the idea of being faster (on paper). In result it's difficult to maintain speed, if there are bumps on the road, also painful in long term.
@@xypleth I tend to go with a road bike, but I toss the handlebars and the thing that connects them to the fork. Replace with handlebars, a fat man's seat, and a mountain bike connecter thing.
Toss fenders on the front and back, and a rack. Road that thing like a maniac, once chased a bus down, over the course of three or so blocks.
Even bumed a cigarette from a moving car once. Their faces were priceless. I miss riding. I have had so many fun stories, Though I always tried to follow traffic laws, Just some times on a peddle bike, there are times when It can be easier, or safer to ignore some things.
Though at the end of the day that is your judgment to make.
@@akimbofurry2179 Hahahaha Picking a cigarette off the hand of a car driver is hilarious!
Good one, that's certainly gonna stay in their memories :D
I live in Turkey and we don't have any bicycle lanes here, I have to always switch between the main road and sidewalks. Your ride is too peaceful comparing to mine. Plus, we don't have civil drivers like in your country so I dont wanna go fast and die. So it is like mad max. I'm using mtb in the city because I have to make instant turns and switch between main road to sidewalk quickly.
So if you riding in a country like mine, mtb is the gold decision.
Yunus Thanks for sharing. Hope things improve for you soon.
I totally agree that a MTB is much safer to ride in an dense urban environment especially if the roads are in poor condition. An ordinary pot hole can cause an accident in a road bike and an MTB can glide over it. You are higher up and can see better and stop faster as well. If there are many stop lights, you will not be much slower on an MTB.
@@DYI yeah, I read my hardtail MTB daily for college around 35km roundtrip and it's not safe, here in india! As yunus mentioned his condition in Turkey, it's same here in India, too! I wish my country and his country, and all other unsafe countries for cycling makes cycle paths quickly but, we've got bigger problems before that so I think my country will be the last to have bike paths! No worries!!! I'll immigrate to other country with bike paths as I get my MD degree...
Yeah same i have to switch between sidewalk and road.
Same in Philippines, we use mtb in roads and even long tour rides because of not so good road conditions. Rare to see bike lanes as well so need to switch from road to sidewalk and vice versa.
I have an urban bike and a MTB, I live in Ecuador, so streets here are full of bumps, I'd rather the MTB.
Tell your boyfriend to buy u a car 😂😂😂😂
dont know if anyone gives a shit but if you're bored like me during the covid times you can stream all of the new movies and series on instaflixxer. Have been streaming with my girlfriend these days :)
@@jadielcarl9025 Nice two account bud
Same here in the Philippines.
Why not do the same route on 3 different bikes?
It was more a test of different styles of riding, but we could redo it like this. Thanks for the suggestion!
There is no one route for all three bicycles. They each have different gearing and shock absorption systems to think about. Are you going to need some shocks? Are you riding in hilly terrain? Answer these questions to pick the right bicycle for you.
@@Shifter_Cycling I think this was a great video.
TruthFLA imagine same route for all but picked the third. you have comfortable ride on mountain bike, slower and uncomfortable city bike run(if you have good/lightweight commuting bike it can be more fun than mtb) and pain in the ass run on road bike(sand, obstacles, dirt, in bad weather mud all with thin wheels) or just walking trip just because that bike wont ride on here. that just says one third(3 options from 9 possible=1/3) of information. video also shows only 1/3 but with that 3 of 9 options better picked. and just because of that :) i really hope that this answer is sufficient xD i did my best
I commuted on a hybrid bike with skinny tires. I got two bent rims and three flats because the road I go on has a lot of pot holes and bumps. I changed to a mountain bike and haven't had any issues.
I can’t imagine potholes like that! Glad you found a system that works
Why didn't you just put Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires on them? Or the Schwalbe Supreme tires?
I would say go for a flat handlebar hybrid bike with front suspension and at least 40mm tyres.
It's the best compromise in my opinion.
650bx47mm road biased tires on a city/hybrid bike is the perfect way to go.
Same here. 32mm and thin rims didn't survive some shoddy road patchwork. The best thing to do is having a mountain or suspension hybrid with gravel tires of 40 to 45mm thickness. Or a gravel bike with a super cushy large carbon fork.
Great video champ! Ride my hybrid to and from work on a route that has a bit of everything. Loving it and wondering why I didn't start earlier. Keep up the good work mate!!
Cosmos Daze Thanks for watching! Hybrids are a great option for so many people.
Mtb , Ive never had a puncture when I had my mountain bike and I get them all the time with a road bike now
My commute is about 6 miles on mostly bike lanes. I started with a folding bike to road bike to mountain bike and finally e-mtb. The e-mtb is the best commuter for me and then the mtb. Reason for mtb is because tubeless for me is a must as it has saved me countless times. Flats at 5am are not fun. Suspension is great for rougher roads and going offroad if you must. The e-mtb edges out the normal mtb because I can use a low setting when going to work for a nice workout but I can switch to turbo going home when I"m dead tired from work.
MrHockaluger Love e-bikes! Hope to see more of them on the roads for all of those reasons.
Nice video...Please reduce the music volume is too loud, comparing your voice volume.
You need to make more videos like these, testing out different bikes and showing different routes
road bike user here. Go for the road bike if you love getting flat tires on every single bump you run into
Cool experiment. Thanks for posting 👍
I like how you left the decision up to the viewer.
I have a cruiser/fitness hybrid. It's nice and comfy, relaxing, and fun. It has some beefier tires so I don't have to worry about bumps as much. No suspension but I think that's a good thing as it keeps the bike feeling pretty light.
City bike all the way for commuting, but I'd have one with mudguards because it rains here. It rains a lot.
where
Nice video ;) Interesting and well thought.
On my last commute, I used my gravel bike. Pathways were only available near the beginning and end of my commute. The rest of the route consisted of residential streets, industrial districts, a brief jaunt on a freeway onramp, a section that's completely offroad through a forest (often with muddy singletrack), a protected shoulder where the pavement is upheaved from tree roots.
same here, gravel bike with road bike tires (okay it's a road bike with a mountain bike drivetrain that I added myself so same thing) and yeah no problem... most of my commute is on residential sidestreets where I'm doing 30 - 40 kph with plenty of space around me, and I'm avoiding a narrow painted bike lane that's right next to parked cars on a parallel road
I ride a mtb cuz the bike paths in my area of town (Kiruna, Sweden) are paved in the 70s and are real bumpy.
you should lower the volume of the music when you are speaking.
Yay for Calgary! Thanks for the video.
beetdiggingcougar Thank you for watching!
thanks bro your video helped me a lot
Chickend out at the stairs. Hehe. I love riding on the road. Traffic never really bothered me much, used to race a van full of hippies at one point.
Awesome video! Thanks!
Thanks for watching!
Chosing the right type of bike is much more difficult.
Were i live the roads are terrible and there are plenty uphills that the citybike or a 2 crank(50-38 for example)road bike cant handle well.At the same time its a Mediterranean island and its always windy so choosing a bike with an upwards riding position is also bad idea due to wind resistance.
In my case the sweet spot is a fitness bike with fairly big tires 32-35mm and a triple crank set(48-38-28) that way you have low and high gears for every kind of uphill , you have a moderate riding position and you have average bump absorption while being able to go fast.
Sounds like you found the sweet spot for your commute, which everyone needs to do. Thanks for sharing!
Thx for making this beautiful video
Well explained with every
Important detail
Soon I'll be buy mtb bike
For exercise the reason
I chose mtb because
Of rough and bumpy roads
We have here thx again:)
Here in my country there are many pot hole in the road. So yeah, i choose mtb for comuting
Would be nice to see other bikes too, like bakfiets (cargo bike), e-bike, dutch one-speed, recumbent two-wheeler, and velomobile.
This video could have been much longer. I will be commuting on my mtb because that's all I have at the moment. I am adding a rack and swapping the tires for some slicks. $80 on Craigslist, should pay for itself real quick. As you can probably guess would love to see more in depth comparo vids
but what if you were to take the same path say the first route with all 3 bikes using the same amount of effort. is there a difference? is one better then the other?
Neither has a basket for groceries on your way back to save time so they are all slow.
Woot for Calgary. I thought recognized the Sheldon Chumir!!
Nice video! I'm interested in that helmet you used for the road bike, looks like a MET Manta.
Nico Tupas It’s a Bolle One helmet, but it looks a little strange because I’m wearing the warm inner liner underneath it.
I see, thanks!
Couple questions about the mountain bike. Is that a dropper post on it? I also noticed that the seat on the mountain bike was set pretty low as compared to the other two bikes, especially the road bike. Was the seat set that low when you did the commute?
Thanks for the upload.
No dropper post (no need for one on a commute), and I didn’t consciously set the seat low. It may have worked out that way, but I can’t think of any reason a low (or high) seat would help on an urban commute.
I suggest to use mirrors just like the motorcycles... these do help a lot!!
I agree totally.
where i live, you'd need a mountain bike just to survive the roads... in fact full suspension bikes are quite commonly seen in the city because the cobblestones, cracked pavements, temporary roadworks surfaces, and all the other stuff, they add up
I think mtb is the best coz you can use it anywhere and the rim were so tough you can easily jump into the footpath. You can hit the bumps in the pedestrian crossroads which they put some additional inch bricks any pedestrian pass
So heavy and slow though. Riding lighter bikes that a lower effort to go much faster, I couldn't go back to MTB.
mountain bike i ull the handlebars on the climbs where not with a road so that makes it far more rounded excercise than road bike. Lighter bike means less workout also.
what´s your city bike brand name :D, im trying to buy my first bike, for commuting and joyriding in the night. good channel
Why not the share bicycle that you see in Japan and China? It looks more practical and you can put things in front and back?
I use citybike for commute to work. It's 10 km route and it took me 45 minutes to get to the office. Compare to you, I am a very slow rider 😆
However, you've got comfortable and safe bike lanes, while I don't. I guess it makes a lot of difference.
Hello. Thank you for the video. Can you share more information about the music in the video?
Is it from ruclips.net/video/iqarZoZ-bQU/видео.htmlsi=T_kcLA9XgWMiGLxd ?
I bike commute using a hybrid ❤ so far so good 🌟
I'm just speculating, I think a mountain bike would be the best bike you could get. They can ride over any kind of terrain, their strong and sturdy, you can ride on bad roads and pot holes, no problem, their light and fast, and you are not limited to just one terrain.
light?
Not as comfortable as city bikes
Im buying a new bike now , a budget one
What do you think ? Hybrid or mtb ?
Im a big guy -athlete but iam off cuz of surgery- i need the bike just to do light training and for commuting , roads are not that good in Egypt??!
Not to fixate on helmets :-[ but I really like the helmet liner. Can you comment what type it is or any suggestions for picking one? Looks like it covers your ears well.
I do like that helmet liner too. It's a Bolle. Here's more info: www.bolle.com/us/cycling-helmet-technologies
My work commute is 26km. I will need to ride with a full change of clothes (including shoes), toiletries, a laptop & accessories. Commute temperature is 33⁰C. There are no bike lanes, just a 4 lane highway. What bike/backpack do you suggest?
I used a Triban 500 Road Bike and it certainly feels ok. Though I'm a little more like a sloth on it.
good job
I liked!
What brand is your city bike??? It’s really hard to tell.
I am wanting to buy one for me and my husband and not able to find a light weight (23- 27 lbs) 30 lbs is way to heavy!!! We live on the second floor and need to store inside apartment. Also an affordable price ($0- 650) Easy to take care of would be amazing!!! We have been thinking about single gear or belt drive. Oh and we live in Redding CA where it’s hilly everywhere!!! Any suggestions???
Also my husband is 6’4”, so also looking for him as well which is difficult as it needs to be xxL.
Any suggestions??
Mine is an SE Tripel, which is super simple and affordable. You could look also at the Linus brand. If you’re looking for a single-speed, you should be able to fit that price range, but you may needs some gears to handle those hills, which will push the price up. Internal hub gears are the easiest to maintain, but are a tad heavier. You should have some options, so hopefully your bike shop can help. Good luck!
Clearly, the first (cycle lanes) is the way to go for practical office commuting.
how about folding bike?
Its a one hour bike ride for me to work every day. I have a cheap walmart mtb and I have already worn it down heavily since I bought it this summer.
That's because its a walmart bike.
Saludos desde Lima Peru y bendiciones.
It's not a fair or accurate comparison.
My ideal comparison between the three bikes would be more realistic and practical along the same route but using the same amount of effort to pedal on each bike.
Compare journey times, ease of riding and comfort and practicality.
Some of these comparisons are a bit like the Top Gear challenges....
..... Which is faster for the morning commute?
A Model T Ford or a 65 tonne tank? 🤷♂️
Road bikes are the best for me fast smooth and fun
In my opinion a mountain bike is the perfect all purpose bike. It's sturdy.relatively lightweight, and has a more comfortable riding position than the other 2 options. Plus the broader tires makes for smoother safer ride.
Glad it works for you. I’ll only take issue with one point you made: comfort. I’ve yet to ride a mountain bike more comfortable than a good casual, upright urban bike. Good luck!
I put slick tyres on my hard tail mountain bike... and it's great. but i still have my off road tyres in the garage for when I need them.
I live in Croatia and here roads are very bad so riding a road bike is very difficult andd its not that enjoing but riding my only vehicle which is 2021 my ghost kato base is very relaxing
Was this supposed to be music video with some review spoken in the background? If so, you should've turned the vocals down. It's confusing.
Well that was a fun comparison to make. but the results would be different for each person doing the test since every commute is different. Some routes lend themselves to riding off road, while other longer routes benefit most from a fast bike.
Why is david spade filming himself on a bike?
I notice you are not using a helmet for some of the rides.... Is that a Canada thing ... ? ;-)
More like a me thing. shifter.info/most-of-the-time-i-ride-a-bike-i-wear-a-helmet-but-not-always-heres-why/
Recumbent trike!
None of the above! Fast and NOT aggressive on a road bike. Yielding early and often and going 40kph when the road is clear. No sweat. No helmet. Best of all, lots of distance between me and everything else. Wide gearing range so I can do the craziest hills and go super fast on flat roads without much effort.
Same here! but I wear a helmet
@@dgskywalker691 word... for helmet wearers, is it easy to find stuff to keep your head warm through the winter? always wondered that
I like this city bike, what is this?
It’s an SE Tripel. I love it
@@Shifter_Cycling Oh my god, I visited SE's website, they have so many good bike, I love single speed urban model of them. Your Tripel use bearing or ball in ist hub? How can I clean and reserve 3-speed part ? Is this easy like normal multi speed 3x7 3x8, In VietNam, Bike stores has no 3-speed bike for man like your tripel. For urban using here, I have 2 options: Trek fx 1; Giant escape 2, same price, Can I have your opinion?
indonesia here, i use a hardtail MTB, but not using a backpack, but a bag behind the seat, keeping my back healthy and easier to move, and a cooler back. unless I am carrying my laptop (laptop always on my backpack, worried the road shock will damage it). considering for safe road and avoid traffic, I take small alley and passage. I found raised handle bar are better on my traffic and route condition (so, a big no for drop bar). would be better if i can lock the suspension (mine is the old type suspension)
That cyclist everyone hate is right, especially when you're curbing the gridlock or keeping pace because of the lights.
It must be rather frustrating to have that happen. I almost burst out giggling with Schadenfreude every time i manage it.
What City is it?
Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Which city in Canada?
Calgary
B-but 1 kiloogram of feather is lighter than 1 kilogrram of steel...
I mean you didn’t have to go so hard on the commuting haha you should have done the best route with all 3 and then talk about which bike was more enjoyable to ride
You should of started with the mountain bike first since it’s supposedly the hardest ride
A cheap fixie type bike with a freewheel
Yes! I will include this the next time. I love simplicity of a single speed. Fixie? Not so much.
music way too loud...
MTB everyday
The road bike for speed
I'm such a badass that I go aggressive on MTB for 16km ride...Hell yaaa! Avg speed 23km/hr
Which mtb do you have?
"What's the best way to commute by bike:"
Recumbent. Lean back in your lawn chair, put your feet up and watch the world go by.
In india, i think it's a foolish decision to buy bike without shockers (suspension). I made this mistake to buy my second bike without shockers and i regret it.
Wow, that’s fascinating. Here in Canada, I always tell people riding in the city that suspension is unnecessary and expensive because they’re always riding asphalt. Thanks for sharing your advice!
@@Shifter_Cycling Here most of our roads are in bad shape, atleast the interior ones are pretty bad and we have too many speedbreakers
Aggressive on a road bike😂😂 your dreaming mate
European city bikes have the best reputation because they have been tested in real life and are used by thousnds of commuters. Don't get fooled by the trendy bikes. I have a Dutch bike and I will never change it for anything else.
I support this comment 100%. I have no idea why it’s so hard to find a good Dutch bike in North America.
@@Shifter_Cycling
In USA and Canada, a few bike companies make Dutch style bikes very close to the true ones. I think you can also find the high end Gazelle brand. Do a search with "dutch bikes" or "step through bikes". I bought my Bikkel bike about 8 years ago in Montreal. At he same time, you could find the famous Batavus brand. Now, its impossible to find Dutch bikes in Montreal, except for cargo bikes made in USA. A shame.
iwas your 647 sub
Thank you!
MTB definitely!!!🤣🤣🤣🤣
What about fat bikes?
I’d put fat bikes into the same category as mountain bikes, but even a tad slower because of the low tire pressure. Unless, of course, it’s snowing.
Best way is by ditching the helmet. It's proven that people that ride a bike with a helmet have more accidents and injuries than people that don't use a helmet.
Reason is simple, the helmet gave a falls feeling of safety and therefore, they take more risks and crash more. Also cars keep less distance from someone with a helmet than without, what also makes that they get hit more often.
The helmet is fake safety. It's not designed to save you with a collision with a car.
I couldn’t agree more: shifter.info/most-of-the-time-i-ride-a-bike-i-wear-a-helmet-but-not-always-heres-why/
I guess you never went over the handlebars before. ruclips.net/video/6KibqBTLaNE/видео.html
This nigga really did a whole ass review and comparison just to end up not saying which one is better or at least according to him smh
FTR: I usually ride the city bike, with occasional use of the road bike when I want a workout.
You should have tested the same route on all 3. smh
Check out the other videos in the playlist. I did exactly that.
Hybrid. Thicker tyres like 32mm and suspension fork.
“I may ride like that cyclist everybody hates”. Isn’t that the truth. Every group has them whether motorcycles, trucks, or dog walkers…. It seems to just boil down to people having no regard for others and rationalizing their behavior and everyone else seems to be receive the venom they deserve.
(changing from a car centric society to a human centric society) and the winner is:
ruclips.net/video/e4tfh4_a5gs/видео.html
No helmet.
Thumbs down because I don't know how fast or far a kilometer is...
1 kilometre = 0.6 miles. 1 kilometre per her hours = 0.6 miles her hour.
ok...so are her hours the queens hours? Are her hours .6 American hours?
Please wear your helmet, you will be sorry otherwise.
shifter.info/most-of-the-time-i-ride-a-bike-i-wear-a-helmet-but-not-always-heres-why/
this test doesn't make any sense, you ride 3 bikes, on 3 different routes with 3 different distances with 3 different mindsets. your road bike route was somewhere around 7 km while mountain bike route 20 km, definitely you will be more tired. mountain bikes can be ridden on roads you know, why not test them on the same route.
I was testing a style of riding as much as the bike. But I hear you.
Just use closed caption because your audio sucks. Thumbs down.