If your goal is to ride more, buy the road bike.

If it is just to drop some weight, there are plenty of ways that are less expensive and probably more effective with less time commitments. 20-30 minute run 3x a week + a couple of mountain rides a week + no soda (if you drink soda and you drink a lot, this is terrible), less beer, watching your caloric intake and 3-4 "body weight" workouts with pushups, situps, jumping jacks, pull ups... burpees (Uh Oh) and the like will yield pounds lost, + better cardio + being a bit more firm, all at nearly no cost.

Speaking of burpees, want some motivation, this lovely person is here to help?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYfNA_lmkHM

Back to the bike though.
Fall and winter can be a pretty incredible time to road bike in east county, SD.

As someone who at one time "didn't see the point of the spandex and road bikes" I can say I am glad to have gotten into road biking. When I get bored on the MTB, road rides take over. When I'm bored with the road, MTB takes the priority again. Think road riding may be boring? Go climb Palomar, then descend Palomar, rip down through Harbison Canyon, find a day with nothing to do and take 20 bucks a frame pump and a couple of tubes and head east with the intent to not be back until dark.

Everyone on here has good points, but in my view it comes down to one thing: Are you going to ride it?

If you find road riding fun, then you'll do it, make time for it, burn some calories and make it all worth while. If dirt runs in your veins and you long only for a narrow ribbon of soil, then your road bike will be an expensive POS in your garage. I belong firmly in the latter group. I have only one bike, and it's for dirt. Funny thing is, it also works on the road! I'll ride on the road for a bit if I'm getting over an injury or it's been raining for a week, but I don't really enjoy it. What I find best for building strength is having that little voice in my head reminding me how fun railing the dirt trails is, and pushing me to get out and do it because it's just so damn fun.

Oh, and forget shuttling if you wanna drop poundage!

I completely agree with OCD! Riding on the road brings different challanges when climbing, more exileration when decending at 40+mph and is very balancing for me.

I also like the very realistic nutrition advice, "No soda and Fewer beers." I tried giving up drinking beer at the beginning of the year and I just wasnt the same, nor did I really loose any weight.

Road or MTB it all depends on getting your heart rate up and maintaining it for some time. My "plan" for the last few weeks is even I dont make it to dirt, just to roll my MTB in the neighborhood for 30 minutes. I have yet to put the plan into action lol

i hate rolling my knobbies on pavement.

it's simple math, calories in vs calories burned throughout the day.
You should have a negative number at the end of the day with aprox 2-3 lbs lost per week to stay healthy. I am at 30 lbs lost in 12 weeks, all because of a trainer laying out a meal plan (and training for 24hr event helps too). PM me if your interested and i will forward everything i have gotten from him to you if your interested. Meal plans, total strategy planing everything to take the guess work out of it.

Road bike or mtn bike, their both fun. i live in rancho san diego, right next to the grand american loop, some days there is nothing better than having pavement whizzing buy under you while you just mach the pedals. go fo rit if it's what you want, just get out and ride though. . .thats all that matters... an active body is healthy no matter what your doing.

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I Blame Barcy.

Dang Kev, do those neon blue shorts even fit anymore? Well done!

sleep. yep, if you're sleeping you're not eating. just sleep all weekend.

i got a cyclocross bike a couple years ago to give me something to do when the trails are wet. you can ride both dirt and pavement and its real fun.

I too got fat from mountain biking. Started running. Lost the weight, saved an assload of time and money (versus road biking) and increased my MTBing endurance BIG time.

Just do it... sign up for a 10k (or half marathon), go to Halhigdon.com and download a free novice training program. Its sucks till you build up to 5 miles, then its gets it easier and more enjoyable. Its real nice to knock out a serious cardio work out in 60 minutes, from your front door for the cost of a pair of running shoes (versus road bike, road bike gear, 3+ hour workouts, risk of car death).

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this is simply an everyday tale of life, longing and mindless vandalism. everything is true, especially the bit where we all lie.

If you want a road bike, I say go for it. When the time change comes, buy some rollers (not a trainer) and spin in your garage. Not only will that help you lose weight and build cardio capacity, it will help alot with balance and bike-handling skills which will benefit your dirt riding.

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A bicycle is a splendid thing.
~Ernest Hemingway

I just got a road bike... I have fun for about 15 mins... then I just get bored. Then eventually I just get in this road zombie mode and knock out my miles.

For me it's like running... I am not having any fun doing it, but once it's over I am glad I did it.

I bleed dirt tho... railing down a twisty singletrack it's infinitely more for me. Maybe I need to spend some more time road and hit some more scenic routes.

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never stop....

that is just silly. not understanding other people's point of view is what America is about. Just look at GlennBeck's ratings!

[quote="What I think is silly is someone not understanding other peoples preferences and calling that silly.[/quote]

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"In a time of universal deciet, telling the truth is a revolutionary act" - George Orwell

Here's a fresh, new idea.........RIDE YOUR BIKE.

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Seriously?

Hey Luna, while I don't know you personally, I do know what your going thru. I too sat on the fence about going to the dark side. I wanted to be able to bang out a quick 1 hr ride without having to load up the car and drive 20min. just to do so.

I finally made a decision and purchased a cyclocross bike two years ago and it was one of the best investments I have ever made. You can throw some road tires on it and bang out some high milage rides or leave the knobbies on and go do some MILF trail exploration. Also, most CX bikes can accomodate racks and fenders for commuting (which will help with the weight loss).

I have also noticed a huge improvement in my mtb skills because now that my endurance base has increased, I have more power to handle the technical stuff.

Get a Cx bike, don't shave your legs, wear your mtb gear when you ride it on the road, and piss off all the roadies while you draft their wheel for a couple of miles.


Ben