Are you a road cycler? 

If you are, you’re doing it wrong! 

Mountain bike riding is king! 

Well, at least it is in the eye’s of the Survival Fitness Plan. 

That’s because everything we do in the Survival Fitness Plan is based on what will help you escape your enemy. You may think road cycling is better for this too since it is faster, but it isn’t. 

Keep reading to find out why mountain biking is better than road cycling.

The first advantage that mountain biking training has over road cycling is that it allows you to develop a wider range of skills.

Road biking means riding fast and more or less straight, whereas when mountain biking you need to overcome a greater number of obstacles. 

And you may be thinking that you live in an urban environment, so mountain biking skills won’t be useful if trying to escape someone. 

Well, even in an urban environment there are many obstacles you may come across where road biking skills won’t help you, such as stairs and curbs. 

If you can ride a mountain bike, you can ride a road bike as well. This is not always the case the other way around.

You could be the finest road rider in the world, but it doesn't mean you'll be able to ride a mountain bike. One small bump in the trail and you could go belly up if you don’t know how to deal with it. 

And my final reason why training in mountain biking is better is that mountain bikes are more common than road bikes.

Think about it… the average Joe doesn’t buy their teenager a road bike for Christmas unless they are specifically interested in it, but basic mountain bikes are common. I remember getting one myself as a child. 

Why does it matter that mountain bikes are more common?

Well, if you are running away from someone and come across a bike to “borrow” in order to aid your escape, chances are it will be a mountain bike, so it is worth knowing how to ride it properly.

Having said all this, if mountain biking isn't your thing and you prefer road cycling, go for it. It's also a great way to stay in shape.

In the end it’s up to you to decide what you want to do because, especially with the Survival Fitness Plan, it's better to do something than nothing.

If I had to choose, I would choose mountain biking since it is more fun, but if road cycling is more convenient or you have a specific interest in it, then great. 

To learn more about mountain biking, visit: https://www.survivalfitnessplan.com/blog/mountain-bike-riding

Safe Training!

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