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I just bought a bike. It is called a comfort bike, because it has wheels with flat centers for riding on roads, however it has front shocks and a shimano shifter. What is the difference between this bike and a hard tail mountain bike? is it just the wheels, or are there other differences?

2007-10-31 03:50:48 · 9 answers · asked by 15fsg546rge1rrheljh45hjr90459ty3 3 in Sports Cycling

9 answers

Main differences:
- durability of components - example that front shock probably won't stand the abuse that a real mtb shock will... your is designed more for comfort on slightly bumpy trails, vs real abuse over high speed rocks and roots.
Wheels and other parts also are probably a lower grade - just find for casual use but will wear out fast under hard / dirty conditions.
- body position - yours is probably more upright (comfort) vs bent over/stretched out for power of an mtb

2007-10-31 05:41:53 · answer #1 · answered by scott.braden 6 · 2 0

There are a lot of differences, some are more subtle than others.

Geometry-wise, they're different. A confort bike isn't designed to really go off road (through whatever the terrain is), and your position is more upward so it's more confortable. The suspension fork on a confort bike doesn't have as much travel as a mountain bike. The frame is probably not as strong, either, and will likely be heavier than a mountain bike. Even then, a middle range confort bike will likely be a lot cheaper than a middle range mountain bike.

Probably wheel sizes change (the tire, or the thread depends on where you're riding on).

2007-10-31 08:48:45 · answer #2 · answered by Roberto 7 · 1 0

Quick list (maybe not so quick):

1) Frame geometry- bottom bracket is lower and top tube is shorter to make it more stable on paved surfaces and give the rider a more upright posture;

2) Components are made for ease of use but NOT for durability in the MTB sense. Shimano makes many different grades of components, just the brand does not assure MTB grade;

3) Front shocks come in many variants. Comfort forks are to "knock the edge off" of rough pavement while MTB forks are made to take hits and keep the wheel on the ground for better handling;

4) Wheels on comfort models are absolutely not suited for off road riding. Extended use off road will make the wheels fail and ultimately get you angry when the shop refuses to warranty them. I just realized that you mean the TIRES have a flat center, not the wheels- and more precisely, the rims... if your rims had flat spots you'd already be in trouble!

These are just a few of the differences between MTB and comfort bikes... shall I go on?

EDIT: Sorry (above answerer), the "marketing men" have little to do with the design of a bike outside of color, graphics, and target price. The original comfort bike was based on an MTB and the design is beginning to creep farther and farther away from this look.

2007-10-31 08:08:30 · answer #3 · answered by bikeworks 7 · 3 0

There are likely to be many differences other than the wheels. True MTBs are likely to have gear ratios more biased towards the lower "power" end of the scale. The wheel size on the MTB is likely to be smaller diameter and support wider tires. Your comfort bike is probably not designed to take the beating that a true MTB will take. It's hard to state more than these generalities without knowing the specific bikes that you are talking about. HTH.

2007-10-31 06:01:13 · answer #4 · answered by intrepidfae 7 · 2 0

With all respect, if you knew about Mtn biking you'd know that there is the chance of getting seriously hurt should a piece of equipment fail at an inopportune time.

For this reason Mtn bikers pay extra money for parts reliability and would not risk their hides on a bike that could literally come apart under them. Bad enough our bikes break when they do; but the mean time between failure rating goes way down when you start using cheaper parts.

2007-10-31 07:12:58 · answer #5 · answered by b4_999 5 · 0 1

The marketing men feel the need to make it look like an mtb. Personally, I'd like to see some rules that state what constitutes a proper off road usable mtb and make the marketers stick to those rules too. The differences between your bike and a true mtb are many. A true mtb will have components designed to endure the rigours of off road riding. Strength costs, be it extra weight or more money. As quality mtb's have lightweight parts that are stronger than many cheap components, you can see why they cost more. What did your bike cost? Probably less than a top end set of suspension forks cost alone.

2007-10-31 05:30:52 · answer #6 · answered by PAUL W 2 · 0 3

The more "comfort" crap it has on it the less it is a true mountain bike. Personally, I prefer a road bike since that is where I do all of my riding and they are much faster than mountain bikes.

2007-10-31 03:54:21 · answer #7 · answered by Earl Hickey 6 · 1 1

What's the deal?

2 for 1 Mountain Bikes at the local Ace Hardware with the purchase of any used Craftsman screwdriver!

2007-10-31 04:09:13 · answer #8 · answered by L L 3 · 0 3

just the wheels and marketing

2007-10-31 03:53:27 · answer #9 · answered by I don't look like this 3 · 0 3

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