Touring bikes and mountain bikes both come with similar functioning designs. They perform almost the same for their users. But these two bike types are different because of their unique kinds of rides. Getting confused about which bike will best fit your journey? Read “touring bike vs mountain bike” to make the best bike choice for you.
General difference between touring bike and mountain bike:
A touring and a mountain bike have been designed to do similar functions. They are suitable for their specific ride types. However, if you search for the best bike, consider a touring bike to satisfy your adventures. Touring bikes are way better than mountain bikes for touring.
Both touring and mountain bikes can withstand long-distance trips due to their durability. They are comparable for their reliable, sturdy bike model options. Moreover, some specific features make them appropriate for specific times.
Touring bikes are designed for both paved and off-road cycling. On the contrary, mountain bikes are suitable for off-road terrain areas. Moreover, mountain bikes are the sturdiest option for an off-road cycling adventure.
The convenient structure of a touring bike ensures faster speed than the mountain bike. But if you are interested in robust, heavyweight bicycles, go for a mountain bike. It ensures maximum resistance to experience challenging routes.
Touring Bike vs Mountain Bike – 13 physical differences between them:
If you enjoy both bike rides, learn the differences between a touring bike and a mountain bike. It will help you to choose the right bike for your adventures.
|
Points |
Touring Bike |
Mountain Bike |
| Purposes / Use | A touring bike is different from a mountain bike in terms of its use or purpose. It is ideal for both paved and off-road long-distance touring trips. | A mountain bike is quite different from a touring bike due to its use or purposes. It is ideal for off-road mountain terrain areas.. |
| Frame Material | Touring bikes come with steel materials that are less expensive than carbon cycles. The durable construction makes them reliable for touring adventures. | On the other hand, mountain bikes come with carbon, aluminum, or steel frame materials. Carbon fiber makes these perfect fits for mountain bike racing. Sometimes, mountain bikes are heavier than touring bikes for their carbon frames. |
| Handlebars | Touring bikes offer a variety of bar types for hand position. For utmost comfort, you can choose the bar type from drop bars, flat bars, and upright bars. | On the contrary, mountain bikes don’t offer many hand position options. But their wide flat bars ensure maximum stability on shorter rides. |
| Mileage | A touring bike can easily provide 40-60+ miles per day. You can continue your trip for several days with a touring bike. So, a touring bike is ideal for higher mileage than a mountain bike. | A mountain bike doesn’t offer much mileage per day in contrast to a touring bike. You can ride 10-15 miles/day with your mountain bike. |
| Gears | Touring bikes come with two or more gear options. They feature two frontal chainrings and several back cogs. It helps the riders to choose the gears to have a comfortable, fatigue-free trip. | A mountain bike typically comes with one 1x drivetrain gear. It has one chainring in the front while having several back clogs. As a result, you can easily ride uphill without worrying about foot fatigue. |
| Suspension | Touring bikes don’t offer any source of suspension for their riders. You can get maximum comfort from their steel frames and flat tires. | On the contrary, a mountain bike offers various suspension options for your needs. You can pick rigid, hardtail, or dual suspension based on your trail types. |
| Geometry | Touring bikes come with more relaxed geometry than other bike types. It promises to provide more stability for porting cargo. And the upright sitting bars ensure maximum comfort on longer trips. | Opposite to that, a mountain bike has to get responsive steering. That will help it to overcome obstacles quickly without causing any damage. However, it doesn’t have any extra gear attachment options. |
| Wheels | A touring bike generally comes with 700c wheels. Yet an MTB 700c wheel may range from 25-45mm or 29″ & 650b. | A mountain bike also comes with a 700c wheel with a 26″-29″ width. The 650b wheel can be used on a mountain bike. It offers extra grip for the cushier trip. |
| Dropper post | The touring bike doesn’t have a dropper post feature. It doesn’t have to ride over rocky routes. | Mountain bikes come with dropper posts to let you maneuver rocky obstacles easily. It will drop your seat quickly to provide more room. |
| Fenders | Touring bikes come with included fenders in their packages. That prevents your bike from getting dirty on your trip. | Mountain bikes don’t have fenders because fenders can cause unexpected situations by getting caught on rocks or branches. |
| Cargo | Touring bikes are designed to carry cargo on your adventures. A touring bike comes with various gear attaching options to carry heavy loads. You can add a kid cart, pet cart, cargo cart, top tube bag, saddlebag, and more. | Mountain bikes don’t have cargo carriers like frame bags and top tube bags. You can only find a water bottle carrier or a saddlebag on a mountain bike. Actually, they are not meant for long-distance cycling or carrying cargo. |
| Shifters | Touring bike’s shifters are attached to the drop bars hood with the brakes. That ensures more body posture on a longer trip. | Mountain bikes feature unique shifters due to their flat bars. You will find trigger shifters on modern models while the grip shifters on older models. |
| Lights | Touring bikes have both rear and front lights. | Mountain bikes don’t have a rear light option due to their purpose of use. But you may find a front light for night riding bikes. |
Touring Bike vs Mountain Bike- which one to get?
Both touring bikes and mountain bikes are heavier than other bike options. Choose your bike based on your purpose of use from touring bike or mountain bike. Let’s determine which bike is to get for your next adventure.
Touring bikes are designed to ride on on-road and off-road long-distance adventures. They come with various gear attaching options to carry your extra items. However, their durable construction with high drop handlebars. That ensures maximum stability and comfort for their riders on long-distance cycling. So, get a touring bike if you are interested in both paved and off-road long-distance adventures.
On the contrary, mountain bikes are designed for off-road rocky terrains. Their flat bars ensure maximum stability while riding over different obstacles. Moreover, the durable carbon fiber construction makes these mountain bikes fit for challenging routes. The dropper post feature provides extra space for overcoming obstacles. So, get a mountain bike if you are interested in more challenging off-road adventures.
Conclusion
Touring bikes and mountain bikes are very different from each other based on their uses. A touring bike is better for long-distance touring adventures, while a mountain bike is for off-road terrains. Sometimes it can be confusing to find which one to pick. “Touring bike vs mountain bike- which one to get” will solve your confusion between them.