How many "Road Miles" equals "MTB Miles"

[Marcellus]

OK, so I'm not bike fit but getting out quite a bit and switching between MTB and Road Bikes.

When I go on the Road bike in 2 hours I'm doing 30(ish) miles and when I go out on the MTB in the same time period I'm doing 20(ish) miles.

It's not a surprise that the mileages are different as the MTBS rides are a mixture of Bridleways, woods, farm tracks, tarmac roads and tow paths and let alone the bike being 6kg heavier and tyres considerably wider, lower pressures and with tread etc etc.

But what's everyone elses ratios of road = MTB rides?

[richardxjr]

x2. (if ALL mtb miles are off road)

My SDW average is 8mph, long hilly road ride avg is 16mph.

[P-Jay]

No such thing IMHO, I can't even equate MTB miles to MTB miles - some trails I ride at less than 15km but take hours to complete, some are much longer in KMs, but shorter in hours.

You can sometimes equate it to hours, but MTBing is far more on/off than Road Riding, works more muscles and a greater range of 'loads'.

If you're really concerned you could try a hear rate monitor and a calorie calculator.

[daddy cool]

Somewhere between 2 and 3 i suppose - depends where. 2 for my local swinley trails, more like 3 when we got to wales for the weekends and we'll be out for 6 hours and only cover about 25 miles...

[Pesders]

I have been having this discussion at work recently. We came to the conclusion that the mud that we have had over the last few months means that each mile can be as high as twice as much effort as the same route in the summer. It is therefore almost impossible to calculate how MTB miles equate to road miles as the surface that you ride on changes much more than on the road.

[okgo]

Why people measure their efforts in miles I do not know.

Time is the most important measure of training volume, not distance. Distance means little without the context of the time it took.

[Daveyraveygravey]

richardxjr said:

x2. (if ALL mtb miles are off road)

My SDW average is 8mph, long hilly road ride avg is 16mph.

Snap! Must get out on the Downs more now it has dried out a little...

[vanordinaire]

Used to regularly do 100 mile days on the road sometimes 5 or 6 days on the trot when touring) and have done a few 200 mile days. I don't think I've ever got close to 50 miles off road.