Two similar age bikes. All I can afford. One is steel, 26 inch wheels. The other is chrome alloy, 700CC wheels. Lighter, but also thinner width tyres.
The mountain bike is a 21 inch frame, the road bike (for lack of a better term) is a 19 inch frame. I'm roughly 5"9, so I'm leaning to the smaller bike.
My only concern, will the thinner width tyres be suitable for trail riding/canal tow paths and unpaved roads? Certainly not aiming for rough terrain, just the less beaten track.
I've ridden both on tarmac and can't really decide which "feels" better to ride, the road bike gets going faster and is more responsive, but the mountain bike has a slightly better feeling of grip and stability due to the tyres.
Thoughts?
by EmperorsChamberMaid_