What kind of bike should I use for intense street riding like on big hills?

Question

I'm trying to build leg muscle and get a strong lower body.

Answer 1

MACy why would you mention a Mountain Bike? HE SAID street, not dirt...

What you want is a road bike... especially on hills because road bikes are so much lighter than mountain bikes (cough cough, macy...)

Answer 2

A mountain bike using the high gears.

Answer 3

If all you are looking for is a way to exert lots of effort to build leg muscle, then it just doesn't matter what kind of bike you use. You can set the gears so that you have to work really hard to get up the hill on any kind of bike. Like Greg Lemond said, "It doesn't get easier, just faster."

If you want to use the bike for anything else other than working hard up hills, then bicycle type matters. The kind of bike depends on what you want to do.

HTH

Answer 4

You don't say how intense or how hilly, but if you really want to get strong then go with a single speed.  One of the strongest young riders in this area (very hilly) trains exclusively on a single speed.  He just built a new one using a 50 tooth chainring and a 16 tooth rear sprocket.

A fixie won't work for you.  You'll need a freewheel in the rear and brakes -- at least on the front, but both ends are preferable.  You'll find that it'll take incredible strength to ride up hills on this bike and incredible high rpm spinning to keep up with other riders in the downhills.  In the flats this gear setup will allow you to ride in the high 20's with relative ease.

The good news is these bikes are relatively inexpensive and have fewer moving parts to require maintenance.  While you can convert a conventional frame to a single-speed I recommend against it, as the parallel rear-insert dropouts on a dedicated single speed work better.  Take a look at the Surley Steamroller (link provided).

My single speed is a Bianchi Pista, a track bike with front brakes and a freewheel added.

If you're not tough enough for a single speed, then just buy a conventional 20 speed road racing bike.  This comment may cause howls from others, but DO NOT BUY a 27 or 30 speed (triple).  They are for loaded tourists carrying 40 pounds or more, or for weenies.  I'm 60 years old and live and train in the mountains and I don't need or use a triple!

Forget mountain bikes for the road, unless you get a hard tail with no front suspension.  They are just extra weight and parts, and the suspension will bob on you, wasting energy.

Ben