The cycling industry has boomed in recent years; as Covid-19 has confined many to their quarters, more are picking up the bicycle as an outlet for fitness. As more start to commit to cycling full time, the activity becomes a hobby and the community begins to diverge between off road and road cycling. Neither is better than the other, but the skills required can be vastly different. Here is how you can know the difference between off road cycling and road cycling. Versatile Benefits of Cycling as a Mode of Transport Cycling isn’t exactly the newest sport around, but it has seemingly made a comeback with bicycles becoming increasingly popular globally, notably ever since the pandemic. According to the BBC, many have lost trust in the reliability of public transport and have found the need to get into shape whilst under lockdown. The demand has caught bike manufacturers off guard as the demand has superseded supply quite significantly.  Convenient Transport While fitness and the convenience of transport is one thing, many home delivery services have faced a surplus in business due to the majority being homebound. Therefore, orders for deliveries have spiked and the bicycle is an affordable way to get into the business for quick income.  Read:Equipment You Don’t Need at The Gym Helps to Maintain Fitness While runners and joggers have seen an impressive growth since the pandemic began, the bicycle is a more versatile tool that allows for many opportunities that a simple run cannot. Fitness facilities have been closed for months in some countries and the bicycle can grant anyone a proper workout, while serving as necessary, free transportation.  Environment-friendly On the sustainable front, many progreen individuals have seen the value of a “zero CO2 emission” method of transportation. While the description may put road bikes on the pedestal due to its sheer practicality, the passion-driven off road experience is not one to disregard, as there is much to enjoy from that experience too.  Read:Is There an Age Limit to Put On Muscle? Benefits of Off Road Cycling While off road cycling isn’t as practical as road cycling in terms of utility, there are benefits of having a bike that can excel on almost all terrain and designed for durability and a variety of weather conditions.  The first benefit that stands out is how mechanically savvy riders will have to be with the off road bikes in order to utilise all its functions. Mountain biking for example needs to balance proper weight distribution and conservation of energy in order to adapt to extreme slopes, terrain and other obstacles.  Additionally, building power and keeping momentum in your strides are important to comfortably ride on roots, rocks, mud and more as these conditions will inevitably force you to moderate your speed regularly to ensure you don’t fly off of your bike.  Read Cycling Benefits: How Indoor and Outdoor Cycling Strengthens Your Immune System Off Road bikes tend to put more emphasis on resistance and gear settings which will play a big part in making your experience easier depending on the terrain. While road bikes are generally easier as pavements would be the go-to terrain, having an intricate amount of knowledge on using suspensions, flat handlebars could expand your cycling skills as a whole.  Advantages of Road Cycling Light, narrow tires and drop handlebars are what you can expect when you opt for the route of traditional road cycling. This form of cycling is all about speed, and that is exactly what the bicycles are designed to do. Its light frame and thin tires to reduce friction are engineered to forgo unnecessary bulk to make room for aerodynamism. Read:How Effective Are Machines At The Gym? The rider’s posture is also significantly lower to enable better weight distribution for better mobility. While there is no doubt that there is skill necessary in order to make the best out of road cycling, there are significantly less variables to consider in terms of terrain and obstacles.  Many have chosen this form of transport over the off road experience as pavements are normally everywhere; from homes to schools, offices, grocery stores and more. Because of this, the bulkier tires and full suspension mechanics aren’t really needed.  Read Running vs. Swimming vs. Cycling: Which Is Best for Burning Fat? Additionally, when it comes to convenience or doing the job, speed does matter more to most than the luxury of cycling in general. As a practical tool, the road bike is the preferred choice, but it does not come with as much as the former and it can break easier if not maintained properly.  Choosing Between the Two: Road Cycling & Off-road Cycling As stated in the introduction, one isn’t objectively better than the other, and it comes down to more of preferences than anything else.  Road cycling has a lot more practicality than off road, but if you are hoping to hone your knowledge and skills as an avid cyclist, the offroad will teach you way more. There are ‘hybrid’ bikes that blend the lightness of road bikes and Mountain bike’s ruggedness, and are possibly the most versatile as a third option. Read Top 7 Biking, Cycling Games on Android/IOS The problem with the hybrid is that the combination fails to truly excel at either extreme, which means it would lose out to more intentional models - whether it is the durability of a mountain bike or the sheer lightness of a road bike.  Ultimately, it is the user’s choice as to what he or she wants from the bicycle. Lovers for convenience and delivery services would work wonders with a road bike to reach your end point quicker, but if biking has become a guilty pleasure of some sort, the off road could be your best bet to truly explore the potential of this industry.  Read Bicycle Price in Bangladesh with Buyers' Guide