Great things about a mountain bike...

A couple of hours riding mostly on roads on the mountain bike - call it 20 miles.

So what's positive about riding a basic mountain bike compared to a high-end road bike? Well, on the road, there isn't much. Having crazy-low gears is kind of fun, and handy when you're consciously trying to avoid stressing your legs grinding up a hill - you feel like your climbing ability is limited not by your legs but by the grip and your ability to balance at like 2 miles an hour. Otherwise, it's slow, clumsy, and lacks the grace you feel on a roadie, even with relatively narrow, high-pressure slick tires front and back.

What was cool, though, was following a little dirt path off the bike trail, buzzing around in the woods for 20 minutes or so, and then coming home. That sort of spontaneity is lacking on a bike that's not intended for anything but a smooth, paved road. Not that really ever choose a mountain ride over a road ride more than a few times a year - for a given amount of effort, I want the most speed and distance as possible.