>>1419368>how much upkeep they require isn't denoted by "how much damage it can take", but by how efficient it is.If you have a hatchback that you thrash around on rutted gravel roads then you'll likely damage suspension components and send your alignment out and worst case scenario bend your frame. An overbuilt truck can easily withstand that degree of abuse.
In the same sense, if you have a lightweight road bike that you thrash around on rutted gravel roads you're more likely to send the wheels out of true or get a pinch flat than if you do it with a mtb and you can possibly crack your frame if you're really unlucky.
They're analogous.
But in reality, a road bike and a hatchback are both perfectly capable of driving on gravel roads, at slower speeds with slightly more care, towing a small trailer or having a light pannier rack attached, and are both far more efficient and liveable for the bulk of tasks that people who buy mtbs and trucks often end up primarily doing.
