# road bike off road??



## davidthepark (Jan 28, 2013)

Thinking about whether to get a road bike or a cyclocross bike for daily commuting and fitness needs, itgot me wondering: 

What exactly happens when a road bike is taken off-road?


I know the main differences between the two bikes are that cyclocross bikes are heavier, more upright, and can be ridden basically anywhere, whereas the road bike can only stay on the road


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

depends on offroad

hardpack smooth dirt/gravel... fine. just slower to maintain control

cobblestones, see above, even slower and more punishing

MTB singletrack? don't bother

cross can take it to a certain extent, lines have to be chosen more carefully and you'll be getting off the bike more


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## Tonyc9075 (Jan 4, 2012)

I took my road bike off road to see if I would like off road, I did, so then I bought a bike for off road. 
Off road you have roots, rocks, swithchbacks, stream crossing and a bunch more. 
The road bike can not handle that.
The basic for off road is fat tires and front shock, If you have this you will enjoy off road. Anything less and you will get beat up.

Tony


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

-Road bikes often won't fit tires big enough to be any good for CX riding.
-Road bikes, stock, either don't have enough easy gears or you'd be carrying around a lot of wasted big gears for off road riding.


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## redcon1 (Jul 22, 2008)

Maybe not the best tool for the job, but carbon road bikes are stonger than most people think.


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## foto (Feb 7, 2005)

redcon1 said:


> Maybe not the best tool for the job, but carbon road bikes are stonger than most people think.


yeah, bail out on some rocks on your carbon road bike and see what happens.


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## GRAVELBIKE (Sep 16, 2011)

What happens?

Big effin grin.


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## BlueMasi1 (Oct 9, 2002)

I have a road bike that I've adapted to being gravelgrinder and it works perfectly well. Being able to fit wider tires is almost a requirement.


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## xjbaylor (Dec 28, 2006)

If your goal is commuting and fitness, with interest in occasionally going off road you should get yourself a CX bike and a set of Kenda Happy Mediums (or similar.) The CX bike will feature usable gearing, tire clearance and will not limit your ability to stay fit in any way. You can still go on group rides, but have the ability to ride singletrack as well. You could even road race and CX race on the same bike if that idea ever interests you.

Nothing wrong with taking a road bike off road, but for most modern road bikes the trade-offs are much more substantial than riding a CX bike on the road.


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## Monty Dog (Apr 8, 2004)

You'll break / give in way before your bike - it'll be down to lack of grip, gears or discomfort that'll get you walking.


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## GRAVELBIKE (Sep 16, 2011)

Monty Dog said:


> You'll break / give in way before your bike - it'll be down to lack of grip, gears or discomfort that'll get you walking.


This ^^^

Bikes are far more versatile (and sturdy) than most folks are willing to admit.


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## mrwirey (May 30, 2008)

*I vote CX bike...*

The answer is pretty simple. Since you are not planning to road race competitively and do plan on spending most of your time either commuting or riding off road; get a cyclocross bike. You can put skinny tires on a CX bike much easier than you can fit fat (enough) tires on a road bike (to make it off road capable/enjoyable) and there really is no downside. I have used a TREK 7000 MTB with Ritchey Tom Slicks, a TREK XO1 with 700x28Cs, and a Cannondale ‘Headshok’ CX bike with 300x35Cs as commuters. I also used them on dirt/gravel roads with no issue and loads of enjoyment. I currently ride with several "gravel road" racers who ride CX bikes on our group road rides and they are not hindered in the least. They have a separate set of road wheels with skinny tires they put on for the road rides. 

The primary differences between a road and CX bike:
- CX bikes tend to be built sturdier therefore they can weigh more than an equivalent road bike.
- CX bikes tend to have a taller bottom bracket than road bikes for the sake of heel/chain ring clearance.
- CX bikes tend to have brake and derailleur cables mounted on top of the top tube to help with portage...I have found this to be a little annoying when commuting as I like to sometimes sit on my top tube at red lights. However, CX bikes with internal cable routing are becoming more commonplace.
- CX bikes have additional frame (seat and chain stays) and fork clearance for larger tires and debris (e.g., mud, rocks, gravel, and things that get stuck to mud...like rocks and gravel).
- CX bikes have either cantilever or disc brakes as opposed to the caliper brakes found on road bikes, which again add to the frame and fork clearance as well as stopping power.

That said, can you ride a road bike off road? Of course you can, but if you are going to purchase a new (or new to you) bike for your stated purposes; go for the CX bike.

Das is meine zwei Pfennige...

Very respectfully, Tim Hunter


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## davidthepark (Jan 28, 2013)

Any recommendations for a cross bike? I heard the Trek CrossRip is pretty chill but it seems prettyyy heavy.

Or, do you guys know any road bikes with larger clearances to fit cross tires?


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## mrwirey (May 30, 2008)

I don't know what your budget is so I'll toss this out there. 
Titanium Cyclocross Bicycles | Road Bikes - Motobecane Fantom Cross Team Titanium | Cross Bikes
Less than $2k for a titanium framed, disc ready, cross bike with Shimano 6700 and Ritchey cockpit seems like a steal to me...(I am also a big fan of titanium these days).

The add states, "Carbon Fiber Cross Fork, FSA Crank, Disc Brake Tabs + Rear Rack mounts, Ritchey Bar/ Stem/Post, Vuelta Team Wheels."

Link to discussion by Fantom Ti owners:
Ordered a Motobecane Fantom Cross Pro Ti [Archive] - Bike Forums


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## GRAVELBIKE (Sep 16, 2011)

davidthepark said:


> Any recommendations for a cross bike? I heard the Trek CrossRip is pretty chill but it seems prettyyy heavy.
> 
> Or, do you guys know any road bikes with larger clearances to fit cross tires?


Surly Pacer, Black Mountain Cycles "road", SOMA Smoothie ES.


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## mrcreosote (Sep 9, 2010)

davidthepark said:


> What exactly happens when a road bike is taken off-road?


This 

2011 cycling wallpaper gallery | Wallpaper | Cycling Weekly


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## mrwirey (May 30, 2008)

Another Grade A option:
Co-Motion Velorapter CX bike...(I am also a big fan of steel these days).

Co-Motion VeloRaptor


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## davidthepark (Jan 28, 2013)

mrwirey said:


> Another Grade A option:
> Co-Motion Velorapter CX bike...(I am also a big fan of steel these days).
> 
> Co-Motion VeloRaptor


If this is grade A, I need like a grade D....
My budget is $2-3k MAX


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## mrwirey (May 30, 2008)

Based on your budget, which by no means will limit your ability to purchase a very nice CX bike; I would first determine frame material best suited to your needs and purchase the bike with the best 'frame' for your buck. All groups these days are pretty decent with the primary difference between the lower and upper tiers being weight. You can then upgrade components over time as they wear out or whenever you happen to get the upgrade bug. I would get a disc or disc compatible bike to keep you options open, but other than that I would steer clear of things too faddish (e.g., any number of bottom bracket standards) or too proprietary (e.g., odd-sized or odd-shaped seat posts). 
- Titanium is a lifetime frame material. It does not rust or require painting. It is very forgiving and provides a lively ride. It requires more material to make it sufficiently stiff and will therefore weigh more than an equivalent carbon or aluminum frame.
- Carbon if layed up correctly can be tuned to be stiff, comfortable, and light. It should be covered in at least a clear coat, but like titanium it will not rust. I have never had a carbon frame fail (and if they do they can be repaired), but I have a few carbon bikes with some slight damage from dérailleur hanger incidents. This would not be my first choice for a frame material off road...but that's just me.
- Steel. Requires internal 'frame saver' coating (unless stainless steel is used) and external paint as it will otherwise rust. It is infinitely tunable using any number of tube size/shape combinations, but will be heavier than an equivalent carbon or aluminum frame. I like steel. Take a look at Rob English's website if you want to see the cutting edge of steel frame design.
- Aluminum. Usually inexpensive, but like all other materials listed can provide a lively and comfortable ride. If done incorrectly it is often harsh. Cannondale and Gaulzetti are two examples of getting aluminum right. There are others, but that will be for you to figure out. It requires paint or clear coat as aluminum will oxidize...or you can leave it unpainted and buff it out as required. Aluminum tends to dent more easily than the other materials. This is not necessarily a weakness though as small dents/dings rarely affect performance. 

I could go on, but I'm on an iPad...


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## terbennett (Apr 1, 2006)

foto said:


> yeah, bail out on some rocks on your carbon road bike and see what happens.


Bail out on any carbon bike and see what happens....


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## Ab24029 (Feb 20, 2006)

I have both a cyclocross bike and a gravel bike with long reach calipers. If I had to chose only one I would chose the cyclocross bike, because of the more powerful brakes and more versatile frame. 

I would second the suggestion above for a Ti Motobecane. It has rack mounts if you decide to go commute or tour in future. 

If you keeps riding a lot you eventually will start adding other bikes to your stable. ( I have 5 at this time


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## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

I've done unspeakably abusive things to my road bike but I would never consider using it as a commuter.


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## Agent319 (Jul 12, 2012)

I want to take a route that has fairly smooth road gravel for about 2 miles to cut off 6 miles of good road. I have just standard IRC Redstorm 700c x 23 tires. Will my tires handle the gravel?


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## 4Crawler (Jul 13, 2011)

I ride my old touring bike on a lot of dirt and gravel.. I do run a 27x1-1/4" touring tire and it works fairly well:









But as mentioned above, you'll eventually run out of grip or gears on a steep or loose enough hill. I found my limit on that bike was about 18% grades, climbing traction and braking while descending were sketchy. So I ended up building a cross bike to handle the harder rides:
- Monstercross Bicycle Build

I do see some road bikes on the dirt and gravel levee trails around where I ride and they seem to do mostly OK. As long as it is not too rough and the gravel not too deep, skinny tires will work. On my road bike (700x28 tires), I do find I have to be a little more careful picking my way through gravel and rocks on the road. With the cross bike, I just plow right through it.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

I take road bikes off-road every now and then. Most typically, because of a navigation error. But I'll sometimes ride gravel MUPs or dirt roads on purpose if it gets me to a destination. I've also done it just because it's novel.

For me, the biggest limiter is traction. I do also find it harder to pedal-up on a road bike, mainly due to traction. And it feels a bit more awkward to me to manual on one - I set up my mountain bike with a little less reach, so I have a bit more motion available.

Many of the differences people cite between road and 'cross bikes really come down to setup. However, certain things - like 34 mm tires - simply can't be done on a racing-style road bike. No room. So don't think you can't set up your road bike more upright if you want to. Do think about what tires you want to have.


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## burkeqc (Sep 25, 2006)

I have a similar Schwinn 11.8 which I ride with 25mm-32mm tires, cross gearing. A cross bike like yours is defenately the way to go. I have other cycling interests, so another bike in my stable is not in plans.


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## Dfish (Mar 6, 2009)

Awesome happens that's what!

Tim Hunter and some folks cleared things up, CX bike is definitely the way to go! To be sure a CX bike is a bit of compromise from both a mtb/roadrace bike, but by no means limits you. I can keep up on group rides, commute everyday, put racks on for touring, and ride 90% of the mtb trails I want (fyi this is the trails we ride https://vimeo.com/54329391). I'm faster than my mtb on any sort of singletrack/hardpack or climb but the gnarly descents slow me down, and on rough/washboard type trails forget it.

I was looking at the Motobecane Fantom Cross Titanium, Jamis nova race, Civilian Vive Le Ro among others....Went with a Volagi Viaje and couldn't be happier! I can fit up 42-45mm tires, fender and rack mounts, disc brakes, wide gearing...Quiver of one 

Writeup:
Viaje | La Fuga


CIMG2812 by dfishdesign, on Flickr


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## Sixjours (Feb 24, 2012)

I can fit up to 32mm tires on my Jamis xenith, even has eyelets, It may become my permanent cross bike.


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## wabasso (May 18, 2012)

davidthepark said:


> Thinking about whether to get a road bike or a cyclocross bike for daily commuting and fitness needs, itgot me wondering:
> 
> What exactly happens when a road bike is taken off-road?
> 
> ...



Why??


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## GRAVELBIKE (Sep 16, 2011)

wabasso said:


> Why??


Yeah, why?

Good thing nobody told Jobst Brandt, Tom Ritchey, et al.


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## jim brewer (Nov 24, 2012)

GRAVELBIKE said:


> This ^^^
> 
> Bikes are far more versatile (and sturdy) than most folks are willing to admit.


I think so. Rode my bike to the urban trailhead. Trail had been developed to crushed granite. I realized my sport/touring bike was well suited and away I went. Its actually a far better choice for that kind of surface, not a compromise. Went for several miles before I ran out of daylight. A real western style rocky road? No way would I do that.


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## mustang1 (Feb 7, 2008)

I have road bikes and cx bikes. For road use, I far prefer riding the road bikes rather than the cx. For off road, I far prefer riding the cx than road bike. But I dont venture off road much, so the cx doesn't get ridden much.

Logically, if you want just one bike, the cx bike makes sense. However, if *I* had just one bike, it'd be a road bike as I dislike the geo on the cx(even though it's quite "racey". Ps: when it comes to bikes, I dont like "logic", I prefer "feel". You should test ride a couple and see how you feel.


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## cs1 (Sep 16, 2003)

I've taken my 99 Waterford on some serious single track. It wasn't the best tool but was a lot more capable than I was. I second all the cyclocross recomendations. They're not MTB's but they're not far behind. Good luck


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