Adventure Road Bike?

[Glasgow44]

Hi again


What is the difference between and Adventure Road Bike and a Cyclocross Bike? I’ve got my eye on this and was wondering if it would be suitable for a potential two week cycling trip I may be doing in France next summer and would it be suitable to be used as a winter/all rounder bike:

Also, what size of tyres would be ok for touring on this bike?

https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-arkose-3-2018-adventure-road-bike-EV306246

Or if anyone can advise me on what other bike would be suitable for the above use(s)?

Thanks in advance for your help.


J

 

[vickster]

32mm for touring?

You can ultimately tour on any bike depending on your luggage needs. Are you camping and thus touring fully loaded? Will the Evans bike take a fixed rack and mudguards

You might want to explore what the warranty situation might be with SD having taken Evans over. Personally I’d buy a bike of that value elsewhere now

 

[Racing roadkill]

Cyclo cross bikes are primarily designed for the sport of Cyclo cross. They have a relatively aggressive geometry, and extra features ( like secondary brake levers on the bars) not often found on Gravel / adventure bikes, which are essentially road bikes, which borrow certain ideas from CX bikes, like raised BB ground clearance, more steeply angled chain stays than commonly found on a road bike, better clearances for fatter tyres, and thru axles with disc brakes. CX bikes tend to be supplied with lower gearing than adventure bikes too.

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-rc-520-disc-road-bike-navy-105-id_8554421.html

This is a fantastic VFM adventure bike, and it comes with a lifetime warranty on frame and forks.

 

[MichaelW2]

I tour with 32mm because that is the widest my touring bike will accept.
For good roads and light camping gear it is fine. For heavier camping gear and rough tracks, wider is better.

 

[Cycleops]

The Arkose 3 bike you linked would be fine for touring with a few add ones.
You could also consider a Genesis TdF for a about the same price also from Evans.
https://www.evanscycles.com/genesis-tour-de-fer-10-2018-touring-bike-EV320103

It's got all the extras you'll need for touring apart from luggage, plus it's a steel frame which I personally would prefer, bit heavier but bomb proof.
Another one to look at is this;
https://www.evanscycles.com/specialized-sequoia-2018-road-bike-EV279835
I have the identical bike with a steel fork and a triple and love it (steel frame).

You'd be on firmer ground warranty wise with the bike @Racing roadkill posted, again with a few extras for touring, but won't take very wide rubber.
You shouldn't be afraid of buying from Evans in spite of their recent takeover, if anything should give you more confidence. You might find Genesis offer their own frame warranty and you'll be covered by consumer protection anyway.
You need to examine the sort of touring you intend to do, credit card or fully loaded and make your decision based on that.

 

[Pedaljunkie]

I’ve used a cyclocross bike - an old Kona Jake - for touring over the last 15,000 miles, and it’s been great. You need to make sure you have the eyelets for a rack and mudguards. The wider tyre clearance found on these style of bikes makes them very good for touring.
I’m in the process of upgrading mine to a ‘gravel’ bike, which is some manufacturers call ‘adventure’ bikes, and these tend to have more emphasis on comfort for all day riding than full-on cyclocross. A useful website is https://geometrygeeks.bike/
where you can compare the geometry of different bikes compared to your own.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Get yourself a touring bike. Fittings for mudguards, rack, lights - eveything you will need for touring and winter comuuting.

 

[Vantage]

Marketing. That's what all this "adventure", "gravel" bike crap is about.
I suppose there's a need for people who want to race their road bikes offroad and so the CX category of bike may have a place but for everything else just get a touring bike. They'll do everything you need and if stripped back to the bare basics, can weigh in at as little as 25lb or less. The stiff frames they're built with to withstand loaded touring means they're quite nippy too.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

Get yourself a touring bike. Fittings for mudguards, rack, lights - eveything you will need for touring and winter comuuting.

Your budget based on the Evans link isn’t far off a a Surly Disc Trucker.

 

[vickster]

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m1b0s21p3866/SPA-CYCLES-Wayfarer

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m1b0s21p3867/SPA-CYCLES-Aubisque-105-Triple

https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m1b0s21p3814/SURLY-Disc-Trucker-Custom

 

[froze]

Yes the Pinnacle will take fenders and racks.

I tour on 32 size tires with no issues, I even ran fully loaded down gravel roads, and across grass and dirt, so what? So what could be a problem if you plan on touring off road then yes you should use wider tires, but the Pinnacle will take up to 45 but not sure if at that size if the fender will fit between the tire and the brake bridge you would have to call Evans about that.

The Surly disk Trucker is an interesting option, it's also made of steel which is more durable for touring over many years; but if your flexability is a bit less than normal you would have a more difficult time getting your leg over the top when the bike is heavily loaded. A sloping down tube like the Pinnacle would work better under those circumstances.

However I have another option for around that price. I do touring, I have a touring bike but because I'm 65 years old getting my leg off a straight top bar bike while heavily loaded is an issue, so after much shopping around I decide that for the money the best bike I could find with the gears to haul loads up grades, the derailleur system that will last many miles, comes with the best racks in the business front and rear, will accept fenders and racks, comes with 45c tires, will carry up to 5 water bottles, comes in either a 700c or a 27.5 tire size is the Masi Giramondo, this one is the 700c: https://masibikes.com/collections/adventure/products/giramondo-700c-2019
and this one is the 27.5 which I don't believe comes with the racks, not sure why, maybe the wheels are more expensive so to keep the price the same they left off the racks? https://masibikes.com/collections/adventure/products/giramondo-27-5-2019

 

[User169]

Splash the cash and get yourself a Mason Bokeh. It’s the only bike you’ll ever need.

https://masoncycles.cc/shop/categories/bokeh-bikes

 

[Glasgow44]

Splash the cash and get yourself a Mason Bokeh. It’s the only bike you’ll ever need.

https://masoncycles.cc/shop/categories/bokeh-bikes

Now that I do like, the only downside is that they are down in Brighton and there are no dealers local to me

 

[User169]

Now that I do like, the only downside is that they are down in Brighton and there are no dealers local to me

I can see your point, but theyre small so only sell out of the front door as it were. I bought mine without having seen/sat on one and dont regret it one bit.

The customer service is the best ive experienced. Send them an email and ypu get a response almost immediately ahd they are super helpful.

 

[Drago]

There is no firm, set or legal definition between the two, and lots of shades of grey inbetween. An adventure bike is liable to be a little more civilised for domestic living and have things like rack and mudguard bosses, but really its a marketing man's fiction.