Newbie needs advice please

[foshan]

Hi im new to cycling and havent been on a bike for over 20 years.
I have decided to try it to keep fit after having to stop going to the gym due to a recurring shoulder injury.
The advice im looking for is i have purchased a second hand Claud Butler Chinook off Ebay for £150 which has road tyres on. Can i change these for off road tyres and if thats possible do i have to change the wheels as well or can i put them on the existing ones.

 

[Globalti]

You can put off road tyres on it but they will be very much slower on tarmac than the road tyres it has now. Unless you're planning on riding up a mountain I would stick with what's on the bike and spend the lolly on some padded gloves, padded shorts (dhb from Wiggle are good value) and a helmet.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Welcome back to cycling!

OK, you have a hybrid bike with 700c wheels. It's a flexible type but designed primarily for roads, paths, towpaths, gravel tracks, trails, so a wide variety of regular terrain. So it really depends what kind of 'off-road' capability you're looking for? Anything too rough will shake you to bits anyway! If you're after deeper treaded tyres, then look to winter tyres or Shwalbe Marathonsgood all-rounders with good p*ncture protection.

There is an alternative and that is cyclocross tyres which are the right size for your rims and offer a knobbly tread, great for muddy/gravelly stuff, but more compromised on the road.

Hope that helps.

 

[foshan]

Welcome back to cycling!

OK, you have a hybrid bike with 700c wheels. It's a flexible type but designed primarily for roads, paths, towpaths, gravel tracks, trails, so a wide variety of regular terrain. So it really depends what kind of 'off-road' capability you're looking for? Anything too rough will shake you to bits anyway! If you're after deeper treaded tyres, then look to winter tyres or Shwalbe Marathonsgood all-rounders with good p*ncture protection.

There is an alternative and that is cyclocross tyres which are the right size for your rims and offer a knobbly tread, great for muddy/gravelly stuff, but more compromised on the road.

Hope that helps.

 

[foshan]

Sorry i didnt make it quite clear.
My wife has purchased a mountain bike and would like to go to places like carsington water and sherwood pines so i was wondering which tyres would be best suited to both these places and the road. You mentioned cyclocross tyres or would my road tyres be ok for both as i wouldn't really want to compromise my road cycling.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Sorry i didnt make it quite clear.
My wife has purchased a mountain bike and would like to go to places like carsington water and sherwood pines so i was wondering which tyres would be best suited to both these places and the road. You mentioned cyclocross tyres or would my road tyres be ok for both as i wouldn't really want to compromise my road cycling.

Unless it's really rough or muddy, then your normal tyres should be OK (do they have any tread?).
I go over all kinds of roughish surfaced tracks and trails on a race-bike with standard tyres. Give it a go first!

 

[foshan]

Yes they do have a slight tread on them i will give them a go on Sunday and see how they are.
Thanks very much for the advice from all