Road bike, how far off road ?

[J4CKO]

Do you lot use Road Bikes soley for tarmac ?

I got mine (Allez Elite) muddy going round the Manchester Airport runway and got a puncture as well, took over an hour of fettling to get it looking presentable again, I felt quite guilt but the only casualty seems to be the nice white bar tape that was getting a bit grubby anyway, its very grubby now !

Nothing looks damaged, and I didnt hit any rocks or anything, are Road Bikes pretty much as robust say as my Cannondale Bad Boy, it doesnt look that much less substantial and I take it easy, it has a more robust rear wheel I specified as was 17 stone (down to 16).

Come to think of it, I dont think the off road bit was any worse than the section of cycle lane between Heald Green and Wilmslow on the way back.

 

[HLaB]

I've took the Sirrus (was flat now dropped bar) off road but unmade tracks nothing rougher, its not come to much harm. My other road bikes though will never see anything other than tarmac.

Edit: I just realised they see a fair bit of cobbles too.

 

[fossyant]

Road bikes are incredibly tough..... folk used to say, 'oh how do you get on with those thin wheels' - I'd explain that a handbuilt race wheel takes a whole lot more 'bashing' than a cheap bike wheel......

I ride Road usually....but many lanes can be muddy, that's life even with my OCD. My best bike has been raced/ridden etc through some right crap conditions..... just a bit of soap and water etc. has them sorted.

Black bar tape both my 'regular rides' though...........

Light blue tape on best bike...... does come back looking a mess after a 'dirty' ride... but I use Cinelli Cork Tape (Deda on the fixed) and a scrub with a cloth with just washing up liquid brings it up fine..but white.......oh no you won't win.

 

[fossyant]

My test for new wheels is to ride Swiss hill......... heh heh............ TBH, it's no flippin worse than normal roads at the moment.......

 

[J4CKO]

Yes, black bar tape next, I look after my bikes but I dont baby them, like you say they are tougher than people give them credit for.

Plus it gives me an excuse for a peaceful evening in the garage cleaning it, Planet Rock and a couple of beers (well when I am slim again), bliss.

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

Wow...this thread reminds me of something I'd forgotten.

Years back, me and a few mates went off cycling and exploring an old disused railway tunnel. The entrance was partly filled but stilll about half open.

All the way through, it was just pure rubble, no chance of riding it - so we thought - so walked the bikes inside the tunnel. Anyway, we get to the end and see it is blocked by steel fencing. Turning back, we continued to wheel our bikes (the tunnel was about 3/4 mile at rough recollection, and we'd taken our time, pissing around as teenage kids do)

We could see something at the end of the tunnel, a person? No, couldn't be a person..too big. Continue walking - then the realisation hits that the gap is getting smaller - that thing was no person, it's a bloody big JCB continuing the filling in work!

Alloy 700C's and steel 27x1¼'s alike from our combination of old Raleigh and Falcon 10-speeds positively flew over brick, stone, wood and any other hazard as if it were the smoothest track - no messing. Mountain Bikes? Pah! Who needs 'em?

Though as the group's de facto mechanic, I had a few sessions with the spoke key when we got home!

 

[J4CKO]

I do remember thinking that a Raleigh Equipe racer should really put up with a three foot drop without the rear stays snapping

 

[fossyant]

I do remember thinking that a Raleigh Equipe racer should really put up with a three foot drop without the rear stays snapping

Fail.........nice that the Equipe was......

 

[gb155]

Ive done over 10 miles on gravel/towpath on a single ride on mr Ribble, amazing considering my size

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

are crossers just road bikes with a different geometry and mini knobbly tires?

 

[Steve Austin]

are crossers just road bikes with a different geometry and mini knobbly tires?

yes

A road bike will handle most off road stuff, it the rider can cope with it. only issue will be a distinct lack of grip, and riding on slippery surfaces with a tyre that is a cm wide isn't a lot of good really.
I've ridden my Cross bike on trails i've ridden my MTB, its a bit different, but its ok, but then you do get knobbly tyres on a cross bike.
A roadbike would eb a whole different thing as the lack of grip would cause problems, and you can't fit knobbly tyres as the frame won't allow it.

 

[Ian H]

Think of cyclocross and The Roughstuff Fellowship.

 

[Norm]

are crossers just road bikes with a different geometry and mini knobbly tires?

That's depends what you mean by "just road bikes with different geometry", IMO. If you mean that they have drop bars, then yes, but the gearing, wheelbase, brakes and clearances may be different between a psycho-cross and a road bike.