Road bike
- Thread starter wolf37
- Start date
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Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
A CX bike is a much better compromise for tarmac and bridleway
beachy
Active Member
- Location
- Caerphilly
I have been looking at a road bike but due to the close proximity of cycle ways I am seriously considering a hybrid.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Depends on the bridleway and its condition. If it's a short stretch of reasonable dirt, then OK but a bit slower, assuming it takes sensible tyre widths (28s?). If it's a load of dumped hardcore, then no, that'll need at least a wide hybrid and ideally MTB or fat bike.
NorthernDave
Never used Über Member
- Location
- The real Northern Powerhouse
Depends on the bridleway.
I know of one near here that, when dry, would be quite easily tackled on a road bike with 23mm tyres if you were sensible.
However there are others that you'd struggle to get through on the fattest of fat bikes during good weather and which are virtually unnavigable after rain. And unfortunately it's often impossible to know which until you're committed...
That said back in the day we rode everywhere on our "racers" and didn't think twice about it, but that was before hybrids, MTBs or CXs were invented...
I know of one near here that, when dry, would be quite easily tackled on a road bike with 23mm tyres if you were sensible.
However there are others that you'd struggle to get through on the fattest of fat bikes during good weather and which are virtually unnavigable after rain. And unfortunately it's often impossible to know which until you're committed...
That said back in the day we rode everywhere on our "racers" and didn't think twice about it, but that was before hybrids, MTBs or CXs were invented...
That said back in the day we rode everywhere on our "racers" and didn't think twice about it, but that was before hybrids, MTBs or CXs were invented...
Yeahbut, you were riding on nicely paved tracks built by the Romans
Smokin Joe
Squire
- Location
- Bare headed cyclist, Smoker
Back in my yoof some of our winter club runs used to find the odd disused railway line to follow, often knee deep in mud. The old hands used to take great delight in finding one if some young blade turned up on his race machine, resplendent in sprints and tubs, when it was deemed too early in the year for such a show of opulence.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
I remember carrying my "racer" along a bridleway!
kiriyama
Senior Member
Iv taken my road bike with 25mm slick tyres over every surface imaginable (except lava!) So it IS possible but you WILL be uncomfortable and you WILL get punctures... if you are going off road often I would consider a cx bike/hybrid or mountain bike for a more enjoyable stress free ride.
Mattonsea
Über Member
- Location
- New Forest
Time to go cyclocross, it improves your bike handling skills no end.
Globalti
Legendary Member
NO, not a cyclocross bike. A cyclocross bike is a race bike designed for one-hour events; it's a mistake to buy one for general cruising around on mixed terrain and certainly a mistake to buy one for touring. A neighbour of mine did and could never get comfortable on it.
There are more and more "gravel" or mixed terrain bikes coming on the market with disc brakes, stable geometry and the ability to take guards and racks, which will be far more user-friendly.
(But a road bike can be OK on mixed terrain - yesterday I rode my Roubaix with 25mm tyres along a two mile section of gravel bridleway - it was fine.)
There are more and more "gravel" or mixed terrain bikes coming on the market with disc brakes, stable geometry and the ability to take guards and racks, which will be far more user-friendly.
(But a road bike can be OK on mixed terrain - yesterday I rode my Roubaix with 25mm tyres along a two mile section of gravel bridleway - it was fine.)
Saluki
World class procrastinator
- Location
- ...Norwich over the water.
I have a CX bike (or an adventure bike as they are often marketed nowadays) and it's fantastic. Love love love it. A pure CX race bike would probably be a lot less comfy over any distance than my bike, also proper CXs tend not to have the lugs for a bottle cage as adventure bikes do.
I have taken my roadie up the Marriotts Way several times, with no ill effects. Along the Bure Valley way too, also with no problems. They are well trodden cycle paths/footpaths/bridle paths. Having said that, there are bits of M.W. that I wouldn't take a roadie along. I wouldn't want to take a roadie around some of our Broads pathways though.
Test riding is going to be the key here, and asking your bike shop a LOT of questions. Have you any thing in mind at the moment?
I have taken my roadie up the Marriotts Way several times, with no ill effects. Along the Bure Valley way too, also with no problems. They are well trodden cycle paths/footpaths/bridle paths. Having said that, there are bits of M.W. that I wouldn't take a roadie along. I wouldn't want to take a roadie around some of our Broads pathways though.
Test riding is going to be the key here, and asking your bike shop a LOT of questions. Have you any thing in mind at the moment?
Gravity Aided
Legendary Member
- Location
- Land of Lincoln
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
I have rode across a grass park on my road bike with 23`s before now .
