How "offroadable" are road bikes?

citrus_

Silly question sorry, but Im about to buy a road bike, as I mentioned in another thread, but just wondered if they are supposed to be used strictly on tarmac roads or if you use yours on gravel foot paths and things.

Here are some photos of what Im talking about, just some paths near where I live:









Thanks

rick_chasey

Looks perfectly fine for a road bike.

You're more likely to get a puncture with road tyres ( no waaay), but not so likely that it's not worth it.

For what it's worth - a pro race:

danowat

They are more "offroadable" than you'd imagine they would be.

Matt the Tester

look at the cobbles they ride on Paris roubaix!

your bike is more then suitable

citrus_

Thanks guys!

Monty Dog

Basically, it's down to the ability of the frame to accept the widest possible / tougher tyres - 28mm-32mm being preferred and the ability of your backside and wrists to take the beating.

Cleat Eastwood

theres a similar old railway track by me, same sort of annoying white gravel, i wouldnt want to ride it every day but the bike copes well. you should be fine.

AidanR

Echoing Monty Dog, if you're going to be going down paths like that, you want wider tyres. You can do it on skinny tyres, but you'll have to keep them so pumped up that the ride quality will be pretty brutal.

Pross

I used my old one as a cross bike for a few years (albeit with braze ons for cantilvered brakes). As others have said the tyres will be the biggest issue and it may also be worth getting some tougher wheels although some of the roads I went on yesterday make those gravel paths look like fresh tarmac! Alternatively by a cross bike which will be fine for the road and will eat those tracks for breakfast.

unixnerd

I'd be looking to run 28mm tyres for that sort of thing and at a lower pressure than for road use.

Rigged

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z1fSpZNXhU...speaks for itself!

DCowling

Looks quite good in comparrison to some of the tarmac roads I was on in the Startford area yesterday

dawebbo

While a road bike could handle that, I don't think you'd find it particularly comfortable or enjoyable!

cougie

Will cope with that just fine - just don't go ultra low clearances or you'll get your seat tube scratched by small stones.

tarbot18

If you only using it on those tracks id get a mtb you ll go far quicker and be comfier and have more grip with wider mtb tyres as well as the suspension forks soaking up the ruts and bumps , if your using it on the road as well then your prob best getting fatter tougher tyres such as conti gp 4seasons on 28 s.

bakerstreet

I occasionally take my road bike accorss a path with loose stones/chalk like surface and ithefronmt feels like it will easily wash out from underneath you, so be aware of that.

My bike is running on 25mm road tyres though, Cyclocross tyres should certainly help with the grip factor.

As others have said, its still not going to be comfortable!

micken

I had my C'dale Six13 with Aksiums and 23c's across the Pock Stones Moor section of this a few years ago, just out of interest.

Would choose bigger tyres next time though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUFSlyCAXzs

citrus_

Thanks for all the feedback. Im by no stretch of the imagination going to be spending a lot of time on this sort of surface, so not considering a mtb, just good to hear that if occasionally I want to take this sort of track to get away from it all, I can.

mateotu

On these surfaces, the weather makes a huge difference. If it's dry, no problem on a road bike for short distances. But if you plan to ride these paths in the wet, you'll want wider tyres and more mud clearance - as Pross says, a cyclocross bike would be perfect and would be nearly as fast as a pure road bike on tarmac.

Monty Dog

tarbot18 wrote:

If you only using it on those tracks id get a mtb you ll go far quicker and be comfier and have more grip with wider mtb tyres as well as the suspension forks soaking up the ruts and bumps , if your using it on the road as well then your prob best getting fatter tougher tyres such as conti gp 4seasons on 28 s.

Clearly written by someone who's never ridden a cross bike - a cross bike will be way quicker than an MTB on everything but the most technical of terrain. Most MTBs are designed to suit the whims of marketing / product managers and feature silly amounts of redundant technology to compensate for poor fitness and bike handling skills - it doesn't make them 'fit for purpose' for the normal stuff people use them for.

Chris McG

i agree with monty dog; a cross bike will be the best for that terrain by far IMO

bails87

Monty Dog wrote:

[ Most MTBs are designed to suit the whims of marketing / product managers and feature silly amounts of redundant technology to compensate for poor fitness and bike handling skills

Bol....


.....lucks



Although I agree that road bikes are rideable on bumpy stuff, I don't think what you said is true of 'most' mountain bikes. Whilst you can get round a trail centre on a CX bike, it'll be more fun on an MTB. Not sure how 'redundant technology' compensates for fitness either, unless you're talking about motors, but that's more of a roadie thing

Not that I'm suggesting an MTB for the OP.

mudslinger

I have a road bike, a CX bike & 2 MTBs. Although a road bike could handle that sort of track I wouldn't take my road bike on it. The CX bike is absolutely perfect for that. Suppose it depends on the bike.

Off topic but I see where Monty Dog is coming from. I would guess a large percentage of MTBs sold have plenty more suspension than is needed. My FS bike hardly gets used these days.

MichaelW

The tyre clearance of your bike frame and fork are critical to usability on mixed surfaces. Most competition race bikes can just about fit a narrower 28mm but if you want to use mudguards you will have to go to 25mm.
If you want to use a standard or more generous 28mm with mudguards then you need to look for long drop caliper brakes. Typically you find these in "winter training" style bikes such as Kineses TK or in Audax style light touring bikes.
I found that standard 28mm tyres are quite capable off road and I cycled parts of the South Downs Way on them.

For some reason 28mm in particular have a huge variation in actual size.

El Gordo

The bike would be fine. Sure the ride will be pretty harsh and the skinny tyres will skip around a bit but I think pounding along rough tracks on a road bike is just great fun.

I have a couple of miles of cobbles and dirt track which I can take to work (in dry weather). After hammering down that, flat out, having a Paris Roubaix fantasy I am laughing my head off.

Lillywhite

The only word of caution I would give, apart from choosing a wider tyre, is that at any sort of speed chips will fly up and mark the down tube and the area around the bottom bracket. Same as riding on a recently gritted country road.

If you aren't worried about that then go for it.

tarbot18

Your right monty dog i havent ridden a cross bike and nor would i want to, i ride a road bike for roads and a mountain bike for off road , i think you d find i'd turn faster , outbrake and outjump you on any off road surface on a half decent 26 pound mtb ! , i see your point to a degree on marketing whims for mountain bikes but then isnt the same true for road bikes how many on here really need that 2 grand carbon fibre bike thats half a pound lighter than the alloy equivalent ! We all like shiny things and the best bike we can get for our money but we are inevitably buying into the marketing hype but if we warent marketing led we d all still be riding grifters and settle for driving trabants. As someone who now straddles both camps road and mtb i see the benefits and restrictions in both they are great in their own environments.