Will I break it?

snoopsmydogg

Having turned my original road bike (standard chromo frame & forked raleigh circa 2002) into a miserable weather bike, I went out the other day to find I got far too many visits from the p**cture fairies for my liking. I put it down to the 23mm contis and the state of the roads after the recent floods which got me thinking about ordering a set of 28mm tyres for better puncture resistance (yes I have checked and pretty sure they will fit).

Next bright idea was if I was going larger then why not fit semi slick/cyclocross tyres so I could ride some of the local trails if I wish, nothing major just the odd fire road and maybe a little easy singletrack which a cyclocross could more than handle.

What are the chances of the bike standing up to this? not planning anything major as I have an mtb for that but would like a sort of jack of all trades master of none bike without adding to n+1. Current budget will not allow another bike at least until I have finished sorting one for the wife.

Careca

I'm sure it will depend on how much you weigh and how hard you ride.

lc1981

I guess the key question is, are cyclocross bikes (which is effectively what you want to create) any tougher than road bikes? There are some differences between road and cyclocross frames, but I thought that that was more to do with geometry than strength. Perhaps cyclocross bikes have stronger wheels though? That would be my first concern when taking a road bike off-road.

snoopsmydogg

Careca wrote:

I'm sure it will depend on how much you weigh and how hard you ride.

not planning anything hard as I have my mtb for that but dont want to find i'm headed down a bit of singletrack over a small drop and find i have folded the fork or whatever. Am quite heavy around 90kg at the moment thanks to winter/xmas.

lc1981 wrote:

I guess the key question is, are cyclocross bikes (which is effectively what you want to create) any tougher than road bikes? There are some differences between road and cyclocross frames, but I thought that that was more to do with geometry than strength. Perhaps cyclocross bikes have stronger wheels though? That would be my first concern when taking a road bike off-road.

Had thought about the wheels but they are the standard (pretty heavy duty) wheels that came with the bike. If they were to buckle/bend I could quite easily and most likely cheaply replace them.

declan1

I ride my old road bike (a rubbish Viking) on hardpack with no issues. It's great fun! The 23mm slicks actually dig into the ground and are rather grippy!

rolf_f

Would the cyclo cross tyres actually fit? Given that cyclocross bikes generally have cantilevers and assuming your frame has calipers.

In some respects, with rack and mudguards off, my Dawes Horizon tourer from 1990 looks pretty much like a CX bike. I do wonder if it is really any different aside from the braze ons.

snoopsmydogg

not 100% about cyclocross tyres Rolf although I think a trip to the lbs with the bike could easily sort that. There is plenty of room between tyre and caliper at the moment so would think a 28mm tyre should fit without issue.

Think it's going to be a case of try it and see.

greasedscotsman

If I can ride this...



Over this...



...I would think you'll be fine.

Monty Dog

The main difference between CX and road frames is mainly down to mud clearances for the tyres (hence cantilever brakes) and sometimes small changes to geometry to aid offroad riding (e.g. slightly higher bottom bracket). In the main components, wheels etc are the same you get for regular road use, although some 'cx' parts have better bearing seals. If the tyres fit, then I expect the main issue will be problems with mud build-up under the brake and whether old-style calipers like Weinmanns have the power to stop you (better brake blocks may help). FWIW most CX tyres these days are 32/33mm wide so you need to check clearances - anything smaller than 4mm is likely to cause problems IME.

ic.

Out of interest, what do you class as "far too many visits from the p**cture fairies" ???

Pross

I used my first road bike (a crappy cro-moly Raleigh Banana) as a cyclocross bike for a couple of seasons with no modifications other than the tyres and it was fine (the calliper brakes struggled a bit and got clogged up when I raced in the snow and the Time pedals got blocked but other than that.....). The wheels will be the bigger issue, especially if they have a low spoke count, and you may find the clearance you have left with the bigger tyres means you get clogged up if you going anywhere too messy.

cougie

What Contis were you riding ? And how do you ride - if you sit like a sack of spuds the wheels will take more of an impact. If potholes suddenly appear to you - then yeah you stand a higher risk.

I'm about 80 kilos (i hope) but the P fairy hasnt visited for a while. 23mm tyres can withstand a lot.

snoopsmydogg

cougie wrote:

What Contis were you riding ? And how do you ride - if you sit like a sack of spuds the wheels will take more of an impact. If potholes suddenly appear to you - then yeah you stand a higher risk. <BR sab="806"><BR sab="807">I'm about 80 kilos (i hope) but the P fairy hasnt visited for a while. 23mm tyres can withstand a lot.

Think the tyres are conti ultra sport, the issue wasn't potholes but crap on the roads thanks to recent flooding, being on country roads there is no lighting other than what is on my bike so quite difficult to see at times.

Am having difficulty understanding how you mean riding like a sack of spuds though? I ride seated at least 90% of the time as I find spinning easier than standing. Only really get out of the saddle when climbing if needed or if there is a pothole that for whatever reason cant be avoided.

IC. wrote:

Out of interest, what do you class as "far too many visits from the p**cture fairies" ???

the ride was cut short to 20 miles after 4 flats involving a new tube and a few repairs by torchlight. First 10-15 miles were fine and then they just started coming (on 3 different roads aswell).

ic.

Have you checked the tyre, rim tape, rim etc??

snoopsmydogg

checked everything between flats it was all fine, I have put quite a few miles on those rims prior to the other night with the lovely weather we have been having, i just put it down to an unlucky ride out.

To be honest the idea had been on my mind for a while so the other day just spurred me on a little more. I can keep the mudguards as they don't go under the calipers and are height adjustable too.