Trouble sticking to the road

superyellow

Hi

So this past summer I was convinced by my younger brothers to try road cycling as they are heavily into the sport, and yes I have enjoyed it. As this was my first road bike I have been impressed by the way these bike just roll along faster than some on mountain bike even when they are pedalling...

rather than huge distance rides or club blast I have mainly been using my road bike to commute to work 24mile each way, and it has been fun and surprisingly quick.
Now the problem im having is sticking to the road, as I seem to be taking short cuts across fields and down embankments and through hard packed woods & canal paths when the opportunity arises. I know these 25mm road tyres are not really made for this but they have coped reasonably well, thus I am thinking of maybe trying to find some small 28 -30mm CX tyres for my bike as clearance allows and then I think this will allow me to carry on having the odd bit of fun on my commutes without having to worry about punctures too much.

or should I just get a mountain bike?

Sometimes I just find it a little boring following the tarmac.... does anyone else chance the odd bit of off road on their road bikes?

Xherdan

I often do a similar thing but it always makes me a bit nervous with regards to punctures. CX tyres sound like a good idea.

smoggysteve

Have you considered getting into cyclocross?

superyellow

I have thought about it but i have heard its really tough, and im rather new to cycling and dont have the aerobic fitness yet. As im more use to power sports like rugby with the stop start recovery periods. Where as this cycling is more long term endurance than short bursts of power.

Is it possible to convert a road bike to xc?

nawty

superyellow wrote:

Is it possible to convert a road bike to xc?

Yeah, put XC tyres on it

simon_masterson

superyellow wrote:

Is it possible to convert a road bike to xc?

Do you mean CX (Cyclocross) or XC (Cross country)?

In the case of the former, that really depends on the bike. Cyclocross riders generally prefer larger tyres than the average modern road bike will permit (32-38), and also often use disc brakes, which most road bikes don't have. If your bike has clearance for 28mm tyres then you could certainly optimise it for certain degrees of off-road use, however; the tyres are an obvious place to start.

cat_with_no_tail

Sounds to me like what you've got there is a perfect case for n+1

Get yourself a relatively cheap CX bike for the commute and when you fancy it, and keep the proper road bike for everything else.

It's all very well saying that people have told you the CX is hard to get into, but from what you said above, you're already doing it, just not on a CX bike.

lotus49

superyellow wrote:

Is it possible to convert a road bike to xc?

There isn't a huge difference between them. Cyclocross bikes usually have wider, knobbly tyres, a slightly different geometry (eg higher BB) and cantilever brakes. Cross bikes will usually have lower gearing as well as the circuits usually include some very steep sections but nothing too fast. The main thing is really the tyres. If you can fit CX tyres and wheels on your bike, you're most of the way there.

cougie

If the bike is coping so far - you don't need to change it.

Look at videos of Paris Roubaix to see what road bikes can cope with.

keef66

Road bikes are tougher than most people think. See Martyn Ashton's Road Bike Party on YouTube for instance. I have 25mm Conti 4 Seasons on mine and happily take the odd off-road diversion. The only things a road bike doesn't really cope well with are mud and snow which can quickly clog up the tighter clearances around the fork crown / seat and chainstays.

superyellow

i have seen those videos on youtube amazing! they were what convinced me to attempt the little trails that i pass on the way to work, one day though they will make me late for work :twisted
One of the reasons im glad i bought a budget road bike is the heavier study frame and large wheel clearences (albeit less aerodynamic, although i would neglect any advantages of an expensive racer with my body frame lol)

i have been very impressed with the grip and abuse resistance of 25mm krylion carbon tyres... as someone has said i will keep enjoying it untill it breaks ...

cougie

The british cycling bikes at the olympics had big wheel clearance on the frame. Clearly theyre thinking they are better than the more fashionable gnats whisker clearance. Which is better for us cos we can fit bigger tyres if we need it.

Lets face it - to mere mortals - the aero turbulence at the wheel/frame interface isnt going to matter. But getting mud stuck in the tiny gap would.