# How 'off road' can a road bike go?



## DDYB (14 Dec 2008)

Folks,

I'm trying to decide between a hybrid and a road bike. Ultimately I intend to do a lot of road miles but would also like the option of perhaps taking in some woodland tracks etc.

Is a road bike capable of anything other than roads? Or would I need a hybrid if I had any intenion of going off road?

Thanks.


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## Steve Austin (14 Dec 2008)

You can ride a roadbike off road but skinny slick tyres are no good at all on even slippy roads.
You need a cyclocross bike like a specialized tricross


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## Disgruntled Goat (14 Dec 2008)

Wot Steve said. It's all in the tyres. If a road frame doesn't have the clearance to accommodate 28-32mm knobblies say, then you will have trouble.

If you can get the tyres on then you should be ok as long as it isn't too muddy.

Cross bikes make decent road bikes with a pair of slicks. Or buy two bikes, can never have too many.


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## sheddy (14 Dec 2008)

I sometimes use 700x23 on railway tracks and canal paths. Has to be flat tho'


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## Crackle (14 Dec 2008)

32mm tyres, OK for most forest racks and you can walk the bits you can't manage. 23mm tyres, forget it.

Used to use my racer for all off road stuff before mtn bikes arrived.


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## TurboTurkey (14 Dec 2008)

I agree with Mr 'Crackle'. I have done lots of off road stuff just by putting wider tyres on. Be sure you can get the fatter tyres past your brake calipers and that they won't bind on your mudguards (presuming you have them). I found that a mixed tread 32 tyre kept the stones away from the rim on a rough track and the raised central rib of the tyre made road riding easy. On a slippery or muddy surface you will have to accept the limits of the grip offered, but I learned to appreciate a 'little walk' every now and then!


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## DDYB (14 Dec 2008)

Thanks for the replies.

So basically a road bike will be sufficient for my needs provided I can get a 32mm tyre on.

My work offer a Cycle2Work scheme but only through Halfords, I'm thinking about the Boardman Road Comp but before purchasing how could I find out if this bike would accomodate a 32mm tyre? (The same question applies to all bikes I suppose because being able to accomadate a 32mm tyre will now be one of the main boxes a bike will have to tick for me.

Thanks again guys.


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## PpPete (14 Dec 2008)

I was always happy on most bridleways on my 700 x 28 road tyres (not knobbly at all)
I've just changed to 700 x 25, and enjoying the better speed on road, and still exploring the limits of friction  on the occasional muddy path.


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## tyred (15 Dec 2008)

I often ride a Raleigh 20 through forest tracks and the like on the standard (20" x 1 3/8") tyres without a problem. As long as you don't intend any serious MTB type activities, road tyres of a reasonable width work fine.


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## palinurus (15 Dec 2008)

I've taken my 23 mm tyres onto tracks before, it's possible- depending on the surface, but if it's wet and muddy you'll have no chance. A touring bike or 'cross type bike that'll take fatter tyres will be required, very few off-the peg road bikes will accept a wide tyre.


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## ColinJ (15 Dec 2008)

What a road bike _can_ do and what one _should_ do are two different things! 

I bought a Bianchi about 10 years ago; quite an expensive bike - £1,000 for the frame/forks and about £1,000 more for the other parts. I decided to take it up to the Yorkshire Dales for its maiden ride. The intention was to do a big loop over Fleet Moss to Hawes then back via Ribblehead to Horton-in-Ribblesdale but by the time I got to the top end of Wharfedale my back was killing me. I didn't have a map with me, but I'd got it in my head that I could follow Langstrothsdale Chase round to H-i-R so I headed up there instead. It was a lovely little singletrack road and I was enjoying my change of plan until... the road started going uphill and turned into a bridleway  

I couldn't face going back, so I pressed on but felt that I was being terribly cruel to my pristine new racing bike. The ride became a bit of a nightmare. Slick 23C tyres don't grip mud and gravel. Lightweight racing wheels don't like bouncing over boulders. Lightweight tubing doesn't like having rocks bounced off it. By the time I finally got to Horton, my tyres were cut up, my frame was scratched and my nerves were shredded. I'd had a couple of very near misses on descents.

So, you _can_ ride road bikes off-road, but I wouldn't recommend it. If you get a bike with enough clearance for bigger tyres, that would be different. I'd want at least 28s but preferably something bigger. Some sort of tread as well - the tyres wouldn't roll as well as slicks on tarmac, but at least you'd have some grip off-road. I saw a heavily laden touring bike being ridden up a steep local bridleway which was covered in rocks. It looked hard work, but the rider managed it. He had something like 35s on his bike.

If you are going to do the road rides on different days to the offroad rides, why not buy a road bike and have two identical pairs of wheels, one with narrow slick tyres for road, the other with bigger knobblier tyres for offroad? (You want identical wheels so that you don't have to adjust your brakes every time you swap the wheels over - I made the mistake of getting two different rim types and the brakes didn't work when I swapped wheels )


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## DDYB (15 Dec 2008)

ColinJ said:


> If you are going to do the road rides on different days to the offroad rides, why not buy a road bike and have two identical pairs of wheels, one with narrow slick tyres for road, the other with bigger knobblier tyres for offroad? (You want identical wheels so that you don't have to adjust your brakes every time you swap the wheels over - I made the mistake of getting two different rim types and the brakes didn't work when I swapped wheels )



That's what I have been thinking about this morning. Will identical wheels take a 32mm tyre for example if they come with a 23mm tyre as standard? (As you can probably guess I'm new to all this so again any advice is appreciated)

How much would I be looking to pay for a decent set of wheels? I appreciate definitions of 'decent' will vary quite a bit but considering my off road activities will be few and far between my definition of decent in this instance is "as cheap as possible but solid enough to support me"


Thanks again


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## stevevw (15 Dec 2008)

DDYB said:


> Thanks for the replies.
> 
> So basically a road bike will be sufficient for my needs provided I can get a 32mm tyre on.
> 
> ...



I may be able to help you here. I have in my garage a Boardman Road Comp and also have a weekend bike with 28's and a commutor with 32's fitted, if I can remember I will have a look to see what will fit for you.
I will also check to see if race blades will fit the Boardman. Why not just buy a cheap secondhand mountain bike for your off road rides?


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## ColinJ (15 Dec 2008)

I'm not an expert on what will fit what or how much to spend, so I'll leave someone else to answer that.

I should have mentioned that I do ride my road bike on a local cycleway which has gravel, leaves, and shallow mud on it so don't let me frighten you off that kind of thing. If you ride sensibly, a road bike is okay for 'lightweight' offroad like that. I just wouldn't ride 'proper' bridleways which have ruts, deep mud, rocks and steep gradients.


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## RedBike (15 Dec 2008)

Someone used to regularly post links to this site
http://www.rsf.org.uk/index.htm
I used to quite enjoy nicking route ideas from it. 

As you can perhaps see from the photographs loads of people are riding touring bikes off-road. (They end up pushing when the trail gets rough.) 

As for whether a hybird will be suitable or not all depends on what your woodland trails are like. I often struggle to get my MTB around my local woodland trails. Mud, wet roots and exposed polished rocks are an intresting combination.


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## Steve Austin (15 Dec 2008)

So, a roadbike is ok for off-roading then? 

it seems the answer if you read this thread is yes. as long as you fit 32c tyres.

So my TCR is fine for off-roading? Even the gemoetry is all wrong. its made of carbon and not designed for riding off road. it'll be fine as long as i fit wider tyres


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## RedBike (15 Dec 2008)

> So basically a road bike will be sufficient for my needs provided I can get a 32mm tyre on.



You will need sufficient mud clearance too. (Which will probably mean cantilever or disc brakes. )

As above, 32mm tyres are very narrow for off-road use. If you're going to ride anything technical or rough get a MTB!


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## PpPete (15 Dec 2008)

Steve Austin said:


> So, a roadbike is ok for off-roading then?
> 
> it seems the answer if you read this thread is yes. as long as you fit 32c tyres.
> 
> So my TCR is fine for off-roading? Even the gemoetry is all wrong. its made of carbon and not designed for riding off road. it'll be fine as long as i fit wider tyres



NOOOOO!
I only take my road bike off-road (on its 28 or 25 tyres) because its a steel frame (531ST) and a relaxed geometry. Take a carbon road frame (or even a high spec road specific aluminium frame) and of course you are asking for trouble, even if you've soaked up the worst of the bumps with the 32c tyres.


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## BentMikey (15 Dec 2008)

Dude, you really need two bikes.


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## ColinJ (15 Dec 2008)

BentMikey said:


> Dude, you really need two bikes.


That's almost the ideal solution. The ideal solution is to have _more than two bikes_... ! 

I have a mountain bike for offroad, a steel-framed Basso with low-gears for 90% of my road riding and a higher-geared aluminium-framed Cannondale for sunny UK rides and overseas holidays. I could make a case for a touring bike as well, but I haven't got the money or the space for one .


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## stevevw (15 Dec 2008)

No way will you be able to fit bigger tyres to the Boardman. I checked earlier, even 28's I think would foul the brakes. Sorry


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## Steve Austin (16 Dec 2008)

You need a crosser!

I ride a voodoo limba on both. I've ridden it XC, on the road, commuted on it, up hills, down hills. I bought it to be versatile and thats what it is.
Have a look at some of the cyclocross bikes out there. they really are the solution to anyone who wants a roadbike that can go off road.


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## ed_o_brain (17 Dec 2008)

More than one bike is the way to go.
That way you can still get out and ride evn if you break one of them.

An old rigid MTB with slick/mixed use tyres, mudguards and a rack makes a great all purpose machine and need not break the bank.


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## Dave5N (17 Dec 2008)

Steve Austin said:


> You need a crosser!
> 
> I ride a voodoo limba on both. I've ridden it XC, on the road, commuted on it, up hills, down hills. I bought it to be versatile and thats what it is.
> Have a look at some of the cyclocross bikes out there. they really are the solution to anyone who wants a roadbike that can go off road.



That's not a cyclo-cross bike.


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## Steve Austin (17 Dec 2008)

tell me why Dave? 

Is it because it doesn't fit the purist model?


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## Fab Foodie (17 Dec 2008)

Back in the old days as a kid in Devon there were tyres called 27x1 and 1/4 inch fitted to chrome steel rims on heavy gas-pipe frames... and we took 'em everywhere, the more challenging the better.
I reckon if not a cyclo-cross bike then a steel frame tourer will go a lot of places. Try a Dawes Horizon or similar with slightly treaded tyres.

Oh, and designed rims for 23c tyres will not be suitable for say 28's or above. The Mavicsite used to give max tyre widths for its rims, my old CXP22's are for 23 and 25's only. I've used 28's on a narrow Mavic rim and though it fitted the tyre was the wrong shape.


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## Dave5N (18 Dec 2008)

Because it has disc brakes.


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## Dave5N (18 Dec 2008)

Disc brakes are not legal to race, except Comms in local events might let them through.


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## Steve Austin (18 Dec 2008)

Its only 18* allen bolts away from being a cyclocross bike then 

* i think


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## Dave5N (18 Dec 2008)

Actually, I'm sorry. They are legal I think.

I just had a flick through the Rule Book and it says any bike is legal up to UCI level races.

So it is a 'crosser.

Still bloody dangerous though and i wouldn't let it in.


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## Dave5N (18 Dec 2008)

In fact I'd probaly try to exclude it on the grounds of Bar Tape Likely To Cause Offence To Other Riders.


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## Steve Austin (18 Dec 2008)

You should see the saddle now. Its a beautiful neon green Arione. looks great


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## Dave5N (18 Dec 2008)

I bet you need them sunglasses as well.


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## Danny (21 Dec 2008)

Going back to the OP. One option would be to go for an audax bike which typically take up to 28mm tyres. I find these good enough for Sustrans type off road paths (eg tow paths, old railway lines, etc). You'd also find it pretty nippy on the road.

Alternatively you could go for a full blown tourer which would allow even wider tyres, but still enable you go reasonably fast on a road, and would be really comfortable for long distances.

As a starting point you could check out a Dawes Audax and Dawes Galaxy - though there are planty of alternatives.


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## Vitesse (22 Dec 2008)

You can take any bike anywhere if you try hard enough! My Dawes tourer, mostly running on 700-25s, has done lots of off-road miles without too many problems. It's much worse on 23s, though, both from a riding pov and because the tyres don't have enough cushioning to stop the tubes from getting pinched on rough surfaces. I've also taken a heavy, steel framed road bike up Snowdon...


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## gbb (22 Dec 2008)

How far can a roadbike go off road ?...
I keep thinking did i go too far with my Via Nirone ? I was'nt averse to going down occasional tracks through woodland, and rough cinder tracks across farmland, it seemed to cope ok. 
Then i found this crack when investigating a creak when pedalling hard on the road...






I dont believe the off road tracks were responsible...but perhaps accelerated a manufacturing defect.
On the assumed basis that it wasnt the off road riding (which is maybe 0.5% of my total riding) that caused it, i still do the same tracks. But it's only an assumption. Who can tell ?


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## Steve Austin (22 Dec 2008)

Thats a very hefty crack. 
Hard to say what caused that, but i've not seen cracks on bikes like that that where used on the road only.


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