cross or mtb

Callistus Valerius said:

Being a roadie, I want to do some riding on gravel roads, and I
have no idea if a cross bike would work on them. The cross bikes I
looked at hadd 33 tires on them. Or do you need a mtb to ride on
gravel? I'm not going to do off road riding, just some gravel roads.
Then I was thinking, what if it rains. Some of those roads can get
quite muddy, so again would a cross work in that, or do you need a
mtb?

You /could/ do it on your road bike, of course, but yes a cyclocross bike
will be ideal. (Slightly knobby tires -- don't have to be 33s BTW; beefier
components, etc.) Plus the riding position is familiar to you.

A mountain bike (even a fully rigid one) would be overkill for gravel paths.

Happy crunching.

Bill S.

"Callistus Valerius" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Being a roadie, I want to do some riding on gravel roads, and I
have no
idea if a cross bike would work on them. The cross bikes I looked at
hadd 33 tires on them. Or do you need a mtb to ride on gravel? I'm
not going to do off road riding, just some gravel roads. Then I was
thinking, what if it rains. Some of those roads can get quite muddy,
so again would a cross work in that, or do you need a mtb?

I know a whole bunch of people here would say you don't even need 'Cross
tires.

Depending on my route, my commute sometimes takes me over stretches of
gravel, and I've never had problems with my 28mm Panaracer Paselas or
Continental GP4Seasons. 32ish Cross tires should be no problem at all. I
liken it to driving in snow: slow down and relax your arms, and you'll be
OK.

Ultimately, it depends on your definition of gravel. If you mean hardpack
with gravel scattered on top, no problem. If you mean nothing but pea
gravel so your feet would sink in, you'd need the float of a 2" tire, sure.

But are there many roads that are pea gravel your feet would sink into?
They wouldn't stay that way for long, I'd reckon.

Callistus Valerius said:

Being a roadie, I want to do some riding on gravel roads, and I have no
idea if a cross bike would work on them. The cross bikes I looked at hadd
33 tires on them. Or do you need a mtb to ride on gravel? I'm not going to
do off road riding, just some gravel roads. Then I was thinking, what if it
rains. Some of those roads can get quite muddy, so again would a cross work
in that, or do you need a mtb?

I do lot of this kind of riding on a hybrid. 700x27 rims with Deore
hubs. 700x42 tires inflated between 40-85 psi depending on expected
conditions. Washboard gravel roads merit front suspension, but here
are bearable on a hybrid. 42mm are the widest tire my bike will fit.

On Sat, 08 Jul 2006 03:13:55 GMT, "Callistus Valerius" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Being a roadie, I want to do some riding on gravel roads, and I have no
idea if a cross bike would work on them. The cross bikes I looked at hadd
33 tires on them. Or do you need a mtb to ride on gravel? I'm not going to
do off road riding, just some gravel roads. Then I was thinking, what if it
rains. Some of those roads can get quite muddy, so again would a cross work
in that, or do you need a mtb?

A cross bike will just fly on that stuff. My cross bike with my relatively
deficient skills can handle anything but the deepest sugar sand and rutted,
rocky and rooted trails (well those too, if I'm willing to run). They excel in
mud, but often by digging to the bottom of the puddle that the MTB is skidding
atop. This is messier but faster.

The 33's are a concession to racing rules that limit tires to 35mm. Most cross
bikes will allow a wider front tire, and many a wider rear. Some are more like a
29'r with drop bars, others a purist racing machine. All but the most purist
types will take fenders.

Anyway, gravel roads should be a piece of cake.

Ron

Per Callistus Valerius:

Quoted message said:

Or do you need a mtb to ride on gravel? I'm not going to
do off road riding, just some gravel roads. Then I was thinking, what if it
rains. Some of those roads can get quite muddy, so again would a cross work
in that, or do you need a mtb?

I find that 1.25" slicks work on almost anything that's firm.

The rub comes when you hit sand/deep loose gravel and stuff where skinnies sink
in and a wider MTB tire would float over.

Mud? Never tried it, but wouldn't expect much out of a skinny tire - lugs or
no...

Dunno how wide a tire the average cross bike will take... but I think that's the
heart of the matter - not the type of bike.
--
PeteCresswell

Callistus Valerius said:

Being a roadie, I want to do some riding on gravel roads, and I have no
idea if a cross bike would work on them. The cross bikes I looked at hadd
33 tires on them. Or do you need a mtb to ride on gravel? I'm not going to
do off road riding, just some gravel roads. Then I was thinking, what if it
rains. Some of those roads can get quite muddy, so again would a cross work
in that, or do you need a mtb?

You can ride a cross bike anywhere a mountain bike can be ridden - even
on the most technical of trails. For what you want to do, a cross bike
is going to be much lighter, faster, and a lot more fun. Plus you will
have spare parts and wheels to switch between your road/cross bikes if
the need ever arises.

Just think of how smug you will feel flying past those downhill guys in
baggy pants as they push their bikes up the gravel road :-)

Pista said:

Callistus Valerius said:

Being a roadie, I want to do some riding on gravel roads, and I
have no
idea if a cross bike would work on them. The cross bikes I looked at
hadd
33 tires on them. Or do you need a mtb to ride on gravel? I'm not
going to
do off road riding, just some gravel roads. Then I was thinking, what
if it
rains. Some of those roads can get quite muddy, so again would a
cross work
in that, or do you need a mtb?

You can ride a cross bike anywhere a mountain bike can be ridden - even
on the most technical of trails.

Methinks not. I am a confirmed off-road rider with my road bikes and a
reformed mtb rider having ridden trails no-one could ride on a cross
bike. There'd be a lot of bike shouldering/hiking for sure. There's a
reason suspension exists on mtbs, and not just for comfort.

Quoted message said:

For what you want to do, a cross bike
is going to be much lighter, faster, and a lot more fun. Plus you will
have spare parts and wheels to switch between your road/cross bikes if
the need ever arises.

Just think of how smug you will feel flying past those downhill guys in
baggy pants as they push their bikes up the gravel road :-)

.... and they fly past you going back down.

[note I am not an advocate of un-motorized motorcycles blasting down
trails that others use]

Robin Hubert

Callistus Valerius said:

Being a roadie, I want to do some riding on gravel roads, and I have no
idea if a cross bike would work on them. The cross bikes I looked at hadd
33 tires on them. Or do you need a mtb to ride on gravel? I'm not going to
do off road riding, just some gravel roads. Then I was thinking, what if it
rains. Some of those roads can get quite muddy, so again would a cross work
in that, or do you need a mtb?

My daughter rides her hybrid with road tires (32's) on trails, through
mud puddles and sand. She doesn't think she's doing anything
particularly exciting either.

Callistus Valerius said:

Being a roadie, I want to do some riding on gravel roads, and I have no
idea if a cross bike would work on them. The cross bikes I looked at hadd
33 tires on them. Or do you need a mtb to ride on gravel? I'm not going to
do off road riding, just some gravel roads. Then I was thinking, what if it
rains. Some of those roads can get quite muddy, so again would a cross work
in that, or do you need a mtb?

I'm sure you could do it, but, depending on how rough the surface is,
I'm not sure how long you'd want to do it.

I took a road bike (700 x 25) a mile or 2 up a rocky, rutted fire road
last week just to see what was there -- it was slow and not particularly
pleasant. I think a 33mm is a bit marginal for general unpaved riding,
particularly on soft surfaces, I'd at least want to have the ability to
go to something like a 40-45 with some tread. Cross bikes are for racing
on "natural" surfaces, with the idea you'll shoulder the bike when the
going gets too rough -- made for speed, not comfort -- not the sort of
bike most people want for just riding around.

Pista said:

Callistus Valerius said:

Being a roadie, I want to do some riding on gravel roads, and I
have no
idea if a cross bike would work on them. The cross bikes I looked at
hadd
33 tires on them. Or do you need a mtb to ride on gravel? I'm not
going to
do off road riding, just some gravel roads. Then I was thinking, what
if it
rains. Some of those roads can get quite muddy, so again would a
cross work
in that, or do you need a mtb?

You can ride a cross bike anywhere a mountain bike can be ridden - even
on the most technical of trails. For what you want to do, a cross bike
is going to be much lighter, faster, and a lot more fun. Plus you will
have spare parts and wheels to switch between your road/cross bikes if
the need ever arises.

Just think of how smug you will feel flying past those downhill guys in
baggy pants as they push their bikes up the gravel road :-)

I've used 28mm tires on a road bike on some roughed up gravel roads with
no problem. Cross would certainly take it and be a much faster
alternative to mtb. Just my .02.
krc

Callistus Valerius said:

Being a roadie, I want to do some riding on gravel roads, and I have no
idea if a cross bike would work on them. The cross bikes I looked at hadd
33 tires on them. Or do you need a mtb to ride on gravel? I'm not going to
do off road riding, just some gravel roads. Then I was thinking, what if it
rains. Some of those roads can get quite muddy, so again would a cross work
in that, or do you need a mtb?

Cross bikes for this type of riding is a great idea...we build many
bikes like this, that can also be used as a 'road' bike just with non
knobby tires...riding on a gravel road with a cross bike is a much
better idea than riding on the road with a MTB...