Road to CX?

[jscusmcvet]

Playing with the idea of getting back on the road. I have an older Trek 1200 road bike, that I bought used a while back. I guess it is actually a tourer, since it has a triple front chain ring. Thought I might ride to work a few days per week. My first mile is on very rough unimproved dirt road, next 15 mikes on winding hilly country roads. Would throwing a set of cx oriented tires be enough to ride that first mile?

Have 20+ years of MTB with a few sporadic forays into road riding over the years, just looking for input on mods to the bike to handle the mix of dirt and pavement.

John

 

[mountainsports2002]

Cyclocross tires should work fine for that application, wide drop bars and thick bar tape will help too. Sounds like a perfect dirt road bomber.

 

[DaveInDenver]

How bad is the dirt road and how twisty are the country roads?

I run 700x30C Schwalbe CX Pros on my Redline in the summer and for commuting.

They do have a distinct tendency to be squirrelly on wet streets compared to road tires and the softer knobs are definitely not as secure feeling as you lean them over on pavement. When I tool around town I like to have options of riding whatever, from pavement up to mild singletrack, so that's why I run them. I'm also running a 'cross bike, the geometry and brakes and gearing probably don't inspire the same riding style as a road bike. A roadie might push them even hard than I do, although I've never owned a proper road bike to really know for sure.

However, if it was smoothish dirt roads and not singletrack I'd run road-oriented tires on a road bike, maybe something in a narrow cross-over tire or aggressive tourer.

Also consider that even a skinny cyclocross tire will likely be a tight fit into a road frame.

 

[Flagster]

and will be hard to get in an out of a caliper brake...

 

[beverly]

These new tires for gravel racing might be right up your alley. Not quite as wide and slow as real cyclocross tires. They look perfect for smoother dirt roads.
http://www.cxmagazine.com/challenge-gravel-race-tire-review

 

[p nut]

Not sure what your definition of "rough" is, but I've ridden on plenty of gravel/dirt/washboard roads with 700x23 road tires. Certainly not comfortable, as say my gravel bike with 700x32 Pasela's, but if only 6% of my ride consisted of rough patches, I'd just stick to regular road tires. If anything, maybe a set of 700x25's.

 

[madmax718]

as p nut said. I ride in gravelly bits all the time with my road bike. As long as there arent too many holes, and too many big rocks, (and not much elevation change; trying to get power to the ground on road tires is extremely challenging.). You'll be rewarded with a much better ride at the end of the road.

 

[jscusmcvet]

All good info, thanks. The dirt portion is unimproved dirt road. A mix of rock and clay mostly. I like the idea of going with some more robust road oriented tire. I did not know there would be clearance problems with CX tires, so really appreciate the feedback. I will try and follow up...

John:bike_rider:

 

[madmax718]

I've had good luck with these http://www.amazon.com/Kenda-Kriterium-Racing-Folding-700x23/dp/B0026LLC9E in the non folding only. Never tried the folding.


http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Tuffy-Bicycle-Tire-Liner/dp/B0048LO6BQ you can also try these tire liners. Never tried. Giant makes a set too.

 

[Christophe Noel]

It's more a matter of size than type. DaveinDenver can probably attest to what a regular road tire can do. When I lived in Fort Collins, we'd regularly do full-tilt-boogy road rides on gravel roads with little more than 25c road tires.

I spend about 3000 miles a year on a cyclocross bike on a blend of pavement and gravel forest roads. I will say this - pavement loves to eat 'cross tires alive. I only get about 1,000 miles out of a 'cross tire on pavement before it's really toasted. Compare that to the 1800-2200 miles I get on a proper road tire.

If I were in your shoes, I'd get something plumpy with mild tread like a Schwalbe Marathon Tour and go with that. It's a road tire with a few knobs on it, but smooth enough for road comfort. Plus, they're tougher than woodpecker lips.

 

[NEPolarbear]

"Plus, they're tougher than woodpecker lips."

Thanks, just spit out my coffee.
Gotta use that line.

 

[madmax718]

I had to visualize that for a second.. lol...