Opinions on versatile bike

I'm researching my next bike purchase. I already have a fully suspended
MTB and a road racer, but I want something to fill the gap. My rides
consist mostly of about 50 miles (80k) over very hilly terrain with
about 2500' (750m) of total climbing. The grades are mostly short but
steep. The MTB (with slicks) can deal with anything like dirt roads and
potholes, but it is heavy and not very good for standing up. With the
road racer I have to be picky about the road surface, cutting out a lot
of otherwise nice routes. I need a bike that is reasonably light and
that can fit decent sized tires for rougher surfaces and occasional dirt
roads. I'm thinking:

a) A fully rigid MTB with slicks

b) Cyclocross

c) Sport touring along the lines of a Rivendell Rambouillet

Opinions?

"Fred Barney" wrote in message
.net...
I'm researching my next bike purchase. I already have a fully suspended
MTB and a road racer, but I want something to fill the gap. My rides
consist mostly of about 50 miles (80k) over very hilly terrain with
about 2500' (750m) of total climbing. The grades are mostly short but
steep. The MTB (with slicks) can deal with anything like dirt roads and
potholes, but it is heavy and not very good for standing up. With the
road racer I have to be picky about the road surface, cutting out a lot
of otherwise nice routes. I need a bike that is reasonably light and
that can fit decent sized tires for rougher surfaces and occasional dirt
roads. I'm thinking:

a) A fully rigid MTB with slicks

b) Cyclocross

c) Sport touring along the lines of a Rivendell Rambouillet

Opinions?

Sounds like any of those would work, but a 'cross bike would be more fun.
http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/surly....html#complete

Good price. The Bianchi Volpe would also work, and it's even cheaper than
the Surly.

Fred Barney wrote:

I already have a fully suspended MTB and a road racer,
but I want something to fill the gap.

Sounds like the definition of a 'crosser:

http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/05/CE/spec/5xr8blu.jpg

--
"Bicycling is a healthy and manly pursuit with much
to recommend it, and, unlike other foolish crazes,
it has not died out." -- The Daily Telegraph (1877)

On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 14:25:00 -0500, Fred Barney wrote:

I'm researching my next bike purchase. I already have a fully suspended
MTB and a road racer, but I want something to fill the gap. My rides
consist mostly of about 50 miles (80k) over very hilly terrain with
about 2500' (750m) of total climbing. The grades are mostly short but
steep. The MTB (with slicks) can deal with anything like dirt roads and
potholes, but it is heavy and not very good for standing up. With the
road racer I have to be picky about the road surface, cutting out a lot
of otherwise nice routes. I need a bike that is reasonably light and
that can fit decent sized tires for rougher surfaces and occasional dirt
roads. I'm thinking:

I think you can use a road bike for what you are talking about. I've used
mine on rides with miles of gravel, with no real problems aside from it
getting dirty. If you take reasonable care, occasional dirt roads are
not a problem. You might occasionally cut a tire, but you can do that on
any bike.

Just about all road bikes can take tires that are (real measurement) 25mm
wide with substantial tread, like the Avocet Cross tire. Heck, I've used
those tires on my track bike.

Of course, a sport touring frame would allow even bigger tires, as would a
cross bike, but a touring bike is more for loaded trips, and a cross bike
is the original cross-country design (pre mountain bike). Neither of
those sound like the riding you are doing.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | Some people used to claim that, if enough monkeys sat in front
_`\(,_ | of enough typewriters and typed long enough, eventually one of
(_)/ (_) | them would reproduce the collected works of Shakespeare. The
internet has proven this not to be the case.

David L. Johnson says...

I think you can use a road bike for what you are talking about. I've used
mine on rides with miles of gravel, with no real problems aside from it
getting dirty. If you take reasonable care, occasional dirt roads are
not a problem. You might occasionally cut a tire, but you can do that on
any bike.

Just about all road bikes can take tires that are (real measurement) 25mm
wide with substantial tread, like the Avocet Cross tire. Heck, I've used
those tires on my track bike.

Of course, a sport touring frame would allow even bigger tires, as would a
cross bike, but a touring bike is more for loaded trips, and a cross bike
is the original cross-country design (pre mountain bike). Neither of
those sound like the riding you are doing.

How about a dirt road with a 1/2 mile 20% downhill grade? I already
have road bike and I only use 25's. I love it, but it isn't always the
best choice.

In article , Fred
Barney wrote:

David L. Johnson says...



How about a dirt road with a 1/2 mile 20% downhill grade? I already
have road bike and I only use 25's. I love it, but it isn't always the
best choice.

I used to ride a Steelman Eurocross down a 1.1-mile stretch of
indifferently maintained private gravel road that dropped 430-some feet;
the steepest bit, about a quarter-mile, is probably 15 percent or
thereabouts. Frankly, it's not much fun, even with 700x30 or 700x40
rubber. Got a bit easier once I added top-mounted brake levers to give me
a more upright position on the way down, but you still take a beating,
especially on washboard.

But if you're only doing that one ugly-ass half mile, a steel cyclo-cross
bike is a good all-rounder. It doesn't do anything perfectly -- outside of
racing cyclo-cross -- but it does pretty much everything acceptably.

Cheers,

Patrick O'Grady
Mad Dog Media
http://www.maddogmedia.com

On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 14:25:00 -0500, Fred Barney wrote:

b) Cyclocross

c) Sport touring along the lines of a Rivendell Rambouillet

Thinking very correctly I believe.

Maybe something like a Surly Pacer frame with 28mm (handles wider w/o
fenders) tires and standard reach brakes might be worth looking into on
the lighter end of things.

The Cyclocross/Touring type bike's a winner, as you can change the flavour
of the bike simply by switching out the rubber.

If you know exactly what you want and enjoy affordable luddite tech, a
custom hearth-forged Mercian might be just the ticket.

Thorns might be worth a look. The bikes I mean. :P

Many other options, what does your local bike shop sell?

Rivs are very sexy, but you can get a bike with most of the same features
for half the cost if you don't want/need the fancy lugs and paint. Nice
bikes though, if you've got the coin.

On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 17:43:24 -0500, Fred Barney wrote:

How about a dirt road with a 1/2 mile 20% downhill grade? I already
have road bike and I only use 25's. I love it, but it isn't always the
best choice.

There simply are not that many dirt roads with 20% grades. The OP did not
indicate anything like that, just poor road surfaces.

But a 20% grade will simply not last that long, so it really should not be
the deciding factor in the bike choice, no matter what surface.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | The lottery is a tax on those who fail to understand
_`\(,_ | mathematics.
(_)/ (_) |

Maybe something like a Surly Pacer

Rather than a cross bike.....why not just use a touring
bike such as Bruce Gordon model?

I'm asking rhetorically as I've faced same dilemma
myself. I mainly commute on my bike. But wish to do a
tour someday. Hence the indecision on what to buy.
Should it be a mt bike? A cross bike? A touring bike?
I can only afford to own ONE good bike so multiples
aren't the answer

I just wonder if you could buy a true touring bike and
put a set of 26" wheel and heavy duty tires on it. And
use it for abt anything?

In article ,
Fred Barney writes:

c) Sport touring along the lines of a Rivendell Rambouillet

Opinions?

Personally I like the c) option, especially if we're talking
about randonneur-config'd bikes. I note cyclocross bikes have
been mentioned a lot, but I think those things come with a lot
of unnecessary specs for your wants & needs. I think
randonneur-specific bikes come with a whole bunch of desirables,
including all the eyelets you might need, lightness, inside-the-
frame wiring for generator lights, nice geometry, faster & fairly
aero riding position, etc.

But a rigid-forked MTB is good for 50-milers on varied terrain and
surfaces too, but maybe not as light & fast as you might want.
If you pathologically need to chase down and pass every bike rider
you see ahead of you, do not go the MTB route. But if you just
wanna economically (in several senses of the word) get there, old,
rigid-forked MTBs fill the bill quite nicely. Especially if the
frame is a little taller and a little longer than for real
single-track riding. And some higher-priced 26x1.5" tires that
are rated for at least 60 psi will give you a little more speed.

For bike one might want to stick a single pannier on, though,
I still like the randonneur configs. Like the Mariposa
Randonneur, or the Marinoni Turismo.

Well, you asked for opinions ...


cheers,
Tom

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