MacAttack

Ok........I test rode a few cyclocross bikes, and I just don't think I'd be happy with them on a
logging road/fire road/jeep road. Even on rough pavement the ride was a little jarring.

So for 1 bike which I could ride 20 miles up a paved mountain road, and then 10 miles down a
logging road what do you recommend?

I was looking at the Gary Fisher dual sport bikes, but I know nothing about suspension and if it
really works or not. Here's a couple of the forks on the 2 most expensive bikes:

SR Suntour NRX, preload adjustable w/hydraulic lockout, 63mm travel
SR Suntour NRX, preload adjustable w/remote lockout, alloy steerer, 63mm travel

Here's another fork from a Giant bike:
SR Suntour NEX 4610 w/ Lock-out, 63mm Travel

qmsdc15

meanwhile

I don't want to say "I told you so" - no, wait, I do!

Like I said a crosser is wrong for you, but if rough pavement was jarring the tyre pressure was set wrong.

Once again: a 29er MTB with a low travel fork and perhaps the addition of a suspension seat post and *definitelY with high volume tyres. The Fisher "Dual Sport" hybrids would probably be ok, but it might be worth looking at real 29er MTBs instead of hybrids.

If you need advice on suspension forks you are 100 times better off in the MTB forum. And if you need that much travel you should get an MTB instead of a hybrid.

MacAttack

Yes.......you told me so !!!

All right, I guess I'll start looking at 29er's. Now I have to learn about suspension. I'm going to know everything about bikes before I'm done.

I'm still kicking around the idea that maybe I'll get a cyclocross for road riding because I like the fact that it's just about as fast as a road bike, but I can more easily turn off on dirt roads and such and not fear for my life like I would on a skinny-tired pure road bike.

So for now I can only afford one, so I'll either get a 29er first or I'll get a cyclocross first.

skilsaw

Think about a touring bike instead of a cyclecross bike.
Examples would be the surly Long Haul Trucker, Trek 520, Marinoni Tourismo, Cannondale t1 and t2.

Touring bikes have strong wheels with high spoke count... 32 or 36. Wide tires...30 - 35 mm, lower gears than cyclecross bikes... 30 tooth chainring and 32 tooth sprocket. Less aggressive geometry - they "cruise" better than the sensitive geometry of cyclecross bikes.

A fine ride. and very suitable for both pavement and gravel trails.

AdelaaR

For crosscountry and light mountainbiking a suspension fork is perfect.
Do not get a crappy one like the NEX 4610 though ... if you get a suspension fork pay a bit more for a better one like the NRX E remote lockout.
Combined with crosstyres this will make your bike as versatile a hybrid as possible.
I have this combination and I'm very pleased with it ... when doing roads I lock out my fork and can go very fast ... when doing offroad like fields or forests or rocky descents I unlock the fork and have stabilty and control.
Do not let people fool you by telling you a suspension fork is not aerodynamic or too heavy.
Unless you are a racer, the added weight and slight loss on aerodynamics will not matter ... I reach average speeds of over 20 mph with a simple, not too expensive suspension fork.

meanwhile

Just tell the MTB people where you'll be riding. To me it sounds like high volume low pressure tyres on 700c wheels will do most of what you want. Larger wheels with lower pressure tyres and longer wheelbases both reduce the effect of bumps. Make sure that the fork has a lockout. And if you think you might want to convert the bike to a drop handle avoid hydraulic brakes. 29ers can be very fast on the road:

https://pfunwithpflug.blogspot.com/20...unon-road.html

There is the option of dual suspension, but that gets expensive and is really for severe terrain. I'd go for a hardtail, knowing that you could add on a suspension seat post later if you need it.