LeMaVo

Hi,
I am very new to the whole long distance thing. So, I was wondering what kind of bike I should get for a ride with different surfaces (not all pavement). I used to do a bit of mountain biking, but I wouldn't get very far with my old bike.
Thanks

unterhausen

what sort of long distance riding are you thinking about doing?

Carbonfiberboy 

Cyclocross bikes are certainly ridden on many different surfaces and usually can mount tires that are larger than those of a road bike. Their geometry isn't ideal for brevets, but I have seen them used on on rides up to 400k, with normal road tires of course.

Chris_W

The Specialized TriCross is a cyclocross bike with more relaxed / less racy geometry, so it might be ideal for you. I have one kitted it out as an adventure / go anywhere / mixed conditions bike and LOVE it. I have 3 or 4 different sets of tires - I normally run 700x30c tires that have a minimal tread for general road riding and the occasional diversion onto easy gravel tracks, but if I'm planning to ride more off-road then I have other fatter and nobblier tires to use instead. I've done many 6-8 hour rides on that bike, nothing super-lengthy, but it would probably the bike that I'd choose if I was to do some more epic distances.

liong71er

29er mountain bike.that's how i roll.

Richard Cranium

If you know you want to be able to handle unpaved sections of routes then you have no choice but to select a bicycle that allows for larger tires.

I have quite a bit of experience and think that a "normal touring" bicycle fitted with larger tires, like 700x32 is the optimal mixed pavement machine. However, depending on what kind of load and speed you want to bicycle at - you may need a beefier bike that uses 26" all-terrain tires (city bike style)

In any case, most long distance routes use a preponderance of pavement. Outfitting a bike for off road use and showing up and trying to use it for road rides will be disappointing.

vik 

They make bikes just for that style of riding:

https://www.csrichards.com/allroad/index.html

https://www.renehersebicycles.com/Randonneur%20bikes.htm



I have a cyclocross bike that works fine.

Barrettscv 

We really need to know what kind of off-road travel and what distance. Three types of bikes will work, Cyclocross, Touring and a fully rigid 29er MTB. Which bike will depend on how technical the off-road riding will be.

This cyclist completed a 200k with 12,000 of climbing on a Surly Pugsley.






Michael

vik 

Wow! As a fellow Pugsley owner I salute that guy...

kevrider

for example, go to this site to check out the VAYA and the FARGO.

bmike

single track? dirt / gravel road? pavement? ice / snow?
race, or rando? carrying lots of gear, or not?

anything from a lite touring rig / club racer to a fargo to a mtb could work, depending on the mix of terrain you'll see.

LeMaVo

Sorry for the late reply. It will be a ride of 700mi with roughly 50 to 60 miles a day. However, we will not be carrying any gear. Most of the route will be paved, but a there are parts with gravel and sandy grounds. No jumps or anything like that.
Thanks so much for the suggestions so far!!!

BigDaddyPete

I would second the recommendations for the Salsa Vaya, or the Fargo if you're looking for something even more heavy duty. They are both on my wish list right now, the Vaya for vanishing for days and the Fargo for winter everything. Good luck.

Barrettscv 

If you will not be carrying gear but need to cover sandy and gravel a Cyclocross bike would be ideal. These can accept 700x35 tires and fenders. A good cyclocross bike is tougher than a road bike and lighter than a touring bike while providing good travel over unpaved roads.

I use this bike, a Soma Double Cross. It's fun, fast and very comfortable. Just add larger tires.



Michael

StephenH

For 50-60 miles a day, a lot of different bikes would do the trick. I've ridden double that on my Worksman cruiser, for example.

On the tough-bike part and the cyclocross bikes- I think still, the biggest issue will be the wheels; you don't often see road bikes falling apart due to rough roads, but you can have all kinds of wheel problems.

Homeyba

For that you can ride just about anything. From my house, I have to ride two miles of dirt road just to get to pavement and I ride a Colnago C-50 on 23mm tires. Ride what you want.

unterhausen

I'm moving this to touring. Lots of good expertise in that forum from people that don't participate here.

math is fun

I would recommend a Cyclocross bike for mixed surface riding. I have a Tricross sport and while not as quick as a road bike still can get some respectable speed and has room for some big tires if you will be riding off road. Another plus is it has braze ons for fenders/racks.

episodic

I like my Surly Cross Check. . . - I'm up to 50-60 miles and it is comfortable.

LeeG

this is such an open question, for pavement you can do fine with any bike on 28mm-35mm tires but "gravel and sandy grounds" can be surfaces unridable with anything less than 2.125"(50mm width).

few more thoughts. When I was light, 145lbs, I road all over dirt roads on 28mm clinchers and occasionally sewups of similar dimension. I'm fatter now and 35mm tires provide plenty of rubber for hardpack dirt and fast enough rolling for my motor. The problem with "gravel and sandy grounds" is when it's inches deep. So gravel or sand on hard pack is doable as long as you don't try to go fast around corners or up steep hills.

As far as comfort goes a cyclocross bike is a good idea and the Specialized Tri-Cross is especially comfy.

oldride

Like others I would recommend a CX bike. I have a Tricross sport and really like the ride and versitility. There are also lots of other good CX bikes on the market.

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MichaelW

Last summer I rode a 6-week tour , fully loaded, with long sections of gravel road and some section of hard-packed sand and beach.
The largest tyre my touring bike could take was 32mm. There were times when I could have used a wider tyre, maybe 38mm but I managed the ride the whole way. A lot of other riders on the same route ended up pushing their bikes up or down steep slopes.

For unladen riding on gravel roads, 32 is plenty. For loaded riding, its better to have a bit more rubber.
As for the style of bike, touring or CX should be fine.

safariofthemind

This is a ride easily accomplished on just about any bike with fat tires (no less than 32mm). Check out https://www.sheldonbrown.com/tires.html

If you have a bike that fits well, save the money and invest it in good clothes and gear and cash for food and enjoyment along the way. Personally I use a Surly Crosscheck and that would fit the bill economically, but you really don't need a new bike for something like this.

Do get decent tires and make sure you have good wheels with stout rims and spokes because it is a hassle to fix things too often. And forget knobby tires - you don't need them for this type of ride. Consider Schwalbe Marathon's or equivalent touring tires that can be run at reduced pressure in the dirt sections for comfort. Oh, and bring plenty of extra spokes and tubes and patches and a spare folding tire.

Sounds like a fun introduction to touring. What is the route?

Rob_E

I take my Long Haul Trucker off pavement often. It's not a mountain bike by any stretch, and if I expected to maintain any speed off-road or spend a significant, I'd want something else. Of course if you're not looking to carry a load, then a LHT is probably overkill for you. I keep looking at the Surly Troll as a potential, all-terrain bike. It doesn't seem purpose-built to favour or exclude any type of surface, but it does seem like with some fat tires and the right set up it could be reasonably comfortable on or off road. My feeling is that the Troll would be more of a work horse, and not as zippy as a cyclocross bike. If you were going to spend more time off pavement then on, then I'd 2nd the suggestion of a 29er or another mountain bike, but I don't find mountain bikes terribly comfortable over a long stretch (although I suspect they can be set up to be much more comfortable), and it doesn't sound like even your off pavement sections will be rough enough to make you wish you had a mountain bike. But ultimately for those distances unloaded, I agree with the idea that your only real criteria should be something other than a skinny-tired road bike. Whatever is comfortable for you over several hours of riding, because that's going to be more important over the course of several days of riding then having a great off-road machine for those occasional stretches.

truman

I ride a Salsa Vaya for mixed-surface self-supported touring. Going unloaded, you would likely have a slightly better experience with a cyclocross bike. All the major brands have models to choose from, I'm partial to Salsa and Surly.