Originally Posted by
JeremyZ
I'm not sure about the earlier generalization that cyclocross bikes are sturdier than road bikes. The frames on road bikes are not going to be stronger, because they're not made to take impacts. They're made to be as light as possible and still do the job. Also, there are different degrees of hybrids. There are true hybrids, which are basically mountain bikes with slicker tires, and there are comfort hybrids, which give up some frame strength for some upright ergonomics. So be careful here.
I don't believe most of this is true. Road bike frames generally trickle down from race frames. Race frames are designed to handle some guy with quads the size of tree trunks, going all-out downhill. That puts a LOT of stress on the frame. A lot more than you're likely to.
I'm not sure I've ever heard anyone on here say they hit a pothole and their frame broke. Wheels are a different matter -
Originally Posted by
JeremyZ
If you're looking for curb & pothole durability, don't consider anything with less than 32mm wide tires. You might also consider going down to 26" wheels. Where you're riding, the wheel and tire durability is going to matter MUCH more than the frame. Don't get anything with a low spoke count. Consider heavier duty tires too; something with puncture resistance. All this is going to cost you some weight & therefore speed, but a flat tire costs a
lot of speed.
You don't need 26" wheels - even mountain bikers have started to go to road bike size (700c - 29ers in mountain bike talk) wheels. Wheel size isn't going to make any difference.
It's definitely true, though that the wheel and tire durability is going to matter MUCH more than the frame. Larger tires (fatter ones) make potholes and bad road much, much more comfortable. And while a road frame is more than capable of handling potholes, it's the wheel itself that sometimes is not - totally depends on the wheel. I have $1,000 wheels that I have ridden over pothole after pothole and they're fine - but a lot of $1,000 wheels would not be. I have cheap wheel that have gotten the crap beat out of them and gotten a little messed up.
If you're putting a bike together, you could look for a cyclocross wheel. There are plenty of good road wheels which would be fine, but sometimes it's difficult to tell the difference, and cyclocross wheels are always built sturdy.
I personally have puncture resistant tires on all my bikes, but if you buy a new bike sometimes they come with puncture resistant tires so it's hard to say if you should replace them or not.
A road bike with plenty of clearance between the bike frame and the tires (so you can put larger tires on) would be the way to go for sure, in my opinion.