Hi everyone,

Please forgive me- I am completely new to the cycling world. I went and looked at bikes today- and I'm stuck between a cyclocross and a road bike. Can you guys give me some advice as to which one is a better choice for me?

I want to stay on the road- but in my area there are quite a few gravel roads and they would be pretty hard to avoid.

Thanks in advance!

Which bike models, road or cross, are you comparing?

cyclocross

Knowing the brands and models of bikes you're comparing would help.

Honestly, if those gravel roads *ARE* unavoidable, get the cyclocross bike. There's really no reason not to...*especially* if you can only have one bike.

Well, he certainly seems determined to give us as little information as possible....

Like others have said, we don't have much info to go on but I would say if you plan on mostly commuting and you want to hit up some gravel roads once in awhile then yes get the cyclocross. If you plan on doing a lot of roadie group rides then I would start with a road bike and possibly add a cross bike later.

Cross bikes tend to have fender mounts and space for bigger tires which are nice for commuting and bad weather. Road bikes tend to be faster and lighter...

There are a TON of articles online about this topic so I would definitely suggest doing some research and to look up any bike you are looking at buying to see what the reviews have been...

Oh and ride all the bikes you are looking at to see how they feel to you.

With the information you provided, there would be no doubt but to recommend a cyclocross.

You may end up wanting to ride gravel more than you think you will.

To be honest, I ride on gravel roads more often than most people who ride on 22mm wide tubulars....