How many of you guys ride on rougher gravely roads?

I built up a nice track bike but I don't go to the track at all. I usually just go on long distance rides and every now and then, I'll run into a trail I'd like to ride on.. but I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not w/ an older track frame, or the skinny tires I'm using.. so I just turn around.

I've been thinking about building up a single speed or maybe even fixed CX bike, but my funds as of now aren't well enough to do so. I could sell my bike and get a CX bike.. but I love the bike too much.

As of now, I'm running a 25 (rear) and 23(front) gatorskins. Those are the biggest tires I could fit with the frame.

You can't fit a 25mm up front and a 28mm in back? Thats what i would do. In fact, I'm gonna do just that with my next cheap build. I want to go on a trail if I feel like it, too.

i rode through a campground the other day on my track bike. was looking for a place to take some pictures of dirty bikes. it was pretty fun up until i buried my front wheel over the 60mm presta valve stem in mud. tried quickly to push out with a hard pedalstroke and only spun the back wheel. damn those pizzacutter wheels! almost fell over unclipping, and had to uncake my fork steerer of mud after i returned home and bathed her.. other than that, it was a blast!

My Pug runs a 28/25 combo and I have ridden trails on it but that is not what is it best at.

My solution to rough terrain...

I ride a tarck bike, and I ride on everything (pavement, asphalt, gravel, grass, dirt, you kname it). Old lugged track frame (which I have ridden on the velodrome here, incidentally), 28 rear & 25 front Gatorskins. You'll be fine as long as you pump your tires up enough.

I roll on a cx bike, and use my track bike for the velodrome.

yeah he's right, it's mostly tire width.

I ride gravel and dirt paths with my 23/23 bike all the time. Haven't had a problem yet.

funnest bicycle I own is a steamroller with 42x18 gearing, droped bars, 32c cx tires and light parts. If you can't put bigger tires on your frame sell it and get a surly!

SixtyFiver that's one hot bike! Heh, it must be a pain to get the rear wheel off.

My go-to bike is a geared cyclocross bike. This fall/winter I'll be racing an IRO Rob Roy ... which either as a complete or custom build up could be done for pretty cheaply. A decent cross bike can do everything from commuting with full fenders to road rides to singletrack trails, so the versatility is definitely a benefit that maybe a pretty/fast track bike is lacking.

Actually lower tire pressure will give you better traction (and a less harsh ride). I rode a good deal on fire trails with 25 gatorskins. I ended up liking it so much that I got a geared cx bike. Just give it a try, nothing is going to explode.

i bike on all kinds of terrain, rode for a good stretch on a dirt path and it was a blast and i was riding skinny tires, i can't wait to put something larger on the bike

Thanks... I love this bike.

I just installed a new rear wheel with a flip flop hub and can swap it around in no time at all...it's a touring frame so the wheel clearance is generous, even with the 26 by 2 tyres.

but may pinch flat

Yes, that's what I was going for. With tires as narrow as the ones we use on our 700c wheels, lowering your tire pressure enough to actually noticeably gain traction will make the tires far more prone to "snake bites" (pinch flats).