SBTurtle

Finishing up this bicycle (going to shorten the hydraulic brake lines to clean it up.)

I bought a used Jamis Coda Comp 2012 off an estate sale for a low price …

Here’s the specs. I added Magura Hydraulic HS33 rim brakes and Pirelli Cinturato Velo 700x32 tires — using tubes with Stans sealant.

Picture of the bicycle

I’m wondering where I can ride it, beyond normal paved roads. I’m planning some rides using Komoot and a Wahoo Bolt V2.

Will this bicycle handle off-road trails? Gravel roads? How rough? What should I avoid? Would adding a rear rack limit where I can go?

Thanks for any suggestions!

Vaportrail56

Welcome! Nice bike!
The tires you chose looks like they will be good for the road but as far as off road maybe not so much unless the dirt or gravel is hard packed. If it is hard packed you ought to let a little air out to get better traction. You might have to switch to a more aggressive off road tire, that way you could go on or off road. Maybe something like these
https://www.amazon.com/Ritchey-Speed...%2C719&sr=8-55
As far as the rear rack, I don`t see any reason it would limit you on where you go, heck you could even put a small ice chest on it to carry some drinks.

veganbikes

You can ride anywhere you are comfortable riding. In the end stuffing the widest tire you can fit will help greatly in that. I wouldn't recommend trying to mountain bike with it but people have done crazy stuff like that.

In terms of a rack it won't effect anything unless you have panniers and ride on some narrow paths but it won't effect the strength of the frame or off road capabilities though if overloaded it can cause problems but that is anywhere you ride overloaded.

jon c. 

The bike can handle anything the rider can handle. No harm in trying it wherever you wish, you'll know soon enough whether or not it's too rough for your comfort.

SBTurtle

Thanks! I’ll keep those tires in mind if I get a second set of wheels for the bicycle.

SBTurtle

32C is the max I’m risking, which is the recommended. I’ve noticed the combo of these tires and the steel frame absorbs a lot of vibration.

SBTurtle

Good point! Worse case I walk it out of any tough area.

veganbikes

It is not really a risk, The only issue is clearance and it is possible the 2012 Coda can actually only go to 32mm max but it also is likely what it came spec'd with (at least slightly more modern version came with 32s and I think eventually 38s if memory serves) do some measurements at the narrowest points and that will give you a better sense of how wide you can go. Typically you want about 3-5mm of space depending on the clearance you will need for mud or fenders or something like that. If I had my old frame I could check but I gave that to a friend to build up and have fun with as it was her size and it was a freebie to me but it was around that era Coda Sport if not mistaken.

However you can get around on 32s it is just not as fun as with wider tires. Though my touring bike was 32s initially now it is running 38s and is maxed at this point.

SBTurtle

That’s good to know. If I do get a second set of wheels for more off-road tires, I’ll take it to a bike shop to take some measurements. So far the bicycle has ridden like it’s floating on air. I imagine that’s because of the steel frame and tires I have on it?

BTW: The bike is now at the shop getting its hydraulic brake lines shortened and a general tune-up.

veganbikes

NOPE NOPE NOPE. Just learn to swap tires, save the money for other things. Or just find tires that work on the road and off road like say the Continental Travel Contacts which I have been running for many many many years on my parts bin hybrid. I don't mean to be harsh but I hate when people say I will just get a second wheel set because that is so much expense just for an occasional use tire which is easy to swap and a good skill to have and know in case you get a flat out there. I can understand having multiple wheel sets if you are racing or something like that or if you have multiple bikes and sometimes you might swap them between bikes but just to have a wheel set for a pair of tires is silly.

I would much rather have $200-2000 to spend on other parts or maybe save for another bike or better groceries or a nice bottle of whisky or other fine spiritous beverages that are properly aged in delicious wood barrels. I don't mind swapping tires real quick. It is maybe 5 minutes of work and could easily be a lot less the more you do it.

The steel frame will help a lot in ride comfort and wider tires help as well. I love my steel and titanium frames because they have such a great ride quality and then I cram the widest tires that will fit and usually it works quite well. Unfortunately I do have one old steel frame in the fleet that only goes to a 25mm if I don't want to have any worries about rubbing off some original paint which I do not want to do as it is a rare bike. That is a bummer but in the end I didn't build that for comfort I built it for looks truthfully and honestly.

SBTurtle

That’s one smart method. The other is I keep an eye out for other used Coda Comp’s for sale for parts and extra wheels. The price I paid for this one is cheaper than most wheel sets.

veganbikes

I wouldn't do that either put money towards another bike maybe that has a different purpose. It is not terrible to have some spare parts but those are generally just wear items like chains and cassettes and brake pads not a whole bike unless you are so rough on your gear that you will be damaging all your parts and that is a case for learning how to ride and use and maintain the bike properly so you aren't thrashing everything so quickly.

There are a lot of cool bikes out there that are worth having but just direct copies of the same bike are only useful if you are racing or a collector who might be getting specific serial numbers for some reason.