WVU_Engineer

Just curious how rough of a place will you ride your hybrid? The first mountain bike that I saw in the early 90's looked pretty similar to the comfort bike I own now.

MikeDVB

With the right gearing and tires I imagine you can go just about anywhere although it's probably going to be a heavier bike than a good MTB .

loneviking61

Everywhere except a rock garden and deep sand.

Panthers007

It depends on your wheels. I built a pair out of Mavic A719 rims, Ultegra hubs, and DT 14-15-14 gauge spokes - 36 rear and 32 front. Those wheels could handle Yak-paths in Tibet! Make for very tough touring wheels. The usual phrase is "Bombproof." Yet they don't weigh a ton.

Delmarva

Where will I ride my Giant FCR? After installing bigger tougher tires, better pedals and lower closer gearing I can ride a lot more than when stock. Riding and climbing gravel and dirt trails, rolling through the forest. And paved roads.

Where will you ride yours?

WVU_Engineer

Mostly the paved streets in the neighborhood, but this fall, after I get my endurance built up, going to do the Virginia Creeper Trail (I see you're from VA).

WestPablo

We used to ride our cruisers everywhere!

We all thought they were indestructible! Guess what?....We were right!

With wide tires, you can practically ride your bike anywhere. However, like somebody else said, I'd try to avoid rock gardens, unless I had a 40-50mm wide tire.

ps249

I am riding the Escape RX carbon so its staying on pavement.

WestPablo

So would you say that steel or aluminum would have been a better choice for a greater range of applications?

ps249

Definitely aluminum would have been a better choice for wider versatility. I had mountain bikes for 16 years and decided that I only wanted to ride rail trails. Having a $800 aluminum frame mountain bike with air shox and riding 95% rail trails makes no sense to me. The RX carbon is more of a road bike to me.

Delmarva

Sounds really scenic, especially in early fall. Also check out the C&O towpath and the Fairfax Cross Country Trail.

The C&O Canal Bicycling Guide - Welcome!
Fairfax County Park Authority - The Cross Country Trail*- Fairfax County, Virginia

rickyhmltn

I ride my trek 7.1 along rural highway shoulder and some mostly packed/some loose gravel dirt trails. That's about the roughest I'll go.

rebel1916

IDK, Newark, Paterson, maybe Albany. I wouldn't ride in Newburgh though. That's way too rough a place.

abrianb

I ride paved roads in indiana, it does not get rougher than that.

WVU_Engineer

Ever driven through Pennsylvania?

abrianb

It's been a while since I got to PA.

Sixty Fiver

I used to ride rooty, rocky, and twisted singletrack on my Trek 7500 (on 700:35 cross tyres) and figure the new old BRC with it's knobby 700:32 cross tyres is like a 29'r light... I also have some 700:38 tyres and in measuring it out think it would take a set of 29'r wheels with 2.0 / 50mm tyres.

Little Darwin

My choices are more limited by bike handling skills and weight than the bike... My current setup does well on gravel rail trails, but when I hone my skills to what they were when I rode my cruiser through the woods and lose weight, I wouldn't hesitate to ride some easy single track, or maybe some technical stuff, although my pace now would be slower than back in the day.

slorollin

I've ridden in Baltimore!!

WVU_Engineer

Yikes, did your bike end up on blocks?

Italia1970

I ride a Trek FX 7.7 Carbon frame. I ride on pavement and some packed/some loose gravel dirt trails

spdracr39

This and loose gravel on steep climbs are a challenge. The biggest difference is the level of aggressive riding you can do on the skinny tires. Take it easy and you can go most anywhere.

fietsbob

Galway, Dingle, Prague & Warsaw?

oddjob2

Detroit

WVU_Engineer

When I said roughest place you ride I was thinking type of surface, but this is pretty funny.