BikeMunster

I just recently switched from a mountain bike to a road bike and the difference in speed and handling is amazing. I want to take it off road, but it was a painful attempt. Is there a way to make road bikes more usable for off road? Like extra padded wheels or something?

bgrider

Look up cyclocross bikes. They are effectively a road bike for off road use. Amongst other changes, they sport larger tires.

chasm54

"Extra padded wheels" are usually referred to as tires. You can make some difference to it's off-road capabilities if you can squeeze on some fatter ones. Cyclocross tires would help. But many, perhaps most, road bikes don't have the clearances to allow that.

That's why there are different bikes fr different activities. The nearest thing to an all-purpose is probably a gravel (or adventure) bike that is a roadie configuration but with clearances for fat tires.

CliffordK

The Cannondale Slate Lefty is slated to hit the market soon.



It is a bit expensive, but it might be worth considering if you're doing some more intense offroad (not just gravel).

There is a lot of hype with the bike, and a lot of debate among people that haven't seen it.

dalava

Check out GT Grade. It should fit the bill.

mcours2006

Perfect opportunity for n+1.

Hypno Toad

It depends on the road bike, many road bikes will limit the size of tire you can use because of frame dimensions, rims, brakes. I have a Kona Dew Drop that I mount 35mm tires for gravel grinding, cyclocross, and single track riding. It works great for off-road riding. It is not a "great" road bike (my pure road bikes are faster), but it's much faster than my mountain bikes. Here it is geared up for a 150 mile day, including 100-mile gravel grinder:

myqlj

Continental's Travel Contact tire makes a world of difference on dirt/gravel on our tandem, but your bike probably wouldn't hold the 37mm version we used. Slick center with medium-heavy tread on the sides, and the better handling for slow speed turns was amazing. The only thing we had trouble with was deep sand or deep gravel.

NormanF

Get a gravel road/adventure bike.

The "do it all" cousin of the road bike has a relaxed geometry, can take wider tires, will have disc brakes and is comfortable for all-round riding.

It can go places a road bike can't go - Giant Anyroad, Specialized Diverge, Trek Cross-rip, GT Grade and Salsa Vaya are examples of this emerging new breed of bike where the road meets the trail.

They're fun, too.

Genaro

Looks like a tank. Wondering what it will be priced at. I"ve been looking at the caadx for my commutes as the roads are rough and can skirt traffic by riding off road a little.

DrIsotope

I took my CX bike up some fire trails, shod with Ritchey Shield 700x38 CX tires, and it was... interesting. A proper trail would likely have been less punishing-- this had lots of washboard and sand filled ruts-- and the descent was equally as terrifying as the climb was arduous... but it was entertaining. If your road bike won't accommodate at least a 700x35, I'd think twice, then think again even still. My frame will easily fit 700x50, so I'm shopping for a cheap pair of smaller-lugged 1.9" MTB tires to give off-roading another go.

Oh, and watch out on the steep or loose ascents-- climbing out of the saddle on road geometry borders on the impossible. No weight on the rear wheel, it just spins out. Disconcerting. Singletrack is probably something else altogether.

NormanF

There are places where you'll have to get off and walk. If you aren't sure its safe, walk! Its better than a bad fall and even pros walk their bikes from time to time.