A Little Advice Needed

[5oakterrace]

I am looking for some advice. We are moving – will be on a 2 mile long dirt road – steep (12%) but shorter hills. Dirt is very hard packed. We are also bordering a State Park, about which I know nothing except that is has trails. I ride roads exclusively now. Never have had a mtn bike. Never interested in dirt riding. I have about 50k miles on roads.

I can manage, I think, the road to our house on my road bikes. I do not know about in the wet or snow. I cannot get tires much wider than 25-28 on them. I would like to ride the trails in the State park, but I fear falling. I have too many physical issues to take a chance on falling. So it would be the gentler trails, and not too fast.

I was thinking a cx bike which can handle wider tires, winter riding, riding in wet, and slow and easy on the "through the woods" trails. Hard to find these used.

I was also thinking an Old Man Mountain bike rack for my road bike when I go grocery shopping. My road bikes do not have the extra holes to screw in a rack. I thought I could put the Old Man Mountain rack on the on the cx bike too.

Should I consider a mtn. bike and, gosh – there are so many varieties, I am lost.
Is a gravel bike much different from a cx bike?
I will talk with the locals when we get there.
I appreciate the input.

[Hilltopperny]

A cx bike will be a bit more aggressive than the gravel/allroad style bikes. I have had quite a few and still do.

The gravel/allroad style bikes will typically have a lower bottom bracket, longer chainstays and more endurance geometry.

Mountain bikes are fun, but a good cx or gravel bike with fat tires can get you through light trails. If you go for a mountain bike then I’d look at a xc rig. I personally like riding rigid bikes while on light trails as they are lighter and Less complicated.


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[rnhood]

CX bikes are race bikes, and have geometry and features supportive of racing on dirt and mud. A high bottom bracket, short head tube are some those features, and are not desirable for typical gravel/dirt riding. Also, CX bikes typically do not have fender and rack mounts which you may want.

An all purpose or surface type bike might be your best solution. It should be easier to ride, or more stable for your type riding. Typical examples are Specialized Diverge, Trek Check Point and Norco Search. These are available in carbon so they will be lighter. Just about every manufacture offers a gravel/all purpose model. These bikes take fenders and racks.

If you will be riding primarily mountain trails then a 29 inch mtb bike should be on your list. The soft fat tires bode well for trails, and the overall design is focused on stability on the trail. There are different models of these bikes too, depending on the type mountain trails and whether you plan on racing or not. A local dealer and/or the locals can better guide you for the area that you will primarily be riding in.

The Trek interchange rack and bag system makes life real easy for simple commutes to the store, farmers market, fruit stand or whatever. The bag just quickly unlatches and has a strap so carrying it is a breeze. Slap it back on the rack and start pedaling back. Just real easy.

[weisan]

5oak pal, the best advice I can give you I think is not to put all your eggs in one basket. If you live long enough and sounded like you have, you would know sometimes or a lot of times you just can't have everything. Decide the one or two or three things that are the most important to you and then focus on picking the right tool for the job.

My second point is, it's possible that you might not get it right the first time. You may ended up getting something and then when you get on the ground, you realize it may not meet your expectations. And that's fine. Yes, definitely talk to the locals when you get there, observe around see what they do, check out the gravel bike thread, see what people posts at different times of the year, the kind of setup they have, pay special attention to those who seems to live in similar area or terrain or weather etc.
https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=125867

Just as a suggestion, you might look into black mountain cycles.

[jemoryl]

I sometimes ride road bikes with a guy who lives on top of a mountain with a similarly long dirt road leading up to his house, except in his case there is a lot of loose, rough gravel. He sometimes leaves his bike in the bushes down at the bottom where the pavement starts. If he did more riding, he said he might work something out with a neighbor at the bottom to use a shed, but it is that sort of place....

[Jad]

Sounds like an interesting move. Something to keep in mind is that hard-packed/smooth dirt roads may annually/temporarily change personalities, depending on maintenance. Dirt roads here in NH that are nice and smooth right now will have spots and stretches graded variously, and fresh gravel churned up or added can really affect what tires feels ok for riding.

[sandyrs]

All of the generalizations about cx vs. gravel bikes are just that- generalizations. You need to look at the numbers for specific bikes. Some CX bikes are indeed old school- short headtube, high BB, quick steering. Others are very much the opposite and have essentially the same geometry as a middle-of-the-road "modern" "gravel bike."

That said, I'd seriously consider a mountain bike. If your main concern is falling, you will have a much wider margin for error on a MTB than on a CX bike with fairly narrow tires. You'll probably get more winter use out of it too.

If you really want to stick to drop bars I think the black mountain cycles recommendation is a good one- the monster cross (rim or disc) apparently fits 2.1" mountain bike tires and could be a nice compromise between wanting to retain the familiarity of a road bike and still being able to handle nasty winter conditions on the road.

[Ken Robb]

I would buy a used XC mtn. bike. FS with 26" wheels are very cheap since everyone thinks they need a 29er. A FS bike will let a rookie get away with some errors in technique and be more comfy for old guys with infirmities. Just guess how I know this. :) I think you will be less likely to get injured riding a mtn. bike on easy trail than riding on the road. After some time you will be able to judge what kind of bike you may want to get to round out your stable.

[AngryScientist]

I would buy a used XC mtn. bike. FS with 26" wheels are very cheap since everyone thinks they need a 29er. A FS bike will let a rookie get away with some errors in technique and be more comfy for old guys with infirmities. Just guess how I know this. :) I think you will be less likely to get injured riding a mtn. bike on easy trail than riding on the road. After some time you will be able to judge what kind of bike you may want to get to round out your stable.

i think this is great advice, though i would look into a hardtail myself.

get something that fits, inexpensive and used. put flat pedals on it and ride the roads and trails until you are comfortable making a decision about what bike might be best for you.

old 26" hard tail mtbs can be had for pennies and perform very very well on lots of terrain. not the best for technical mtb riding and racing, compared to modern stuff, but that's not what you'll be doing either.

[David Tollefson]

I would suggest waiting on the purchase until you get a good look at those state park trails...

[cachagua]

2 mile long dirt road – steep but shorter hills. Dirt is very hard packed. We are also bordering a State Park, about which I know nothing except that is has trails...

What's the name of this place? Heaven?

All seriousness aside -- best thing to do is go shopping. (Borrow, too, if possible.) Ride everything you can get your hands on, and your own experience will lead you to a well-informed choice.

[rodcad]

[QUOTE=All seriousness aside -- best thing to do is go shopping.[/QUOTE]

Agree on the shopping and also consider renting a bike or two or three and trying them out. Way cheaper in the end than buying and deciding you want something else.

[Jeff N.]

Don't let indecision get the best of you...buy one of each.:banana:

[semdoug]

I have owned two Gunnar Crosshairs through the years. While it is called a cyclocross bike I would not consider it very racy. I never raced but used it for commuting with a rack, touring with a trailer, riding on gravel/dirt rail trails and some easier single track. My point, the Crosshairs is a versatile and capable bike. There are also many similar bikes.

[5oakterrace]

Thanks for all the input! I am hoping I can rent a few bikes - but I am tall and need an xl - so maybe that works if something is available, maybe not. The shops in that area are small. It is not a densely populated part of the world.

My first priority is to speak with the locals. I appreciate the Black Mtn. cycles recommendation - that may end up being my ticket. I did not realize all the variety of cx and gravel bikes. And the world of mtn. bikes is completely new to me. We move next week so I am looking forward to the "adventure." Lots to learn and explore.

[merlinmurph]

Being from MA, I have to ask - where are you moving to? Western MA? From where?

FWIW, you could pick up a canti cross bike for cheap money, just to give it a shot.

Good luck with the move,
Murph