Off-Roading with a Road Bicycle...?

[Edudbor]

I'm pretty new, and I wanted a road bicycle to commute to work; but I'd love to be able to ride dirt trails on the weekends every now and then.

If I were to throw on different tires; could I just go - or would the road bicycles lighter frame be at risk for breaking or something?

I guess I don't really understand the difference between the two bicycles; aside from the tire issue...can someone explain this to me?

[Eden]

what you are thinking about is a cyclocross bike. They are similar to road bikes - road style frames with drop handle bars, but they ususally have a slightly more upright geometry, more bottom bracket clearance, cantilever or disc brakes for better stopping power and less gunking up in muddy conditions and more fork/rear triangle clearance so that you can use wider tires and again for less gunking up in muddy conditions.

[threaded]

You maybe could use your road bicycle off road: it is called cyclocross. The basic idea is to use your road bicycle in the winter months, just put fatter knobbly tyres on. Yet with modern racing bikes there isn't usually the frame and brake clearance. Basically if you can fit mudguards, yes, if it'd be a struggle, then no.

It does require quite a bit of skill, you need to choose your line an awful lot better than with a full suspension mountain bike for example.

[FreeHueco]

It does require quite a bit of skill, you need to choose your line an awful lot better than with a full suspension mountain bike for example.

Kind of like mountain biking was until about 11 years ago... :)