Opinions on versatile bike



On Tue, 26 Jul 2005 18:16:00 +0000, Booker C. Bense wrote:

>>There simply are not that many dirt roads with 20% grades. The OP did not
>>indicate anything like that, just poor road surfaces.

>
> _ You don't get out west much do you? There are hundred and
> hundreds of miles of forest roads with grades like that or
> worse.


Again, the OP was not talking about forest roads, or single track, or
other situations clearly calling for an off-road bike. He was talking
about occasional gravel patches, and potholes, on otherwise paved
surfaces.

> _ The other thing to consider is that gravel and tight tire clearances
> don't always go together very well. While most road bikes can fit a 25mm
> tire, they don't leave enough clearance if gravel gets stuck in the
> tread or for any mud at all. While I agree that you can take a road bike
> with 25mm many more places than most people are willing to try. If you
> are going to mostly ride dirt roads, wider tires and clearance for
> fenders are pretty handy.


Agreed, but again not the original idea in this thread.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all
_`\(,_ | mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so
(_)/ (_) | that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am
nothing. [1 Corinth. 13:2]
 
On Tue, 26 Jul 2005 18:16:00 +0000, Booker C. Bense wrote:

>>There simply are not that many dirt roads with 20% grades. The OP did not
>>indicate anything like that, just poor road surfaces.

>
> _ You don't get out west much do you? There are hundred and
> hundreds of miles of forest roads with grades like that or
> worse.


Again, the OP was not talking about forest roads, or single track, or
other situations clearly calling for an off-road bike. He was talking
about occasional gravel patches, and potholes, on otherwise paved
surfaces.

> _ The other thing to consider is that gravel and tight tire clearances
> don't always go together very well. While most road bikes can fit a 25mm
> tire, they don't leave enough clearance if gravel gets stuck in the
> tread or for any mud at all. While I agree that you can take a road bike
> with 25mm many more places than most people are willing to try. If you
> are going to mostly ride dirt roads, wider tires and clearance for
> fenders are pretty handy.


Agreed, but again not the original idea in this thread.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all
_`\(,_ | mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so
(_)/ (_) | that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am
nothing. [1 Corinth. 13:2]
 
On Tue, 26 Jul 2005 18:16:00 +0000, Booker C. Bense wrote:

>>There simply are not that many dirt roads with 20% grades. The OP did not
>>indicate anything like that, just poor road surfaces.

>
> _ You don't get out west much do you? There are hundred and
> hundreds of miles of forest roads with grades like that or
> worse.


Again, the OP was not talking about forest roads, or single track, or
other situations clearly calling for an off-road bike. He was talking
about occasional gravel patches, and potholes, on otherwise paved
surfaces.

> _ The other thing to consider is that gravel and tight tire clearances
> don't always go together very well. While most road bikes can fit a 25mm
> tire, they don't leave enough clearance if gravel gets stuck in the
> tread or for any mud at all. While I agree that you can take a road bike
> with 25mm many more places than most people are willing to try. If you
> are going to mostly ride dirt roads, wider tires and clearance for
> fenders are pretty handy.


Agreed, but again not the original idea in this thread.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all
_`\(,_ | mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so
(_)/ (_) | that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am
nothing. [1 Corinth. 13:2]
 
> If you take a late 80's MTB with a
>rigid fork and put drop bars on it you can get the same
>thing on the cheap....


really?

why a late 80s model?
 
> If you take a late 80's MTB with a
>rigid fork and put drop bars on it you can get the same
>thing on the cheap....


really?

why a late 80s model?
 
> If you take a late 80's MTB with a
>rigid fork and put drop bars on it you can get the same
>thing on the cheap....


really?

why a late 80s model?
 
> If you take a late 80's MTB with a
>rigid fork and put drop bars on it you can get the same
>thing on the cheap....


really?

why a late 80s model?
 
> If you take a late 80's MTB with a
>rigid fork and put drop bars on it you can get the same
>thing on the cheap....


really?

why a late 80s model?
 
>If things in my life fell into place the right way, I
>could easily get into randonneuring. All I'd need is
>a rich guy to adopt me and call me "Young Man", a la
>"Magic Christian". And the bike I'd want wouldn't be
>something to loonily heave-ho over fallen logs; it would
>be built for relentlessly continuing along highways &
>byways, and have everything necessary to keep going all
>day and all night, in lots of different weather/lighting
>conditions.


Question....

Do you guys think that bents might be better idea for
long touring?
 
>If things in my life fell into place the right way, I
>could easily get into randonneuring. All I'd need is
>a rich guy to adopt me and call me "Young Man", a la
>"Magic Christian". And the bike I'd want wouldn't be
>something to loonily heave-ho over fallen logs; it would
>be built for relentlessly continuing along highways &
>byways, and have everything necessary to keep going all
>day and all night, in lots of different weather/lighting
>conditions.


Question....

Do you guys think that bents might be better idea for
long touring?
 
>If things in my life fell into place the right way, I
>could easily get into randonneuring. All I'd need is
>a rich guy to adopt me and call me "Young Man", a la
>"Magic Christian". And the bike I'd want wouldn't be
>something to loonily heave-ho over fallen logs; it would
>be built for relentlessly continuing along highways &
>byways, and have everything necessary to keep going all
>day and all night, in lots of different weather/lighting
>conditions.


Question....

Do you guys think that bents might be better idea for
long touring?
 
>If things in my life fell into place the right way, I
>could easily get into randonneuring. All I'd need is
>a rich guy to adopt me and call me "Young Man", a la
>"Magic Christian". And the bike I'd want wouldn't be
>something to loonily heave-ho over fallen logs; it would
>be built for relentlessly continuing along highways &
>byways, and have everything necessary to keep going all
>day and all night, in lots of different weather/lighting
>conditions.


Question....

Do you guys think that bents might be better idea for
long touring?
 
>If things in my life fell into place the right way, I
>could easily get into randonneuring. All I'd need is
>a rich guy to adopt me and call me "Young Man", a la
>"Magic Christian". And the bike I'd want wouldn't be
>something to loonily heave-ho over fallen logs; it would
>be built for relentlessly continuing along highways &
>byways, and have everything necessary to keep going all
>day and all night, in lots of different weather/lighting
>conditions.


Question....

Do you guys think that bents might be better idea for
long touring?
 
>>There simply are not that many dirt roads with 20% grades. The OP did not
>>indicate anything like that, just poor road surfaces.

>
>_ You don't get out west much do you? There are hundred and
>hundreds of miles of forest roads with grades like that or
>worse.


If there are that kind of grades out west..... should
one get a bike with disk brakes?

I live in Missouri.... the flat part. That's why I ask
 
>>There simply are not that many dirt roads with 20% grades. The OP did not
>>indicate anything like that, just poor road surfaces.

>
>_ You don't get out west much do you? There are hundred and
>hundreds of miles of forest roads with grades like that or
>worse.


If there are that kind of grades out west..... should
one get a bike with disk brakes?

I live in Missouri.... the flat part. That's why I ask
 
>>There simply are not that many dirt roads with 20% grades. The OP did not
>>indicate anything like that, just poor road surfaces.

>
>_ You don't get out west much do you? There are hundred and
>hundreds of miles of forest roads with grades like that or
>worse.


If there are that kind of grades out west..... should
one get a bike with disk brakes?

I live in Missouri.... the flat part. That's why I ask
 
>>There simply are not that many dirt roads with 20% grades. The OP did not
>>indicate anything like that, just poor road surfaces.

>
>_ You don't get out west much do you? There are hundred and
>hundreds of miles of forest roads with grades like that or
>worse.


If there are that kind of grades out west..... should
one get a bike with disk brakes?

I live in Missouri.... the flat part. That's why I ask
 
>>There simply are not that many dirt roads with 20% grades. The OP did not
>>indicate anything like that, just poor road surfaces.

>
>_ You don't get out west much do you? There are hundred and
>hundreds of miles of forest roads with grades like that or
>worse.


If there are that kind of grades out west..... should
one get a bike with disk brakes?

I live in Missouri.... the flat part. That's why I ask
 
On Tue, 26 Jul 2005 16:37:19 -0500, [email protected] wrote:

>>>There simply are not that many dirt roads with 20% grades. The OP did not
>>>indicate anything like that, just poor road surfaces.

>>
>>_ You don't get out west much do you? There are hundred and
>>hundreds of miles of forest roads with grades like that or
>>worse.

>
>If there are that kind of grades out west..... should
>one get a bike with disk brakes?
>
>I live in Missouri.... the flat part. That's why I ask


Dear Me,

Dear, me, no!

Despite inflated claims, 20% (and steeper) grades on public
roads are quite unusual anywhere in the U.S.

Dirt roads (as opposed to trails and 4-wheel-drive tracks)
are even less likely to have any significant stretches at
20% grade or steeper.

Without extensive drainage work, such roads would erode
severely as soon as rain fell in the forests mentioned.

When wet, even well-drained dirt roads that steep would also
be well-nigh impassable for ordinary traffic.

On the internet, steepness is often exaggerated.

Here's a site where you can see over seven thousand European
bicycle climbs, few of which exceed 20% grade for even short
stretches:

http://www.salite.ch/struttura/default.asp?Ultime=3

The lack of this kind of methodical mapping of bicycle
routes can lead to all sorts of strange claims concerning
grades.

Recent claims in this newsgroup concerning a public road in
Colorado, for example, appear to have drawn a straight
1-mile path between two contour lines on a topo map and
calculated the grade on that basis--even though the actual
road, clearly visible twisting on the map, was over 2 miles
long.

Carl Fogel
 
On Tue, 26 Jul 2005 16:37:19 -0500, [email protected] wrote:

>>>There simply are not that many dirt roads with 20% grades. The OP did not
>>>indicate anything like that, just poor road surfaces.

>>
>>_ You don't get out west much do you? There are hundred and
>>hundreds of miles of forest roads with grades like that or
>>worse.

>
>If there are that kind of grades out west..... should
>one get a bike with disk brakes?
>
>I live in Missouri.... the flat part. That's why I ask


Dear Me,

Dear, me, no!

Despite inflated claims, 20% (and steeper) grades on public
roads are quite unusual anywhere in the U.S.

Dirt roads (as opposed to trails and 4-wheel-drive tracks)
are even less likely to have any significant stretches at
20% grade or steeper.

Without extensive drainage work, such roads would erode
severely as soon as rain fell in the forests mentioned.

When wet, even well-drained dirt roads that steep would also
be well-nigh impassable for ordinary traffic.

On the internet, steepness is often exaggerated.

Here's a site where you can see over seven thousand European
bicycle climbs, few of which exceed 20% grade for even short
stretches:

http://www.salite.ch/struttura/default.asp?Ultime=3

The lack of this kind of methodical mapping of bicycle
routes can lead to all sorts of strange claims concerning
grades.

Recent claims in this newsgroup concerning a public road in
Colorado, for example, appear to have drawn a straight
1-mile path between two contour lines on a topo map and
calculated the grade on that basis--even though the actual
road, clearly visible twisting on the map, was over 2 miles
long.

Carl Fogel