The question is probably not whether this would be crazy, more whether it's just stupid .
I have the 2015 Equilibrium Disc, currently just set up as a mostly standard all-day road bike kind of thing (25mm tyres, etc.)
But it can fit a 33mm tyres in no probs (apparently).
So I figure if I get a steel disc fork up front that'll be a bit tougher and can clear a slightly larger tyre, like this Condor one, then I have a bike that'll handle forest road detours and easy Dales bridleways, but is still basically a nice road bike with 25mm tyres on.
Good idea, or do I just get a Croix De Fer?
It's a bike. Why not? Sounds like a better idea than shelling out 1k for a (heavier?) N+1? *
I do occasional forest roads and towpaths on 35Cs with no real drama. YMMV
Not crazy at all IMO
*Think that may have just breached a STW code of conduct 😉
I'd have thought it might end up a bit too twitchy and rubbish, you'd still not have proper rear tyre clearance. I'd go with the CdF idea, or even something designed around 650b wheels and 47-50mm tyres
You don't need a new fork for forest road detours and bridleway bimbling. Stick some knobblyish 32mm tyres on it, you'll be fine.
I speak from experience of a summer touring Europe in the camper, with a CX bike with Kinesis DC19 fork which was by no means burly that would take 32mm knobblies. I did lots of off-roady stuff on it, including picking my way around waymarked MTB routes and stuck 25mm roady tyres to do lots of roady stuff on it.
i have one which i built for light off roadin, it will take a 35 mm rear and have run a 32 mm kenda small block 8 on the front but there isnt much clearance , i use ultrasport 28 mm front and back, they actually measure 30 mm and work fine as long as its not boggy
its really comfy and soakes the bumps up well , i was thinking of changing the fork for better clearance planet x are doing the london road fork for £50 which has better clearance
scwalbe do a 30 mm semi slick which would probably work well
If you are riding on easy forest roads and bridleways then just ride it as it is and see how it feels. I use 25mm road tyres and ride exactly the same routes I used to ride on an MTB with 2.3 knobbly tyres and it is fine (Mixture of road, fire-road and easy singletrack)
It is not muddy where I live though and most of the riding is compacted gravel. Most of the time the 25mm bike is quicker and only gets tricky on more technical stuff where I end up going slowly (embarrassingly slow on really rooty singletrack but that is only 1% of my ride)
legometeorology
The question is probably not whether this would be crazy, more whether it’s just stupid .
I have the 2015 Equilibrium Disc, currently just set up as a mostly standard all-day road bike kind of thing (25mm tyres, etc.)....
It's a much better bike than the old steel British lugged steel bikes we used for that purpose before mtbs were invented.
You can always get a purpose built gravel bike later, and the larger tyres do make a difference,
Go for it,
My 2016 frame is rumoured to fit 1.5" 650b tyres, which is on my list of future things to try.
Just bung some bigger tyres in. You are over thinking it somewhat.
Gravel doesn't need grip remember. Doesn't particularly need huge tyres. If you are thinking of rocky stuff then maybe, but gravel, no. The fork will be fine as will the handling. I fail to see why so called gravel bikes need to handle so sluggishly. A bit of sharpness is fun. Gravel is a road, often with less pot holes than the main roads.
My Pickenflick handles feel nicest with 30mm tyres on it. Anything bigger is slower. That's my experience anyway, based on between 3.5 and 4 thousand miles of grave a year since 2008. If you want to go mountain biking riding rough stoney tracks then maybe you will feel differently.
Overthinking it hey? Ya, that seems to be the dominant theme of my life.
OK, this sounds like a good plan. The only annoying thing is having to remove my mudguards whenever I want fatter tyres on, but I can handle that.
Now the next dillema, given that I need new cassette/chain/chainrings on the Genesis do I take the chance to go 1x11... The things MTB's do to road bikes.
I've seen a good few Equilibriums used in the Dirty Reiver when going through pictures in the past. I doubt many went through the hassle of changing groupsets.
Stick the wide tyres on and if after a few rides it's found wanting then decide what to do. Your current lower gears will be fine on bridleway - and are similar to cyclocross gearing anyway. I suspect if you want to shift to 1*11 you're actually wanting a different bike.