I am curious what people are using for those long endurance rides which mix road and off road, and what they think is so good about them. Or not so good too…

its a bike, it works on road and it works on dirt. What more do you need a bike to do? Obviously not brilliant on loose gravel but most of the tracks i ride are hard packed rather than loose

You mean a touring bike?

Ian Hibell at his finest.
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny81vcxTZQk[/video]

Long distance on/off road? I either use my VN Amazon with whatever tyre I deem suitable or my El Mariachi – again with suitable tyres.

Here’s the Amazon with some CX tyres fitted

IMAG0269 by ScotRoutes, on Flickr

Here’s the El Mariachi with some Marathon Mondials fitted

IMAG0408 by ScotRoutes, on Flickr

Not fully laden touring, but Im not ruling out such a bike… I was thinking something fast and comfy and robust which can cope with lots of off road.

See both of the above

slightly more seriously.

Cinelli Hobo

Two friends have just come back from a Cairo to Cape Town ride. They used Salsa Vayas.

mmo. Just read the name on the door! The same…

When did you do it?

mmo. Just read the name on the door! The same…

When did you do it?

didn’t do it, just a bike i am very interested in, should be very light just a little concerned that the price might be a tad on the high side!!!

i have rode my tarmac sport from devizes to bristol and back (on kennet & avon towpath/bath-bristol cycleway) and it was fine.it was better than some of the roads i ride tbh (just dodge the potholes e.t.c).

Have a look at the sort of bikes taking part in the Tour Divide Race

Usually 29er hardtails (or even completely rigid) with flat bars and TT bars.

lusting after one of these

http://salsacycles.com/bikes/warbird_ti_frameset

My Salsa Warbird after Trans Iowa …

Most of my rides involve riding to/from the trails, so I’ll do long road sections on my rigid SS Inbred though it’s a bit slow and spinny.

Just got a Cotic X and loving it, but it’ll obviously be a bit more limited in the types of off-road I can do.

pompino or a vaya. I don’t have photos of either!

the vaya has yet to do anything long (it’s still being set up properly) but i hope to do a 100k byways ride soon…

DSC_0691 by ir_bandito, on Flickr

On One Ti ‘Cross (used to be McMoonter’s)
Wheels are Velocity A23s on Novatech 711 rear and SP PD-8 front. (handbuilt by me) sporting 28mm Conti GP4Seasons at the moment. The dynamo powers the GPS in the tank-bag or the Exposure lights.
Brakes are Shimano R505 with Ashima rotors
105-5600 groupset, with some old Ultegra-SL cranks on a Hope BB

Built it up for the LEL later this year, longest ride so far is 600km over 2 days. Its absolutly bloody fantastic. Comfy to ride for 16 hours in a go, copes with gravel just fine (although I’d lose the ‘guards and fit cross tyres for more off-road distance) and regularly send me flying past carbon-framed lightweight road machines, even when loaded up.

(Note – I’ve now got a Wildcat Tiger seat harness to replace the webbing strap under the saddle)

This is my Cotic X with a few bags chucked at it. Topeak tri bag on top, with Deuter frame bag underneath. Lezyne saddle pack.

I do wish it had seattube bottle bosses though.

PlanetX Kaffenback. Used for comuting, in this pic a 60km commute over the Peak District to Sheffield.

Running 35mm Marathon GreenGuard tyres, which are heavy and slightly too big for the frame, so I had to cut down my rear mudguard. However, they are proving super tough which is what I need for my 50/50 on/off road commutes. Thinking of putting some 28mm Conti GP4 seasons on (as they are on offer) to speed it up a bit when not loaded. But the big tyres give a bit of confidence when loaded up.

Thinking of putting some 28mm Conti GP4 seasons on (as they are on offer)

where are they on offer?

they think is so good about them. Or not so good too…

didn’t read this bit before…

Things i like about my bikes (brain dump mind):

Tyre clearence – i like the fact that the vaya can run some big tyres, 42s and guards or bigger.
discs are great; original cantis on pomp were not up to off road riding.

Head angle and big trail on the vaya mean the front wheel is a long way out; great for straight line/ off road stability but it does have a tendency to wash out on wet leaves etc. bar height does not help here…

headtube length on the vaya is stupidly long (imo). I’ve had the headtube (yes the frame) cut down by 20mm and i’m running a -17 degree stem with no spacers – if i had the option i’d drop the bars by another 20mm. Pompino is critisced for being short – i’ve got some spacers; great comprimise imo.

vaya definately has more ‘steel spring’ to it. The tubes are thinner – fingernail test reveals this, but the rear end is also a lot longer (see tyre clearence) which must help too.

Gearing. I’m running 36-50: 32-11 which gives a great spread of gears. i am tempted to try something like 36-36-48: 12-25 which would give the same bottom gear, similar top gear but closer ratios for when on tarmac.

My pinnacle arkrose 3 is seeing a lot of gravel action. Clearance is a bit tight with 35mm SB8s and full guards but not had an actual issue with it yet. Light, comfy, done 60+mile on/off road rides with no problems. Lot of versatile bike for the (C2W) money

ir_bandito – Member
Thinking of putting some 28mm Conti GP4 seasons on (as they are on offer)
where are they on offer?

Bah! Cycle Surgery – but the 28s are now out of stock. Only got the email Monday but was working away. 23 and 25mm are £26.99, the 28s were too, plus TopCashBack.

Seeing as you have them on your TiCross, are they tough enough for on/off road?

I have a set of 23s on my roadie and they are good so far.

Yes, they’re tough enough. I got them mainly for comfort on long distances, and the state of some of the roads round rural Northumberland where I live. On a recent ride, I did a good few miles on a gravel section of Sustrans route and they were flawless. Little less grip in the deeper gravel than you’d get with a fatter, knobblier tyre, but on the smoother dirt, they rolled well.

Cheers ir_b.

I’ll keep my eye out for some 28s.

The Marathon 35mm that I have are around 800g! I think I might notice the difference.

ir_bandito – Member

Yes, they’re tough enough. I got them mainly for comfort on long distances, and the state of some of the roads round rural Northumberland where I live.
Your not kidding, I’m up here on holiday & glad I brought the CX bike with Maxxis Raze tyres on. Couple of times I’ve had close calls on road descents as the potholes were huge!

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P4072844 by raymond321, on Flickr[/img]

This is mine in road mode. Its pretty much the same spec as a Warbird but custom geometry and avaiable in the UK (which the Warbird Ti doesn’t seem to be yet)

ir_bandito – Member
Thinking of putting some 28mm Conti GP4 seasons on (as they are on offer)
where are they on offer?

I emailed Cycle Surgery <enquiries@cyclesurgery.com> this morning to have a gentle moan about the 28mm not being available at £26.99.

A guy called Andy emailed back pretty swiftly. Said he has some in stock and he’d call me if I gave him my number.

Job done. A pair of 28s on their way to me at £26.99 each.