Bicycling - Road and Mountain

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Bike question

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dougpconnell219
dougpconnell219 Posts: 566 Member
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Ok, I'm new to cycling, and I love it! Unfortunately, my wallet does not.

I bought a hybrid bike (trek fx). It is doing just fine for road riding.

I want to start doing some trail riding, but can't afford a mountain bike right now.

So two questions...

1. Could the hybrid I have now handle trail riding without getting torn up? I'm not talking downhilling through rock gardens, I mean single track kind of stuff.

2. If not, could a cyclocross bike do the trick for both road and trail? I might could trade my bike in for one of that would be better for my purpose.

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  • zoom2
    zoom2 Posts: 934 Member
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    A cyclocross bike would be a great fit for easier single-track and road, especially if you invested in a 2nd set of rims, that way you could easily swap between slick or knobby tires, depending upon where you want to ride.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    zoom2 wrote: »
    A cyclocross bike would be a great fit for easier single-track and road, especially if you invested in a 2nd set of rims, that way you could easily swap between slick or knobby tires, depending upon where you want to ride.

    Agreed. Though, while a second wheelset is significantly more convenient, simply swapping a second set of tires is far more affordable.


    As for your current bike, it's probably ok (may benefit from a tire swap, though) if the trails are pretty smooth/groomed, but it's hard to say for sure without knowing the trails.

    Another option would be a hardtail or rigid (no suspension) mountain bike with smooth tires for road riding and knobby tires for trails. Like the cross bike, it'll work well for both, though be a bit better suited to trails than road (while the cross bike will be a bit better at road than rougher trails). A mountain bike will also be a more relaxed riding position, typically.
  • veloman21
    veloman21 Posts: 418 Member
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    As mentioned it depends on how you define a trail. If it's just crushed limestone/gravel or dirt, your bike will be fine, just make sure you have decent width tyres, say 30-32c. (I think 32c are standard on the fx? although you may want tyres with knobs if it's muddy). If it's more like flowing singletrack that has lots of roots and rocks then a mountain bike will be more useful although they kind of suck on the road imo, even with the front suspension locked out.

    I'd go out and ride your bike on the trails before buying a new one.
  • lpherman01
    lpherman01 Posts: 212 Member
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    My wife has an FX that she rode for years before getting a true road bike. They are well built and you should have no problems with durability as long as you are not pounding it over rocks and roots. If I remember correctly, you should have clearance for up to 38 mm tires, and that's what I would recommend for the trails.
  • bsexton3
    bsexton3 Posts: 472 Member
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    The number (n) of bikes needed = n+1. It depends on how long you cannot afford a second bike. If it is a season--I would wait it out, especially if you are losing money in the trade, or the quality of the bike. I definitely used a bike not meant for trails for a couple years until I could afford one. 10 years later, I now have a full carbon road, a hard tail, a trek touring, the original hybrid and a 35 year old tandem. The next on the list is a new tandem with couplers to allow easy travel. Saving for that. Probably two more years.
  • derrickyoung
    derrickyoung Posts: 136 Member
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    I always thought n was the number of bikes owned and therefore the number of bikes needed was N+1. But then there is S, S is the number of bikes you can own before your Wife divorces you. Which gives you a formula similar to, #bikes needed=N+1=S-1
  • ntnunk
    ntnunk Posts: 936 Member
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    derrickyoung wrote: »
    Which gives you a formula similar to, #bikes needed=N+1=S-1

    ^^ This!

  • wolfruhn
    wolfruhn Posts: 3,025 Member
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    A hybrid is exactly that, in other words it's designed for both road and trail, so you should be fine. Just the tyres maybe what you need to swap. Wider tyres for trails, knobbly ones if the trail is muddy, and smoother narrower tyres for road. Have fun!
  • kcjchang
    kcjchang Posts: 709 Member
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    Rule #12 - http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/

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