I just can't do it ...

[Bearbonesnorm]

No matter how hard I try, I just can't embrace tarmac. Actually, I've no problems riding a bike on the road but whenever I get something aimed at road riding, something inside steps in and forces me to alter the bias.

I built a LHT a while ago as a nod towards the road but as from yesterday, it looks like this ... yes, 1989 probably wants its bike back, although I'm now considering fitting a pair of Bull Moose bars to finish the look

[Cheeky Monkey]

[ton]

all my bikes morphe to offroadable frankenbikes too.

[Dyffers]

I built a LHT a while ago as a nod towards the road but as from yesterday, it looks like this ...

It's got a Zefal HPX under the top tube. Can't get much more road bike than that, no?

TBH I think I've seen a pic of your CX bike that's more roadie than the LHT above.

[HaYWiRe]

Call me a heratic but i still like roads, ive got a fairy basic sportive style bike i enjoy, skinny tyres, drops, carbon wheels the lot.

But i hate traffic or town, commuting would never work for me. I like the roads up brecon, baren, broken, miles from anywhere (in spirit atleast) and the only soul youll meet is a walker or the odd squaddie. Has all the feel of offroad but with tarmac and average speeds of 25mph

I like gravel bikes but most are too....off road oriented. Wider tyres are nice though but any tread and id rather be on a proper MTB

[atk]

My old road bike...

[ton]

my roadie.

2017-01-30_03-22-41 by 20ston, on Flickr

[Mike]

Like it pal. Ive just took the nanos off for awhile and replaced them with some skinny road slicks. The arkose is gonna rip up those commute miles now

[Bearbonesnorm]

TBH I think I've seen a pic of your CX bike that's more roadie than the LHT above.

Probably is Paul, however it does sport 650b wheels, big tyres, wide flared drops and mountainbike drive train

[Dr Nick]

Tell 1989 you're keeping it. A moustache 'bar fan here...

[Bearbonesnorm]

A moustache 'bar fan here...

Albatrose Nick?

[Fat tyre kicker]

I recently built up a Cannondale Mtb/tourer frame with a Headshock, rode
Lovely on Wtb riddlers but a combination of v brakes (didn't realise how much
I'd now got used to discs) and the maniac drivers in my neck of the woods
Soon put paid to it becoming a gravel grinding training bike, my son now uses it
To commute on and I've got a failed fatbike project to sell on so I can have my
Outlay back

[Dr Nick]

Nitto (original) moustache bars. According to Rivbike they're now discontinued and they do the albeatross orcthw albastache...

Slightly clearer pic:

[fatbikephil]

Point of order - bullmoose bars = 1985 - 1987. 1989 = flat bars with a tioga T-bone stem stem.

[burty]

what I have just seen cannot be unseen , I will go and get my eye bleach

[Dr Nick]

And I'll drop this in just coz I like its cartoon like proportions. (An Overbury's in case snyone cares!)

[jay91]

The LHT is nice. I've spent a lot more time riding around the lanes,canals lately it's been a nice change.

[godivatrailrider]

My old road bike...

Don't suppose you recall the make of the front rack .... I'm looking for something similar ..... but that doesn't cost £150

[atk]

Nitto M18 - nice but seems to have more than doubled in price since I bought it! Yikes!!

Did require ordering longer struts and some spare bits to fit 700c Surly forks and to mount the light but other than that, very pleased with it!

Wald basket is just ziptied on.

[Pirahna]

I don't have any pics of my road bike It's in the loft for the winter. I put it together about 10 years ago using a 2nd hand Scott carbon frame, 2nd hand Campag Eurus wheels, bits hanging around in the parts box and a couple of new Campag Chorus 10 speed. It's a fantastic thing to ride for not a lot of money. I think it helps having a wife who's a roadie (she does mountain bike as well) and a bunch of mates who are roadies as well. I'll also confess to being a member of the local road club, but only because there's a pub at the end of the Sunday ride.

[slarge]

Stu, that bike is not a thing of beauty! Isn't a CX bike a happy compromise between road and off road?

I love riding my bike, using the best bike for the job - it's great whizzing along silently on skinny tyres, watching the miles fly by, as much as it's great finding those off road routes linking up great trails....

[jameso]

Agreed, that bike looks good. Bullmoose bars would be fun, it does have that classic ATB look.

Road-going bikes that can't go off-road at all seem a bit specialist to me these days. The roads round here are so broken up that any bike that handles them well can cope with simple off-road anyway. I do love the fast, light feel of my road bikes but my nicest one hasn't been out in 3 years now .. it's a summer /best type of bike but recent summers have been for off-road miles.

[bearlymoving]

I built a LHT a while ago as a nod towards the road but as from yesterday, it looks like this ...

I think this is the first time I've ever seen downtube shifters on a bike "designed" to go over the lumpy stuff.

How's that working out?

[Bearbonesnorm]

I think this is the first time I've ever seen downtube shifters on a bike "designed" to go over the lumpy stuff.

See, it wasn't built for the lumpy stuff, it was put together for the road and has swerved off in a different direction.

How's that working out?

Fine, I'm highly skilled and have the ability to ride one handed for a few seconds at a time

I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with road bikes, it's just that I find myself continually drawn to the rougher side of things regardless of my original intentions. A change of tyres and the LHT begins to look more like it belongs on the road but it just feels more 'useful' with something bigger / knobbly on. Perhaps as James says, road bikes have become far too specialised, so to a degree, quite limiting?

With 'normal' tyres.

[bearlymoving]

Perhaps as James says, road bikes have become far too specialised, so to a degree, quite limiting?

I think there's much in this idea.

I grew up riding a lightweight 531 road bike that could just clear a 25mm tyre with a mudguard. I always knew it wasn't comfortable. For the last couple of years I've been hunting for something that would let me run 40mm tyres and mudguards, with more than a few mm of clearance. Only a couple of cross-influenced frames looked suitable, and they'd both have been right on the limit with mudguards in.

I didn't even consider using an MTB because I wanted drop bars. Then I came across a Singular Gryphon on eBay. It's a rigid mountain bike designed for dirt drops, so has a high head tube and takes up to 3" wide 650g tyres.

I did the Festive 500 on it (with 42mm tyres & mudguards) and realised it's the best road bike I've ever had. It's extremely comfortable, and I can't work out why it isn't slower.