I am going to purchase a road bike soon and ride it on the ‘trails‘ around my house. By trails I mean asphault trails that wind through the forests and such. I‘ve seen how rail thin and fragile the tires look and was wondering how durable the tires are? Are the tires meant to take a some rough action or will they pop if a rock gets under it? Basically, should I aim for a Cyclocross bike b/c of the different tires or are road bike tires tougher than I am thinking. THanks
this is the point in your life where you say gee, can I find SOME OLD, WORN OUT DRY AS HELL cv joint in a wrecking yard with less than 100,000 miles SO WHEN IT BREAKS I CAN DO IT AGAIN IN TWO MONTHS? OR DO I BUY A NEW OR REBUILT ONE THAT WILL LAST FOR MANY YEARS OF ABUSE? (YES!)
It's hard to say without having seen the trails - but generally speaking the skinnier the tyre the less resistant it is to punctures, and the more it will transfer bumps in the road to your hands and wrists. Cyclocross or a rigid fork hybrid should do fine, I'd go for something with at least a 28 tyre, maybe up to 35 if the trails are rough, they should be reasonably speedy, puncture resistant and absorb some of the bumps.
I use 700c x 28 tires on my tandem. Tires hold up just fine. I suspect the tires are supporting more than you weigh. I air up the tires each time I ride. Flats are far and few between. I rode about 2500 miles one year on my single bike equipped with 700c x 20 tires. No flats. Wore the rear tire down to the cords in a couple of spots. I got my money's worth that year. Good Luck
Today there is a tire for everything. Even narrow tires can offer a little puncture resistance from glass and thorns. But even these tires can bottom out on the rim and get a pinch flat if you ride too small a tire on rough stuff. If you're only riding on paved surfaces road tires are fine. Road tires can be anywhere from 19 to 28mm across. On a cruiser style bike they can be even bigger. Tires come in different sizes so you can try a few different ones to see what you like the best. What's more important when you buy your bike is making sure you get a frame that allows enough clearance for a larger tire. This is really the big difference between a road bike and a cyclocross bike. Road bikes have narrow and shallow clearances for tires since they imagine a rider racing about when they design them. Cyclocross bikes are a little sturdier and have clearance for a large 28 to even a 38 size tire. If you are only on a paved road it won't matter as much. If you want to ride on gravelly trails, like an old rail bed for example, you'll want larger tires and a bike that will take them.
