The question was, "I'm going touring with friends, but can I ride more than 100km on a cross bike?"

I thought you could ride any distance since it's a bicycle, but they added, "I heard that cross bikes are good up to about 20km, and anything more requires a road bike."

Actually, there are various considerations here, so I'd like to explain in detail and provide my own answer.

There are no distance limits for bicycles.

The questioner's idea that "cross bikes are for up to about 20km" is probably a guideline for commuting to work or school.

This is just a guideline, and the main premise is to commute (to school) comfortably.

Some people say it's nothing once you get used to it, so even for commuting (to school), there's absolutely no problem riding more than 20km on a cross bike.

Moreover, if it's a one-time touring trip rather than daily riding, there's naturally no problem riding an even longer distance.

If you're only going on one touring trip, there's absolutely no problem, and if you find it difficult after going once, it's perfectly fine to get a road bike for next time.

More importantly, you should maintain your bicycle for the touring trip.

It would be difficult to ride 100km with a rusty chain, and if your tires are worn out, you might get a flat tire along the way.

If you plan to ride distances of about 100km repeatedly in the future, I recommend acquiring a road bike.

In that case, I recommend choosing a proper road bike.

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Avoid cheap bicycles.

Another thing to consider here is what kind of road bike it is.

If it's a nameless brand cross bike costing around 20,000 yen bought at an unknown shop, there's still concern about riding long distances.

It's not absolutely impossible, but there's a possibility of trouble.

If you say that, you might think it's the same even with expensive bicycles because problems can still occur.

However, problems that occur with reliable bicycles are within the range of imagination, but with unreliable bicycles, anything can happen.

Even with new bicycles, tires can burst, chains can break, and brake cables can snap.

These problems arise from using cheap parts or from sloppy assembly and adjustment.

That's why the selling price is lower because those costs are reduced.

In other words, please also understand that cheap bicycles are only worth their cheap price.

The best option is to buy a reliable product from a reliable store, but if that's difficult financially, a cheaper bicycle bought at a well-known chain store is still safer.

The cost of a bicycle is not just the body itself.

When choosing a road bike, if you pick a reasonably good one, it will inevitably cost over 100,000 yen.

However, with a road bike, you can't just buy the bike body and be done with it.

You could say you don't need them, but you'll want replacement parts and upgrade parts, as well as tools for maintenance.

If you're going to get clothing, shoes, bags, gloves, etc., you should expect to spend around 20,000 to 50,000 yen.

You don't need to buy all of these at once.

You can buy them little by little, within a reasonable budget.

However, if you're going on a touring trip, you'll likely need to maintain your current bicycle. Therefore, I believe that purchasing tools and performing maintenance yourself will lead to a more satisfying touring experience than buying a suspiciously cheap road bike.

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To ride 100km on a cross bike

To ride 100km on a cross bike, it's a good idea to do a little preparation.

It's a given to do basic things like oiling the chain, inflating the tires to the correct pressure, and adjusting the brakes to work properly. In addition, I recommend the following:

・Saddlebag

・Drink holder

・Bar ends

These are the three additional items.

A saddlebag is, as the name suggests, a bag attached under the saddle, and it can store small items.

How about putting an Allen wrench, tire levers, and spare tubes in it?

Of course, you can put them in your backpack, but they're heavy and will exhaust you.

If you put them in a saddlebag, you won't have to carry them on your back, which will make it easier.

A drink holder, as the name suggests, allows you to attach a beverage to the bike.

When riding long distances, hydration is important, so it's recommended to have one.

You could also put a plastic bottle in your bag, but it's heavy, so you'll want to rely on the drink holder.

Bar ends are handle extensions attached to the ends of the handlebars.

With a cross bike, the handlebars are straight, so your hands can get tired during long rides.

You'll want to have a slightly different hand position, so having them attached should make it easier.