So, the bike doesn't fit. Damn.

[Cataboo]

3. What new bike would I even get?? I have a goal of doing my first century by Fall 2011. I mentioned this to my favorite repair shop and the guy told me I'd probably want a road bike. What I have is what he called a "flat-bar road bike". I've never ridden one of the curvy-bar kinds. Would I even want to? Also, can you take those on a crushed stone trail? I don't even like riding the one I have now on those trails; my thin tires slip all over and it's a lot of effort to stay upright. Would I need two bikes to do those? (So far this summer we've been staying on pavement, but we miss the trails and there are a lot more stone ones around here than paved.)

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YOu could try getting a cyclocross bike with thicker tires that you could use for the trails. Maybe look at the specialized tri-cross.