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I want to buy a road bike for commuting, fitness, leisure, etc. and not for professional racing. However, because I live in a "wet" country, I would like to be able to change the tires into cross tires.
As far as I know, standard road tires are 25mm and standard cross tires are 30mm.
Are there any entry level (meaning less than 2-3K) road bikes that have the frame/fork/brake clearance for the larger wheels?
The main thing to watch out for is the brakes, if the comes with V-Brakes or Cantilever brakes, you should be able to run wider tires and fenders.
Typical CX tires are 32-35mm and typical road from 23-28.
The caliper style brakes found on many road bikes will not accommodate the wider CX tires. There are many options under 2-3K, You could even look at cyclocross bikes as many are under the 2-3K in the US. Visit your local bike shop and look at a few options.
A buddy bought a Kona "Jake The Snake" last year and is a very nice bike and under the 2-3K.
I would look into Raleigh's Endurance and Cyclocross bikes. Both have road geometries with plenty of tire clearance, with many very affordable options.
Also, if your outside the US, canyon has some great options
But here's a full list of 2017 Bikes with road geometries and at least 35mm clearance.
Most road bikes in the "endurance" genre that use canti brakes can typically support up to a 28mm tire. There are some some decent touring tires at that size such as the Conti Ride Tour. It has some tread on it to imrpove grip in wet conditions. The best bet would be, however, to go with a cross or "gravel" bike, as those can typically accommodate larger tires. The Raleigh Willard or Tamland series are decent enough, and the price is right on those.
