Gravel Rides
sillygoosie
Posts: 1,109 Member
Is anyone a gravel grinder? The man and I have decided this is a perfect compromise between my roads and his single track. I am terribly excited to embark on this new area of riding. Does anyone have some good info or tips? I'll finally be putting some miles on that shiny new mtn bike.
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Keep the down side down!
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I'd love to, but no gravel roads around here. I used to on farm roads as a kid with big balloon tires, and it was a blast!0
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i bought a CX bike to make the most of the farm tracks round here, it's fantastic fun!0
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Love the CaadX for that sort of stuff...
http://www.kinomap.com/watch/rtrhmh
great fun mixing it up, a little tarmac, a little dirt, the odd canal towpath...
did one a week last saturday - 60+km's probably 50-50 dirt or tarmac - http://app.strava.com/activities/118655468
The 'cross bike is the perfect tool for this stuff, fast enough for the road and solid enough to cope with non-technical offroad stuff provided you don't hit it with quite the same "screw it" attitude you get with a 35lb overbuilt MTB.0 -
I would love to get CX for this but I already have the hybrid, roadie, mtn, and single speed. I think I'd better be happy with what I have. I have been eyeballing some Surlys down at the LBS but alas, we are trying to save for a kitchen remodel. Well, it's a kitchen/bike shop.0
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Love the CaadX for that sort of stuff...
http://www.kinomap.com/watch/rtrhmh
great fun mixing it up, a little tarmac, a little dirt, the odd canal towpath...
[Like!] How'd you do that?0 -
Here its pretty much road or gravel. I've been doing tons the past 2 yrs. Getting a cyclocross bike for the gravel stuff0
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Rule 12?I would love to get CX for this but I already have the hybrid, roadie, mtn, and single speed. I think I'd better be happy with what I have. I have been eyeballing some Surlys down at the LBS but alas, we are trying to save for a kitchen remodel. Well, it's a kitchen/bike shop.0 -
Rule 12?I would love to get CX for this but I already have the hybrid, roadie, mtn, and single speed. I think I'd better be happy with what I have. I have been eyeballing some Surlys down at the LBS but alas, we are trying to save for a kitchen remodel. Well, it's a kitchen/bike shop.
Of course, but there's also the D-1 rule. My bikes already take up a massive amount of room in our house. I guess if I put it into perspective, all of my bikes put together are about the same size as his fat bike... Nevermind, I can't afford one anyway. :ohwell:0 -
They have Gravel Grinder supported rides/races down here in the DFW area. Check with your local bike shop to see if they have anything in you area. That could give you some ideas where to ride.0
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Welcome to the world of gravel. I enjoy it for several reasons. It is often a nice break from the busier paved roads and the scenery is usually tough to beat. In the woods of the mountain trails the vistas are usually limited by the flora, while the paved roads lack the wild life. Here in Vermont gravel grinding is really starting to take off. More than 50% of roads in Vermont are not paved, some of them barely qualify as roads. There are some very nice and some tough events and more are cropping up. Last year I purchased a Salsa Vaya 2 specifically for this type of riding. (The Warbird was out of my price range). I do have a Trek MtB and a Cannondale road bike but I prefer the Salsa for gravel grinding. When I go to gravel grinding events I don't see many mountain bikes. I typically ride with two other guys; one had been riding a MtB but is getting a Giant Revolt and the other has been riding a Masi touring bike but is now waiting for delivery of a custom Gunnar.
If you've been mountain biking you are well prepared for the gravel. You may want to get narrower tires with a bit less aggressive tread but you may find you love the setup you currently have.
Keep 'em turning,
Mike0 -
Welcome to the world of gravel. I enjoy it for several reasons. It is often a nice break from the busier paved roads and the scenery is usually tough to beat. In the woods of the mountain trails the vistas are usually limited by the flora, while the paved roads lack the wild life. Here in Vermont gravel grinding is really starting to take off. More than 50% of roads in Vermont are not paved, some of them barely qualify as roads. There are some very nice and some tough events and more are cropping up. Last year I purchased a Salsa Vaya 2 specifically for this type of riding. (The Warbird was out of my price range). I do have a Trek MtB and a Cannondale road bike but I prefer the Salsa for gravel grinding. When I go to gravel grinding events I don't see many mountain bikes. I typically ride with two other guys; one had been riding a MtB but is getting a Giant Revolt and the other has been riding a Masi touring bike but is now waiting for delivery of a custom Gunnar.
If you've been mountain biking you are well prepared for the gravel. You may want to get narrower tires with a bit less aggressive tread but you may find you love the setup you currently have.
Keep 'em turning,
Mike
Do you think it would be better to get a slightly treaded tire for my hybrid or a less aggressive tire on the mtn bike?0 -
I had a pair of these fitted on my MTB a few years ago when I did a couple of 'cross races without the benefit of a proper bike...
http://www.schwalbe.co.uk/cross/cx-pro/
they're one of the few 'cross tyres that actually come in a 26" wheel size.
Of course, if you've got a 29'er or 700c's on the hybrid, you can just run pretty much any 'cross tyre - the schwalbe sammy slicks are a pretty good compromise for gravel stuff
http://www.schwalbe.co.uk/cross/sammy-slick/
as to which bike to use... well - sort of depends on the suspension I suppose - lockout would be preferable, and obviously you'd have to consider if the hybrid's wheels were actually up to the job of bouncing about off road a bit. Hard to say without knowing the models TBH0 -
Building a frame-up gravel bike as we speak (Surly Straggler - basically a Cross Check with disc brakes). Gravel is *the* thing here in the Midwest US - Heck, I've got Dirty Kanza and umpteen gravel hundies in my "backyard" (NE, IA, MO, KS, & CO). I'll be out there gettin' my gravel legs with ya!0
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Oh. Yes. That. I had a similar issue. Mostly solved it with one of these:Of course, but there's also the D-1 rule.
http://www.amazon.com/Racor-PLB-4R-Gravity-Freestanding-Stand/dp/B000PGXLDC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1395249436&sr=8-2&keywords=Gravity+4+Bike+Stand
But $$$ is $$$ and pizza taste way better than carbon and aluminum0 -
I had a pair of these fitted on my MTB a few years ago when I did a couple of 'cross races without the benefit of a proper bike...
http://www.schwalbe.co.uk/cross/cx-pro/
they're one of the few 'cross tyres that actually come in a 26" wheel size.
Of course, if you've got a 29'er or 700c's on the hybrid, you can just run pretty much any 'cross tyre - the schwalbe sammy slicks are a pretty good compromise for gravel stuff
http://www.schwalbe.co.uk/cross/sammy-slick/
as to which bike to use... well - sort of depends on the suspension I suppose - lockout would be preferable, and obviously you'd have to consider if the hybrid's wheels were actually up to the job of bouncing about off road a bit. Hard to say without knowing the models TBH
Hybrid is a Trek 7.5 FX and the Mtn is a Canndondale Tango. I'm hoping for some nicer weather soon so I can try them both out. My hybrid is usually for urban "commuting" and I've barely put 50 miles on the mtn bike. Technical single track is NOT my thing but this bike was a gift from my BF and his parents and I hate to let it hang in the kitchen gathering dust.0 -
Oh. Yes. That. I had a similar issue. Mostly solved it with one of these:Of course, but there's also the D-1 rule.
http://www.amazon.com/Racor-PLB-4R-Gravity-Freestanding-Stand/dp/B000PGXLDC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1395249436&sr=8-2&keywords=Gravity+4+Bike+Stand
But $$$ is $$$ and pizza taste way better than carbon and aluminum
We just built a wall mounted bike rack in the kitchen. Unfortunately, it's filled with my bikes and his live elsewhere around the house. His fatty is too big for any standard rack. The funny part is that we hung it at his 6ft height and I can only get my roadie down on my own. Derp0 -
Hybrid is a Trek 7.5 FX and the Mtn is a Canndondale Tango. I'm hoping for some nicer weather soon so I can try them both out. My hybrid is usually for urban "commuting" and I've barely put 50 miles on the mtn bike. Technical single track is NOT my thing but this bike was a gift from my BF and his parents and I hate to let it hang in the kitchen gathering dust.
I think you'd enjoy it more if you did a clinic and went with someone besides the boyfriend ::cough:: like me ::cough::.0 -
Yes ma'am :blushing:Hybrid is a Trek 7.5 FX and the Mtn is a Canndondale Tango. I'm hoping for some nicer weather soon so I can try them both out. My hybrid is usually for urban "commuting" and I've barely put 50 miles on the mtn bike. Technical single track is NOT my thing but this bike was a gift from my BF and his parents and I hate to let it hang in the kitchen gathering dust.
I think you'd enjoy it more if you did a clinic and went with someone besides the boyfriend ::cough:: like me ::cough::.0 -
What a kitchen doing in in the bike storage room?We just built a wall mounted bike rack in the kitchen.
Here's a frood who knows where his towel is.
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What a kitchen doing in in the bike storage room?We just built a wall mounted bike rack in the kitchen.
Here's a frood who knows where his towel is.
I believe I just got served! That is a lovely collection and it really ties the room together.
I only have room for 3 in my tiny space. There are 2 more in the basement and a fat bike bike is usually sitting somewhere very inconvenient. The man is trying to convince me we don't need a dining table. I'm not sold.
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Poor C-dale having to share space with Treks [/snobbery]
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Well I'm a Trek snob, so there! I only got the Cannondale because Trek's comparable bike was fugly. 0 -
You don't need a MTB or CX bike for gravel. Ride what ya got! In my profile pic I am on a Binachi 928 carbon, I can ride just about anything gravel or dirt on it. I recently purchased a Giant TCX SLR (I wanted disk brakes and clearance to run 28s--I run 25s now).
"Gravel" is my middle name.0 -
You don't need a MTB or CX bike for gravel. Ride what ya got! In my profile pic I am on a Binachi 928 carbon, I can ride just about anything gravel or dirt on it. I recently purchased a Giant TCX SLR (I wanted disk brakes and clearance to run 28s--I run 25s now).
"Gravel" is my middle name.
It takes some serious handling skills to ride gravel well on a road bike with skinnies (to me, skinny is anything 700x28 or narrower). I wish I could, but it would be a death trap for me. Hence I went with a disc cross frame (an affordable one) that can accomodate knobby 700x42's.0 -
I used to live in the country, which meant any ride involved dirt. The only issue I had with my old 3 speed were pinch flats thanks to a combination of 1 3/8" tires and large rocks in the roadway, while I'd ride my road bikes straight to the nearest pavement, about 1/2 a mile. Now that I'm in town, I have no problem with my clyde frame on better-kept trails with 700x28 commuter tires. The same goes for my wife on her cruiser tire-equipped hybrid.0
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You don't need a MTB or CX bike for gravel. Ride what ya got! In my profile pic I am on a Binachi 928 carbon, I can ride just about anything gravel or dirt on it. I recently purchased a Giant TCX SLR (I wanted disk brakes and clearance to run 28s--I run 25s now).
"Gravel" is my middle name.
It takes some serious handling skills to ride gravel well on a road bike with skinnies (to me, skinny is anything 700x28 or narrower). I wish I could, but it would be a death trap for me. Hence I went with a disc cross frame (an affordable one) that can accomodate knobby 700x42's.
Very true. MTB skillz die hard. I ride 700x25s and am just as fast in gravel as I am on roads. The roads down here are ****ty are also, so I like the mix of all (and dirt). The thing I tell everyone on riding skinny in gravel "Let the bike go where it wants to and just give it a slight nudge from time to time. Otherwise you'll become one with the gravel intimately...!!!" Really, it's like riding a MTB in the sand.0 -
Ha! Sand is soft. Gravel not so much! If you can stay upright on gravel with a skinny tire bike, a tip of the helmet to you! I've also watched a small handful of very skilled riders take their 'cross bikes out on rough singletrack - but that's just showing off!0
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I've decided that this is what I want.
http://salsacycles.com/bikes/2014_vaya_3
But what I want and what I can have are two different things. :grumble: It's about $1500 at my LBS0
