Riding on gravel with 23 mm tire

[jgspin]

Did my monthly century today and there is a 5 mile gravel road with 4 miles of climbing at about 4-7%. This is the Viejas Grade in East San Diego. The climb was dicey for me as I've never ridden off road longer than a few hundred yards. I fishtailed a couple of times and out of the saddle was iffy too as my rear tire kept slipping on the gravel so I stayed in the saddle for the most part. My butt hurt as my bike kept bouncing up and down for the whole 4 miles. What is the proper technique to keep the bike upright and still climb at a smooth pace and relatively straight. I had to keep veering left and right to be on the smoother hard pack. Great weather though and zero cars until the summit where I saw the postman.

[DRietz]

The proper technique is what you did. Moving from areas of good trail to areas of good trail is called "picking a line."

Coming from a mountain bike background, I feel comfortable at high speeds on the gravel/dirt on a road bike.

The biggest thing when standing, if you're doing so to power through a section or to just work different muscle groups, is to stand but don't move forward (or, as some might see it, pushing the bike backward). Just lift the butt vertically off the seat.

This will keep traction on the rear tire so you won't feel that slip.

You might also want to consider, depending on the location of the road in terms of the overall ride, to let a little bit of air out of the rear to garner a larger contact patch.

Just take it easy, pick your line, and have fun. Practice makes perfect!

[fourflys]

do yourself a favor and get some 25mm tires...

[froze]

do yourself a favor and get some 25mm tires...

If your going to be riding on that kind of stuff all the time the 25mm tire would make sense. I've ridden on gravel and dirt with 23 and had very little trouble, again though some MTB'ing experience like another poster had may have helped. But using 25's makes it a tad easier, I've done it on both size tires. Read the first response you got real well because he gives you some great advice.

[gearguywb]

I dont run anything smaller than a 25 on clinchers. Keep the air pressure down. The best thing to do on gravel is stay seated. Yeah, the backside may bounce around, but you need the weight hard over the rear wheel. Don't force the front wheel, guide it. Look well down the road and make gradual corrections as needed.

[AgilisMerlin]

was wondering how that downhill treated you :D

read like fun

[fourflys]

Don't force the front wheel, guide it. .

yup, just like riding through sand in a cross race or on a trail... don't have a death grip on the bars and let the front squirm a little if needed... plus you'll be amazed at how well you ride regular roads after riding some off-pavement stuff...

some great practice would be to go over to the South Lake Hodges trails (RB Community Park) and ride the flatish trails on your road bike... I've done it many times, you confidence builds quickly!

[mack]

Goodonya......for expanding your riding, as mentioned previously, riding the different surfaces can increase your skills, confidence and pleasure! You quickly discovered another outstanding element....typically, low car/motor vehicle traffic to share the road with.
Road bike, in my view, doesn't suggest 'smooth pavement bike only'... yeah the large aggregate gravel, especially freshly laid where no smoother paths exist, can be kind of rugged, but generally there is ample worn paths for bike travel, my favorite being the limestone based materials that have been in place for some time.
One of my more memorable trips out west sought out more obscure, less traveled mountain passes in the Rockies.....Old Trail Ridge Rd-Estes Park, Old Teton Pass-Jackson Hole and Dunraven pass (under road construction) in Yellowstone National Park, in fact the construction guy who flagged me after coming out of the road barrier look astounded when I told him where I'd been, and said "theres been lotta griz sitings up dare" Gotta love it!
Keep on rolling off pavement.
-mack

[skijoring]

Ride Michelin Pro2Race in 25. :) :beer:

[fourflys]

Ride Michelin Pro2Race in 25. :) :beer:


I have a set of these I'm trying to nurse some more life out of... LOVE these tires! I so wish they still made them... that 25 measures out closer to around 27mm... such a sublime ride and actually made in France!

[mack]

I like the conti 25's in a clincher....little extra width but not far removed from the performing norm.

[FlashUNC]

I find a lower cadence and pushing a bit bigger gear helps as well. If try to ride it at a high rpm, you'll just start beating yourself up.

[jgspin]

I don't ride normally off road except for a few hundred yards next to Lake Hodges from Poway to Escondido. For this ride I knew that there was some gravel but I didn't expect 4 miles of all uphill without any letup. Never did that route. I was 45 minutes late for a group ride and was chasing them. The 1 mile descent was kind of sketchy for me too so I took my time, slowed down and braked to control my speed. Once on solid pavement I felt much better. I climbed up 79 to Julian and never saw my friends. Turns out I passed them in Alpine around mile 25 when had took a coffee stop. There was so much road work there and their bikes were hidden by the construction equipments and trucks.

Thanks for the tips. Next time I ride off road I will try them out. I will have to start taking pics and post them here cause there are really great scenery here in San Diego specially in the mountains.

[Ken Robb]

since you are near or in San Diego you might enjoy practicing on the cyclocross course at UCSD, It offers all kinds of trails from easy to "uh, not me, thank you very much".

[jgspin]

since you are near or in San Diego you might enjoy practicing on the cyclocross course at UCSD, It offers all kinds of trails from easy to "uh, not me, thank you very much".

Is that open to non-students and is it free to use?

[fourflys]

Is that open to non-students and is it free to use?

yes, I've never been there yet but I plan to... if you google it, you can figure where it actually is...

[Ken Robb]

Is that open to non-students and is it free to use?

yep, and there are drinking fountains, toilets, coffee carts, etc. nearby.

[jpw]

28s.

[Lovetoclimb]

Just keep riding Viejas Grade and any other such roads. That is a wonderful climb! As it has been mentioned, practice makes for improvement.

[beungood]

How would the fatter HED's or Velocity A-23's with decent tires work on gravel?

[giverdada]

gravel rocks.

like riding rollers and steering with your hips/body instead of your arms/hands, gravel and its unpredictability really make for some improved handling skills. like group riding close enough to bump hips and not get freaked out and go down. an easy elbow on someone else's. all part of staying relaxed and upright, and i bet you had a blast while doing it.

i was guiding a trip once with a lady who carried her road bike over the gravel in the driveway. she also couldn't turn her head to look behind her while riding. thankfully, things have changed...

tire choice is fun and good but not crucial. wider tires are a blast on gravel, but the finer handling points are just that much..finer when riding 23s. i've gone through some things on my conti sprinter tubulars, and they're the narrowest tires i own. lowered cadence is a great suggestion. paris-roubaix riders do it, and it often worked in mountain biking, particularly when climbing. something about increased torque? like starting a standard car on ice in 2nd gear instead of first... more force in lower rpm equals more traction, i think.

and as an aside, in terms of the A23 rims, they're pretty darn awesome. i just built up a front wheel with one and it's been wicked in turns and rough crap roads and even near-misses transitioning over streetcar tracks. wicked stuff. haven't taken it through much gravel, but i'm sure it'd rock.

give'r.

[Fixed]

yep, and there are drinking fountains, toilets, coffee carts, etc. nearby.
civilization is beautiful
cheers :beer: