What do you love about gravel?

[Dead Man]

What do you love about gravel grinding?

Particularly curious why it seems to be just as or even more popular in the dark soggy months.. Maybe largely to get away from motorvehicle traffic? Gravel tires on gravel less prone to punctures than road tires on wet dirty roads? CX season got you primed for wet and dirty riding? All of the above?

-B

[unterhausen]

unfortunately, you can't ride our gravel in the dark, soggy months. Ok, you can, but that's why I have a fatbike with studded tires. It will be under snow soon, and not clear until March. I do like it for the lack of motor vehicles, and the fact that they can't go as fast. I can go out and actually be in a quiet place in less than a half hour. And if I want to go climbing, I either ride an hour or go ride gravel.

When there is snow, it gets really quiet. I sometimes get off my bike and just stand around for a while and revel in it.

[joosttx]

No cars or at least a lot fewer.
Exploring
Nature
Simplicity vs MTB

[prometheus20]

The only dirt I ride on in the dark damp months is on rail trails. It is relatively flat and so you don't freeze on down hills and sweat on up hills. But in the warmer months I like gravel for the usual reasons: light traffic, more nature, much quieter.

[Tandem Rider]

Around here it's where you find the best hills, the best scenery, and the least traffic. You are going a little slower, so you stay a little warmer for the same effort. The people I see are generally friendlier, driving slower, and much more aware of everything around them (not texting or talking on the phone). Plus, here, only about 20% of the farm to market roads are paved, so why would I give up 80% of the possible roads?

Disclaimer, I started playing on gravel roads in the '70s, so I can't understand why you wouldn't ride there too.

[stephenmarklay]

I’m not sure yet. Since I have a fair amount of gravel under my skin from a crash this year I am still trying to male peace with it.

On the other hand a couple of years ago I did a 65 mile dirt Fondo and it was a blast.

[rusty1200]

Given its dark by 4:45 here, lets me ride out of the traffic in the dark.

[vitaly66]

I love everything about riding gravel. Yes, I like the less-trafficked roads, the serene country tableaus, the smell and taste of valley air through all the seasons.

I also love the feel and especially the *sounds* of riding gravel. It is an all-encompassing experience, yeah a buzz and a rush. Riding on gravel backroads has a way of peaking the senses and focusing the attention. And it feels like the physical efforts are always rewarded.

[wojtek]

Although used to ride my road bike quite a lot during winters, I find road biking in that period rather unjoyful. Most of the time it's usually too windy and wet. Spending few hours in the saddle getting blasted by freezing wind/icy snow sucks. But hitting some nature trails, fire roads etc is entirely different story. Even if it's raining, it's calm and warmer in the woods.

PS and that neat sound tires make on gravel.

[kramnnim]

Scenery and low traffic. If the roads were paved and didn't have cars, I would be delighted.

[Miles]

I think it's what a lot of folks above have said. It's about seeing things most others don't ever see. Less traffic is nice too, but the "getting out there" even close to a city can be very nice, at least for me.

[MattTuck]

Can't say that there is a lot that I love about gravel. We have more 'dirt' roads around here. When they are in good condition, they can be as smooth as pavement, but when they're not, they can be rough, pot holed, loose, washboarded, and generally not much fun to ride.

Maybe if I had a bike that could handle 35+ tires, I'd have a different perspective. I still ride a lot of dirt, generally with 25 or 28 tires. I do so mostly for the peace and quiet, lack of traffic and getting out to see cool places.

If anyone has ridden up a 10% incline, in the spring, on a wet and soft dirt road, you'll soon discover why pavement is so awesome.

[bigbill]

The North East Texas Trail is 130 miles long and runs behind my neighborhood. I can roll out and do an 18 mile ride with 10 miles of it on gravel. I can do this all winter on my cross bike with a headlight. No cars, really not any other riders after dark, I just have to watch out for wildlife (deer, coyotes, and more deer). Last weekend I did a 51 mile gravel grinder about 90 minutes west of here. There is a DFW area group, Spinistry, that organizes gravel events including some longer ones like Race Across Texas. I like their events, it's like a metric that's for cyclists who don't need to be pampered, are expected to take care of their own mechanicals, and typically only have a water table because they expect you to have all your own food. I rode in a couple of different groups last weekend and all the riders were good.

Gravel rides are so much fun that I'm considering getting a disc equipped cross bike just to be more competitive. I'm pretty competitive on my 2005 Gunnar Crosshairs with its 93 vintage dura ace STI drivetrain and mini-V brakes, but I'd like to run bigger than 35mm.

[Tandem Rider]

The North East Texas Trail is 130 miles long and runs behind my neighborhood. I can roll out and do an 18 mile ride with 10 miles of it on gravel. I can do this all winter on my cross bike with a headlight. No cars, really not any other riders after dark, I just have to watch out for wildlife (deer, coyotes, and more deer). Last weekend I did a 51 mile gravel grinder about 90 minutes west of here. There is a DFW area group, Spinistry, that organizes gravel events including some longer ones like Race Across Texas. I like their events, it's like a metric that's for cyclists who don't need to be pampered, are expected to take care of their own mechanicals, and typically only have a water table because they expect you to have all your own food. I rode in a couple of different groups last weekend and all the riders were good.

Gravel rides are so much fun that I'm considering getting a disc equipped cross bike just to be more competitive. I'm pretty competitive on my 2005 Gunnar Crosshairs with its 93 vintage dura ace STI drivetrain and mini-V brakes, but I'd like to run bigger than 35mm.

One of the really cool things about gravel, is equipment matters very little. I won some gravel races on a 9spd 105 rim brake bike. You can't buy speed in a gravel race, you have to have the motor and the skills.

[ripvanrando]

No textaholic, pot smokers.

[William]

Man, I was grinding gravel before grinding gravel was a "Thing". :)
http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=118980&highlight=gravel


For me, nature and getting away from traffic. I'm finding I like off pavement more and more.







William

[Bstone]

I find that I love it most when its over.

[bironi]

I'd love the gravel and dirt more if it were right out my door or close by. If it were I would probably sell a couple bikes to buy one purposed for the gravel. It would be nice if everyone posted their geographic location in their profile. It would provide others with a needed perspective on topics such as gravel roads and rain riding, etc.:beer:

[rousseau]

What do you love about gravel grinding?

Nuthin'. Weird question. I mean, I endure them for a concession or two between paved tarmac if the dirt is packed down dry and hard and there are minimal stones due to the lack of recent grading, but they're still bumpy and annoying.

23 mm tires at 110 psi weren't meant for gravel.

[John H.]

I like it year around- but I actually hate muddy rides.

But with a cross bike I can make my way to the trails that do drain well-

I like that it gets me away from cars-

Gravel bike and smaller knobbies shed mud better than mtb tires-

I can ride to trails instead of drive to them-

I can do a huge ride and never leave the county-

I like that it makes trails that are easy on a mountain bike way more challenging-

Gravel triples or quadruples the amount of long climbs that I have access to-

[guido]

Beautiful places, many fewer cars.

[Luwabra]

No to min traffic, it opens more route options, the sound of the rocks under tire is therapeutic, it's hard- there's less coasting, bike handling skills are necessary, fat tubeless tires w low pressure are comfy w limited speed loss if any. You have to be set up correctly to have an enjoyable experience. I live 1/4 mi from the gravel so it encompasses 95% of my rides

[David Tollefson]

For me it's the normal reasons: solitude, low to no traffic, challenge. But I'm at a point in my life where I don't see the need to venture out in crap weather unless it's the only time I have to ride in a day, or it's an event to which i've already committed.

[Gummee]

Funny enough... now that riding gravel's all popular and stuff, I find myself not liking to do it as much.

I would link roads together via dirt sections back in college. That was back when the biggest tire we'd ride was 19c Lots of my teammates would turn back. Not me! I'd find out where that dirt stretch went.

M

[yarg]

Was there ever a tire narrower than 19c? Rode them once twenty years ago can't imagine anything narrower.

[Dead Man]

Yea, I think you definitely need to have a bike that's at least modified appropriately, if not purpose built for gravel. I can and frequently do gravel segments of up to 5-7 miles between asphalt, but it gets weary after even 1-2 on the road-race geo slammed stem carbon wheeled road tired bike. No way I'm doing 40-50 miles of that crap.

It's been a few years since I've even owned a bike that'll let me do that.. But with CX season basically over I'm looking at ways to convert the CX race bike to gravel grinder. No point having a bike you only ride 3 months out of the year. Doing my first big gravel ride this weekend, it's apparent 1x front 42t, at least paired with a 27t rear, probably isn't going to be appropriate for the sustained 10% 1.5-2 mile climbs out yonder CoCo hills. So I guess I'll be in the market for a compact crankset. Also, no bottle cage bosses on the frame.. Bought some strap ons to get me by this weekend but I know that's gonna mar up the white carbon frame nastily, so thinking about drilling it out and epoxying in some legit bosses. In summary... CX does not gravel bike necessarily make..

But I think gravel is gonna be great for winter fitness. As mentioned, the speeds are overall slower without reducing the quality of the workout... So you don't get nearly as bad temperature swings between ascent, flats, and descent. Your layering system is simplified quite a bit, and as weak as that sounds that's actually one of my biggest hangups to riding in the winter.

Gonna have to bring a lightweight pistol to hit the best gravel roads solo though.. Those rusty sheet metal squatter huts out there in them CoCo hills probably don't all harbor homicidal butt raping hill billies, but we all have our phobias.

[kevinvc]

If I can expand on your thread, I'm curious what tires people use when they have to ride on pavement in order to get to the gravel / dirt / fire roads. I'll ride 28 slicks on dry dirt and gravel, but that's only for short stretches. To do 30+ miles of potentially wet sloppy stuff will require a fatter tire with some tread, but I don't want to get too knobby because I need to travel at least 10 miles on paved surface streets. The last time I wiped out it was while turning a corner with cross tires on wet pavement.

Dead Guy - what are the CoCo hills you're talking about?

[Mzilliox]

I ride a lot of gravel.

I love Gravel
why?
1. Less crowds:
like way less, like ive never seen another bike, and the rare car on my normal gravel routes.
2. the places it takes me:
seriously, gravel roads and trails seem to lead to extraordinary places, the prettiest of the pretty
3. the challenge:
climbing on gravel is much much harder than climbing pavement. handling the bike on gravel is much harder than on pavement. I like the challenge and i like what it adds to my road ride handling skills.
4. another reason for another bike:
and who doesn't lust after one more machine?

as far as tires go, I will ride gravel on 28s, but prefer 32s or larger. i ride 28mm slicks, 32mm slicks, or 33mm knobbies, depending on the terrain, more climbing means i want more traction. my next gravel tires will be bon jon jovi pass 35mm from compass.

[eBAUMANN]

less cars
more engaging
nature
roadies fear it

[Dead Man]

Dead Guy - what are the CoCo hills you're talking about?



remember that one gravel section we took to connect Pittsburg road with Canaan? If you go straight instead of turning right onto the gravel bit we did, you start another climb up into the hills between Yankton (that little country store and school we passed early in the ride) and the town of Pittsburg down on 47. It's just a thousand miles of unnamed gravel roads up in there, mostly BLM. Mega adventures to be had.

but a fair bit of private homesteads and no shortage of squatters.. I'm sure people in them thar hills are just like people anywhere else, mostly good and not hostile. Shouldn't judge. But still... They make some really lightweight pistols these days.

At a minimum, I've started carrying mace strapped to my left wrist when I ride out that direction, just for the gnarly unfriendly unchained dogs

http://rs844.pbsrc.com/albums/ab6/bkb0000/IMG_03461_zpsiedmpnst.jpg?w=480&h=480&fit=clip

[redir]

I never could understand the draw to riding on gravel. I only do it because I have to in order to get to most places I want. Yeah maybe there is less traffic, not much traffic on my paved roads here anyway, but when a car does come by on gravel you got a good minute or two of huffing dust and blinking dirt particles out of your eyes.

I guess my favorite part about riding gravel is getting through it without a flat!

[Dead Man]

I never could understand the draw to riding on gravel. I only do it because I have to in order to get to most places I want. Yeah maybe there is less traffic, not much traffic on my paved roads here anyway, but when a car does come by on gravel you got a good minute or two of huffing dust and blinking dirt particles out of your eyes.

I guess my favorite part about riding gravel is getting through it without a flat!

It can get dusty around here in the dry season.. But it's not generally a problem the other 11 months.

Maybe take a bandana for car dust?

[David Kirk]

I do a lot of road riding.....about 70% of the roads are paved road and about 30% are gravel/dirt roads. I rarely set out to do a "gravel ride" but instead it's part of every day rides here.

I like the sound and feel and rhythm of riding gravel. I also like the feeling of the bike moving around underneath me as I roll along. One is only generally picking a path when on a skinny tire and a loose surface and one needs to give up a bit of control (or the illusion of control) when on gravel. It feels faster than it really is and that's fun - and the complete lack of other users means I get the most of the gravel to myself.

I also see much more wildlife when I leave the paved routes. I see deer on paved roads but I see also see antelope, elk, moose, fox and my favorite - badger - when I take the path less traveled.

I use 28 mm Conti tires everywhere....and "knock on wood" I've not gotten a flat while off the pavement since I've lived here. 16 years I think.

dave

[Vientomas]

I live near the edge of a National Forest. The area is laden with well maintained Forest Service Roads which gain more elevation than the paved roads. For me that equates to longer rides with more elevation. In addition there is less motor vehicle traffic, better scenery, more wildlife, and greater peacefulness.

I'm always on paved roads to and from the Forest Service Roads.

Oh, I also like the variability of the road surface. Getting out a day or two after a rain fall can result in some lovely dirt. Conversely, after a long hot dry spell things are pretty dusty. Tailoring rides for road surface conditions based on exposure and weather is kinda fun. Maybe I'm just weird :)

[Mzilliox]

for the folks who said they don't like gravel:
first, why did you respond to a why DO you like gravel thread?
Second, why don't you like gravel? that's weird.

[David Tollefson]

For those that don't like gravel, as much as I love it, I get it too. (http://www.bridersplace.com/2016/09/gravel-lovehate.html)

[krhea]

remember that one gravel section we took to connect Pittsburg road with Canaan? If you go straight instead of turning right onto the gravel bit we did, you start another climb up into the hills between Yankton (that little country store and school we passed early in the ride) and the town of Pittsburg down on 47. It's just a thousand miles of unnamed gravel roads up in there, mostly BLM. Mega adventures to be had.

but a fair bit of private homesteads and no shortage of squatters.. I'm sure people in them thar hills are just like people anywhere else, mostly good and not hostile. Shouldn't judge. But still... They make some really lightweight pistols these days.

At a minimum, I've started carrying mace strapped to my left wrist when I ride out that direction, just for the gnarly unfriendly unchained dogs

http://rs844.pbsrc.com/albums/ab6/bkb0000/IMG_03461_zpsiedmpnst.jpg?w=480&h=480&fit=clip

Dead Man,
We've been riding all those bits and pieces of gravel between the CZ Trail almost all the up to Clatskanie for years, way before gravel riding was a "thing" and never ever encountered a problem with "the locals" until we got closer to Clatskanie. We've seen more scary wildlife in that section to be honest including bear and cougar, lots of red fox, bobcats and literally a million coyotes. There are some great "roads" and I use that term loosely along with some challenging "mainlines" out that way. From the intersection of Scappoose-Vernonia Rd up 47 to Mist, everything in between there and back over to Hwy 30 is pretty sweet. Gotta use some route finding skills at times but there so many miles of gravel in that section you could ride all summer and not cover it all. There are a lot of dead ends which require backtracking but they're worth it AND it you scout Google earth closely you'll find that you can bushwhack some of the dead ends and reach another section of gravel road. The recent problem is Weyerhaeuser of course. Have fun up there and I'll bet you run into many more problem dogs then you do CoCobillies...but, if you do have a human problem please let me/us know anout it and the approx location so we can avoid.

[William]

If I can expand on your thread, I'm curious what tires people use when they have to ride on pavement in order to get to the gravel / dirt / fire roads. I'll ride 28 slicks on dry dirt and gravel, but that's only for short stretches. To do 30+ miles of potentially wet sloppy stuff will require a fatter tire with some tread, but I don't want to get too knobby because I need to travel at least 10 miles on paved surface streets. The last time I wiped out it was while turning a corner with cross tires on wet pavement.




For the last few years I've been running Club Roost XT Cross Tera 35's on the Zank. They have a sort of reversed tread in the center that run very smooth on pavement and meatier knobs on the outside to hookup when cornering in looser/muddier stuff. They work well on both. I do long road rides as well on them and I have no issues hanging with roadie buds...in fact they usually have trouble staying with me. :)






William

[SlowPokePete]

I have some dirt roads and the Old Croton Aqueduct near me, and there's also some nice gravel and dirt roads at Croton Point Park.

Quiet, few or no cars.

That is the main draw for me.



SPP

[sparky33]

for the folks who said they don't like gravel:
first, why did you respond to a why DO you like gravel thread?
...because discussions where we all have the same opinion are boring even if the discussion is about expressing the same opinion.

Second, why don't you like gravel? that's weird.
I'm with you, but I guess I wouldn't like pizza either if I had to eat it everyday.

[ColonelJLloyd]

...because discussions where we all have the same opinion are boring even if the discussion is about expressing the same opinion.


Touting your hardness by telling old stories of 19mm tires while poo-pooing gravel riding isn't adding much to a discussion. There have been some genuine wet-blanket "I don't like it and neither should you" comments in this thread. Fine sentiments, but a poor place to share them in my opinion.

[sparky33]

Touting your hardness by telling old stories of 19mm tires while poo-pooing gravel isn't much of a conversation. There have been some genuine wet-blanket "I don't like it and neither should you" comments in this thread. Fine sentiments, but a poor place to share them in my opinion.

Me? I've never even seen a 19mm tire.

[ColonelJLloyd]

Me? I've never even seen a 19mm tire.

No. This is what Mzillox was alluding to.

No textaholic, pot smokers.

The latter is certainly not mutually exclusive to gravel riding. Careful out there, there's reefer heads out on that gravel. I seent 'em.

[Bob Ross]

Can't say that there is a lot that I love about gravel.
I find that I love it most when its over.
Nuthin'.
I never could understand the draw to riding on gravel.

Well, I've found my Paceline soul-mates!

[William]

Life would be pretty boring if we all liked the same things....






William

[AngryScientist]

i spend most of my time in urban city settings. i love gravel because of the lower vehicle traffic, and the change of scenery. i see blacktop too often, a nicely groomed dirt or gravel road is a welcome sight for me.

[Tandem Rider]

I thought about DG's question a little bit more, and I think I can expand some more on what I said earlier.
For me, personally, cycling does a lot more than just ramp up my heart rate and give me a reason to buy a nice bike. Some seasons I'm out to get ready for racing. When I'm not racing or it's the off season its not about the watts. But even without racing, I still like to challenge myself, explore new roads, revisit past rides, try to find someplace I haven't ridden before etc.
There are inherent challenges to riding unpaved roads that aren't present on a paved road. Ever changing surface conditions, navigation, handling skills, food/water, mechanical problems etc all can be more difficult off pavement. Sometimes I ride MTB too, I think the variety keeps you fresh.

Ed's right, "as long as the pedals are turning " :)

[oldpotatoe]

I never could understand the draw to riding on gravel. I only do it because I have to in order to get to most places I want. Yeah maybe there is less traffic, not much traffic on my paved roads here anyway, but when a car does come by on gravel you got a good minute or two of huffing dust and blinking dirt particles out of your eyes.

I guess my favorite part about riding gravel is getting through it without a flat!

The same. Many dirt roads get so wash-board-y they are a real
Pita. None are really 'groomed', they just are and are at the mercy of the elements, at least around here. Most places I ride have low traffic, have shoulders and less beat-me-up so...ass-felt is fine for me. Plus, the object of the ride is the ride...if it's the same way as yesterday, that's ok. Every ride is different even when it's the same. Ymmv I guess.

[velotel]

Gravel sucks unless it’s embedded in asphalt. Which is, as I’ve said in the past, why I don’t call my bike a gravel bike. Why would I want to name a bike after something I detest. But since everyone seems to call them gravel bikes, that’s what they are apparently.

To answer the posted question as phrased, there’s little I love about gravel. The problem as I see it with the posted question is that gravel is not clearly defined. There are various assumptions hidden within.

Thus I’ll answer what to me is the real question behind the phrasing, why I enjoy riding dirt roads. Anyone who’s read some of my posts in the past on rides that included dirt roads has already seen, assuming they looked at the pictures, one of the primary reasons I ride dirt roads. They take me to gorgeous places I couldn’t get to otherwise on a bike. Places like the long, narrow, beautiful sort-of-plateau between the Cols of Aravis and Arepttaz, the Platau d’Emparis with its stunning views of La Meije across the valley, the sublime Strada dell’Assietta curling high across the mountains near the italian/french border, the wonderful loop over Arêches, Roselend, Pré, the remarkably steep and eyeball popping Col du Solude loop, the bloody hard Colle della Finestre, etc., etc.

None of those rides require a special fat-tired-road bike. I’ve ridden them with my normal road Eriksen wearing Veloflex 700x25s (which measure smaller), Vittoria 700x25 and 700x28 Pavés. Had a fine time with all of them. Such a fine time that I used to say I didn’t need a fat-tired road bike. Then my son and Kent Eriksen got together and decided that, yes, I did indeed need a fat-tired road bike.

They were right. Riding those places with my stoner bike currently wearing 700x37 WTB tubeless Riddlers is friggin awesome! More traction, much softer ride, and I’m way faster. Well, maybe not way faster in the uphills but still faster simply because of the vastly improved traction and the lovely cushion the tires provide as they squish, absorb, and roll over the stones and bedrock of the road.

Like David Kirk said, my dirt rides are always a mix of blacktop and dirt. The Arpettaz-Aravis Grand Traverse is 15 K of dirt out of 80 K, the Arêches loop has only 8 K of dirt in 100 K, the Solude loop is maybe 10-15% dirt the way I do it. The Strada dell’Assiettta loop I did was over 90% dirt, the Emparis ride pretty much the same. If those dirt roads were paved these would be some of the most popular cycling roads in Europe. The scenery is glorious and the roads sublime. But they’re dirt, sort of four-wheel roads only a 4x4 isn’t necessary, just a luxury. Otherwise everything is the same so why would any cyclist want to deny him or herself the pleasure of experiencing these places. These are rides as good as any you’ll ever find, and better than most. Period. Ignoring them is in my opinion insane, at least for anyone passionate for riding a road bike in beautiful places.

Outside of the raw beauty of where these dirt roads go, there’s the pleasure of riding dirt and rock roads. Riding pavement is easy. Just strength, endurance, gearing. If someone doesn’t get up a paved climb on a bike, it’s because he or she doesn’t have the gearing their strength requires for the grades. There is no technical challenge.

Dirt and rock roads can serve up massive challenge. Like another dimension. Picking the line, shifting weight for traction and steerage, balancing forces with the needs, using mental momentum to get through hard sections, etc., etc.

Then there’s the payoff, the exhilaration that explodes inside when I clean something I wasn’t sure of being able to pull off when I first saw it. If you’re not familiar with the verb combination of cleaning and riding, it’s not about giving your bike a bath; it’s about riding some section without dabbing, without putting a foot to ground. Comes from the world of rock climbing. Cleaning a climb means not using aid, and for the hard core of the hard core, without falling and redoing it.

Which isn’t to say that my objective in riding the dirt is searching out nasty roads that put my teeth on edge and force me to push whatever preconceived limits I’m hauling around that day. No way. I’m old enough that I don’t feel a need to prove anything, not that anyone is watching anyways. When I stumble across some dirt road that’s smooth as velvet, I’m all over it and grinning like an idiot. Like the road to the Plateau d’Emparis. The transition from black to brown was kind of insane, like the dirt was smoother and faster than the asphalt! I loved it. Same story, or sort of, when Maxn and I discovered this groove of a dirt road after climbing over some col neither one of us knew. The dirt was easy and gloriously fast in a valley of silence.

But gravel, as in the stuff road departments use instead of asphalt, forget it, not what I’m looking for. But yeah, I definitely ride gravel, the kind that’s pretty much the normal state of affairs on a dirt road. As in it rains and sand and gravel are washed out of the dirt and onto the road. That kind of gravel is just fine. But I still prefer packed dirt and exposed bedrock.

So, that’s why I enjoy riding dirt roads with a fat-tired road bike. More possibilities, more beauty, more challenge, more rushes, no traffic, and oh yea, since someone made a comment on the subject, it’s even easier to stop and burn a bowl along the way if so inspired.

Then there’s the edginess, being out somewhere a bit on the wild side, as in you go down and get hurt and there’s no guarantee someone’s going to come along and save your butt. You need to be, as much as is reasonably possible, prepared to take care of your own butt. I like that.

I also love the simplicity, the cleanliness of a fat-tired road, No suspension, no fluids to drain and refill, no shocks to adjust. They’re light, but heavier than a pure road bike, quick, and gorgeous.

For tires, fat and soft. Tubeless highly recommended because if you ride ‘em soft and do steep climbs, no worries about tire creep and ripping the valve stem from the tube. Ride ‘em as fat as your bike allows. Which for me is never going to be all that fat because as I said, my rides are always a mix of black and brown, and usually way more black than brown. Like I told Kent when he was drawing up my frame, I absolutely did not want the asphalt performance compromised. He delivered; the bike is a blast in all conditions and, outside of the fat tires probably being slower, not an iota of performance on pavement was lost.

Et voilà, just like that my options for where to ride were enormously increased and enhanced. Stoner bikes, or rather fat-tired road bikes since some people object to that term for various reasons, rule!

[kingpin75s]

just for the gnarly unfriendly unchained dogs


Everything except for above.

Give me busted B-roads, hills that look like walls and even head winds that want to push you back into the valley from where you came.

I like anything that separates the wheat from the chaff and the isolation and beauty that is often associated.

[William]

To VeloT's point: I take "Gravel Grinding" to be a wide range of off pavement roads and trails....not just gravel. Purely loose gravel would get old quick.








William

[Luwabra]

I've encountered a ridiculous number of gnarly froth mouth farm dogs. My best results honestly come when I skid the rear to a stop and stick my hand out in a very confident assertive manner. They don't know what the hell to do so they trot home. If you get bit please don't hold it against me

[Dead Man]

I guess I'll retroactively change the question to "what do you love about un-paved road riding?" All the unpaved roads around here are gravel, though.. so that's where my mind goes. Fortunately, the gravel is generally hardpack locally.. but when they lay fresh gravel it can be several-inch-deep loose basalt and very difficult to ride. Also, we have many different grades of gravel, depending on how deep into the woods you want to go. Our ride on Saturday varied from clean/smooth hardpack to softball-sized crawler rocks for logging. Got my first ever gravel puncture on the softball stuff, too... hit a patch at speed on clinchers (first time riding clinchers on gravel, also.. probably won't do that again) and pinch-flatted.

But to me, and my bros who also like adventure riding, these are challenges to be overcome.. and the stretches of ****ty riding just make the smooth sections that much more enjoyable.

I've encountered a ridiculous number of gnarly froth mouth farm dogs. My best results honestly come when I skid the rear to a stop and stick my hand out in a very confident assertive manner. They don't know what the hell to do so they trot home. If you get bit please don't hold it against me

Dudes here have posted a number of ticks and tricks for dealing with dogs. Shouting at them, talking nicely to them, getting off the bike and confronting them, etc.. I've personally found absolutely nothing that's consistent, and have tried all of the above. So mace it is, now. Haven't yet zapped a dog, but I know there's one in particular that's chased me really aggressively that's pretty much guaranteed to get it.

In fact, I really owe it to myself, the dog, and the owner to go stop by and tell the owner his dog is almost guartanteed to get pepper-sprayed in the face. Give the guy the benefit of the doubt that anyone can be civil. Maybe throw on some coyboy boots and jeans and take my most beat-up pickup truck, for country-cred.

[purpurite]

Simple reason—no cars. I'd rather deal with zombie walkers, horses, farm implements any day of the week. No cars. The single reason I built my bike for gravel riding.

[adrien]

One word: Adventure.

[merckx]

Leveraging the machine forward across roads like this is not unlike curling up to a hot cup of tea on a cold, rainy November afternoon. They will empty your soul, and then fill it up again for as long as air passes between the lips.

[spoonrobot]

If mountain biking is the pinnacle of cycling then the hierarchy is obviously as follows:

road biking->gravel biking->mountain biking

Around here the good gravel is in the Wildnerness areas. There's cars and people but they are few and far between. Everyone is a guest of the wilderness area and acts like it. The roads here are without owner and each interaction is friendly and easy.

[William]

Leveraging the machine forward across roads like this is not unlike curling up to a hot cup of tea on a cold, rainy November afternoon. They will empty your soul, and then fill it up again for as long as air passes between the lips.

Yes please!






William

[Tony]

Leveraging the machine forward across roads like this is not unlike curling up to a hot cup of tea on a cold, rainy November afternoon. They will empty your soul, and then fill it up again for as long as air passes between the lips.

This is what I chase.

[Vientomas]

A gravel road is a type of unpaved road surfaced with gravel that has been brought to the site from a quarry or stream bed. They are common in less-developed nations, and also in the rural areas of developed nations such as Canada and the United States. In New Zealand, and other Commonwealth countries, they may be known as 'metal roads'.[1][2] They may be referred to as 'dirt roads' in common speech, but that term is used more for unimproved roads with no surface material added. If well constructed and maintained, a gravel road is an all-weather road. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravel_road

A dirt road or track is a type of unpaved road made from the native material of the land surface through which it passes, known to highway engineers as subgrade material. Dirt roads are suitable for vehicles; a narrower path for pedestrians, animals, and possibly small vehicles would be called a dirt track—the distinction is not well-defined. Unpaved roads with a harder surface made by the addition of material such as gravel and aggregate (stones), might be referred to as dirt roads in common usage but are distinguished as improved roads by highway engineers. (Improved unpaved roads include gravel roads, laterite roads, murram roads and macadamized roads.)
Compared to a gravel road, a dirt road is not usually graded regularly to produce an enhanced camber to encourage rainwater to drain off the road, and drainage ditches at the sides may be absent. They are unlikely to have embankments through low-lying areas. This leads to greater waterlogging and erosion, and after heavy rain the road may be impassable even to off-road vehicles. For this reason, in some countries, such as Australia and New Zealand, they are known as dry-weather roads.

Dirt roads take on different characteristics according to the soils and geology where they pass, and may be sandy, stony, rocky or have a bare earth surface, which could be extremely muddy and slippery when wet, and baked hard when dry. They are likely to become impassable after rain. They are common in rural areas of many countries, often very narrow and infrequently used, and are also found in metropolitan areas of many developing countries, where they may also be used as major highways and have considerable width. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirt_road