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#1
11-13-2024, 06:08 AM
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Gravel Riding in Coastal Areas?
I have tried this on a hard tailed mountain bike with very mixed results. Inevitably, I hit a pocket of deep loose sand and down I go. Not a big deal as I am usually going much slower than the guy in the video and the landing is soft.
Although the scenery is beautiful, I have found that I am so concentrated on not taking a major header that I barely have time to look up. Any tips on tire adjustments/brands for increased stability, or riding technique? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tyvP5eU6xA 
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#3
11-13-2024, 07:57 AM
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It’s all about reading the surface and picking your line.
The video isn’t high resolution enough to assess the sand quality but if you watch carefully he is constantly moving left/right to find the firmer part of the trail, often right on the edge of the sand/vegetation line. Sandy trails are no different than rock gardens except suspension doesn’t help in sand, there is no real cheat to just blast through it. If there was a cheat it’s just riding a fat bike, but even there all of the techniques are still required, it’s just a question of higher limits. IMO this is more challenging on a gravel bike than a well setup MTB/ATB although modern ones have changed geometry and are probably better than old ones. The main bike related item is not to have excessive weight on the front wheel and to shift your weight back in the saddle as you hit the deep sand so the front wheel stays light. Uphill your weigh shifts back naturally and then the main challenge is finding the line with the most traction. The real tricky stuff is sudden transitions to deep sand on flat or descending terrain as you need to be careful not to hit the transitions to fast with the speed you built on firm terrain. As soon as you hit the sand you can’t put power down the same, so the bike slows, which shifts your weight forwards, puts excessive weight on the front tire, and you plow sand and crash/dab/walk. The trick if you can’t see a firm line is to judge the right speed where you can transition into the sand just right and yet carry enough speed. In short sandy sections like in this video if you do it right you blast through at a speed you couldn’t actually sustain if the sand patch was longer. If you actually live in a place like Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, or the Cape a fat bike should be in your garage IMO. They are super fun there because every trail that gets any erosion turns into these intermittent beach sand sections. The cross video looks like artificially trucked in sand that is coarser and wetter than the cape and islands but if you watch the steep downhill it’s indeed a textbook perfect example of the technique, they’re scooting back with straight arms and just skating down with max weight on the rear wheel. Cross or XC is slightly different than solo riding though as the huge # of riders cause ruts to form so better lines develop really quickly and the top racers exploit that. It’s one of the things that makes it so interesting to watch. Last edited by benb; 11-13-2024 at 08:11 AM.
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#4
11-13-2024, 11:04 AM
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Get a fat bike
 I really dislike riding my gravel bike on sand. Not only do I find it not enjoyable, but there is also the cleanup where I feel like fine sand ends up everywhere  Quote:
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#5
11-13-2024, 11:21 AM
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Yup, it's a thing. You just have to weigh whether it's worth it.
I've had to deal with this on Cape Cod. There is a ton of trails on the lower Cape that are an absolute blast on a gravel bike, except for some of the dips are sandy enough that I end up walking. They are infrequent enough, though, that the riding is well worth it. The Michigan UP was frustrating enough that I gave up riding trails, mostly. I hit more sand than I wanted to deal with. Just look ahead and if you see sand, get your weight back. If it's a beach, just walk.
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#6
11-13-2024, 11:26 AM
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The fine sand gets in your fat bike too.
I have already had the Mastodon on my Farley overhauled after 2 years, getting sand in it on the Cape was definitely part of that. I would still not trade it for one without a suspension fork though.. the suspension fork makes it way more generally useful for a NE chunky rock/root environment. The ecosystem on Cape Cod that causes this is pretty interesting.. it's like there's a deep layer of sand with a thin layer of topsoil & vegetation on top. As soon as a trail erodes a certain amount the surface becomes sand and you get these really nasty spots. The crazy ones are the ones that get illegal dirt bike activity. I've been down trails on the fat bike down there where I could keep riding up the hill but the dirt bike guys have cut such a deep trench into that deep sand that I can't pedal cause the trench is two feet deep or more and my feet hit the sides so I have to get off and walk.
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#7
11-13-2024, 04:58 PM
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Quote:
Squirt chain lube is the ticket. It is a dry wax-based lube that does not collect sand or fine dust. Conventional wet lubricants are horribly good at attracting sand. What is a good camera for this sort of thing? It would be fun to share some places. Last edited by sparky33; 11-13-2024 at 05:06 PM.
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#8
11-13-2024, 05:06 PM
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I ride in the desert through Sandy patches and washes, which are cat litter-like. I typically run the biggest tire my fork will clear and shift my weight back when I ride through loose stuff. Like others have said, you have to pick your line, work the edges, and keep your upper body loose with relaxed elbows.
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