Regular Road Bikes for Gravel Road Races
 

Does anyone use a regular road bike for a Gravel Road Race? or would the BB not have enough clearance? or do many just use regular road bikes with Cross tires? would the frame be durable enough for long term gravel? etc? thanks

I use a road bike for a 105 mile road race with 20+ miles of gravel. I wouldn't use one for a race that was completely on gravel; too little clearance at the fork and chain/seat stays for accumulated crud.

It all depends on the conditions and what you have as a road bike. Ultra-lightweight CF with just enough clearance for 25mm tires probably isn't your best choice. If you have good packed gravel roads and dry conditions, a fairly rugged road bike with 28s will do just fine. If you are looking at sandy, loose roads or getting off road on single track, you are going to want more tire and possibly lower gearing. If you're headed for brutal backroads full of gut gelling washboard and gravel resembling railroad ballast, you need something tough with some serious tires.

I have a cro-mo frame/CF fork road bike that will just barely fit 28s and I'd only use it for short distances on good gravel. My all-rounder in its gravel configuration is a 700c 1990s cro-mo hybrid with Deore and LX components, handbuilt tough wheels, and beefy 40mm Schwalbe Smart Sams. Even then I can find some minimum maintenance roads and deer trails (rural MN single track) that make me want my real MTB. Gravel road races/rides are popping up all over and range from pleasant rides on well maintained country roads to survival challenges on barely existent fire trails that would trip a mountain goat. Most of the ones around MN and ND are well suited to CX, Gravel Bikes, 29er hardtails, or beefed up gravel mutts like mine. Some road bikes might be a bit out of their element, but the best way to judge is to scout the course and try out a few sections on the bike you intend to ride.

Hi there The race i am going on is in Minnesota out of Two Harbours, called the Heck of thE North. I was told the majority have ridden on Cross bikes, with some on mt and fat bikes. right now i prob use my fat bike, as my road bikes are CF and wouldn't want them on dirt roads for very long. So i was just wondering what is best option, i could use my old road bike, but i may be at handicap on mt bike, but more sturdy, hmm will be interesting i guess

CF is fine for gravel. The biggest problem is clearance for fat enough tires. 23s are doable, but sketchy and harsh.

There is about 10 miles of atv/snowmobile trail on the Heck. I did it on my fatbike last year. Also water crossings and if it rains lots of mud. You wouldn't want to show up in road shoes and 25mm tires. Mostly cross bikes with some mountain and fat bikes at the starting line. Lots of older steel with room for wider nobby tires run those events. My cross bike is CF and I'm not worried about it for a gravel event but a fancy CF pure road bike probably wouldn't like the washboard, rocks, and dirt.

Thanks Brougham now i have confidence in this event. i am just going to use my mt bike for it. sounds like a fun event and the course being unmarked be interesting, should be fun.

My road bike with 25s is fine for a mile or so of deep gravel, more than that for hard packed dirt or chat, but the novelty wears out pretty quick. My CX bike with 32s is a lot more comfortable, manageable, and fun.

I haven't raced it on gravel but do ride gravel with my Lemond. 32mm up front and 30mm out back. Don't worry about crud buildup much but haven't had it out on a muddy day yet.

Pics I see from local 50/50 paved/gravel races show a lotta guys just running 28mm road tires. And I ride a bit of gravel on one of my routes with the 28mm tires on the Scapin, works out fine, just gotta slow for curves a bit more.

What type of set up have you guys done for a gravel road race/ the heck of the north. On my mt bike, just using 2 bottle cages, 2 large bottles and small saddle bag for extra tube and tools. and i will use my camelbak for more water and gels and one more tube, i think i should be ok for an unassisted event
what have all you done? or use

There is a drop bag service you can use on the Heck (Drop Bags/Support | Heck Of The North) It comes around mile 60. I carry three bottles with me and gels, and have a couple liters and more gels in the drop bag. Also suggest dry socks in the drop bag. Your feet WILL get wet.

I really gotta get some 32's for my road bike on gravel.

I don't like crashing at my advanced age and you wouldn't catch me on significant miles of gravel on less than 3X mm wide tires. I do my driveway hill on 25's and it sucks. Skinny tires want to dig in, and want to catch any little groove, too. Most road bikes won't clear above a 28mm (if that); hence all the cross bikes. I do have a road bike that clears big tires... currently running 35's I think... and is light-years better on any kind of softer surface.

Depends on the course and conditions. In June, I rode the Westside Dirty Benjamin, west of the Twin Cities. It was pouring rain and had been very wet spring. The course took us through some mountain bike trails and other very muddy tracks. I did fine with my set-up: Kona Dew Drop with disc brakes. I saw people with rim brakes and fenders stopped at the exit of the trail sections clearing the muck out of their brakes/fenders. I was able to just hit the road and throw chunks of mud everywhere (kinda fun).

If you have a dry day and are on all gravel, a road bike would be fine (IMO), but I would have been DEAD with my true road bike (Felt Z85) for this event.

For tires, I rode what I have on the bike (700x28 Panaracer T-Serv) and they were totally fine for the gravel, but I did walk some of the trail sections for lack of traction.

Here's how the bike looked after the ride, mind you much of the heavy muck fell off riding and driving it home on the roof rack.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-y...103111_434.jpg



https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-O...103358_344.jpg

Now that I see this, I would not recommend a road bike. I know people that ride The Heck of the North and you will have some tough off road trails. I don't think I'd use my Kona for this ride, I'd most likely be riding the SS MTB. Have fun with the ride and post an update after. I plan to add this event to my calendar, but it's not happening this year.

It really depends upon the road. "Gravel" is a catch-all word for extremely variable road conditions. Here in the Northeast, our dirt roads are mostly just that - packed dirt, often with a loose top layer of sand and gravel. Conditions vary depending upon weather, how much traffic the roads see and how recently they have been maintained, but they are typically very rideable and quite smooth on 23 or 25mm tires, though they might be quite exciting at high speeds. I've also ridden on gravel roads in the mountains of north Georgia, which seem to have much bigger chunks of gravel on the surface, these are also rideable on road tires, but they are much less comfortable and much slower. Other roads, such as those traversed by the Dirty Kanza, are reputedly all but impassable on 23mm road tires, and I believe that.

Road races with long stretches of dirt, such as the Tour of the Battenkill, are typically contested on normal road bikes with normal tires. But the total distance of dirt roads covered in races like this is usually not all that great - about 25% of Battenkill is on dirt, the rest on normal paved roads. "Gravel races" tend to be almost entirely on dirt or gravel roads, and even if they are smooth you will probably be much happier on 32mm tires or bigger.