Can somebody please explain gravel riding to me?
03-03-21, 02:23 PM
#76
Junior Member
"Technique beats technology. Any bike, anywhere. Cast off artificial limitations, learn to ride any bike anywhere, and your riding world will become bigger and more diverse every time you go out. Then, at least, you'll be limited by your own abilities, not by the artificial restraints imposed upon you by the bike industry vocabulary." Chris Kostman
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03-03-21, 03:53 PM
#77
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The gravel bike is a true "Swiss Army Knife" for cycling. One day I can be out with my roadie friends, keeping up with them on cushy tubeless 38c's, and the next I'll be bombing a dirt trail and passing up full squish MTB's on climbs where they clearly brought a gun to a knife fight. Gravel her in So. CA ranges from dirt singletrack to DG crusted horse trails. The beauty of the gravel bike is that it allows leave my garage, ride the paved roads for a few miles to the wonderful trails along the river. Once there, I"m free of traffic, other riders, and most people!
That gravel looks really comfy.
03-03-21, 06:20 PM
#78
Full Member
It is! We call it "YouTube Gravel", smooth as tarmac and near perfect after a rain that results in dust free conditions. That's our Decomposed Granite trail that runs along the river. Only 3.5 miles long, but it connects me to lots of other dirt trails down in the riverbed.
03-03-21, 10:06 PM
#79
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I quote my father, who made it clear that science trumps god! "Gravel is god's way of punishing you for stealing". I couldn't challenge him at that moment. Being 9 years old and getting punched in the mouth would have just aggravated the 40 missing layers of skin on my leg from being forced off the road into an eventual gravel slide.
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03-03-21, 11:36 PM
#80
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"Technique beats technology. Any bike, anywhere. Cast off artificial limitations, learn to ride any bike anywhere, and your riding world will become bigger and more diverse every time you go out. Then, at least, you'll be limited by your own abilities, not by the artificial restraints imposed upon you by the bike industry vocabulary." Chris Kostman
Don't know who he is, but its an interesting idea. Reality is that 99% of us have limitations in strength, or balance, or endurance, or risk, etc to learn to ride any bike anywhere better than purpose designed bikes ridden for their purpose.
I dont know why I would learn to ride a Walmart princess bike on downhill MTB tracks in Snowmass.
I dobt know why I would learn to ride a full suspension enduro bike on 50mi road rides.
I guess I could learn technique to get the most out of those bikes, or I could have fun in my limited time and just use the bike that best designed for the job.
I will always be limited by my own abilities, regardless of what bile I choose for a given type of riding.
03-04-21, 04:06 PM
#81
Junior Member
03-04-21, 04:09 PM
#82
Junior Member
I stole a hand held air horn. The ones you attach to a air canister. My dad made me go back to the store and admit my thievery and return the item. Which I did, in bandages from my gravel introduction. No my bike was not my getaway vehicle.
03-05-21, 09:16 AM
#83
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For me it is mostly riding on crushed stone paths. We have a lot of miles of them around here. Road bike doesn’t really like them. I just have 30mm cross tires. Lots of nice scenic rides.
03-05-21, 04:19 PM
#84
Junior Member
I stole a hand held air horn. The ones you attach to a air canister. My dad made me go back to the store and admit my thievery and return the item. Which I did, in bandages from my gravel introduction. No my bike was not my getaway vehicle.
