pdxtex

Is there a dirt road/gravel grinder thread in any subforum? If not lets start one. discuss routes, set ups, etc....Id like to know what tires people are using for gravel roads at the moment? I was running conti cyclocross speeds for awhile but im searching for more robust sidewall and better tread for sharp gravel on two tracks and forest service roads....

buffalowings

you might be better served by the cyclocross section of the forum.

knobster

I love doing gravel riding. Fun stuff as long as it isn't too deep or the gravel isn't rocks... I use my Soma ES or sometimes take my old Trek 950 mountain bike. On the Soma I use 700x32 Gran Bois Cypress tires. Nice tires. I also use some Specialized Borough Armadillo's in 32mm. The Gran Bois tires are much faster on the street though.

Since you're in Portland, check this out: https://velodirt.com/ I don't ride with them, but I sure love to use their routes.

pdxtex

thats exactly what im trying to avoid. cyclocross is more akin to racing in wet grass and mud. id like to actually discuss long distance cycling on real dirt roads. i see the cross over between equipment but the road conditions are completely different.

pdxtex

^^^ill check that out (velodirt). right now all i ride is leif ericson trail and its ALL rocks for the most part. lots of sharp gravel washed out turns too. cyclocross tires are grippy but that rubber is too soft. i could see a massive sidewall disaster sweeping thru some of those turns at speed....

Steamer

https://ridinggravel.com/riding-gravel-forum.html

dtrain

Didn't know one could just declare their thread a mega-thread.

Roosterbird

https://gravelgrindernews.com


https://transiowa.blogspot.com

pdxtex

gotta think big!

Darth Lefty 

"Gravel bike" just seems to be new marketing lingo for the "CX commuter" bikes that have lately been growing disk brakes. Am I wrong?

hueyhoolihan

ya, a little cheeky, i thought. but i'm okay with it. no doubt a glass half-full guy!

there is nothing, it seems, as smooth as riding on good hardpan. two-track hardpan . i'd ride it all the time if i could.

pdxtex

yeah i dunno, im sure some marketing wonk came up with that name but yeah, gravel bikes and cross bikes as far as i can tell are pretty much the same thing minus the tires some tweaks in geometry. cross courses are more akin to a wet farm pasture then a west coast gravel fireroad though...

zymphad

Why are you posting CX in a road forum. CX isn't just racing.... I ride a road racing style bike but I don't race. Makes little sense to ride 23-25 tires on gravel and hurt your butt with road bike. Also likely weaken the frame ove time, especially fork. Even Roubaix is unsuitable for gravel. Eh, whatever.

Jakedatc

https://www.bikeforums.net/forumdispl...ing-Discussion

pdxtex

ahhh see, because A, not all roads are made of asphalt! and B, not all bikes ridden on roads not of asphalt are cyclocross bikes! its a slippery slope but dont overthink it. if you want to call it the "Zombie apocalypse, long distance, now bombed out road going, feral dog avoiding bicycle thread" that would be fine too. id like to assemble that build.

hairnet

I will be doing this ride in March https://www.alightthatnevergoesout.com/?p=404. While advertised as CX, I don't take it entirely as such. I like to ride fire roads on my road bike with 28mm tires and I will soon have a decently light old steel touring bike ready to go for mixed road/off road rides. I was calling it underbiking before I noticed gravel grinding taking off, but it seems to be a different animal. This touring bike will have diamond file tread tires, so I won't really be underbiking anymore.

halfspeed

Gravel roads are roads, cyclocross is off road, this is the road forum.

zymphad

Cyclocross is gravel road, mud, dirt, sand, and even rough paved road. Gravel would definitely be included with CX. You honestly saying if you ride gravel a lot you wouldn't buy a CX with 28-32 tyres and disc brakes? C'mon, this is a CX thread, admit it, this is not road, this is CX.

buffalowings

let me have some of what you're smoking, haha

pdxtex

see, in 19 posts this thread has already gone to pot but thats exactly what i was expecting. but you see the dilemma. is it a road bike or a cyclocross bike??? oooga booga, who cares, its a "bicycle of typical road geometry" being ridden on a rough unpaved road. id like people to discuss what they feel are good setups for said adventure, or what they personally use. also look up l'eroica, non believers. tons of geezers ride the **** out of road bikes on gravel every year!

halfspeed

WTF is so hard to understand about ROAD cycling on gravel ROADS?

halfspeed

#ffs . Cyclocross is a form OFF ROAD bicycle racing.

knobster

I've done part of this on my motorcycle, but there are a lot of gates so I've been wanting to do it via bicycle. And it ends at the coast. https://velodirt.com/portfolio/north-trask/

Too many people out at Forest Park for my liking. Thought about using a mountain bike for this purpose? This is exactly why I bought my old vintage Trek 950.

Yeah, this is why I also use the Specialized tires I mentioned. They have some great flat protection but are actually quite light. Not cheap though.

zymphad

You want to admit people buy CX bikes to ride gravel. You want to admit it, just being stubborn.

And you are wrong, you don't have to race CX to buy a CX bike and post in CX forum. That would be too logical eh?

knobster

Wow, talk about narrow minded. He didn't say anything about using 23-25 tires... He's asking what others are using. I run 32's on one of my bikes, it's not a cyclocross or touring bike, it's a road bike. Does gravel roads just fine thank you very much.