Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > General Cycling Discussion
Reload this Page >

Please help me understand gravel riding?

Notices
General Cycling Discussion Have a cycling related question or comment that doesn't fit in one of the other specialty forums? Drop on in and post in here! When possible, please select the forum above that most fits your post!

Please help me understand gravel riding?

Old 09-12-20, 09:13 PM
  #1  
IGH_Only
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 61
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 77 Post(s)
Liked 24 Times in 12 Posts
Please help me understand gravel riding?

I get what gravel bikes are and what their purpose is (I think). And I get that some people live in areas (and driveways) where gravel is used for paving over dirt so they ride on gravel. What I'm confused about is that there appear to be people who ride specifically on gravel for enjoyment??? Is that correct? And if so, why?
IGH_Only is offline  
Old 09-12-20, 09:22 PM
  #2  
Marcus_Ti
FLIR Kitten to 0.05C
 
Marcus_Ti's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska
Posts: 5,331

Bikes: Roadie: Seven Axiom Race Ti w/Chorus 11s. CX/Adventure: Carver Gravel Grinder w/ Di2

Mentioned: 30 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2349 Post(s)
Liked 406 Times in 254 Posts
It depends on where you live....In these parts:

A) You get away from the traffic and noise and suicide of riding on roads.

B) You Have FAR more choices of where to go

C) You find far more stuff

Here in Lancaster County....if you limit yourself (as many do) to riding only on paved roads with shoulders....well....there are 5 roads (well they're State Highways) in the entire county you can ride on. They're 70+MPH speed limits and high traffic....loud, crowded, stressful....and not fun.

Here in Nebraska...most non-city-limit roads, are unpaved. By mileage. Said another way, most roads are not paved unless it is a highway (and most of those don't have a shoulder).
Marcus_Ti is offline  
Likes For Marcus_Ti:
Old 09-12-20, 09:36 PM
  #3  
Koyote
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 7,766
Mentioned: 37 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6882 Post(s)
Liked 10,873 Times in 4,637 Posts
Riding gravel means you get to buy another bike.
Koyote is online now  
Old 09-12-20, 09:40 PM
  #4  
genejockey 
Klaatu..Verata..Necktie?
 
genejockey's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 17,656

Bikes: Litespeed Ultimate, Ultegra; Canyon Endurace, 105; Battaglin MAX, Chorus; Bianchi 928 Veloce; Ritchey Road Logic, Dura Ace; Cannondale R500 RX100; Schwinn Circuit, Sante; Lotus Supreme, Dura Ace

Mentioned: 41 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10244 Post(s)
Liked 11,597 Times in 5,944 Posts
I think it probably depends on where you live. Where I live now, I'm not sure there are that many pleasant gravel roads that aren't fire roads or singletrack best done on MTBs, but where I grew up in rural PA, there were dirt roads and farm trails that would be fun to ride and would give you more roads to ride. And other parts of the country probably have even more.
__________________
"Don't take life so serious-it ain't nohow permanent."

"Everybody's gotta be somewhere." - Eccles
genejockey is online now  
Likes For genejockey:
Old 09-12-20, 10:19 PM
  #5  
Russ Roth
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: South Shore of Long Island
Posts: 2,762

Bikes: 2010 Carrera Volans, 2015 C-Dale Trail 2sl, 2017 Raleigh Rush Hour, 2017 Blue Proseccio, 1992 Giant Perigee, 80s Gitane Rallye Tandem

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1073 Post(s)
Liked 999 Times in 710 Posts
Kinda like fat bikes to me, really fun to have if you have places that are just meant for that kind of bike. My gravel bike is really set up as a bikepacking bike and much of what I've toured with it has been rail trail that isn't always paved so perfect use.
Though just today my wife discovered that there's cheap fat tire bikes that she'd like to get so we can go ride the beaches in the off season around here without worrying about the sand ruining quality parts. Hard to argue with her on it.
Russ Roth is offline  
Likes For Russ Roth:
Old 09-12-20, 10:22 PM
  #6  
Mulberry20
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 733
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 440 Post(s)
Liked 199 Times in 136 Posts
It is a brilliant marketing concept. Back in the day, I rode throughout the northeast on unpaved roads on a beater bike because who in their right mind would take something nice on a road where rocks pelted the frame and dirt got in your gears. Mountain bikers do that but gravel bikes are marketed to road bike people.

So it’s brilliant because people scared of cars now have a nice new cycling segment. Thoughts of quiet pastoral trails, nature sightings and fun picnics. In reality though, gravel biking is really boring. Seriously the rides are short and slow with none of the challenge and sport of mountain biking.

Not that I didn’t have fun, but I can’t imagine spending the type of coin people spend on these bikes, thousands even $10,000 or more for a bike to ride slowly on a dirt road for a few miles.

I simply don’t get it but apparently when people hear “gravel bike” they get all hot and bothered when in reality some piece of crap bike is what you need and not a carbon, or custom made steel or titanium bike. Its absurd.

The fad will fade soon I am sure.
Mulberry20 is offline  
Likes For Mulberry20:
Old 09-12-20, 10:44 PM
  #7  
Toadmeister
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: Iowa
Posts: 682

Bikes: 2021 Salsa Fargo 1x12, 2019 Jamis Renegade Exploit 1x11. Motobacne NX Fat Tire

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 198 Post(s)
Liked 332 Times in 170 Posts
GrAvel bike is just a name. Something like “all road bike” might be a better description but doesn’t sound as sexy.

Gravel racing and events are also a nice grass-roots change from the highly structured, often elitist, road racing crowd. So you could say it’s a bit of a counter-culture movement.
Toadmeister is offline  
Likes For Toadmeister:
Old 09-12-20, 11:18 PM
  #8  
Litespud
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Chapel Hill NC
Posts: 1,683

Bikes: 2000 Litespeed Vortex Chorus 10, 1995 DeBernardi Cromor S/S

Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 645 Post(s)
Liked 797 Times in 446 Posts
I see gravel riding as non-technical mountain biking - not so many roots and rocks, more fire roads. Actually sounds pretty good - mountain biking lite
Litespud is offline  
Old 09-12-20, 11:23 PM
  #9  
tomato coupe
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 5,879

Bikes: Colnago, Van Dessel, Factor, Cervelo, Ritchey

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3905 Post(s)
Liked 7,181 Times in 2,905 Posts
Originally Posted by Mulberry20
Not that I didn’t have fun, but I can’t imagine spending the type of coin people spend on these bikes, thousands even $10,000 or more for a bike to ride slowly on a dirt road for a few miles.
I didn't buy a gravel bike to ride slowly on a dirt road for a few miles. On my last outing, I covered 123 miles and topped out at 44 mph.
tomato coupe is offline  
Likes For tomato coupe:
Old 09-12-20, 11:49 PM
  #10  
HTupolev
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Seattle
Posts: 4,261
Mentioned: 41 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1971 Post(s)
Liked 1,297 Times in 629 Posts
Originally Posted by Mulberry20
It is a brilliant marketing concept. Back in the day, I rode throughout the northeast on unpaved roads on a beater bike because who in their right mind would take something nice on a road where rocks pelted the frame and dirt got in your gears.
I can’t imagine spending the type of coin people spend on these bikes, thousands even $10,000 or more
I simply don’t get it but apparently when people hear “gravel bike” they get all hot and bothered when in reality some piece of crap bike is what you need and not a carbon, or custom made steel or titanium bike. Its absurd.
Because some people like riding nice bikes, regardless of whether or not the ride makes the bike dirty. You can ride paved roads just fine on a piece of crap bike, and you can go mountain biking on a piece of crap bike. But people buy nice bikes for those disciplines. Graveling is hardly much different.

Yes, gravel riding wears parts faster than road riding does. But most of the folks dropping $10,000 on gravel bikes aren't going to be stricken with sticker shock when they learn that a new Dura-Ace chain will set them back $45.

Thoughts of quiet pastoral trails, nature sightings and fun picnics. In reality though, gravel biking is really boring. Seriously the rides are short and slow with none of the challenge and sport of mountain biking.
If the rides are too short and slow for your tastes, why not go on longer and faster ones? I don't see how "short and slow" makes any logical sense as a criticism to direct at a cycling discipline.

If you simply don't like the roads in your area, then I guess that's a bummer and would certainly stifle the interest. The thing about gravel cycling is that it varies dramatically by area, depending on what kinds of gravel roads actually exist, what sort of terrain they go through, how they interact with the paved road network, etc. My regional gravel roads are mostly mountainous and have no shortage of "nature sightings." (And if you're inclined to descend aggressively, the double-track roads can provide plenty of challenge on a gravel bike.)

HTupolev is online now  
Old 09-13-20, 02:48 AM
  #11  
Maelochs
Senior Member
 
Maelochs's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 15,453

Bikes: 2015 Workswell 066, 2017 Workswell 093, 2014 Dawes Sheila, 1983 Cannondale 500, 1984 Raleigh Olympian, 2007 Cannondale Rize 4, 2017 Fuji Sportif 1 LE

Mentioned: 144 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7628 Post(s)
Liked 3,453 Times in 1,823 Posts
So many people being so negative about others doing things they don't like to do themselves. Kind of small-minded, IMO.

"Why gravel riding? is the same sort of question as "Why ride MTB?' Or fatbike, or downhill, or CX or roads .... why ride a bike at all?

Glad to see some folks actually bothered to answer the ... somewhat less thoughtful objections.

If there had been an internet back then ... there would have been threads upon threads of people laughing at those repack idiots burning out the bearings on their balloon-tire Schwinns riding down mountains. A passing phase obviously ....... off-road riding will fade away pretty soon ......
Maelochs is offline  
Old 09-13-20, 04:45 AM
  #12  
CAT7RDR
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Hacienda Hgts
Posts: 2,083

Bikes: 1999 Schwinn Peloton Ultegra 10, Kestrel RT-1000 Ultegra, Trek Marlin 6 Deore 29'er

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 811 Post(s)
Liked 1,946 Times in 936 Posts
I have yet to gravel ride specifically but I can see the allure. Some of the pics posted on BF are nothing short of epic! The scenery alone is worth consideration. I do not see myself buying another bike as I do not have local dirt/gravel roads that impress me. The local mountains are better suited for MTB's and there are paved roads in the mountains that offer plenty of choices for scenery.
CAT7RDR is offline  
Likes For CAT7RDR:
Old 09-13-20, 05:16 AM
  #13  
billyymc
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,365
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 286 Post(s)
Liked 125 Times in 58 Posts
Originally Posted by Mulberry20
So it’s brilliant because people scared of cars now have a nice new cycling segment. Thoughts of quiet pastoral trails, nature sightings and fun picnics. In reality though, gravel biking is really boring. Seriously the rides are short and slow with none of the challenge and sport of mountain biking.
I have to disagree.

First, I ride my gravel bike because it gets me away from traffic and houses and people sure - but not because I'm afraid of riding around cars.

Second, if you think gravel biking is boring you aren't doing it right. Yes it's absolutely slower than road riding so if you want to crank out miles fast definitely it's not what you want. But as for challenge - come ride with me, and I guarantee you will be challenged. Not all "gravel" roads are the same - not all smooth well groomed gravel. Some are dual truck tracks and can be quite gnarly. Some surprisingly dont' exist when you try and ride them. Some can be flooded mud pits. The climbing can be brutally hard, and at times the descents are just as hard.

Here's a ride I did around this time last year. I think you'd find it challenging: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/39689491

I had planned to ride an even more challenging route next week, but an IT band injury is forcing me to postpone it to next year.
billyymc is offline  
Likes For billyymc:
Old 09-13-20, 05:21 AM
  #14  
wolfchild
Banned
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Mississauga/Toronto, Ontario canada
Posts: 8,721

Bikes: I have 3 singlespeed/fixed gear bikes

Mentioned: 30 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4227 Post(s)
Liked 2,488 Times in 1,286 Posts
Originally Posted by IGH_Only
I get what gravel bikes are and what their purpose is (I think). And I get that some people live in areas (and driveways) where gravel is used for paving over dirt so they ride on gravel. What I'm confused about is that there appear to be people who ride specifically on gravel for enjoyment??? Is that correct? And if so, why?
Riding off road is fun and provides a new type of challenge. We have too much pavement around us and hitting some dirt or gravel is a lot of fun. It's also an opportunity to get out and enjoy nature.
wolfchild is offline  
Old 09-13-20, 05:33 AM
  #15  
Kapusta
Advanced Slacker
 
Kapusta's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 6,187

Bikes: Soma Fog Cutter, Surly Wednesday, Canfielld Tilt

Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2749 Post(s)
Liked 2,516 Times in 1,422 Posts
Gravel bikes are just road bikes that don’t suck on gravel/dirt roads.

The baffling question fo me is not why someone would buy a bike that works great on a variety of road surfaces, but rather why someone would buy a bike that does not.

The reason me and all my riding friends now ride “gravel” bikes is not due to a love of gravel itself, but for quite roads with little traffic.... which around here often involve dirt, gravel, and poorly maintained pavement.

Last edited by Kapusta; 09-13-20 at 05:39 AM.
Kapusta is offline  
Old 09-13-20, 05:46 AM
  #16  
livedarklions
Tragically Ignorant
 
livedarklions's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: New England
Posts: 15,613

Bikes: Serotta Atlanta; 1994 Specialized Allez Pro; Giant OCR A1; SOMA Double Cross Disc; 2022 Allez Elite mit der SRAM

Mentioned: 62 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8186 Post(s)
Liked 9,094 Times in 5,053 Posts
Originally Posted by Mulberry20
It is a brilliant marketing concept. Back in the day, I rode throughout the northeast on unpaved roads on a beater bike because who in their right mind would take something nice on a road where rocks pelted the frame and dirt got in your gears. Mountain bikers do that but gravel bikes are marketed to road bike people.

So it’s brilliant because people scared of cars now have a nice new cycling segment. Thoughts of quiet pastoral trails, nature sightings and fun picnics. In reality though, gravel biking is really boring. Seriously the rides are short and slow with none of the challenge and sport of mountain biking.

Not that I didn’t have fun, but I can’t imagine spending the type of coin people spend on these bikes, thousands even $10,000 or more for a bike to ride slowly on a dirt road for a few miles.

I simply don’t get it but apparently when people hear “gravel bike” they get all hot and bothered when in reality some piece of crap bike is what you need and not a carbon, or custom made steel or titanium bike. Its absurd.

The fad will fade soon I am sure.

Short distances? Not necessarily. Rail trails can be hundreds of miles long. With the right tires, I was cruising one at about 17 mph for about 70 miles--Northern Rail Trail, NH.
livedarklions is offline  
Likes For livedarklions:
Old 09-13-20, 05:53 AM
  #17  
wolfchild
Banned
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Mississauga/Toronto, Ontario canada
Posts: 8,721

Bikes: I have 3 singlespeed/fixed gear bikes

Mentioned: 30 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4227 Post(s)
Liked 2,488 Times in 1,286 Posts
Riding on gravel and dirt for recreation has been around for a long time. Only a troll would ask a question why people do it. It's obvious that OP and some other posters feel bothered by how and where other people choose to ride and he is just trying to stir things up.
wolfchild is offline  
Likes For wolfchild:
Old 09-13-20, 06:11 AM
  #18  
Kapusta
Advanced Slacker
 
Kapusta's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 6,187

Bikes: Soma Fog Cutter, Surly Wednesday, Canfielld Tilt

Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2749 Post(s)
Liked 2,516 Times in 1,422 Posts
Originally Posted by Mulberry20

Not that I didn’t have fun, but I can’t imagine spending the type of coin people spend on these bikes, thousands even $10,000 or more for a bike to ride slowly on a dirt road for a few miles.
What floors me is how much some people spend on pavement-only bikes that can’t even clear a set of 32s and greatly limit where you can ride.
Kapusta is offline  
Likes For Kapusta:
Old 09-13-20, 06:20 AM
  #19  
Marcus_Ti
FLIR Kitten to 0.05C
 
Marcus_Ti's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska
Posts: 5,331

Bikes: Roadie: Seven Axiom Race Ti w/Chorus 11s. CX/Adventure: Carver Gravel Grinder w/ Di2

Mentioned: 30 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2349 Post(s)
Liked 406 Times in 254 Posts
Originally Posted by wolfchild
Riding on gravel and dirt for recreation has been around for a long time. Only a troll would ask a question why people do it. It's obvious that OP and some other posters feel bothered by how and where other people choose to ride and he is just trying to stir things up.
From the flip side....Just to play devil's advocate. Much of the rising popularity of 'gravel riding' was in direct reaction to the ludicrous expense of road riding equipment and rides, and anyone could do it just about anywhere suitably rural enough.....which brings us to 2019 (last time most rides occurred), and the bikes have become as-expensive and the rides more-expensive than road rides while having less amenities, and the rides are getting filled with people who ride 40 hours/week. IOW, it has become exactly the thing it was a reaction against.

Last year Gravel World's was asking for $100USD to ride. For 1 day. With NO support, no SAG, no wrenching. On open public roads. $100 got you a bib and a bit of swag, and that is it. Which is nuts. Dirty Kanza is worse.

Which, ofc, to be completely fair....the bikes don't need to be that expensive...and organized rides are, well, what they are--and you can enjoy riding on your own.


I once heard a CXer characterize gravel riding as: as long as a road ride, on practically CX surfaces, without any amenities.
Marcus_Ti is offline  
Likes For Marcus_Ti:
Old 09-13-20, 06:30 AM
  #20  
c_m_shooter
Senior Member
 
c_m_shooter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Paradise, TX
Posts: 2,087

Bikes: Soma Pescadero, Surly Pugsley, Salsa Fargo, Schwinn Klunker, Gravity SS 27.5, Monocog 29er

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 186 Post(s)
Liked 234 Times in 166 Posts
I was using a cyclocross bike as my road bike for years before gravel biking became a thing. I just wanted wider tires for the chip seal roads around here, the gravel roads are actually smoother most of the time.
c_m_shooter is offline  
Likes For c_m_shooter:
Old 09-13-20, 06:45 AM
  #21  
Clyde1820
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: USA
Posts: 1,944

Bikes: 1996 Trek 970 ZX Single Track 2x11

Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 610 Post(s)
Liked 558 Times in 423 Posts
Originally Posted by IGH_Only
I get what gravel bikes are and what their purpose is (I think). And I get that some people live in areas (and driveways) where gravel is used for paving over dirt so they ride on gravel. What I'm confused about is that there appear to be people who ride specifically on gravel for enjoyment??? Is that correct? And if so, why?
Forty years ago, I lived in a place that was a "concrete jungle" with very few easily-accessed trails, and (to my knowledge) zero gravel roads. Almost everything was a basic asphalt or concrete street, MUP or jogging/cycling path. All of the gravel and hard-packed forest roads were 80+ miles distant, and most of what trails did exist were at the far end of the county (and much more like technical MTB trails).

Then, I spent the next few decades in a spot that had 10:1 trails and gravel roads over asphalt motor roads. A cyclist's paradise, for those wanting to find the road less traveled via heading off-pavement. Lots of modestly-technical mountain biking paths, but lots of "secondary" (and forest) gravel roads, hard-packed roads, mildly-unmanaged country tracks. On such roads a "gravel" bike or somewhat-relaxed geometry rigid MTB seems to excel. Ran most of them; cycled many of them.

I agree that largely the "gravel bike" concept is a marketing thing. Such roads and trails have always been there. And there's generally always been a type of bike functionality that seems to eat such stuff up.
Clyde1820 is offline  
Likes For Clyde1820:
Old 09-13-20, 07:07 AM
  #22  
Koyote
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 7,766
Mentioned: 37 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6882 Post(s)
Liked 10,873 Times in 4,637 Posts
Originally Posted by Mulberry20
Seriously the rides are short and slow with none of the challenge and sport of mountain biking.

Not that I didn’t have fun, but I can’t imagine spending the type of coin people spend on these bikes.

The fad will fade soon I am sure.
Sounds like you're doing it wrong, if you've done it at all.

Perhaps some other people have more money than you, or at least prefer to spend it differently.

Judging from bike sales and event registrations, the "fad" seems to be becoming more popular each year.
Koyote is online now  
Old 09-13-20, 07:15 AM
  #23  
wolfchild
Banned
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Mississauga/Toronto, Ontario canada
Posts: 8,721

Bikes: I have 3 singlespeed/fixed gear bikes

Mentioned: 30 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4227 Post(s)
Liked 2,488 Times in 1,286 Posts
Originally Posted by Marcus_Ti
From the flip side....Just to play devil's advocate. Much of the rising popularity of 'gravel riding' was in direct reaction to the ludicrous expense of road riding equipment and rides, and anyone could do it just about anywhere suitably rural enough.....which brings us to 2019 (last time most rides occurred), and the bikes have become as-expensive and the rides more-expensive than road rides while having less amenities, and the rides are getting filled with people who ride 40 hours/week. IOW, it has become exactly the thing it was a reaction against.

Last year Gravel World's was asking for $100USD to ride. For 1 day. With NO support, no SAG, no wrenching. On open public roads. $100 got you a bib and a bit of swag, and that is it. Which is nuts. Dirty Kanza is worse.

Which, ofc, to be completely fair....the bikes don't need to be that expensive...and organized rides are, well, what they are--and you can enjoy riding on your own.


I once heard a CXer characterize gravel riding as: as long as a road ride, on practically CX surfaces, without any amenities.
The thing is that you don't need to spend thousands of dollars on gravel specific bike. People have been riding on dirt and gravel long before there was such a thing as a gravel bike.
wolfchild is offline  
Old 09-13-20, 07:15 AM
  #24  
ofajen
Cheerfully low end
 
ofajen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 1,965
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 642 Post(s)
Liked 1,040 Times in 663 Posts
Originally Posted by livedarklions
Short distances? Not necessarily. Rail trails can be hundreds of miles long. With the right tires, I was cruising one at about 17 mph for about 70 miles--Northern Rail Trail, NH.
I believe our Katy Trail state park is now 239 miles. I think there is a “239” sticker for those who ride it in a day. My older son had a soccer teammate who did that a couple of years ago.

Otto
ofajen is offline  
Likes For ofajen:
Old 09-13-20, 08:06 AM
  #25  
Kapusta
Advanced Slacker
 
Kapusta's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 6,187

Bikes: Soma Fog Cutter, Surly Wednesday, Canfielld Tilt

Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2749 Post(s)
Liked 2,516 Times in 1,422 Posts
Originally Posted by Clyde1820

I agree that largely the "gravel bike" concept is a marketing thing. Such roads and trails have always been there. And there's generally always been a type of bike functionality that seems to eat such stuff up.
Well, yes and no.

Its not like they are just slapping this term on bikes that were already in production. 10 years ago there were barely any options that truly resemble what are now sold as “gravel bikes” I know this because in 2010 I was looking for exactly this type of bike: A relatively lightweight road bike with slightly relaxed geo that could clear 38mm tires.

The options at the time were touring bikes, CX bikes, or one of the few drop-bar mtbs. All could be made to work fine, but none are really quite the same thing.

Are these a novel concept? No. These largely resemble what “road” bikes were several decades ago before the “road” bikes became specialized for pavement racing and largely useless on many roads out there.

I think most of the hate and “its just marketing” talk comes from people who have not spent much (if any) time on some of these bikes.

Two friends of mine just bought CF Salsa Warbirds. They both sold their equally expensive “road” bikes within a month. One sold her hybrid as well. Anyone telling me that this kind of bike was available 10-20 years ago under a different name (touring, CX, drop bar MTB) is full of it has not ridden one.

Gravel bikes are a desperately needed return to truly useful and versatile road bikes, and are likely going to be the future of road bikes as people leave the abusive relationships they have been stuck in with Pavement Racing bikes.

And what exactly is the problem with a marketing term? Terms describe things. How is this different from “Road”, “Cx”, “Touring”, Beach Cruiser”, or one of the many types of mountain bike?
Kapusta is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.