FlashBazbo

It seems to me that, when discussing gravel biking, part of the communication "challenge" of this forum is that "gravel" doesn't mean the same thing to everyone. Some come from a road bike background (paved roads), so "gravel" may have a smoother, higher-speed surface connotation than it does for others. "Gravel" is just a different -- somewhat rougher, but still civilized -- road surface. Some come from a mountain bike background, so "gravel" may mean those trails and roads that, while closer to MTB territory than roadie territory, would be seen as easy trails for MTB riders. Small drops. Fewer roots. (Roadies may even see them as more suited to MTB than "gravel.") Still others think of urban multi-use or bike paths as "gravel."

What is "gravel" to you? When you discuss gravel on the forum, what type of road / path / trail is it that you assume or have in mind?

FlashBazbo

A little more background . . . most of my gravel background is in the U.S. Midwest. There, gravel is relatively high speed, has some rough spots and stream crossings thrown in, and finds a lot of its challenge in long distances, extreme weather conditions, and handling a wide variety of surfaces.

But I live in the U.S. Southeast. Here, gravel is much more akin to mountain biking. Lots of extremely steep climbs and descents. Rock gardens and long sections of creek beds are fairly common. Half the course may be made up of obstacles you have to slow down for. Pace is pretty slow and most of its challenge is in dealing with off-road style obstacles.

Whenever I'm talking gravel with my Midwest or Southeast friends, I always have to be mindful of what gravel is to the person I'm talking with.

rosefarts

rumrunn6

anything that's not paved

gravelED

Gravel to me is riding my bike on any road, trail or path including everything from smooth paved roads to rocky MTB singletrack, it's riding everything on one bike with a grin on my face.

zarbog

My favorite type of gravel is off road where the cars do not go, but that is more often dirt than gravel.

79pmooney

I checked 'maintained with stream crossings" as that best describes the logging roads and rural roads around here. Now I grew up next to the Blue Hills outside Boston. They had fire roads, easily ridden on a road bike for the most part but some were a true challenge in an old jeep and not easy to even walk. In places. streams running down the road creating deep gullies. Tip you jeep over gullies. Biking? Hard core MTB. The road from the valley east of the Oregon coast range to Tillamook on the coast is all ridable gravel but the "gravel" is 1 1/2 to 2" in diameter and the grades up to 18%. Other Oregon gravel roads are hard packed sand and fine gravel and nearly as fast and easy as pavement. Then there is the washboard at the bottom of some of the steep descents that feels like it is going to break your frame.

In other words, Oregon gravel is all over the place. And, for me, gravel always includes pavement because I have to get to it. Isn't that what I have a bike for?

Ben

ThermionicScott 

This kinda stuff.

fietsbob

An unpaved road here they are mostly Logging roads and the timber is on the hills..

enveous

It's the same stuff that I rode for decades on my 'cross bikes. From crap pavement------->mildly chunky singletrack and everything in between. "Gravel" often means simply underbiking some stuff that I also ride on my MTB. Or linking dirt sections with pavement that is tedious on big ole honking knobby tires.

In the past I rode 28-33mm knobbies, now for "gravel" it's smooth 28s, file tread 32s, or knobby 40s. Much better tire choices these days.

Lemond1985

"Other"

For me it would be "unpaved doubletrack, which might be, but is not necessarily, maintained."

88Tempo

Where I ride it is a mix of 2" inch deep sand and gravel, super smooth clay and hard pack pea gravel with the occasional sand pit. Depending on when it was graded last and how much traffic there can be considerable amounts of washboard sections.

TimothyH

To me "Gravel" is a bike, not a surface.

I own a gravel bike but ride it many different places which are not gravel.

CodyDog

I'd even throw in really poorly maintain chip seal roads (with cattle guards) where my friend cannot ride with me on the road bike with very thin tires.

pbass

Here in SoCal where I live, I wouldn't mind some nice rolling "gravel" roads. We have dusty, loose over hardpack, dry, dirt that just goes straight up. And then lots of rocks. Big ones, often.
But I agree with gravelED: to me gravel riding means I ride this one particular bike everywhere, any surface, from pavement to technical singletrack. Sometimes over-biked, more often way under-biked, but hella fun regardless.

mstateglfr 

Gravel. Its what unpaved roads are surfaced with.
The 2nd is a level b road, which isnt gravel, but is even more fun.

taz777

I ride my gravel bike almost exclusively on smooth roads and smooth bike paths/bike lanes. If I do spot a bit of gravel on my journey then I always make sure I ride over it! I just prefer the geometry of my gravel bike to my previous road bike.

Koyote

Not paved, not MTB.

FlashBazbo

I would count all of those in the "civilized" gravel category. Very nice. Not paved and not MTB. Just right.

But others disagree. Some in my area would call all of those "beginner gravel" and consider "real" gravel to be more akin to mountain biking. (Call it what you want. If I wanted MTB, I would buy a mountain bike. I like gravel.)

mstateglfr 

yeah, when i see people call gravel roads 'beginner gravel' or something else that sounds dismissive or condescending, I pretty quickly do similar and dismiss them.
a pissing contest over what is 'real' gravel isnt something i care about or am impressed with.

and like you, if a route is so bad that my mountain bike is needed, then I'll ride my mountain bike. I haven't come across such conditions in all the gravel riding ive done around the central parts of the country, but I'm sure it exists somewhere.

At the same time, it's relatively popular to see fatbikes on gravel roads in iowa. I don't get the appeal as thst arms like too much of a tank-like ride for the conditions, but hey many can also fly past me so who am I to criticize.
I've always wondered the reason for each person's use. Are they using a fatbike because thats just what they have? Do they need the pneumatic suspension? Is it because they want more of a challenge for them since the bike is heavier?



anyways, fun discussion.

Hondo Gravel

Noonievut

Zaskar

What mstateglfr said.

I have road bikes - so, don't want much pavement; but connecting is fine
I have a mtn bike - so, don't want very technical/rutted etc unmaintained roads... thinking I brought the wrong bike

obrentharris 

I like this answer. I ride a variety of surfaces on my "gravel" bikes.





















Brent

curbtender

Hey Brent, once you lay your.bike on the ground and start drinking bloody Mary's it's called a "grovel" bike...