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What do you get from gravel that you don't get from road riding

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Cyclocross and Gravelbiking (Recreational) This has to be the most physically intense sport ever invented. It's high speed bicycle racing on a short off road course or riding the off pavement rides on gravel like : "Unbound Gravel". We also have a dedicated Racing forum for the Cyclocross Hard Core Racers.

What do you get from gravel that you don't get from road riding

Old 08-31-18, 07:37 AM
  #1  
TimothyH
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What do you get from gravel that you don't get from road riding

The question was asked on another forum...

Personally when I ride off-road I want there to be rocks, roots and technical obstacles that warrant a mountain bike. What do you guys get out of gravel riding that you can't get from a road ride???
I posted some of my thoughts in that thread but am opening up the question here and will link the other thread to this one.


-Tim-
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Old 08-31-18, 07:50 AM
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little to no cars, nature, hills can be more challenging up or down and really few are dedicated to any kind of riding. It could connect to singletrack or roads or just be where you are and the availability of whats around you. Unless you're racing or an ad campaign there's too many of these specialty bikes. Different companies have different segments and many bikes will pop up under gravel, trail, mtb, cross country interchangably.
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Old 08-31-18, 07:59 AM
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Agreed. I use dirt roads to avoid traffic during times of day when I know there will be a ton of commute and school traffic. It's my own little closed course. Plus as others have said, you do get a slightly better workout per mile traveled.

The solitude and calm is great once you're out the traffic rat race, and have zero chance of getting involved in someone else's bad day / bad job / divorce / hangover / road rage in a 4x4 / complete mental and psychological breakdown . . . that you had nothing to do with.

Great idea for a thread, but somebody will inevitably find a way to turn this even this innocent thread into an argument thread (hope i didn't do it just now).
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Old 08-31-18, 08:45 AM
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In a word . . . Freedom.

At least half of my miles are road miles on a road racing bike. On that bike, I very much prefer smooth roads. I enjoy the speed. But while that bike CAN be used on rough roads and gravel, it's not much fun. A 15-pound bike is not really cut out for a diet of sharp-edged bumps. I intentionally select my routes to exclude the rougher stuff. It's fairly rare that I will explore new routes on the road bike.

On a gravel bike, I get most of the speed of a road bike, but I'm not concerned about the quality or condition of the roads. I can go anywhere -- my bike can take it. I can slide around and steer using the back wheel -- I don't get that on a road bike. The bike is rugged. It can take abuse, it handles well on the rough / loose stuff . . . it lets me ride any road without knowing what's in store -- day or night. The gravel bike encourages me to explore -- to boldly go where nobody in the group has ever gone before!
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Old 08-31-18, 09:51 AM
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Opens up a lot of route options that wouldn't be available to me if I only wanted to ride paved roads. Plus, I grew up on a dirt road, learned to ride on a dirt road. It's a comfortable place to be for me. And yeah, scenic, winding, hilly, lower traffic. That stuff too.
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Old 08-31-18, 10:02 AM
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I went from an entry level road bike, to an entry level hardtail mtb, to a rigid singlespeed mtb which was my sole bike for a number of years until I got my gravel bike. I think riding the rigid mtb really prepared me for riding the gravel bike on trails. Now with my gravel rig I ride everywhere I rode those previous bikes, and greater distances because of the versatility. I ride more, and longer, with far less restrictions on how I'm connecting the dots on my rides. I'm totally sold on this concept of bike.
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Old 08-31-18, 12:45 PM
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Lack of cars trying to kill me and solitude.
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Old 08-31-18, 01:05 PM
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In short, variety. And all the intended and unintended consequences that follow. Then shaken, and even stirred.
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Old 08-31-18, 01:26 PM
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I found it humorous that was posted in the fixed gear forum. If anyone understands doing something just because it's fun it should be posters there.

Anyway; compared to gravel, road riding is intensely boring. The depth of gravel is a huge pull. Learning to ride different surfaces in different conditions, at speed is a satisfying skill to learn and develop. Nothing on pavement can compare to winding down a twisty gravel descent at the edge of traction, deep in the woods alone as the winter wind rattles the bare forest around you. The more technical and deeper into gravel you go the more serene pavement seems. Pavement is the bright suburban grocery store to hunting your dinner in the woods with a knife on gravel.

Hyperbolic to the extreme? Of course, but that's how it feels.

Often I'll spend 2 hours riding a flat, straight, paved rail trail a gravel loop. The more I'm on the trail the more my bike seems to bog down and my legs get heavier and heavier. Once I get off the trail and gravel starts crunching under my tires the bike seems to come alive, my legs feel light and efforts come easy as I rumble along in the dust. It's a wonderful feeling and I find it sad some people haven't felt the pull and don't know what they're missing.

Banditing short sections of hiking trail in a tiny city park surrounded by urban sprawl does not compare. Fast food for a soul that needs full nourishment.

All this is to say nothing of the technical aspects. Compare two road slicks, are they different? Who cares, they'll both get you down the road and around the corner just fine.

Ah now compare two gravel tires. What does the tread look like? How are the sidewalls? Are you riding in the wet? Is the course muddy or dry? Hardpack or loose railroad ballast? How much climbing do you expect? Do these knobs give enough traction while leaning to go down that switchback at the speed you need? Does having a front tire more aggressive than the rear give you more capability of just the ability to outride your skill level?

How are you handlebars? Flared? How much? What width?

Stem length? Too long and you're over the front end on any descent and getting squirrely over the bars. Too short and that rock you didn't see is wrenching the bars from your hands and tossing you to the ground. There's a ton of things to learn and observe, almost endless variety. An afternoon of rain changes everything, once night falls there's even more depth to dive into; gravel is what you thought road riding was when you first started.

The core loop is enjoyable, it reinforces continuing the activity in a way that road riding does not. It's hard to go back once you get a taste of the chalky dust in the air.
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Old 08-31-18, 02:02 PM
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Gravel riding IS a road ride. You just get a whole lot more roads to choose from, and ones that have fewer cars and are often more scenic.
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Old 08-31-18, 03:41 PM
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Fewer cars, more wildlife/scenery. The rugged trail surfaces give an illusion of adventure and exploration.
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Old 08-31-18, 07:53 PM
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I want to ride gravel for variety of both scenery and workout. What do I get from touring? Again, variety. I prefer to take my risks against motorists vs nasty rocks and sticks wanting to stab me in the lungs. The overall risk is likely the same. Just my preference
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Old 08-31-18, 08:20 PM
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#1 is convenience
If I want to take a ride that starts in my driveway, I can ride a paved road bike. But, that means riding 55mph two lane roads without a paved shoulder and a lot of traffic. Yes people do it, but I do not enjoy it. All the roads off these high speed roads are dirt and barely suitable for a 28mm tire.
OTOH, if I ride a gravel road bike, I can ride the shoulder of the same high speed roads and be safely away from cars. I can also head down the dirt side roads and have miles of riding without seeing more than a few cars. It's still road riding, but has more hills (that's a plus!) And the scenery is roughly 1000x better. The bike DOES get dirty, but that's a small drawback for a much better riding experience where I live because there are far more places to ride a gravel road bike than a paved road bike.

​​​​​​TBH, if I lived in a different zip code where there was pavement on the low speed roads, I would spend more time on a paved road bike. Pavement is faster and I like going fast. I would miss the dirt road experience though.
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Old 08-31-18, 09:36 PM
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I can tell you that cars driving on gravel are the same %$^$ crappy drivers that drive on pavement. lol

so riding gravel is about more places to ride.

however for me I have miles of low traffic paved rural roads right out my door. So riding gravel is like MTB'ing for me. It's fun, but so much more fun to just ride out my driveway rather than driving an hour or 2 hours just to ride a bicycle.
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Old 08-31-18, 10:14 PM
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Hills. I have to drive two+ hours to get to the mountains, but it's worth it to get the workout because I don't have any gravel around home, and only relatively short hills on the paved roads.
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Old 09-01-18, 08:06 AM
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What do you get from gravel that you don't get from road riding


Peacefulness. Better scenery. Easier to hear any approaching cars. Fewer cars! Narrower roads with more shade and a closed in feeling.

From my home to where the gravel begins, I'm pretty much stuck balancing on a white line with lots of 65 mph traffic flying by. That's ok, but not exactly the most relaxing. Once I turn onto the gravel, I've got trees, birds chirping, and surprisingly few to almost no cars at all. I can wobble from my line without dying ,and am not trapped on the raggedy right edge.
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Old 09-01-18, 08:20 AM
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Originally Posted by Metieval
however for me I have miles of low traffic paved rural roads right out my door. So riding gravel is like MTB'ing for me. It's fun, but so much more fun to just ride out my driveway rather than driving an hour or 2 hours just to ride a bicycle.
Same here, I've got epic 20 mile, 6000 foot vertical climbs very close to me in the Sierras, but I have to drive 90 minutes to get there. And that drive requires just enough advance planning and logistics that, needless to say, I only end up going there maybe a half-dozen times per year.

There's a lot to be said for spontaneous rides, where you can be caught up in some situation at home that's causing you a lot of stress, and just say "F this", jump on your bike and be off in a couple of minutes with no planning at all. The planning part really sucks MOST the fun out riding, at least for me. But I'm always glad once I get there, it's just a hassle getting to that point.
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Old 09-01-18, 08:32 AM
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More options.
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Old 09-01-18, 09:20 AM
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No cars
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Old 09-01-18, 09:36 AM
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Originally Posted by Colnago Mixte
Same here, I've got epic 20 mile, 6000 foot vertical climbs very close to me in the Sierras, but I have to drive 90 minutes to get there. And that drive requires just enough advance planning and logistics that, needless to say, I only end up going there maybe a half-dozen times per year.

There's a lot to be said for spontaneous rides, where you can be caught up in some situation at home that's causing you a lot of stress, and just say "F this", jump on your bike and be off in a couple of minutes with no planning at all. The planning part really sucks MOST the fun out riding, at least for me. But I'm always glad once I get there, it's just a hassle getting to that point.
This is what changes my perspective/needs on a gravel bike purchase.

to do the spontaneous rides (pavement), and still have options. I am looking for a bike that is more attune to pavement with the ability to ride gravel. So somewhere in the mix there is a 'gravel' bike that doesn't give up too much road performance, yet also fits bigger tires. This pretty much cuts out every entry level gravel bike. As on par with my Supersix I just would not enjoy the ride. Which for me it really isn't about fast, speed, it's about energy consumption and effort.

So sometimes it is not even about riding gravel. It is just simply riding down the road with a higher level of 'FREEDOM' in knowing that I have the option, to go where I please.

Last edited by Metieval; 09-01-18 at 09:56 AM.
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Old 09-01-18, 09:57 AM
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Less traffic and more adventure exploring my region.

I am a map nerd and gravel riding plays perfectly into feeding my nerd.
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Old 09-01-18, 10:09 AM
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Some days the cars just have it out for me, no matter how much I signal and stay out of their way. On days like that, it's nice to have the option to say "F this" and turn off onto a dirt road or some RR tracks.

I don't like going above 28 mm tires, IMO you start giving up too much speed on pavement. But if the 28 mm tires are tough, you can still hit huge fist-sized rocks and not have an automatic blowout like you would on a 23 or maybe even a 25.
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Old 09-01-18, 10:29 AM
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Every time I ride fast down a particular gravel thoroughfare in Philly along the Wissahickon Creek, I have a smile glued to my face most of the way, sometimes letting out a hearty laugh as I dodge exposed bedrock, sections of large chunky gravel, big mud puddles, horse manure and hikers.. I've never done that on the street, although I do occasionally curse-out a driver who thinks two feet is sufficient clearance to give a bicycle.

Last edited by Wattsup; 09-01-18 at 10:32 AM.
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Old 09-01-18, 11:08 AM
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Originally Posted by JonathanGennick

Once I turn onto the gravel, I've got trees, birds chirping, and surprisingly few to almost no cars at all. I can wobble from my line without dying ,and am not trapped on the raggedy right edge.
Very well stated, and I'll add that Gravel offers nearly constant edge of your seat intensity that comes from within while on the Road that intensity is all too often forced upon you by others who 'share' it!

I'll bet Munising and vicinity offers some really amazing gravel routes. The UP is a great place to ride...
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Old 09-01-18, 11:18 AM
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Originally Posted by RideMyLeMond
I'll bet Munising and vicinity offers some really amazing gravel routes. The UP is a great place to ride...
I probably don't know the half of them either. I don't like to drive very far to ride the bike. There's a lot of nearby National Forest that I haven't explored much.
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