Gravel Ride Pics
11-24-17, 10:35 PM
#426
- Soli Deo Gloria -
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The route is part of the Southern Cross gravel race and crosses near the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail at Springer Mountain, Georgia. It is a pretty rugged area by east coast standards.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/25962591
Some 12% and 13% sections. RwGPS says 5200 ft. Polar says 5600 ft. Strava says 5800 ft.
I turned 54 yesterday and wanted to climb 5400 feet.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/25962591
Some 12% and 13% sections. RwGPS says 5200 ft. Polar says 5600 ft. Strava says 5800 ft.
I turned 54 yesterday and wanted to climb 5400 feet.
Last edited by TimothyH; 11-24-17 at 11:46 PM.
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11-27-17, 05:50 PM
#427
Senior Member
I hope the people that posted the pictures originally don't mind but I copied a couple that were in the thread to give examples of what I mean .... if any anyone does just let me know and I'll happily remove them.
They're both pictures of what I would describe as "larger" gravel, how easily do gravel bikes cope with this sort of terrain. Quite a bit of one of the tracks I go over regularly for approx 10 miles whilst it's not constant and quite a lot of it is smaller gravel / reasonably compact there's certainly quite a few "rougher spots" similar to in the photos along the way and what size tyre would be best if you're hitting patches like that ... I'm currently using a mountain bike but have been thinking about getting a gravel bike as 50% of the ride is on the road / smoother tracks.
They're both pictures of what I would describe as "larger" gravel, how easily do gravel bikes cope with this sort of terrain. Quite a bit of one of the tracks I go over regularly for approx 10 miles whilst it's not constant and quite a lot of it is smaller gravel / reasonably compact there's certainly quite a few "rougher spots" similar to in the photos along the way and what size tyre would be best if you're hitting patches like that ... I'm currently using a mountain bike but have been thinking about getting a gravel bike as 50% of the ride is on the road / smoother tracks.
11-27-17, 06:46 PM
#428
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re: "how easily do gravel bikes cope with this sort of terrain"
very easily
maybe these will help. they were taken the same time as that photo. humming along at a steady 15 mph
re: "what size tyre would be best if you're hitting patches like that"
look at my photo, shows the size I was using (700x45) handled it great but a 26" wheel & tire would be just as good, all the current bike wheel sizes would be fine.
re: "been thinking about getting a gravel bike as 50% of the ride is on the road / smoother tracks"
oh yeah, definitely buy another bike :-)
very easily
maybe these will help. they were taken the same time as that photo. humming along at a steady 15 mph
re: "what size tyre would be best if you're hitting patches like that"
look at my photo, shows the size I was using (700x45) handled it great but a 26" wheel & tire would be just as good, all the current bike wheel sizes would be fine.
re: "been thinking about getting a gravel bike as 50% of the ride is on the road / smoother tracks"
oh yeah, definitely buy another bike :-)
Last edited by rumrunn6; 11-27-17 at 06:57 PM.
11-27-17, 07:10 PM
#429
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1 mile of this large gravel is OK. get the pressure, gear & speed right & it's not bad. but no way can I do 10 miles of it
11-27-17, 08:39 PM
#430
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Once you start getting railroad ballast sized rocks....it stops being fun, although maybe with a Moonlander or other 4" tire-class bike it would be fun.
11-28-17, 04:07 AM
#431
Senior Member
Cheers for the replies ... rumrunn6 I did see that photo as well and didn't copy that one as there are patches that are like that but your's looks totally constant which I guess would be pretty hard work for an extended period
12-03-17, 08:17 PM
#434
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A foggy morning on Middle Georgia dirt roads before going home to watch the Dawgs win the SEC.
12-03-17, 10:55 PM
#435
Senior Member
I hope the people that posted the pictures originally don't mind but I copied a couple that were in the thread to give examples of what I mean .... if any anyone does just let me know and I'll happily remove them.
They're both pictures of what I would describe as "larger" gravel, how easily do gravel bikes cope with this sort of terrain. Quite a bit of one of the tracks I go over regularly for approx 10 miles whilst it's not constant and quite a lot of it is smaller gravel / reasonably compact there's certainly quite a few "rougher spots" similar to in the photos along the way and what size tyre would be best if you're hitting patches like that ... I'm currently using a mountain bike but have been thinking about getting a gravel bike as 50% of the ride is on the road / smoother tracks.
They're both pictures of what I would describe as "larger" gravel, how easily do gravel bikes cope with this sort of terrain. Quite a bit of one of the tracks I go over regularly for approx 10 miles whilst it's not constant and quite a lot of it is smaller gravel / reasonably compact there's certainly quite a few "rougher spots" similar to in the photos along the way and what size tyre would be best if you're hitting patches like that ... I'm currently using a mountain bike but have been thinking about getting a gravel bike as 50% of the ride is on the road / smoother tracks.
12-09-17, 10:32 AM
#436
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Went "Gravel" riding in Atlanta last night.
10 inches of this strange white stuff all over the place. Sure is fun to ride in though.
-Tim-
10 inches of this strange white stuff all over the place. Sure is fun to ride in though.
-Tim-
12-10-17, 04:18 AM
#437
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right on! saw that on the News. I was pretty stressed out Friday afternoon anticipating my future. MA~DC Friday, then DC~MA Saturday. had an epic drive home yesterday thru the storm. it started snowing when I picked up my Son at 1st light & kept snowing the whole way home. just under 500 miles. took about 10 hrs. rode the coastal 95 corridor North until Rt 91 North (& inland). that's when we started seeing dozens of wrecks.
Last edited by rumrunn6; 12-10-17 at 04:22 AM.
12-10-17, 09:38 PM
#438
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Went "Gravel" riding in Atlanta last night.
10 inches of this strange white stuff all over the place. Sure is fun to ride in though.
[I MG]https://www.dropbox.com/s/51ep5kv0bf381tm/12-09-17.002.sm.jpg?dl=1[/IMG]
[I MG]https://www.dropbox.com/s/y8hs2tx8rqm5ret/12-09-17.003.sm.jpg?dl=1[/IMG]
-Tim-
10 inches of this strange white stuff all over the place. Sure is fun to ride in though.
[I MG]https://www.dropbox.com/s/51ep5kv0bf381tm/12-09-17.002.sm.jpg?dl=1[/IMG]
[I MG]https://www.dropbox.com/s/y8hs2tx8rqm5ret/12-09-17.003.sm.jpg?dl=1[/IMG]
-Tim-
With all the chilly and windy days...I broke down and experimented today putting clip-on aerobars on my gravel rig today. Had a Profile Century sitting in the garage unused for 10 years, and decided, "why not?".
12-11-17, 07:14 AM
#439
- Soli Deo Gloria -
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Nice...You have 10" more snow than we have. Highs of 50-60F all week, and windy. Very windy Plains wind.
With all the chilly and windy days...I broke down and experimented today putting clip-on aerobars on my gravel rig today. Had a Profile Century sitting in the garage unused for 10 years, and decided, "why not?".
With all the chilly and windy days...I broke down and experimented today putting clip-on aerobars on my gravel rig today. Had a Profile Century sitting in the garage unused for 10 years, and decided, "why not?".
-Tim-
12-24-17, 03:22 PM
#441
- Soli Deo Gloria -
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A retired one lane bridge over the Pumpkinvine Creek, Dallas, GA.
Random cows.
Brushy Mountain Rd, Braswell, GA. Lots of rain here lately. The gravel is packed down and fast.
-Tim-
Random cows.
Brushy Mountain Rd, Braswell, GA. Lots of rain here lately. The gravel is packed down and fast.
-Tim-
Last edited by TimothyH; 12-24-17 at 03:27 PM.
12-24-17, 08:50 PM
#442
Senior Member
Great pics guys! Making me really wish it wasn't single digits here 
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12-24-17, 10:46 PM
#443
Senior Member
Tim,
Many of our best dirt and gravel roads are buried deeply under a blanket of snow. In the winter we use them as Nordic ski trails. Here are two examples from Mazama.
The Rendezvous Huts are available year round, for hut-to-hut skiing or mountain biking in the summer. This one was a 5 miles in and 1,000 feet of elevation gain from the Gunn Ranch trailhead.
Many of our best dirt and gravel roads are buried deeply under a blanket of snow. In the winter we use them as Nordic ski trails. Here are two examples from Mazama.
The Rendezvous Huts are available year round, for hut-to-hut skiing or mountain biking in the summer. This one was a 5 miles in and 1,000 feet of elevation gain from the Gunn Ranch trailhead.
12-24-17, 10:49 PM
#444
Senior Member
12-25-17, 12:30 PM
#445
- Soli Deo Gloria -
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Do you just go in and warm up. Sleep? Anyone can use it like a shelter on the Appalachian Trail? Or is there a fee?
Who maintains this? Is it a private company?
-Tim-
12-25-17, 01:55 PM
#446
Senior Member
Tim,
There are warming huts along some of our ski trails, little shacks with a fire going, and usually hot chocolate for sale. Then there are five or six cabins along a specific part of the trail over Rendezvous Mountain between the towns of Winthrop and Twisp. These cabins ("the Rendezvous huts") can be reserved for private use overnight, there's one every five miles or so along the trail, which is probably too short for MTB but perfect for skis. But most of our ski trails are dirt and gravel roads, so this is also an option for a longer gravel ride.
Here's the ski track:
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2391924722
Here's a map of the huts and the winter trails:
https://rendezvoushuts.com/webmap.pdf
There are warming huts along some of our ski trails, little shacks with a fire going, and usually hot chocolate for sale. Then there are five or six cabins along a specific part of the trail over Rendezvous Mountain between the towns of Winthrop and Twisp. These cabins ("the Rendezvous huts") can be reserved for private use overnight, there's one every five miles or so along the trail, which is probably too short for MTB but perfect for skis. But most of our ski trails are dirt and gravel roads, so this is also an option for a longer gravel ride.
Here's the ski track:
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2391924722
Here's a map of the huts and the winter trails:
https://rendezvoushuts.com/webmap.pdf
12-30-17, 04:24 PM
#447
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Paulding Forest Wildlife Management Area, Braswell, Georgia.
Last edited by TimothyH; 12-30-17 at 05:18 PM.
12-30-17, 05:25 PM
#448
Senior Member
Beautiful :-)
Are we allowed to post pics taken out on 29er's in here as well or is it Gravel / Adventure bike's only ...
That said I may wait until the weather's a bit better, wasn't that cold out on the ride today but mud EVERYWHERE and the sky was one of those really grey / very slightly sea mist days that just looked really bleak.
One of the places I cycle a lot there's a lower path which I always take on the bike but went back to the same place later this afternoon to take dog walkies and took the higher path (whilst you're allowed to ride up there it has gates and more pedestrians) and some of the views in the summer from there would be amasing looking over a bird sanctuary with the sea in the distance.
I have attached a picture I took a while back of the area but no bikes in it unfortunately
Are we allowed to post pics taken out on 29er's in here as well or is it Gravel / Adventure bike's only ...
That said I may wait until the weather's a bit better, wasn't that cold out on the ride today but mud EVERYWHERE and the sky was one of those really grey / very slightly sea mist days that just looked really bleak.
One of the places I cycle a lot there's a lower path which I always take on the bike but went back to the same place later this afternoon to take dog walkies and took the higher path (whilst you're allowed to ride up there it has gates and more pedestrians) and some of the views in the summer from there would be amasing looking over a bird sanctuary with the sea in the distance.
I have attached a picture I took a while back of the area but no bikes in it unfortunately
12-31-17, 07:48 PM
#449
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01-02-18, 08:10 AM
#450
- Soli Deo Gloria -
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Yeah, I saw your other post about it and thought of responding.
Georgia could be in the high teens to the 60's. We typically get a brutally cold week and it looks like this week is it so it might be better later in the month.
Your best bets for gravel are going to be the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Georgia or the Cohutta Mountains. Another good option is south and east of Atlanta in some of the forests near Macon and Millegeville but I'm less familiar with those areas.
I tend to do 40 to 60 mile rides but you may be interested in the following
Southern Cross route 2018 - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26560387
Cohutta Loop from the photo's above - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/23628382
Conasauga/Ocoee Loop - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/21735338
Users @Spoonrobot and @BluesDawg might be able to suggest others.
Send me a PM if you do decide to come down.
-Tim-
