VeloCross

Total noob question, I know. Just moved to PNW last year and got dragged to this bike racing even named cyclocross by my friend. Next thing I know I'm riding my road bike a ton and looking at cross bikes online patiently waiting until aug/sep. I just found this forum and I'm even more of a noob to what gravel grinding is, but it looks amazing. Longer distance cyclocross racing or something? I get nervous about road racing due to massive sprint finishes and aggressive peleton riders, but gravel races look similar but with the pack getting spread out a bit and finishes having a few ppl at a time vs. 30 guys who think they will win. Any direction I can go to find out more about gravel cycling???

Andy_K 

You should ask about this on the OBRA site. You'll find people there who can tell you more about the local gravel races. I haven't done a gravel race, but from the reports I've heard it sounds like the pack gets spread out the way you describe. I definitely wouldn't compare it to a cross race though. No barriers, no grass and too long for full gas intensity.

The thing is, gravel grinding is a pretty broad term and gravel racing is just a small corner of the gravel grinding scene. You just missed (or maybe didn't miss, for all I know) a great gravel ride in the Salem area. That was just a bunch of people going out and riding gravel roads together. A bunch of people rode it fast. A bunch rode it slow. All had fun. There's another ride like that next month, the Dalles Mountain 60. It's two weeks before the Gorge Roubaix, which has both racing and non-racing option, so you can get your feet wet before diving in.

Of course, the other thing you can do is just go out exploring. There are a lot of gravel roads out near the Gorge. Closer to Portland everything gets paved but you can find some good gravel roads not too far away.

Lone

that is from 50 Shades of Grey.

Jiggle

It's an event where organizers charge you money for the privilege of riding on unmarked non-roads with no support.

mobilemail

I have seen parts of Nebraska and IL where it's just the new name for "going for a bike ride", because paved roads were few and far between. I wonder if the locals laugh and joke about our "newfound sport".

DirtRoadRunner

To me, it is simply riding gravel roads on purpose, either in a race, group, recreational event, or (like most of my rides are), solo.

As a kid, I lived on a gravel road in the country, so all of my riding was "gravel grinding", though at 13 I was envious of my friends who lived on paved roads with faster riding. Now I drive 30 minutes to ride on gravel roads - the lack of traffic and great scenery make it very enjoyable, and I prefer it to riding on pavement.

Noonievut

It's between road and mountain biking. But who really cares what anyone says or thinks, try riding a gravel road with whatever bike you have, drop the tire pressure if it's a road bike, see how you like it.

mobilemail

They used to call it touring, but nobody was in a hurry.

VeloCross

oh wow, thanks for the info! I didnt even realize that there were tht many races/gravel events. I like the whole "ride it fast, ride it slow but have fun" attitude.

GravelMN

In my area (ND and MN) the vast majority of these rides are free. Support is minimal but there are usually maps (paper or upload to your device of choice) and/or que sheets and at least a few rest stops, often in the form of small town convenience stores. Often there is some kind of meal waiting at the end. As these grow in popularity, LBSs and sales reps are jumping on the bandwagon and I've seen some nice door prizes in a sport where the awards are usually hand made out of spare bike parts.

Jiggle

Lucky!

Here's an event in Texas. Castell Grind: HOME

60 miles, $60, no road markings, support, or even rest stops with little fruits.

Not much public land in Texas. But at least the course should be marked.

GravelMN

The Woodchipper 100, the Hawley Hills Half and Hundred and the Innuendo 200 are all right in my backyard and all are free. Looking at last year's calendar from around the area, about half of the rides are free and some of the others are in the $20-$35 range and include food and/or a t-shirt. There are some that cost considerably more. I highly recommend Hawley which had it inaugural ride last summer. Great mix of rolling hills, sandy double track and a couple sections that barely qualified as trails. Great door prizes and a hot meal hosted by a local church are all part of the deal and it takes place during a community festival.

GravelGuy

This is

curlyque

I'll be riding this again in April. Fairly tough ride on back roads through the Driftless region of Wisconsin. Very relaxed and low key. Pay what you want.

Dairy Roubaix 2015 - 4/18/2015

ThermionicScott 

The essential definition is: Seeking out gravel/low-maintenance roads to ride on as opposed to paved roads -- much akin to "underbiking." If you want to race, and/or pay money for the "privilege" of doing it, that's optional.

Hypno Toad

Westside Dirty Benjamin - free, great fun!
Almanzo 100 - free, much smaller event for 2015 vs previous years
Miesville FiftySix - Free, wife will join me on this one, planning to ride fatbikes

You can race, you can tour... either way you should have fun; or you're just doing it wrong. Last years Westside Dirty Benjamin, there was not pack, most riders turned back after the pouring rain and 40 mph winds (60 mph gusts), wimps.

fietsbob

It used to be what you did on the farm where roads were just Gravel .. Now its a new thing with its own bike Niche

to oneupsmanship each other on the bikes bought , and someone has created an Event to meet up and do.

and you ride over gravel farm Roads in the big mid west farm country where the Gravel Side Roads are .

around here they're Logging roads and they go up hills rather steeply.

Tim_Iowa

Gravel grinding is just riding on gravel roads, with an alliterative term.
Gravel racing is whole 'nother thing that I don't know about; I don't race.

Why gravel?
As the others have said, lots of places have mostly gravel, so that's just what you ride. Personally, I seek out gravel because there are way less cars (and those you meet are slower and usually more congenial), the roads are more curvy and interesting, and the sights are further away from the city.

Gravel bike?
I find that you can ride just about any kind of bike on gravel.

The concept of a specialist "gravel bike" seems like a very fine niche, however it seems like the "gravel bikes" the big manufacturers are making are basically a cyclocross bike with a bit more relaxed, endurance-oriented geometry. Not as racy as a cross bike, because cross races are 45 minutes and a gravel ride can go for days. Lighter than a touring bike, they're basically what was called a "sport tourer" back in the day; something with medium tires and provisions for a light tour, but modern components and materials. Sounds like a great, versatile bike! The smaller makers don't usually use the "gravel bike" name, but go for "forest explorer, all-rounder, any road" type terms. Same concept.

However, one doesn't need a specialized "gravel bike" to ride gravel. Skinny 23 mm tires don't do well, but I've seen folks pull it off. The minimal tire width for comfort seems to be "cyclocross" size, about 32 mm.

My gravel bikes are a steel Rivendell Road I converted to 650x38b tires, a vintage rigid steel Schwinn MTB (converted to drop bars), and my fat bike.
I can ride gravel about 95% as fast (with roughly the same effort) as pavement on my 1.5" and 2.1" tires (38 mm and 55 mm, respectively). I prefer wider/softer tires than the minimum 32mm, for the larger lime rock that they use around eastern IA.
The fat bike is more effort regardless of surface, but is a monster for snow or off-road. Plowed gravel is an awesome winter surface, btw. Ride groomed (gravel)!

I found a small local club and we do regular weekly rides on rural gravel and B-roads (was gravel once, now un-maintained). You can pay for events if you want, but I suggest just finding some back roads and going for a ride.

curlyque

• Skankingbiker I don't qualify to reply to your private message.....to answer your question I rode the 54miler.. mostly hard packed.. some loose gravel that you can maneuver around... occasional washboard and ruts.. and plenty of paved stretches......I rode it with 26x1.85 commuter tires

Melissa Davis

It sure looks that way.

southpawboston

This pretty much nails it. I 'grind gravel' because I grew up on a gravel road in mountainous farmland. For me gravel roads will always be associated with that. Mostly, the gravel routes that I ride (MA/NH/VT/NY) remind me of where I grew up. I can spend a day on the bike and spend so little of that time dealing with vehicles. The sights and sounds are always interesting and the air is clean.

For me the ideal bike for gravel is a fast, comfortable road bike that can take fat tires (35-42mm). My two gravel bikes are built for 650B wheels and ride on 650x42B tires.

ricohman

Gravel "grinding" makes me laugh.
Since I grew up without paved roads, I guess I was "grinding gravel" every ride. Even when I was on my tricycle.