Share your gravel travel, pictures & stories.
11-15-11, 07:08 PM
#1
Have bike, will travel
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Share your gravel travel, pictures & stories.
Des Plaines River Trail in Lake County, Illinois
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When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
Last edited by Barrettscv; 11-15-11 at 07:15 PM.
11-15-11, 07:12 PM
#2
Have bike, will travel
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When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
11-15-11, 07:26 PM
#3
Have bike, will travel
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The towpath in the Cuyahoga National Park;
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When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
Last edited by Barrettscv; 11-15-11 at 07:31 PM.
11-15-11, 10:42 PM
#4
Fat man in a little coat
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I so need to get over and ride that Des Plaines River Trail. Got together with some team mates tonight and did 30 on the Prairie Path (Bartlett High School, up to Elgin, around, and back).
11-15-11, 11:01 PM
#5
You gonna eat that?
A local blogger friend of mine has done several gravel road rides from his home. The most recent one had a larger than expected turnout.
That's me on the right.
Here are a few pics from my writeup about the ride.
That's me on the right.
Here are a few pics from my writeup about the ride.
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I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.
Originally Posted by bragi 
"However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.
Originally Posted by bragi "However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
11-16-11, 05:20 AM
#6
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Nice pictures! Wish there were trails like that around here.
That said, hardly a cyclocross topic.
That said, hardly a cyclocross topic.
11-16-11, 07:01 AM
#7
You gonna eat that?
Those aren't trails in my pics; they are roads. Lots of unpaved farm roads around Chris's house.
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I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.
Originally Posted by bragi "However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
I stop for people / whose right of way I honor / but not for no one.
Originally Posted by bragi "However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
11-16-11, 01:59 PM
#8
Have bike, will travel
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Great pics, looks like a great area to ride when the sun is being kind.
__________________
When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
11-16-11, 05:51 PM
#9
working on my sandal tan
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My buddy Rob and I like to do gravel/Class-B routes when we can. It's a lot of fun, and I'm going to try to do the NCC Gravel Metric next year.
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RUSA #7498
Originally Posted by noglider
People in this forum are not typical.
Last edited by ThermionicScott; 01-09-12 at 01:38 PM.
11-17-11, 08:18 PM
#10
experience over lungs
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I am total bike nerd! While the roads make me jealous, the thing that caught my attention was the barely noticeable 35+ year old Cannondale handlebar bag. I had one of those, along with Cannondale panniers, a daypack, and sleeping bag, back when they were mostly a backpacking company and hadn't even thought of making bikes.
11-22-11, 08:22 AM
#11
Have bike, will travel
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Where do you ride?
Michael
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When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
11-22-11, 08:57 AM
#12
totally louche
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a ride in the mountains of WA
a ride in the greater Seattle suburban area
a rails to trails ride up to Snoqualmie Pass, WA including the longest tunnel open to hikers and bikers in the USA
some light gravel in Leavenworth WA
I've even found some gravel within the city limits of San Francisco..... talked about cyclocross bikes with a fellow rider at the top of the highest point in SF....
of course there's great gravel just across the GG bridge in Marin and the GGNRA.
a ride in the greater Seattle suburban area
a rails to trails ride up to Snoqualmie Pass, WA including the longest tunnel open to hikers and bikers in the USA
some light gravel in Leavenworth WA
I've even found some gravel within the city limits of San Francisco..... talked about cyclocross bikes with a fellow rider at the top of the highest point in SF....
of course there's great gravel just across the GG bridge in Marin and the GGNRA.
Last edited by Bekologist; 11-28-11 at 06:45 PM.
11-22-11, 11:53 PM
#13
working on my sandal tan
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Cedar Rapids corridor area. Those first three pics are from a 26-mile loop around Mt Vernon, and the last is from a route just south of Amana. BTW, I now use my Diamondback fixie-conversion rather than that crummy Schwinn for off-road stuff.
That is too cool! 
- Scott
- Scott
11-23-11, 02:58 PM
#14
oldie
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I like to mix in a little gravel to all my rides. The bike is a Dawes Lighting cross with 35c road tires.
01-07-12, 11:02 PM
#15
working on my sandal tan
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This thread needs bumpage. Here's a shot of the group with whom I did a New Year's Day gravel metric:
I wasn't able to take very many pictures since my fixed-gear turned out be a seriously bad choice for long gravel rides on uber-windy days. Oops.
- Scott
I wasn't able to take very many pictures since my fixed-gear turned out be a seriously bad choice for long gravel rides on uber-windy days. Oops.
- Scott
01-09-12, 01:33 PM
#16
working on my sandal tan
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More gravel yesterday. We did a metric, but only 65% of it was gravel since we fell behind schedule and needed to get back to town quickly.
(Click the pictures for larger versions!)
Yep, I'm riding my road bike with 700x30 tires. Badass or dumbass -- you decide.
We even threw in some B-roads:
Here is where the skinny tires and tight clearances got me in a little trouble. The ground was not really muddy, but it was soft enough to clog between my brake calipers, fork, and tires.
- Scott
(Click the pictures for larger versions!)
Yep, I'm riding my road bike with 700x30 tires. Badass or dumbass -- you decide.
We even threw in some B-roads:
Here is where the skinny tires and tight clearances got me in a little trouble. The ground was not really muddy, but it was soft enough to clog between my brake calipers, fork, and tires.
- Scott
01-10-12, 11:14 AM
#17
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It wasn't strictly gravel, but on the 3 Volcanoes 300k back in 2010 there was a 10 mile stretch of gravel going 7 miles up and 3 miles back down from Babyshoe Pass.
My brevet bike at the time was a touring-ish outfitted Cross Check with 32mm Pasela TG tires, so the loose gravel wasn't too much of a challenge for me, but it certainly wasn't like rolling on the asphalt.
Where the pavement ends, the fun begins:
SIR riders Kole and Michelle heading up to the pass. Kole was rolling on a 23mm front and 25mm rear!
Our merry band of misfits at the pass summit sign. Amy and Peg were the first tandem team to finish the 3V300K.
Here's a good pic of what the gravel looked like for much of the downhill portion.
My brevet bike at the time was a touring-ish outfitted Cross Check with 32mm Pasela TG tires, so the loose gravel wasn't too much of a challenge for me, but it certainly wasn't like rolling on the asphalt.
Where the pavement ends, the fun begins:
SIR riders Kole and Michelle heading up to the pass. Kole was rolling on a 23mm front and 25mm rear!
Our merry band of misfits at the pass summit sign. Amy and Peg were the first tandem team to finish the 3V300K.
Here's a good pic of what the gravel looked like for much of the downhill portion.
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"I feel like my world was classier before I found cyclocross."
- Mandi M.
"I feel like my world was classier before I found cyclocross."
- Mandi M.
01-12-12, 06:35 PM
#18
working on my sandal tan
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01-14-12, 03:45 PM
#19
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I like to do a 30 mile loop up and through the local MTB park. Bike has 35c Kenda Supreme Kross tires which work great on the trails.
The ride is about 60% gravel path/dirt trails and 40% pavement.
The view ain't bad either.
But like any ride, it has to end...until next week.
02-05-12, 05:45 PM
#21
Have bike, will travel
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I enjoyed a little winter trekking this week
__________________
When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
03-17-12, 08:13 PM
#22
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Took out the new bike for a 33 mile shakedown run.
the trails where a little wet.
The creeks where flowing.
The trails where moist.
The geese where swimming across the trail.
The new bike was holding up fine. I had to stop and adjust the Avid BB5 road disc brakes a few times for squeaks.
I had to re-tension the rear spokes when I got home, they loosened up a little. Everything else seem to be in good shape, so far I'm happy with my low buck build.
the trails where a little wet.
The creeks where flowing.
The trails where moist.
The geese where swimming across the trail.
The new bike was holding up fine. I had to stop and adjust the Avid BB5 road disc brakes a few times for squeaks.
I had to re-tension the rear spokes when I got home, they loosened up a little. Everything else seem to be in good shape, so far I'm happy with my low buck build.
03-18-12, 07:50 AM
#23
Have bike, will travel
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Took out the new bike for a 33 mile shakedown run.
the trails where a little wet.
The creeks where flowing.
The trails where moist.
The geese where swimming across the trail.
The new bike was holding up fine. I had to stop and adjust the Avid BB5 road disc brakes a few times for squeaks.
I had to re-tension the rear spokes when I got home, they loosened up a little. Everything else seem to be in good shape, so far I'm happy with my low buck build.
the trails where a little wet.
The creeks where flowing.
The trails where moist.
The geese where swimming across the trail.
The new bike was holding up fine. I had to stop and adjust the Avid BB5 road disc brakes a few times for squeaks.
I had to re-tension the rear spokes when I got home, they loosened up a little. Everything else seem to be in good shape, so far I'm happy with my low buck build.
__________________
When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.
03-18-12, 11:12 AM
#24
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Seeing all that water made me smile, like I wanted to back up and make a run for it. Nice pictures!
03-18-12, 03:23 PM
#25
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Hey jet-slashman, are those trails in the same park they have the cx race series up there? Looks sweet...
I'm in SF but my brother lives in Sebastopol. Might have to bring the bike up there some time to check that area out.
I'm in SF but my brother lives in Sebastopol. Might have to bring the bike up there some time to check that area out.