Gravel - Please help me "get it"

One thing not mentioned as well is that my partner does not really enjoy mountain biking, but she loves riding bikes. So, since riding pavement sucks because of cars, bike paths are boring, and we have so may options for quiet, scenic, fun and sometimes challenging rides out the door (especially if you throw in some class IV Vermont roads), I'm a 50/50 mtb/dirt road rider now. I can also ride to great mtb trails in any direction, some well-trodden and buffed and others old-school New England style. I kind of think of it like skiing, in regards to loving skiing the woods, but high speed railing on a groomer is pretty fun, too.

I live on what has become probably the most popular road to ride in the area, and most everyone has a huge smile while cruising past my house. Can't beat that, really.

Not to mention how comfortable riding on the brake hoods is. I spend a majority of my time on the hoods or the bend that meets the hoods. I’m only in the drops going down hills or riding in a fast group. Flat bar sucks for these style bikes.

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Originally Posted by Dantheman

Groading and adrenaline are two words that should not go together. Particle blew up his clavicle groading last fall. Groading-related hospitalization is a special circle of hell.

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Disagree, I wouldn’t do it if there weren’t opportunities to scare myself a little (or a lot).

There’s definitely an argument to be made about the idiocy of pushing the limits on tiny tires at speed, but groading-related hospitalization doesn’t sound any worse than bike commuting alongside Utah drivers-related hospitalization. :D

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Originally Posted by buttahflake

Not to mention how comfortable riding on the brake hoods is. I spend a majority of my time on the hoods or the bend that meets the hoods. I’m only in the drops going down hills or riding in a fast group. Flat bar sucks for these style bikes.

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I was gonna say...most people spend the majority of their time on the hoods and hoods are super comfy as they give a far more neutral wrist position than flat bars. The drops are for tucking and periods where you need more grip/control.

Drop bars give you way more hand position variety and are far better suited to long days in the saddle. Spend most of the time on the hoods, get in the drops for aero (and even there you have options--down on the bottom or up in the curve), use the tops of the bars on long climbs or when you want to sit up and take a break and just give your hands something different.

If you find drop bars uncomfortable, your bike fit is wrong (or you mistakenly believe you're supposed to actually ride in the drops at all times). You could try different widths/drop heights, but odds are you also need to modify reach/stem height. Unless you are racing you are looking for a spot where the hoods provide all-day comfort but the drops are still accessible for periods where you want to use them.

Another benefit to the curly bars IMO is a more aero position on those windy days, which seem to be the norm more often than not lately, at least where I live anyways. I don't weigh that much and tend to get knocked around a bit more when riding my flat bar xc in a more upright position vs my groadie where I can tuck it.

Rodeo Labs out of Denver has been messing around with custom monster gravel designs for awhile, and have crafted bikes where you can swap the bars from flat to curly on the fly without full deconstruction of your cockpit. I appreciate how they don't GAF what the purists say. It's all about fun, bottom line. Options are great.

Fit is crucial, get your kit dialed or you will be miserable. Research geometry, take some test rides- some gravel bikes are built for century racing, which felt twitchy to me, while others are more slack and comfortable for the long haul, have options for multiple tire sizes, mounting points for packs, etc. Invest in a saddle that works for your specific ass shape and bone structure.

Currently running a 2x but plan to swap to 1x so I can utilize a dropper for those singletrack moments I have found myself in. Options man, I love it.

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Originally Posted by kathleenturneroverdrive

A gravel bike is just a road bike that accepts fatter tires (with other modern stuff that makes them better than a steel touring bike from 1999, LOL). So drop bars make sense for all the same reasons that people ride drop bars on road bikes.

Braking from the drops is no problem in normal gravel terrain, just like a road bike. But as descents get steeper/faster/chunkier, most people move their hands down into the drops. This allows single-finger braking low on the lever for more power/leverage than the drops. Neither position should be uncomfortable nor painful. If back problems make that impossible, a few brands make flat-bar gravel bikes these days.

Seeing you're over the hill from me in Livingston and that maybe you're wondering about the versatility of these bikes: they turn rides you wouldn't do on a mountain or road bike into a super fun day. Like riding Willow Creek/Jackson Creek Loop Trailhead/the Frontage Road back to town. Of course, rides like these aren't everyone's jam, which is cool too.

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Ya, I pedal some of that stuff and Suce from home loop, lots of stuff off Trail Cr, Mission Cr, Mill etc…
My wife and I had cross bikes years ago, (those sucked ass around here). She switched to a DV9 hard tail for her “gravel bike” and I went from a Scott Scale to light xc full squish I can lock out suspension on (although I rarely lock it out.) I’d be curious to try a proper gravel bike but for our uses the xc MTB is tough to beat. More versatility on the shit backroads we have where we can easily link in a few miles of singletrack, like riding some out local spots from our door. I’m not trying to break any records and climbs like Emigrant Gulch are pretty darn comfy on the xc bike. That all being said, I’m still keen to sit on a proper gravel bike. Like was said up thread, can’t beat dirt road for shoulder season and zone 1-2 for proper base mileage as well as injury. You fuckers aren’t any help when it comes to not acquiring more bikes …;)


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It’s too bad the only option for handlebars are drops or flats


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Originally Posted by MagnificentUnicorn

It’s too bad the only option for handlebars are drops or flats


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I saw a guy doing Leadville on a fixie with a mustache bar, (or some version like the Surly Open).

I’ve used various shapes of handlebars over the last 30 years “gravel” biking. Several types of flared dirt drops, mustache bars, etc. I like Jones Hbars and Nitto Albastache the best. You can get aero, sit more upright, pull for lots of power and generally move your hands around the bars. They’re really great without the disadvantage of drop bars and riding the drops to get the best braking in steep challenging terrain. I used drops for decades and they are best setup if you can get the flats saddle high or higher imo


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If you haven’t used modern electric shifting, I can’t even relate to y’all just how freaking awesome it is. I was skeptical, I was way wrong. eTAP Rival AXS is incredible.

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Originally Posted by buttahflake

If you haven’t used modern electric shifting, I can’t even relate to y’all just how freaking awesome it is. I was skeptical, I was way wrong. Rival AXS is incredible

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My wallet doesn’t need to hear this

At the end of a 4-5-6 hour ride, when the fatigue is real, not having to move a cable actuated lever makes a world of difference. Push the tab with the slightest pressure and that shit gets done!

I never really struggled with shifting even at the end of 8-9-10 hour rides. I guess it’s hard for some people


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You kinda suck at this guy. Modern bikes are fucking sick! Take a lap.

I’m not the one with weak hands struggling to shift after 4 hours riding in Florida. Okay, you ride in the Shire too. Tell again how awesome the neighborhood crits are in Naples. Laps beater


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You are so fucking large, I would be but a blip on the horizon going up hills. Take a lap, Large Marge.

Ah, little man syndrome. It’ll be alright little buddy. Maybe try some hand strength exercises


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https://media.giphy.com/media/1yjHwD...XR59/giphy.gif

Buttah is mad because my hands are stronger than his


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Who’s mad? Not I. You just dumb as fuck is all.

I can speak just fine wee man


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Originally Posted by hick

Ya, I pedal some of that stuff and Suce from home loop, lots of stuff off Trail Cr, Mission Cr, Mill etc…
My wife and I had cross bikes years ago, (those sucked ass around here). She switched to a DV9 hard tail for her “gravel bike” and I went from a Scott Scale to light xc full squish I can lock out suspension on (although I rarely lock it out.) I’d be curious to try a proper gravel bike but for our uses the xc MTB is tough to beat. More versatility on the shit backroads we have where we can easily link in a few miles of singletrack, like riding some out local spots from our door. I’m not trying to break any records and climbs like Emigrant Gulch are pretty darn comfy on the xc bike. That all being said, I’m still keen to sit on a proper gravel bike. Like was said up thread, can’t beat dirt road for shoulder season and zone 1-2 for proper base mileage as well as injury. You fuckers aren’t any help when it comes to not acquiring more bikes …;)


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Huh. With all that in mind, if you aren't wanting to ride pavement faster/or at all to and from those rides you legit might not need a gravel bike. But if you want to have more fun on dirt roads and pavement, then get ready to spend some money. And if you're by chance 5'3" or less I should be selling my wife's old Trek Checkpoint ALR4 for a very fair price in a week or so.

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Originally Posted by kathleenturneroverdrive

Huh. With all that in mind, if you aren't wanting to ride pavement faster/or at all to and from those rides you legit might not need a gravel bike. But if you want to have more fun on dirt roads and pavement, then get ready to spend some money. And if you're by chance 5'3" or less I should be selling my wife's old Trek Checkpoint ALR4 for a very fair price in a week or so.

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I’m not, but my wife is that tall. She’s sold on the DV9 though. Hell, she’ll ride Chestnut and the Bangtail divide from the house on it. [emoji15]


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Originally Posted by buttahflake

If you haven’t used modern electric shifting, I can’t even relate to y’all just how freaking awesome it is. I was skeptical, I was way wrong. eTAP Rival AXS is incredible.

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You can even change batteries at 60 kph if you need to like Sepp Kuss

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRKfg4fp/

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Originally Posted by MagnificentUnicorn

I can speak just fine wee man


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Oh FFS, please go back to the Padded Room.
When Buttah and I are in agreement, the planets have aligned.
Everyone is super stoked you’ve been riding bikes on dirt roads for a long time. The Strong Hands trophy is in the mail.


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