Gravel - Please help me "get it"

[tellybele]

Your question is akin to what roadies asked about MTB in the late 70s to early 80s.

[Name Redacted]

Pssh, dude probably doesn't even have a "Down Country" bike.

[Supermoon]

Depends on where you live and what terrain you have near by. I live on the Eastside of Los Angeles, with fire trails in the Verdugos, Cherry Canyon, and San Gabriels about 10-15 miles away. For this, having a gravel bike is perfect, ride 10-15 miles of road to the dirt, climb up to 3000-4000 ft, ride dirt back down, ride road home.

Getting off the road and riding on dirt to avoid cars is a joy.

Pretty much this for me in Portland, too, and i get way fewer flats on gravel tires than road tires

[smmokan]

Between my wife and I we own 10 bikes now. Some people think we might have a problem. But we don't. We were gonna sell our road bikes after buying gravel bikes. But then we decided to keep em.

This man has the right idea.

[LHutz Esq]

riding bikes is fun.


waaaay better than not riding bikes.

[Name Redacted]

This man has the right idea.

It has gotten to the point where we have agreed not to show our parents our garage any more. Kinda embarrassing. Hey, i sold my singlespeed last year!

[smartyiak]

riding bikes is fun.


waaaay better than not riding bikes.

I went to the office today.

Can confirm: it was WAAAAAAY worse than riding bikes.

I’m gonna wfh tomorrow….which means I’ll check out at 2 and go ride my bike…my downcountry bike.[emoji6]. Everything will be right again.


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[Dromond]

Gravel road surfaces can be super shitty and uncomfortable to ride - it's actually more variably that mtb trail conditions in my experience. Road riding with very few cars is the biggest draw - if you're in the right location for it where quite, good condition dirt roads are plentiful. I only do it in a narrow window of time/conditions/location and agree with others here that you have to enjoy road cycling.

[geomorph]

The real question is why, outside of racing, people ride regular road bikes still. Some road bikes are starting to accommodate bigger tires, but still. Curly bar bikes are fun, just in a different way. Skinny high pressure tires on busy roads, less so.

[EWG]

Between my wife and I we own 10 bikes now. Some people think we might have a problem. But we don't.

We have 10 also. We also have a tandem. I'm not counting that one though because I would give you a significant amount of money to take the fucking thing off my hands. But it's my wife's and she wants it for sentimental reasons.

Fuck tandems.

Yeah, bikes are definitely on the N+1 continuum.

[muted reborn]

90’s era mountain biking for me was a lot of “gravel”. In Libby, MT it was sketchy though…constant logging truck traffic, the occasional high speed redneck throwing trash at you or intentionally clipping you. You know…gravel biking!


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Ha, I'd imagine it's still somewhat like that up there today.

[Supermoon]

Fuck tandems.

You can have ours if you want. We took a weird drunken crash on it on our way home from a Super Bowl party and now my wife won’t get back on it, even though it was her idea in the first place

[bean]

The real question is why, outside of racing, people ride regular road bikes still. Some road bikes are starting to accommodate bigger tires, but still. Curly bar bikes are fun, just in a different way. Skinny high pressure tires on busy roads, less so.

"Why do some people like different things than I do?"

[buttahflake]

Yeah, the group road ride I was on this morning was a fucking blast. Four laps in a quiet neighborhood, diving into corners and sprinting out of them. It’s an eleven corner Crit! We averaged close to 25mph for an hour, there were times I was pedaling going 31mph. If not for the occasional full stop at an intersection the average would have been even higher. Speed is addictive as hell. I’m a skinny climber, trying to hang with these gorillas is hard as hell. I just sit in the wheels and hope I don’t get popped, there’s no way I get to the front and put my nose in the wind When these guy’s sprint they’re pushing 1,000 watts! If you’re ever in Naples on a Tuesday morning, try jumping in the HOP, hour of power. So many watts!

[hick]

Ha, I'd imagine it's still somewhat like that up there today.

Only difference is much less log truck traffic. Yes, overall demographic remains unchanged
It was pretty damn good road and gravel riding though! There used to be an ungodly number of logging roads up there (still is, but many have become overgrown or been put to bed).


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[Name Redacted]

We have 10 also. We also have a tandem. I'm not counting that one though because I would give you a significant amount of money to take the fucking thing off my hands. But it's my wife's and she wants it for sentimental reasons.

Fuck tandems.

Yeah, bikes are definitely on the N+1 continuum.

I have as many bikes as skis. I have more skis than snowboards, by one. I am including two motorcycles in the bike count though.

Tandem would be dangerous for me. I don't think I'd ride it sober, but I kinda want an electric rickshaw that I can pay someone to haul me to concerts and stuff, or drive my dog around. Maybe a Gravel Rickshaw would be good for double track...

[XXX-er]

Usually all your bikes and skis cost < if you were a motor head unless you are given to collecting Pinerello Dogma's

[climberevan]

5 bikes per person is def not a problem. We're up to 12 counting the tandem.

All of them get ridden, and we can stop anytime!

[Name Redacted]

5 bikes per person is def not a problem. We're up to 12 counting the tandem.

All of them get ridden, and we can stop anytime!

Its only a problem if it is a PROBLEM.

[XXX-er]

I know of a guy who collects high end bikes so buddys buys em puts them in a room, doesnt even ride them and he is a dental surgeon ... lots of money to spend

edit : so we do this for fun whatever that is be it putting a bunch of new bikes in a room or buying a Dogma or riding a road bike or riding some old pile of shit AKA a vintage bike, or an E-bike (the only true mtn biking worth getting out of bed for ) or wtf

so its up to YOU to " get it "

[Falcon3]

Silly 'staches as a gravel thing? Please....

Gravel riders merely adopted the stache. Long distance tourers were born with it, molded by it.

[Dromond]

The real question is why, outside of racing, people ride regular road bikes still. Some road bikes are starting to accommodate bigger tires, but still. Curly bar bikes are fun, just in a different way. Skinny high pressure tires on busy roads, less so.

They don’t as much as they used to. Many newer road bikes fit larger tires, have disc brakes, and many have a less aggressive position than race bikes.

[evdog]

Depends on where you live and what terrain you have near by. I live on the Eastside of Los Angeles, with fire trails in the Verdugos, Cherry Canyon, and San Gabriels about 10-15 miles away. For this, having a gravel bike is perfect, ride 10-15 miles of road to the dirt, climb up to 3000-4000 ft, ride dirt back down, ride road home.

#LAsucksforcycling

On dirt roads I'd still rather be on my MTB.

[schuss]

5 bikes per person is def not a problem. We're up to 12 counting the tandem.

All of them get ridden, and we can stop anytime!

Well, I'd certainly hope so given that most of the bikes brake pads are probably in good shape.

[Flounder]

many have a less aggressive position than race bikes.

I think this a big part of the appeal. It’s a major reason I sold my old school light speed and got a gravel bike. The light speed was a freaking blast to ride, so light and quick but pretty much always in a race like posture. Gravel bike is more relaxed and comfortable to ride. Ability to ride rail trails and dirt roads is a bonus.