Anyone have anything they'd like to rant about?

[zion zig zag]

I knocked it, too, but it's fun. There's no mountain biking season here, it's year-round, and starts to suck right about now because you can't see the trail through the leaves. Gravel is a nice change of pace in the winter, and if you do it with mountain bikers, it's laid back. Loose corners, sketchy steep descents, ruts, rocks, jumps, all at speed. Plenty of opportunity to scare the shit out of yourself. Ridiculous views. And best of all, basically no cars.

I do number 3 on woo's list. The roads are covered in gravel (not much dirt around here, sadly), but since that's a trigger word, I'll start calling it rock and sand with some dirt but no asphalt riding. RSSDNAR!

I guess I can see the appeal in some locals. Here, the seasons to ride dirt roads and trails would roughly coincide, and we probably have as many miles of trails as we do dirt roads. Yet, I have friends that load gravel bikes on their cars, and drive past perfectly good singletrack to go share dirt roads with trucks and side by sides while choking on dust.

[bagtagley]

Yeah, that’s crazy talk. RSSDNAR season is November through February, and wouldn’t exist at all if we had skiing even a tiny bit as good as you have it.

[HankScorpio]

Agreed, it’s getting played out, big time. I’ll still do the RAS ride, really good cause. And the Dirty Pizza, which is like $35 and the best pizza in NH. But Ted King can go fuck himself. $130 smell my mule.

Yeah, after doing Rooted last year, I'm not shocked it's turned into an over-hyped event. It sounds like King wants to make it a "brand" like Dirty Kanza. Whatever, it's his ride and he can flood it with douchey competitors. There are plenty of other low key gravel events I plan on riding where the $ goes to local trails and charities. RAS ride sounds like its up my alley, I'm most likely in for that next year, maybe Dirty Pizza too.

I guess I can see the appeal in some locals. Here, the seasons to ride dirt roads and trails would roughly coincide, and we probably have as many miles of trails as we do dirt roads. Yet, I have friends that load gravel bikes on their cars, and drive past perfectly good singletrack to go share dirt roads with trucks and side by sides while choking on dust.

Agreed. I never thought I'd have anything to do with a drop bar bike until I moved somewhere with endless miles of empty dirt roads, 4x4 trails and random places to explore. When mountain bike trails are closed, gravel riding scratches the bike itch for me and its done wonders for my overall bike fitness. But if mountain bike trails are open, that's where I'll always be.

[Vt-Freeheel]

1. Whatever I feel like doing with whatever bike
2. meh
3. huh
4. where
5. zombie
6. ???
7. no
8. whatever others think I should do or like

[Dantheman]

order of fun

1. MTB
2. Dirtjumping
3. Road riding on traffic-free roads
4. Punching one's own nuts
5. Road riding in heavy traffic
6. Drinking muratic acid
7. Riding a road bike on dirt roads and calling it some bullshit with the word gravel
8. Talking to people who just bought an ebike

Pretty much nails it, but #5 isn't quite so simple. If traffic has become fucked to the point that you can pedal faster than everyone else is driving than it jumps to #3. Nothing puts a twisted smile on my face like riding past a long line of cars going nowhere fast.

I knocked it, too, but it's fun. There's no mountain biking season here, it's year-round, and starts to suck right about now because you can't see the trail through the leaves. Gravel is a nice change of pace in the winter, and if you do it with mountain bikers, it's laid back. Loose corners, sketchy steep descents, ruts, rocks, jumps, all at speed. Plenty of opportunity to scare the shit out of yourself. Ridiculous views. And best of all, basically no cars.

I do number 3 on woo's list. The roads are covered in gravel (not much dirt around here, sadly), but since that's a trigger word, I'll start calling it rock and sand with some dirt but no asphalt riding. RSSDNAR!

Yeah, I can see that. I've always thought a HT 29er made more sense as the vehicle, but maybe if I rode a gravel bike I'd understand.

[Sutter]

Can I interest you in my gravel ebike group ride?

Oh Oh Oh!!! Only if it's through a major metropolitan area.

[kidwoo]

laid back. Loose corners, sketchy steep descents, ruts, rocks, jumps, all at speed. Plenty of opportunity to scare the shit out of yourself. Ridiculous views. And best of all, basically no cars.

I just don't get the road bike part of it. The fact that 'gravel' bikes keep creeping closer and closer to a hardtail 29er with a little bit of travel just shows that we already had this figured out. (edit: sniped by dan)

After driving around some places like eastern montana with empty, smooth dirt roads everywhere in the plains, I get it. I just don't think the bikes make sense. Dry, loose gravely roads and road bikes never will to me. It's still bumpy, drop bars aren't really that stable for sliding around, and skinny little tires are bouncy.

I do number 3 on woo's list.

I guess that's more polite than doing number 1 or number 2 on it.

[HankScorpio]

"Gravel" bike is a vague term these days. For me its more relaxed road geo, 40cm tires, wide/flared drop bars and lower gearing (38t single ring x 40t cassette for me).

[kidwoo]

I know people have been building up road bikes to ride on dirt roads forever. Hell that's the buffalo soldiers if you want to be honest.

"gravel" to me, more than anything is just the next "enduro," "all mountain," "downcountry," "telemarking"

Jargon from a desperate industry that thinks a new buzzword creates a new market. Can't say they're wrong in this case.

[HankScorpio]

No doubt the bike industry is taking full advantage of the "gravel" concept. They'll milk that cow 'til she's dry.

[EWG]

I just don't get the road bike part of it. The fact that 'gravel' bikes keep creeping closer and closer to a hardtail 29er with a little bit of travel just shows that we already had this figured out. (edit: sniped by dan)

After driving around some places like eastern montana with empty, smooth dirt roads everywhere in the plains, I get it. I just don't think the bikes make sense. Dry, loose gravely roads and road bikes never will to me. It's still bumpy, drop bars aren't really that stable for sliding around, and skinny little tires are bouncy.

Ha - it's all just bikes man. A bunch of the difference is where you ride, not what you ride. People have been riding cross bikes fast on dirt roads forever. Gravel bikes aren't that different man. And before cross bikes the euros just took some air out of the tubulars and rode their damn road bikes on dirt trails.

I once spent a year riding my cross bike everywhere and never rode my mtn bike. I had a little kid and I wasn't sleeping, and I left a custom Chris King wheel out in front of my house one afternoon and it walked. Rather than find a new wheel I just said fuck it and rode the cross bike with our MTB crew. 28c tires pumped up to 80-85 everywhere - trails like Monarch Crest, Sovereign, Fruita Loops, 18 Road, towns like Steamboat, Crested Butte, Moab, Nederland, etc. Was really freaking hard and really freaking fun. After I bit I could downhill suprisingly fast on it, and it was really fast uphill due to the high gearing forcing me to be strong. You just couldn't make a mistake or you'd blow yourself or the bike up.

But the point is, I was mountain biking. Just doing it on a different kinda bike - but still mtn biking. If ya like riding dirt roads then ride em - and I don't care if you ride em on a mtn bike, a hardtail, a YBB, a cross bike, a road bike or a gravel bike. It's still the same dirt road.

Just like these dudes in the photo kidwoo posted were doing in CB all those years ago.

Except for unicycles. That's something different. And stupid.

[rideit]

But I'm choosing to bottle it all up instead. Serenity now, serenity now.

Sounds like you need to go for a ride.

[EWG]

Sounds like you need to go for a ride.

Sounds like you need to race.

[kidwoo]

Sounds like you need to take a dump

[Ted Striker]

I actually have three separate rants (!) from the past week encompassing various and exciting topics such as dog shit, group riders who know their rights but not their responsibilities, and people riding with their "trail dog" which isn't trained.

But I'm choosing to bottle it all up instead. Serenity now, serenity now.

So you were visiting Bellingham?

[JerseyDave]

My favorite gravel bike of all time was the KTM 690. Dirt roads were like single track, and 3rd gear corner exits were instant boners. Road are for motors.

[plugboots]

Quote Originally Posted by kidwoo View Post
order of fun

1. MTB
2. Dirtjumping
3. Road riding on traffic-free roads
4. Punching one's own nuts
5. Road riding in heavy traffic
6. Drinking muratic acid
7. Riding a road bike on dirt roads and calling it some bullshit with the word gravel
8. Talking to people who just bought an ebike

Pretty much nails it, but #5 isn't quite so simple. If traffic has become fucked to the point that you can pedal faster than everyone else is driving than it jumps to #3. Nothing puts a twisted smile on my face like riding past a long line of cars going nowhere fast.

Good list and amendment, and I don't dirt jump, but want to.
I just like riding bikes. I think it's fun. The only thing for me is I trained for Leadville many years ago when the singletrack was way more limited, so I did a shit ton of forest roads to connect shorter stretches of singletrack, and that ruined me for "gravel". I ride some "gravel" now and I have an immediate flashback to hot, dusty, dehydrated, cattle-driven, fucking washboarded, fucking washboareded, fucking washboarded, 90 something degree shit. Can't shake it.

[evdog]

Was just going to post the same thing. I bought a Honda CRF230 a few years ago to explore dirt roads. Can't really call many of these roads good gravel rides, we've got a lot of steep/rocky mountain fire roads in Socal that would be no fun on a gravel bike IMO. The dual sport is where it's at. So fun to ride and actually makes fire roads fun. Way better than burning a whole day on a pedal bike or putting wear and tear on the truck when I can explore the same in a couple hours on the moto.

My favorite gravel bike of all time was the KTM 690. Dirt roads were like single track, and 3rd gear corner exits were instant boners. Road are for motors.

Pretty much nails it, but #5 isn't quite so simple. If traffic has become fucked to the point that you can pedal faster than everyone else is driving than it jumps to #3. Nothing puts a twisted smile on my face like riding past a long line of cars going nowhere fast.

This is also where the moto shines, since we can lane split in CA. My commute home in peak rush hour can easily take an hour to 1:15. On the moto lane-splitting, it might be 25-30mins and hugely satisfying to ride past all the stopped cars on the freeway. Or I can take scenic side streets through La Jolla which takes 40min regardless of traffic - there are no multi-light waits since I can just cruise up to the front of the line. #winning

[Redsmurfer]

Pretty sure that is the lower Repack. That turn is still the same sketcky, outside banking, gravel slide with a nice 20-30 foot drop off. Every time I go down that i think how insane it was to ride that fast on a bike with coaster brakes and shitty tires down that steep fire road. Lots of respect for the early repack racers.

[mcski]

Sure looks like and has the vibe of repack. That was my first thought when I saw the pic too. Definitely still sketch and easy to wreck yourself on it. Haven’t been on it for a while, but it used to get some ruts in it that even Indiana Jones wouldn’t have escaped

[plugboots]

Yup.
Starting at about 15:30 or so they climb up to do repack on different bikes, the guy on the gravel bike can flat out ride.

[Redsmurfer]

Plug,

cool video of a classic ride up the RR grade, out Bolinas ridge to Bolinas-Fairfax road, up towards Pine mtn and finish off with the Repack back to Fairfax for a beer. It should be noted that the climb up towards the Repack could not have been easily done on gravel bike until about 4 months ago. They bladed it and made it a much easier/less technical rocky climb, still steep though. I cannot say I see a lot gravel bikes on the Repack most would be flying down the road past the meadow club on their way to a cold one. I do see a lot of emopeds out there, away from johnny law.

Every thanksgiving there used to be a keg of beer at that bridge after the thanksgiving Pine Mtn ride. MMWD frowned on that heavily in the last few years and now station a ranger by the bridge every year, all day. Bummer

[riff]

Finally, I'm riding enough to have a rant.
Can we get mountain bikers to quit parking themselves and piles of bikes in the middle of everything? After two weeks in the desert, and one back home, I'm tired of having bikes splashed all over the tiny parking lot with quasi parallel parking, carelessly dropped and ignored while I try to drive in/out. Also, don't hang out straddling your bike under nice drops on the trail while you chat, I will land on you from the sky.

Sent from my SM-G960U using TGR Forums mobile app

[riff]

Finally, I'm riding enough to have a rant.
Can we get mountain bikers to quit parking themselves and piles of bikes in the middle of everything? After two weeks in the desert, and one back home, I'm tired of having bikes splashed all over the tiny parking lot with quasi parallel parking, carelessly dropped and ignored while I try to drive in/out. Also, don't hang out straddling your bike under nice drops on the trail while you chat, I will land on you from the sky.

Sent from my SM-G960U using TGR Forums mobile app

[plugboots]

Plug,

cool video of a classic ride up the RR grade, out Bolinas ridge to Bolinas-Fairfax road, up towards Pine mtn and finish off with the Repack back to Fairfax for a beer. It should be noted that the climb up towards the Repack could not have been easily done on gravel bike until about 4 months ago. They bladed it and made it a much easier/less technical rocky climb, still steep though. I cannot say I see a lot gravel bikes on the Repack most would be flying down the road past the meadow club on their way to a cold one. I do see a lot of emopeds out there, away from johnny law.

Every thanksgiving there used to be a keg of beer at that bridge after the thanksgiving Pine Mtn ride. MMWD frowned on that heavily in the last few years and now station a ranger by the bridge every year, all day. Bummer

Cool. When I lived in SF & Berkeley one of my standard rides was the Pine mtn loop. I only did repack once or twice because of how it dead ended. I did Bollinas Ridge a lot when I wanted to do a bigger loop, sometimes riding down whichever trail towards the ocean and back up another trail, then looping around out by the (now) sky walker ranch. No singletrack, but great steep riding.
The video seemed to show that guy climbing that nasty loose stuff I liked w/ his gravel bike, that’s why I commented the way I did.
Yeah, bummer about the ranger.