Why Gravel Riding Sucks
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ค. 2024
- Gravel riding is the best....or is it? 5 reasons we love and sometimes hate riding the grav grav.
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My favorite aspect of “gravel” is starting from the house and linking up asphalt, dirt roads, hiking paths, and single track on a bike that can do all of those relatively efficiently. Even before 5$/gallon gas it always bothered me to load the bike on a car to go for ride.
Here in the UK, the biggest downer about gravel is that there really isn't any! Most off-road riding that isn't mountain biking usually involves mud. But we do have a wonderful network of canal towpaths.
I watched something on GMBN where they were going down a trail of something that looked like mulch? Turning kicked it out almost like snow, it looked fun (if damp)
I second this, I'm fortunate enough to have some decent byways, canals and forest near me. To get views like in this video I'd have to travel to Wales or Scotland and then we have the weather to contend with.
Congrats on the pros closet sponsoring
Maybe you can build a partnership with them sending you bikes to review.
That way you don't have to contact different brands and no one can say you are sponsored by the reviewed brand. Because you are sponsored by a third party :)
Love to see your channel growing
I just bought my new (used) Cannondale Topstone from them. Great bike and great service at Pro's Closet.
I’m too particular about my “gravel”. Smooth and hard packed dirt is fine but I can only stand getting rattled and vibrated for a very short time.
The uncertainty of trails/routes makes it worth riding.
Russ out here speaking to my heart! I’m so on board with the cons also being the pros. Planning, remote locations, all of the unknown adds to the adventure but can be a pain. The joy when a plan is “successful” is always worth it for me. Even if it’s not perfect you will never know unless you go.
What a refreshing (and honest) take on the pros and cons of gravel riding. It’s kind of puzzling why other channels and websites who exist for gravel riding don’t break these factors down for new and old riders alike.
Everything on your list is spot on! The funny thing for me is that I use to drive an hour or more to get to "epic" MTB trails. Now I have more MTB trails to choose from but I find myself driving more than an hour to get to the "grav grav". Thankfully my gravel bike doubles as an endurance road and mixed surface bike which is perfect for the area I live in.
It’s been great watching your channel grow over the past 4 year Russ. Congrats.
I agree with you entirely. That’s why I decided to sell my Canyon MTB and get a Surly
Ogre. Much prefer exploring the planet at a leisurely pace than trying to kill myself going down a hill.
basically an updated 90's cromo mountain bike..
Good video Russ. As far as self rescue, totally get it. I got myself into so tight spots with minor injuries, thankfully the injuries were such that I could get out just fine. Than being said, I finally, after many months of studying different units, bought a satellite communicator, press sos and help comes. Also back and forth texting available as is tracking. Its a bit pricey, but I figure it is worth it. I go out on remote forest service roads from time to time and hope to do so more often. My wife will have the ability to track my progress, and she will worry less. In addition to this we both have ebikes and some of the routes we like don't have cell access, so this device will be helpful if needed. Ride on Russ, ride on!
I agree with every word of this video. I planned a gravel ride that I unintentionally traversed private land and got yelled at by a grumpy rancher. Oops, sorry! And dogs, if I had a dollar for every time I got chased by a farm dog, I'd have like 6 dollars.
Only fear the dogs when the ranch wife is screaming at the dogs and you have run out of gears.
I carry dog biscuits with me in my jersey pocket and make friends with the local pups. It works! (I also carry pepper spray in case it doesn't)
@@donhuber9131 Yep, pepper spray in the southern states works.
One of the nice bits of Vermont is you can connect lots of small towns while also riding mostly gravel and unmaintained class iv roads.
Great list! Also great to see the channel getting sponsorship!
Your channel helps people stay connected to cycling - especially in areas where winter can prevent folks from riding as much as they'd like. Stay Awesome!
You are pretty spot on for most of it. I would say even when you get better at mountain biking you still have to concentrate some, just your handling improves and puts you more at ease and brings a smile when you clear a section you were not sure you could do. You learn to glimpse to appreciate scenery or just stop all together to take it in and not be in such a rush.
The Pro's Closet... where you can buy used parts for new retail prices, wheeeee!!
Mtbr here. Accessibility is a huge reason I've been eyeing up road bikes. I love the idea of being about to get an hour ride in at lunch. Half decent trails is a whole day affair where I live. Also, having the ability for a better commute on a road bike is also appealing. Gravel bikes are a good in between depending on which tires you choose.
What I like about the gravel bike mentality is the ability to dial-in your bike according to ride conditions and you don't necessarily have to be a roadie or MTB'er. Just a simple tire/wheel swap can give you lots of flexibility on where you ride.
I've always had some envy for the beautiful places you ride. After this video I'm appreciative of the Interurban Bike Trail that I live close to in the Milwaukee Metro area. Nicely paved with lots of urban, suburban, village and greenery and also close to Lake Michigan. It used to be just power line truck ruts that I rode on 28c tires- I didn't know any better but it was fun. I guess rides are as good as you make them.
Many people in rural areas are now fighting to NOT have their roads paved. These "ruralists" have come to realize that paving county roads and farm roads actually threatens their way of life. If you catch wind of something like this, join the fight, even if you live in town. A great way to build a bridge between the rural community and cyclists.
Nice report Russ, you make some great observations there. I have to say that for me, it's not so much gravel vs. road but the idea of Allroad. Of course I got that from reading Jan Heine, but that's where my biking has evolved to. I happen to live in the same city as Jan, do the "Urban Assault" thing with the potholes and crabby drivers, etc., But..... if you build your bike the right way you can do that on your way to the gravel, the dirt, the rail trails or anywhere, really. Heck I put a basket on my rando rack and stop at the market on the way back. Keep up the Party Pace!
Living in the Teton Valley is similar to Montana in that we have great access to miles of gravel roads and sweet single track. No downside to riding with fewer cars! I think your list is spot on, both the pro’s and the con’s. Gravel can be really rough, tough on the body and slow churning - I do like the occasional stretch of super smooth tarmac where you can you just mash a big gear, feel the wind in your face and let the miles roll by.
Shhhh you're supposed to keep the Teton Valley gravel a secret. It's some of the best anywhere! There is nothing more epic than Around the Rock as well!
Yes, yes, yes, so agree with all of this!! Totally into it for that extra bit of adventure but it does add a little more work to put in up front. Worth it tho! And congrats on the sponsor! Seems like a great fit
I'm not sure how I stumbled upon this channel, but I'm glad I did. Every video I've seen so far is interesting, full of information, and well-delivered (probably a Lit Major, haha). I'm headed to the 109-mile Mickelson Trail in South Dakota this year. I know it's an old railroad line, but it looks like it's packed with scenery and is a gravel trail I've wanted to do for a long time. Probably hit the paved Trail of the Coeur D'Alenes and the Route of the Hiawatha on my way to California. If you can recommend any similar scenic trails on my way through Montana, that would be great. Keep up the good work.
That section of trail with the little bridge 5:36 looks fantastic! I'd have something like that in every ride if possible!
The gravel ride footage in the "cons" section is so gorgeous I don't feel particularly dissuaded.
Spot on with all the points, both pro and cons. I can only think of one which is there's more chance of being attacked by wild animal. Here in Wales, gravel tracks go through farms and I hate being chased by a territorial dog. I've also had bulls coming at me and a Ram charging me with its head down. I'm on a roll here, there was also the family of wild boar during a night ride and our lights reflected 20 or more pairs of eyes back, that was scary, we had to turn back. But then, no one died and they're good stories for sharing around a campfire or on comments on TH-cam.
Great video!! Stoked to be working with you!
Bike trails, where they exist, have many of the positive attributes of gravel roads and less of the negative. In the western PA, eastern OH area where I live, we have quite a few trails. Most are really nice rides. They are there because of decades of effort by trail development organizations. There is often a political dimension to new trail development. Look up your local trail organizations. Find out what their development plans are. Write your representatives supporting development of new trails.
I moved from the Dayton OH area in 2020. I like my new home near Denver, but I really miss the huge bike trail network in the Dayton area and Ohio in general. It is a great place for bicycling. I totally agree that paved trails provide many of the benefits of gravel riding, primarily avoiding traffic.
@@jfspurlin1 In western PA, the majority of our trails are surfaced with packed, crushed limestone. The result is in between asphalt pavement and gravel/dirt.
I live in Dayton and I can confirm that the trails are absolutely fantastic. I want to try the Ohio-Erie trail this summer.
@@thargar141 I did part of the Ohio to Erie in 2018. I had only four days available to me so I went from Dayton to Millersburg (2 days) and turned around there. It was fun but the signage through Columbus was terrible! I had to stop to check my maps, was using RWGPS navigation, and still got off track a few times both going and coming. It cost me a lot of time. Unless it has improved a lot since then, if I were doing it again I'd look for a route around the city. That said, wish I had been able to do more of the route, especially the part through Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
@@markholm7050 I like that kind of trail.
I hate gravel riding only because of one reason - I've stopped riding my mountain bike and now ride only my gravel bike
Same for me!!
Great video. All good points.
The number one biggest issue I have is I need to clean my bike thoroughly for 30mins+ after every ride here in the UK, if its not mud its dust... I love riding off road but man it's a ball ache each time. Can I just say that the scenery in this video is absolutely stunning, utterly gorgeous. Thanks for sharing.
The remoteness is my gravel con. Like at Wind Wolves (nice b-roll btw), it’s eerily quiet in that narrow valley so I get a little nervous to go further. The beware of mountain lion and bears signs help there too.
I absolutely LOVE the SOUND that comes from the tires on gravel. It IS a harder ride and I'm 63 and it's getting harder and harder for me to manage the horrid gravel that TEXAS has to offer. However the gravel trails in Ohio and PA are from heaven! stable, smooth and amazing. So we keep going up there. We are on our gravel bikes more than any of our 6 bikes. It's a great all-arounder and so I will always have a gravel/adventure bike.
I'll have to admit, trendiness aside there's something cool about riding down unpaved roads especially empty unmaintained ones, it's kind of like going back in time a little, kind of before civilization, lol!
Yes, change happens slower when roads are not paved. They are not attractive to "developers".
On the note of route planning being a challenge: I once started a ride a bit earlier than expected because the "road" I had planned to _drive_ along to get to my intended starting point became unreasonable to navigate with my _AWD SUV!_ (probably _possible_ to navigate, but I hadn't intended on the drive itself being the "offroading" activity of the day.) Admittedly, I had known that this "town highway" was designated as primitive/unmaintained but I pictured your usual rougher dirt/gravel/fire road that might often approach hiking trailheads, etc. Fortunately, I actually was out for a mountain bike ride (not so much a gravel ride) so I was well equipped to simply start from this sketchy section of road. Narrowed by encroaching vegetation, and so washed-out as to expose a continuous, chunky rock garden, it quickly gave way to a full-on running stream whose shallow rapids I found myself splashing through as I dodged head-size river rocks on my descent toward my originally planned parking spot. Ironically, this section probably ended up being more technical than the mountain bike trails that I arrived at on the other side!
I know this was a mountain biking story, and Russ did speak to enjoying the "less technical than MTB" nature of gravel riding, but I guess the message is that some of the negatives Russ described (e.g., route planning challenges) can end up feeding into the positives - like the sense of ADVENTURE! - and I think it's no mistake that he hinted at some of these juxtapositions in the video.
Great thoughts on gravel riding! I think the efficacy of a gravel bike depends on where you live. I'm a decades long road touring cyclist, and owned a gravel bike in San Diego, CA. The off-road areas here are steep, rocky, eroded, DG over hard pack, not very good for gravel riding except in a few specific areas. Sold the gravel bike. Replaced it with a light Chumba Stella Ti with a Jones H-Bar, Fox 34, Industry Nine 29er wheels X 2.25 Maxxis Crossmarks. It works to cover gravel, local mountains, occasional ride to the beach, and the GDMBR.
Nice hook. The only sucky thing about gravel riding is the wandering definition about what gravel riding is, or what is a gravel bike. I can agree with Russ and Laura about the five pros/cons be have a whole different idea of the bike I ride for it. I feel blessed that I live in a small city and a commuter bike really works for about 80% of my transportation needs yet I have the Central Rockies to the west and the Northern Plains to my east with public lands and endless county roads and two track. My con is a long ice and snow winter. my answer had been to build a winter snow grocery bike and next winter an ice road bike for recreation.
I agree with the last point. I used to do 130km rides in 38dC weather with just 2 drink bottles because I would be constantly passing little towns for a fill up. Now with gravel im limited to 30km with 2 drink bottles at that temperature. So a 100km ride I need to take 5L if im not passing any towns, and I will be conserving water still.
Having to figure out where and if you can refill water. Most rides I have to carry an extra bladder and have had the water off at a refill location I was depending on.
I’m lucky I got the Katy trail right across the street love it!!
You are completely right on!
A great video and a great subject. Your work is getting better all the time. I do want to bring up one more possible reason to not like gravel:
Food Chain Issues.
As you know by experience cycling on remote fire roads you may no longer be at the top of the food chain. It's rare, but things can happen.
When you spot fresh proof that a bear does in fact S%$@T in the woods it can be a little disconcerting......
I love gravel riding, but we don't have enough of it near me around DC. I think the solution is for me to just head out west with my grav bike :D
Russ, love your content. I agree with your pros and cons, but the pros definitely outweigh the cons (hates) for me. Yesterday (Sunday on Memorial Day weekend) I did 58 miles on all public roads (most gravel) and only encountered two cars. These were rural roads in Mariposa and Merced Counties in California. However, let me add one more con to your list, which is having to wash the cow shit off of your bike after the ride. These areas I ride through are open range (lots of cattle crossings) and sometimes it is impossible to avoid the cow shit.
Russ, if you want to meet up this spring/summer/fall and do some chill mountain biking let me know. I don't know the Missoula area well, but we've got some beautiful and less technical trails in the Butte area that would be fun.
I have done some gravel riding, I wish the roads I find were as chill as the ones you have clips of.
I've ridden gravel trails almost exclusively the past two years.
Now things are starting to open up, I commuted into work and I was shocked at how even a moderate amount of traffic was stressing me out lol.
i definitely understand how traffic can be stressful. there are roads that i choose to not ride on currently because of the type of traffic and road conditions. sometimes looking for a street parallel to or an alternate route can improve the experience and other times there arnt any good options. i personally choose to still ride on moderate traffic streets because i feel that if cars see more folks riding bikes they will see more bikes. not trying to become a martyr but feel very strongly about sharing roads, so i choose to be visible for my argument. stay wild and risk aware.
@@anotheryoutuber_ As someone that has waded through NHTSA and GHSA reports about current traffic, pedestrian, and cyclist deaths, I read comments on cycling videos and it is sad how we blame "Cars" and not drivers, police, and our politicians for the current 18% increase in deaths, nearly 40,000 deaths in 2021. There are vehicle traffic codes on the books in every state that can be enforced by PD via ticket writing under safe passing laws, and crosswalk codes, these are rarely enforced nationwide. In CA the vehicle code is basically voluntary today.
@@Mike-vd2qt definitely, "the right of way" does not guarantee safety. no amount of law making will make road "safe" folks should always weigh their ability to navigate vs the reward of doing so. even if they happen to be very skilled in moving through/around traffic, a fast or slow moving heavy thing can still cause injury or death. i subscribe to the imagine you are invisible, cause if you act as if no one will see you and they do your in a better position than if you do the other.
Simply stated the painted bike gutter is not safe on any road! Just today a very old man past me, missing me by 1'. I was riding down to get a coffee and stay on the bike paths for 4.5 of the 5 mile route. He pulled into the same center that I did. He was probably 90 years old. I didn't even say anything about his close pass. Smh
Separated bike lanes should be the minimum. 👍
One thing to dislike are babyheads. These really suck. FYI in Helena national forest there is a road sign at an intersection with one directional arrow labeled “ nowhere”. On another gravel road there are three separate official forest service signs placed quite a distance apart down the road, each labeled “Occidental plateau 5 miles”, an example of what is jokingly called “forest service miles”. I do wish there was a better resource for determining roads which have public right of way. The Big Belts in Montana have travel plan maps showing this and are a great idea needed everywhere.
Those "hatable" things are a part of the fun. I usually mix gravel, singletrack, fire roads and paved roads. So if gravel route doesn't have connection to where I want I can always take a D tour on paved road.
Least favorite: Gravel itself. Loose, dusty aggregate over hard pack dirt is sketchy at best; getting caught in a cloud of dust from a passing vehicle is not fun.
Fortunately “gravel roads” take many other forms. Natural surfaces and primitive dirt roads, sometimes covered in leaves or pine needles, if not muddy, are great. Dust and mud are also seasonal issues.
Most favorite: low traffic, low stress and often scenic, as mentioned.
See what you've done? Now I'm going to have to get up early and go for a dirt ride!
Cheers 🙂
Spot on, but in europe many unpaved roads exist long before the paved roads as they were the main routes connecting villages. Many were medieval roads and some were even built by the romans with cobblestone sections. All this to say that it is not long before you hit a bar with a cold beer. The down side is that the gradients can reach double digits and it takes three times as long to get anywhere.
Russ - living so close to real wilderness you should pick up a Garmin InReach Mini satellite communicator. Super important to have in an emergency.
Well as you pointed out the cons of gravel riding are also some of the pros. Using Ride with GPS to plan a route can be frustrating. Sometimes the line on the map doesn't correspond to a road on the Earth and vice versa. One of the best aspects of gravel riding is wildlife sightings. You rarely get great wildlife sightings on the road, unless flattened.
One thing I would add to the "why we like gravel-riding" list is the absence of road bikers who silently approach you from behind and fly past you at 30mph without a word or sound of warning and with maybe only six inches between their handlebars and yours.
Hey! I’m just curious about your bike selection. It seems like you’re almost always riding the bear law. What’s going on with your Riv? Love the content! Take care!
I love these agreements with gravel bikes. But, I'm still sure to switch from roadbike and mtb to gravel.
I agree with you comparing mtb to gravel.
I love gravel riding because I don't have to buy a new bike to do it, I can just use my 90s mountain bike!! Lol
I think in my country there is a plethora of gravel roads in decent condition, maybe not totally car free but the drivers show more consideration. So gravel roads for the win! But they wear down your cycling gear with dust and dirt.
Same “locked in” position 😅
Been gravel riding in New England for 11 years and I love it so much. But… 2 more cons: in this area gravel means UP. Very steep up. And then there’s my creaky old knees and neck which just can’t take as much of the chatter as they used to.
Nice video! What's your current helmet on this video? Thanks again.
Terms of not connecting, at least in places like UK Gravel does connect up places, very rare for trails that go nowhere as such.
One of the attractions is well mixed terrain so bit of road, bit of off road and so on, depending on where you want to go.
About the only Gravel that doesn’t is old railways, as often the Center of the towns/villages has changed so to stop for a coffee etc, you’d need to make a fair detour!
But in general UK gravel does at least go places it just might also be more MTB single track and so on!
Nothing about cycling in the UK is joined up/connected. Luckily I live in Cumbria and the cycling here is excellent...... somewhat wet, though.
@@ronwhite8503 for utility yes it’s total mess, but for gravel riding that’s one of the delights of it, ie avoid that road you hate by cutting across the woods or occasionally go around a hill etc, that’s the Gravel bikes strength that you can do most stuff and as such have more choices than just road or off road, MTB are painful slow feeling on road in my experience.
I suppose this goes under the lane 'access, but I like being able to ride from my doorstep, even if gravel doesnt start for 4 or 5 miles. You generally don't see mountain bikers riding to the trail. They load up the pick up truck to get there... Not so environmentally PC.
I agree with all of your points but you you forgot about NATURE! I'd add one personally... I have to wash the bike after every gravel ride to get the dirt, dust and grime off everything. Which also leads to much more wear & tear on components than road riding... worn drivetrain and dinged up wheels.
Gravel access is definitely an issue with most people in the US living in urban or suburban locations. True gravel means driving out into rural areas or trips to Central/Western US. Not everyone is lucky enough to live riding distance from front door to epic forest service roads.
I live in midwest farm country. The unpaved farm roads are not on public land, but are quite enjoyable. The locals who reside in these stable farm communities are extremely welcoming and courteous.
@@donhuber9131 agree. I live in NE Ohio and if I drive out to rural Amish county there is a lot of great gravel roads.
However you have to then factor in the commute time and commit to driving in a vehicle to ride your bike. Access out your front door is much more preferred and superior.
@@330_Crew Hello! I am also fortunate to have a nearby Amish community. I also have access to unlimited gravel elsewhere once I get about 15 miles from the small rural city in which I live(pop. 20,000). I still saddle up and ride from home often, but it is becoming more difficult and less safe. My traditional neighborhood is safe, as is the unpaved countryside. It's the no-man's-land in between that requires defensive cycling. Yes, I hate transporting my bicycle to ride it in peace.
I just ride a mountain bike. It's an all terrain bike. I have 2 wheel sets. One big knobby set for strict off roading, and a faster rolling low profile tread for mixed on or off road rides. If I'm on the mixed set, I can ride road sections in between the good stuff without fear of wasting away the big heavy tyre knobs on blacktop. Sure, the mountain bike is heavier, but it's more capable of handling anything I throw at it without fear of wheel damage occurring on rougher terrain. I will ride along anything I can get the bike up. Be it hiking trails, bike parks, gravel or fire / forest roads and begrudgingly, blacktop. I don't want to be restricted to a certain type of terrain or scenery because of the bike I ride. It's a huge sense of freedom I get on a mountain bike when I can just see any trail and ride up it.... Unless a sign states 'no bikes'.
One thing I'd add is climbing on gravel. Picking a route with a lot of climbing can be a crap shoot. I did learn to analyze the entire climb though. A 9 mile climb is harder on gravel than pavement. If it is very chunky or the "gravel" road is in really bad shape, it is much harder. You also have to consider that an 8 percent average on pavement and an 8 percent average on gravel can be very different. I've learned that gravel roads tend to have much more areas in which the grade shoots up well into double digits and are more abrupt. They will sap your energy quickly. First time I planned a mountain gravel ride, i just looked at the average grade and was over geared as a result. I suffered. Just know, if you're not used to gravel and come from the road side, that the climb is going to be much harder than it looks like on the surface just looking at Strava or Map My Ride.
Great list of likes and dislikes. For me and the gravel riding I did, I disliked the there and back routes. I am a fan of loops which seems much easier on the roads. Though, your point of less to no traffic has me rethinking this.
funny thing - all cons in that movie for gravel riding is an essence of fun in gravel ride :)
One reason why I train (loosely) on road for gravel events is because stuff breaks way too easy on gravel
What I don't like about gravel roads: loose gravel, dust, and dogs. I use paraffin on my chains to deal with the dust. What I like: better scenery, much less traffic.
Spot on
The number one reason to dislike gravel riding is cleaning the sand out of the chain ,derailleurs and cassettes .
It would be nice to live near gravel to ever have the chance to ride it without having to make a vacation out of it. Someday maybe I'll get the chance to try it.
Hint: If your past your knees in water its called a river not a road ;)
Would you consider groomed trails a part of gravel riding? I do wonder about that. I suppose one of the best parts of gravel is that it is not so rigid as road cycling where there are these unwritten rules. Not having to deal with traffic is big part of why so many people get into gravel in the first place. I am fortunate to live within ten miles of the metro parks in Cleveland that I have access to many trail systems. Unfortunately, I am also from a poor Black community where cycling isn’t very prevalent. I don’t drive so I often have to ride through some really bad neighborhoods to get to the trails. The roads in my neighborhood sometimes feels like I’m riding gravel especially after winter. And I don’t know what happened over the past two years but cycling in Cleveland has suddenly become more dangerous or perhaps I’m only noticing it now. When I started, I did do most of my rides overnight where there is hardly any traffic on the road but in recent years I started doing more daytime riding.
Had a snakebite on gravel, patches would not stick and no spare tube. Had to walk all the way home through the woods. One negative: no bus station on gravel 😅
Hope you learned your lesson - always bring a spare tube! Also let someone know where you're going if it's remote.
Id add unfixable punctures to the hate list. As removing pointed Dyna plugs and adding a tube is such a rubbish option. And I am convinced there is still work to be done with tubeless sealant. And also seating (some) tubeless tyres / rims combo. Still no doubt that tubeless is the best option but it’s just when it goes wrong/ doesn’t work it can be a real ride wrecker. ✌🏼
Using Enduro tires helps greatly as does extra sealant. You don't have to tiptoe through the tulips, can mosh over/through rock gardens better, and if you have a 'whoa Nellie' moment, the beefier tires might save your ass. I still like picking my lines as best as possible but, when you can roll up and over larger rocks (sometimes the smoothest line actually..!) and not worry so much about your sidewalls it's all trail gravy! (Run 27.5 x 2.8 Vittoria Martellos; surprisingly smooth on asphalt for what they are and handles everything generally well. Mud/clay is Not this tire's friend though...). It's absolute silliness to be a Gram weenie if you're playing in the dirt anyway; sturdiness and practicality are where it's at. Only tire punctures I've ever had (tubeless) were caused by malicious humans or a nail on the road; off-road, my 'tank-tread' has kept me rolling for days.
I would love you to discuss retrofitting 3x chain rings to MTB and gravel bikes. Particularly where boost geometry, fat tyres, and q factor make this difficult.. 3 X gears rule. Real gravel riders have a bucket full of gears.
I don't have a gravel bike, but i see gravel riding the most accessible to most people because cheap mountain bikes like those below 300usd is suitable for this type of riding
I live in NW Oklahoma, wife and I have hybrid bikes, that seem to do the job, but looking into a gravel bike
In my opinion hybrids are the do-it-all bikes; they're like a 700c MTB including the clearance for larger tyres. Just bought an old Trek 750 and it's great.
Just curious whats your thoughts if any on the bear claw compared to bombora?
And the Breadwinner G-Road. I think a video is in order comparing the several bikes you have at one time or another declared your "favorites" (or praised as bikes you'd be wiling to buy). Bear Claw, G-Road, Bombora, Ritchey Outback, etc.
The cons are still actually pros! That's the fun part!
The problem with Gravel in Eastern PA is that the only long gravel is rail trails. To me they can get boring pretty fast. You know exactly where they're going and there are few option to deviate that aren't just roads. There's no real public land with long winding gravel into any remote areas and the few public gravel roads we seem to have a similar feel to Pave segments of the Northern Classics races; Half mile here, 3/4 mile there, all connected by paved roads. I'm sure if I lived out west with access to BLM land and big sky, I'd like gravel a lot more. But for now, I see better views on my Road bikes.
i looked at Pros Closet is it me or does their prices look as expensive as new bikes?
They’re not cheap but less than new.
Gravel bike without suspension is just a road bike with wider tires. So yes, you can ride it offroad but I doubt it is as fun as on mtb. that's why the classic mtb/xc is better offroad (on gravel, forest roads) and that's why manufacturers are starting build gravels with suspensions - see f. eg. Canyon Grizl. My dream gravel bike is 29", flatbars, full suspension 🙂 (seddle, stem at least). On road and off road I don´t need dropbars, I need wide flatbars with wide grips for long trips. Unfortunately I can't find any good bulider who can bulid this bike, so I have to wait until it will be part of an natural gravel evolution 😀
Nature does it for me. I love to hit a trail where there is plenty of trees and Birdlife and wildlife. I get sick of breathing in fumes from ungrateful car drivers who can't wait one nano second and would rather run right over the top of you. All best from Australia 👍
If I have one criticism of your channel: too many disclaimers, caveats, e.g. "this is just my opinion." You will not lose viewers if you simply state: gravel is more interesting. Or: these handlebars are better. Unless you're just a dedicated relativist, which, fair enough.
Ha. I'm trying to pre-emptively reduce the amount of annoying comments. If I said something as definitive and controversial as "I like puppies", no doubt someone would comment that I was a dog enslaver.
@@PathLessPedaledTV, aren't we all? "Who's a good boy?"
I good tip to improve your MTB skills is don't look at the trail directly in front of you, look as far ahead as you can.
if your looking at your front tire, it's to late to deal with what's in front of you.
also, the faster you ride, the easier most obstacles are to get over.
you hit a small rock garden at speed and you can just jump over it.
riding a pump track is also good training for trail riding.
you can gain a lot of speed with a few good pumps.
last advice, get geared up and go wreck your bike over and over on purpose, you'll lose a lot of your fear when you realize wrecks don't hurt as much as you think.
that gravel biking looks cool, need more obstacles though lol
That sounds great if you have good insurance.
@@PathLessPedaledTV just get good gear .
When I first started doing downhill, I was wearing my motocross gear lol. I hit a tree head on and snapped my bars. Didn't hardly feel a thing.
I've never had to go to the ER from mountain biking.
When I learned to ride motocross, a trip to the ER was a monthly thing.
From your videos, it looks like you would have access to some pretty awesome trails!
You might not be old enough for MTB yet. At 52, I'm a young guy in my group. We have a 72 year old that does the big jumps. He's does yoga and has a six pack lol.
This sport seams to attract old motocross guys, the wrecks are much slower and the bike doesn't crush you when it lands on you.
The thrill level is still pretty high, and challenging your fear is a fun way to stay young.
I think I need to try a gravel bike. I just don't know where I would ride around here.
@@bikeradam Thats great for you. One trip to the ER or ambulance ride would literally bankrupt me.
@@PathLessPedaledTV that's a lot of weight to have on ones shoulders.
Even without doing crazy stuff for fun. Accidents happen in regular life all the time.
Hope you stay safe bro!
in my part of arkansas most gravel roads lead to a fishing or hunting spot and connecting to different towns is easy what isnt easy is teenagers taking their clapped out truck driftiong on the same dirt roads and yeah im guilty of it too when i was in high school but my county specifically has a lot of laws making it hard for teenagers to hang out because of the large amount of retirement communities too so i dont fully blame them for it either
What's your part of Arkansas? I grew up in Mount Ida and as a kid I did lots of "gravel riding" but didn't know it would become a "thing" in my 60s!
I’m considering a gravel bike with 1x. Anyone here got one? What’s your experience? Any help would be appreciated.
Refugio and Camino Cielo?
You don't worry about bears in Montana?
All the time.
Sadly our gravel paths are essentially only the shared paths.
People can get a lot more annoying than cars and there is no scenery.
On the bright side it's not remote. If you get injured, someone will probably call an ambulance.
Love that all your dislikes are kiiiiind of really likes as well. Great video.
The path to riding a gravel is limitless.
Speaking truths