Yep, it’s fine in smooth well-maintained gravel roads with fine gravel like Forestry Commission roads. On tougher stuff with big chippings, ruts, potholes and hard-baked clay (especially if it has been chopped up by horses) then the gravel bike with 38mm tyres is definitely preferable.
I know exactly what you're talking about and am asking the same question. My parents live on a gravel road like you're describing and when I got my first road bike I used to have creep down the road for a solid km before I hit the Tarmac. That being said, now when I'm out on a group ride I am easily the most capable when it comes to "gravel roads" like what we're seeing here.
I am not afraid of taking my roadbike on gnarly gravel roads, especially since it's an aluminum frame. 5 bar/80 psi seemed to work fine with 26c tires, now I upgraded to 28c and it really helps with being more confident/reckless ;-)
I’ve ridden my steel road bike with rim brakes and tubeless 23c tires on VERY chunky and deep gravel. It was during a charity ride, and the county stripped the old pavement and poured the gravel across a two mile stretch the day before the event. A lot of the riders chose an alternate route that added milage, but my bad@ss wife and I decided that we could handle it for only two miles. It really wasn’t that difficult, but a lot of stones were bounced off the downtubes, so we opted for the alternate route on the way back. A gravel or ‘cross bike with 38-42c tires would have made that road a breeze for sure.
@@prestachuck2867 Yeah, I think there is a limit when the skinny tires start to sink into the gravel. It's still doable, but just not fun. I get very tense and my forearms start to hurt after a while...
I once took my gravel bike up a technical climb with some rock exposure. I got reminded right away why mountain bikes have at least a front suspension. I hit a rock and my front wheel just bounced up in the air. No amount of body weight shifting could compensate for that jolt. It's still fun to go up single tracks with a gravel bike. Just avoid roots and rocks. Let's leave those to MTBs.
i think gravel roads mean something different here. where i'm from, gravel roads have about an inch of loose gravel rocks that you'd have to crunch through while sliding around. you'd have no real control or traction on gravel roads around here. those just look like dirt roads.
Those I wouldn't even want to take my mountain bike on. Had to ride on that for a bit while they relayering the path , the Bulldozers hadn't come to crush the rocks yet
I tried my bike with 28c tires at 80psi on real loose gravel and it was harrowing. Stopped within 30s and turned around. The roads in this video are sublime compared to any road near me. Better even than the paved roads.
Yes, when I think a proper "gravel" road, it usually has quite a layer of gravel of varying size. The most recent one I took my road bike on (with x23mm wide tyres) had the front wheel sink in and greatly degrade handling.
I recently put some heavy duty treaded 28mm tires on my steel frame road bike and it rides like a dream on gravel and dirt paths. I can't even tell the difference on the road as far as speed goes. Best upgrade I ever made to my bike as I'm no longer limited to riding on pavement (I used to just get flats every second week and constantly spin out).
My 2019 Giant Defy can fit 32c tires on it. I've done a few hundred miles of gravel riding on it with no problems, and it's a complete blast getting away from the traffic of normal road riding.
So this begs the question, should you just buy a gravel bike and when you want to ride the roads, swap the rims & rubber out for something more suited for the road?
I got myself a Cube CrossRace 2016, did mostly gravel on it for a very long time and one day decided to buy some road tyres (28c, Vittoria Zaffiro Pro). Since then I've cycled from Bristol to Paris (+cycling around Paris and other places once there) approx. 600 miles, Wales in a Day Sportive (200 miles), and many other sportives. I've also changed the tyres to 32C Gatorskins. Never had a problem with keeping up with people on road bikes (of comparable fitness level to myself), I regularly go cycling with friends who have road bikes and the only time the bikes lets me down is during sprints and downhill when going about 60 kmh + as the gearing is noticeably lower. Other than and the weight, I absolutely love it, the somewhat more relaxed geometry helps to stay comfortable during longer days too.
Finally a video here on TH-cam that really helped out deciding between Gravel and Endurance.... All the other videos didn't make a point like this one. I was looking to get a Gravel bike although I plan to ride > 80% on roads, the Endurance Road Bike is a better choice and also able to work on some light gravel (32mm Tires). And to ride really off-road, a mountain bike with half or full suspension is the way better choice (and much more comfortable) then riding trails with a gravel bike.
Well-maintained gravel is the key phrase here. I have taken both my Trek Domane and Colnago with 28mm tires and did fine. When it gets loose and/or rough though, a very different story (especially important are the downhill comments) and my then my Warbird is the go-to bike with 37mm or larger. Great video, thanks.
I ride my track bike (25mm tires) on gravel all the time. Michigan is full of old railways that were converted into trails, most of which are a fairly plush crushed limestone. It's very doable, you just can't do a lot of leaning and pushing the bike around. Gotta stay as upright as possible and steer with the handlebars a bit more.
Rail trails are a bit different. Can’t really compare it to gravel roads. Tends to be finer stones and in better shape than a road that sees trucks and tractors all the time.
Did the D2R2 70mile version on my road bike with 28s and it was fine. I did use a "gravel" bike with straight bars and 2.1" Sammy Slicks when I did the full 112 mile version though- made the 45mph descents less nerve racking. Drop bars aren't great for fast descents. Fantastic gravel riding in western MA.
Jeremy you are the best! I really like your enthusiasm about cycling and i am surprised that you can motivate me to do more rides with your positive aura nearly every time!
Great information on gravel riding. I have a gravel bike and road bike, and I also live in Massachusetts, so I've ridden many of the roads in this video. While I'm not even close to the bike handler Jeremy is, I have to say, modern road bikes with 28s or 30s (tubeless of course) can take some serious punishment. However, I've found that it's more of a comfort and confidence thing for me. Like Jeremy said, it's important to feel confident in your setup and know when to back off. I'm much more comfortable, mentally and physically, taking my gravel bike out on proper New England gravel because if I run into a section with unexpectedly rough terrain, I'm good. I take the road bike out when I know I'm on pretty smooth stuff.
Nice job picking the most well maintained and scenic gravel road on earth. This being said, regular gravel roads are unpredictable and will destroy your bike sooner or later. Pros in Italy have free bikes and free mechanics. We don't. In other words, if you want to ride on gravel roads, get either a gravel bike or an hardtail MTB.
GabKoost agreed. have this park with gravel paths but some parks of the path the gravel turns into a little bigger rocks with sharp edges and i don’t want to risk a flat tire
Totally agree. It's road bike and MTB for me. If I go off road or in the mountains then I don't want to take any compromises or avoid some type of pathways. When on my road bike I enjoy the snappiness and speed with no side interests of exploring some forest roads.
I live close to a good trailway (old railway reclaimed for biking, hiking, running, etc) and it is smoother than a lot of paved roads around me. Consequently, I ride my road bike on it often. My biggest concern is not rocks or holes but loose gravel and slick mud. My mountain bike handles those much better. I find that on the road bike my main worry is just caution with speed and turning so I don't have unexpected wipeouts.
I've taken my old 2005 Giant TCR on graveled horse trails in a local park. It was fine with 700x25 and 700x26 tires. Only issue were the logs laid down to prevent erosion on the hills. Plenty of fun. When I told other road cyclists about it they thought I was crazy. :-D
I ride a fixed gear on a gravel road pretty much everyday , it`s part of my ride . My biggest fear is running over a squirrel , they like to dart across the road at the last second lol.
You're great, dude! I've been playing on gravel with an old road bike - steel frame, 8s groupset - that I was using mostly for commuting, here in the south of Brazil where the MTB reigns. Sometimes the lack of disc brakes makes me really scared but it's also the reason I've been having so much fun. Thanks for those nice tips.
I took my road bike for a gravel ride one time. While my lycra-clad self was carefully navigating some tiny rocks, a guy on a mountain bike slowed down next to me and gave me a concerned look, before asking "ummm are you lost?" At that point I decided I'd just buy a XC bike.
40+ years ago, when I was able-bodied, I tried riding my road bike on gravel with the skinny tires that came on it. It took less than 30 feet to convince me, I probably needed a Sting-Ray (1970's Mountain bike) for this endeavor. Jeremy has some really NICE roads to ride!! I like the forests!!
Love this video! The geometry is what really makes the difference as a road bike has a much more aggressive position making handling more sensitive compared to a gravel or even mountain bike. So while it’s possible to get through some terrain, the geometry will probably require more finesse out of it. Well done JPow and GCN! ❤️
I HAVE ridden my road bike on gravel... I have ridden my gravel bike on mtb trails and I have ridden my mountain bike on roads. The issue isn't where you CAN ride your bike, it's whether you'll have fun doing it. If I could only have one bike, it would probably be the gravel bike. The fun penalty is smaller when you take it out of it's comfort zone then with either of the other two bikes.
I used to ride all the Cascade fire roads on 25mm tires no problems... ridden plenty of local mtb singletrack on 28mm on an aero road bike too. Definitely think it’s on your handling a bit.
Rode my Synapse in Pawtukaway, on a rooty, gravelly path, I did puncture, but I had a blast and learn an important thing: On that type of terrain, you have balance your weight a lot more!
I rode a Snowdonian forest on 23c tyres a few years back, which was great fun but a miracle I didn't puncture. Done a few other rides on less extreme bridalways and trails too. Slicks are ok in the dry but slip and spin at first sign of mud. It helps to have an old bike you don't worry about bashing around.
Back in ‘90 when still road racing, I moved to Vermont. I road whatever I could find that was interesting and new, and there are a lot of gravel roads in Vermont. Many are paved, only to suddenly turn to gravel. I wasn’t going to turn around, so I just kept going and enjoyed them all (most of them). I was hoping to also meet up with some MTB riders to try some real off-road stuff on my mountain bike. I finally met some after a couple of weeks. On our first MTB ride they we spent the whole time riding the same dirt roads I had already done on my road bike. And now everybody thinks they need a gravel bike. The manufacturers must be laughing.
The far nicer than average gravel roads seen here aside, I do agree. I feel a lot of people really under estimate their road bike frames, and obviously you shouldn't be taking them on single track etc, but they can definitely handle a bit of the stuff Jeremy is talking about.
definitely body position is important. if you're used to keeping your butt on the seat the whole time, it's not going to work out well when you get to a bump or bigger rock. you can see it in the video where jeremy brings his cyclocross skills and gets his butt off the seat a lot even though he didn't actually talk about it
I've done several gravel stretches on an 2012 bike that ran 25mm tires. My new bike can run 32s. I'm currently running 28s tubeless and it's a nice improvement on gravel. Not going to do the really loose stuff or the really technical stuff. Still there are a lot of rides you can swing on a road bike.
I also love the gearing on my new bike. It's got the normal front chainrings (52-39 I think) but it was built out with a 34 on the back (11-34 I think). So I've got the same bigger gears I had on my old bike but going from an 11-28 to having a 34 has been amazing. It has bottle mounts for three bottles as well. So it really checks all the boxes Jeremy mentioned. Lastly, the frame weighs in at 800g but it actually passes xc MTN bike impact tests so it's light but solid. Just passed 1200 miles on it and I'm so happy with it. It's a smaller brand based out of Utah, and their best road model, the Fezzari Empire.
What do you mean by it not being a "good look for you" to have semi-slicks... are you implying the opinion of others matters more than technical functionality? Because that is how it came off as... and I am really curious if you actually meant that or just misspoke.
Ya, came to post exactly this. Is there a technical reason to avoid non-traditional road bike tires? I want the best ride experience, I care less about how it looks to others. I'd really like just a quick clarification if it's just style or actual functionality. Otherwise, nice video!
@@chrissdehaan cuz his bike doesnt fit anything above 28, afaik. and the choice of offroad tires isnt the widest in that category. first gravel distinction from road is wide clearance, so you can fit even niner 2 inch tyres on some of them, while standard widespread gravel 45mm offer huge choice of non-slicks.
It's just a saying. In this context sounds kind of like saying something is not recommended or advised. Assuming you are referencing 9:03 but he also uses the phrase at 4:14.
So to answer the question, the first time I recall riding on gravel and liking it was in '71, riding my Sting-Ray with a friend on flat farm roads outside Fresno, California. I was 11 that summer and he was a little older and he knew the area--we just lived in Fresno that year--and so it was fun to venture away from the neighborhood with someone who knew where to go and how to get back.
I bought a gravel bike 2 years ago. The first year I tried to use it instead of my xc, as there are not technically challenging courses in my area. It turns out, it was done pretty quickly and I needed to replace part after part. My next idea, after basically rebuilding it only using the frame, post, and deck, was to use it for commuting. Well, I quickly realized, that I don't need gravel tires for my commuting (although traveling through gravel). Now I basically build a road bike from it, using a bit more robust tires (4 Season Black Edition in 700x25C). It basically works great on gravel, even on light trails if it is not muddy and wet. While I loved the idea of a gravel bike, I would buy either a cx, xc or roadbike after testing it. For me it was either missing a real mtb or speed.
@@fedos No kidding I ride in North Central Worcester County in Mass. and I prefer back roads to traffic. However I often feel I am better off on my hardtail than a road bike - thinking of getting carbon wheelset with slick tires for road or gravel or even flat bar road bike so hard to decide on a budget
I tried my new Trek Domane SL5 on gravel last week as it was billed as an all road bike with its 32c tyres. It was amazing on all sorts of gravel trails. I made a vlog about it and I was suitably impressed with how it handled the terrain. The Quantocks trails were not as smooth and compact as yours in the video though.
One of my first few rides on my KTM Revelator brought my out to the Ocala National Forest area and I asked google maps for a quick route home. Didn’t know I would end up on gravel. It was fairly well maintained limestone road with a few softish sand spots. I stopped to air down the tires to improve the comfort and rode on to find paved road. That was actually my first experience on gravel. I’m glad I didn’t choose to turn around. I love gravel now! I love it even on my road bike, but prefer my 38mm tires on my CX bike.
I tear up gravel roads all the time! There are a few good trails here in NYC that i love. Unless it gets super gnarly with roots your bike can take it.
I'm a Vermonter in my mid 60's still riding gravel today! I much prefer my MTB over those fancy lite weight boneshakers you call gravel bikes! I do totally agree with the wider tire and lower pressure being the best strategy.
Own carbon roadie, full suspension mtb alloy, and now an alloy cantilever brake cx bike. The cx bike has 35c Conti SpeedKing RaceSport tyres, it's much fun and versatile, built it myself, it's a lovely bike and my first choice to ride atm
Have the 2020 Roubaix with 28’s and have been on and off road. Perfect bike for road that doesn’t make you sweat when the pavement goes away and lets you enjoy exploring new routes without having to worry about what’s coming up. My only regret was that I didn’t but 32c tires for it, next set for sure and they do not affect speed at all.
“Gravel” is a broad term that can vary greatly. Around here there are quite a few bike trails on former railroad right of ways. They are often surfaced with fine, hard packed gravel. A road road bike is just fine for those trails.
I'm 53 I've rode schwinns on trails and my eddy merckx...91' allez epic on single track in city park trails ...Seattle Wa. ...I rode my mtbs with elbows down 3fingers tucked...I truly am tickled to watch these vids and and hear of points I make for my riding style ...and I'm not the only one who can't help but be trail road curious...I'm not fit now but the mentality is still there and I do ride the same nearly half the time I ride ...scamper unpredictable or just smooth depends on mood...not destinations
If you are looking for versatility go for an endurance road bike with two sets of wheels. One for the road and one with gravel tyres. With 35c gravel tyres my Canyon Endurace transforms into a prety capable gravel bike that can not only do smooth gravel, but also sandy/ muddy forest roads and lights single track.
I recently got my first road bike and went exploring, took a little path that soon turned into mud and rocks and fallen branches. The bike did ok! But my hands were cramping and aching by the bottom of it gripping those brake levers from the hoods! Road bike brakes really only slow you down gently it seems
Calgary has amazing amount of bike paths paved with asphalt. I can’t say same about maintenance of said asphalt. So many roots, deep lines, cuts and breakages that it’s not pleasure hitting them at any speed with my road bike inflated to 110 psi. I even broke the spoke on a wheel trying to ride over bridge in FishCreek Provincial Park. Concrete surface of bridge is raised good one inch higher and at 20 km/h that’s enough. Lesson learned, either I slow down to a crawl or make sure I jump with both of heel simultaneously. Conclusion. Gravel is cheaper to maintain.
I enjoyed this video a lot. Really great presenter. I'd like to see more videos with him. I like this topic because here in Northern Idaho we have many beautiful paved roads that change to gravel for a few miles and then they are paved again. I recently made the switch from 23s to 28 Specialized All condition Armadillo tires. No flats so far.
Oh, just try to hit the "gravel road" here in Bohemian Uplands. Covered with broken basalt and clinkstone, un-packed, with potholes, some stones as big as child's fist... some places with very old broken tarmac... and you'll see, that beefy tires are a must.
I've ridden my aero road bike on MTB single tracks and very rough mud roads (dry) here in the UK. Its great fun! The bike is so much more responsive than an mtb and its great for bike handling skills. Also across heathland. (all on 25mm tubeless road tyres). Its not as tricky as he makes it sound but don't expect much when braking! As for this guys 'gravel road', looks like a standard uk road to me!
When I was a kid all we had was road bikes "huffys" (BMX wasn't a thing yet ), or beach cruisers. Mtb's were yet to come , so we trusted our 27X7/8 inch tires to take us wherever we wanted to go.
As the video says, it really depends on what you want to ride in the spectrum of "gravel". My "gravel" bike is basically a 90s rigid hardtail with drop bars: a steel framed tank with 29er wheels, a dropper post and 50MM tires. The farm roads around here can get pretty rough, especially when they're re-graded and haven't yet been pounded in by the tractors. The tank is great for that stuff. On the other hand, the groomed crushed limestone paths in my areas are perfectly ridable on my road bike.
We have a well maintained gravel path along a canal that's 70 miles long. Perfect for a road bike with some gravel tires...with the added perk that it's pretty close to flat, too. The only downside is that it's a multi-use trail and can get crowded, especially on the weekends. I did my first half century on my road bike on that trail, though, and it was great.
great video! anyone who is familiar with biking in the northeastern area of the U.S., there are also a lot of rail trails, too. those are usually a mixture of well maintained gravel and pavement; depends on the organization maintaining the trail, and who they got to give donations to do improvements.
I own a 2018 Pinarello carbon road bike and a 2019 Cube Cross Race Pro aluminium. Both great bike in there own rights. On tarmac the pure racer is faster and more alive, but the difference is manageable (with similair tires) if you wish to use one bike.
Great video! I ride my OMX on a short stretch of gravel to/from my house on 28mm Schwalbe Pro One tubeless tires on every ride. No big deal. It’s hard packed enough that I don’t slide and it doesn’t kick up any rocks. But for a longer gravel ride, no way! I paid for MY bike and hate that it gets dirty from regular road rides. For light gravel, I have an aluminum winter bike with adventure gearing and endurance geometry. I used to run Donnelly MXP 33mm clinchers, but they barely fit, rubbed paint, and were too big for my fenders. I just got some WTB 32mm Expanse rubber, and I can fit my fenders again. The MXPs were knobby, which could handle rougher gravel. The WTB is smooth on top and lightly treaded on the sides, which is more inline with road commuter tires and light gravel. And BTW, the 32mm Expanse rubber on DT Swiss E1800 rims fits my Orbea OMX with about 4mm to spare. So if I wanted to run it on light gravel... I’d still choose my winter bike. Like I wrote, I paid for mine.
Gravel path round a reservoir , helped shake most of the dirt off so only the fine sand from the path was on the bike. Kicked a dust cloud up behind me. But I'm normally on my mountain bike so I can just yeet myself into trails anytime I feel like.
You can do a lot more on road bikes than you’d expect. I did a gravel ride on my Canyon Endurace where I did take that wrong turn and I ended up on a maintained technical mountainbike trail where there was a stretch of back to back banked turns. Not the easiest, but once you get the bike in the flow, it worked great. By the way, that was on 28mm tires and Zipp 303’s. But the Endurace does have a endurance geometry, which does make it more pleasant. I am not taking my Pinarello out there. 😉
That sounds like a lot of fun, Arne! Road bikes are a lot more capable than they're given credit for. We've always found mud is where they come unstuck - if the trails are dry you can ride most stuff if you're willing to.
@@gcn Absolutey. Or loose sand, but that might just be my lack of technique as I saw Jeremy ride through the deep sand at Zonhoven... I have to use a MTB with 2.0" tires to get through harder sand, let alone soft sand. And mud sucks. (In more ways than one.) I am not a fan of mud. But most stuff you can just ride on 28's.
I rode some of those roads with a super 6 Evo running gp5000 700x25. It worked but I was concerned with flatting the whole time. Did it again but I felt better running gatorskins. Yes those roads are in better condition then some of the paved roads in western mass
Where do you find this mythical hard packed gravel road? Normal around here is loose pack, washouts, ruts and potholes. The place the road is hard and without lose stones is the tire tracks in the middle of the lane, we’re the cars and trucks come storming up on you. And then there’s the dust, sand and dirt that gets into everything and destroys the chain and bearings. Whenever possible I’ll avoid a gravel road, it’s not worth the bother.
If you are riding on narrow tires with tubes keep the pressure up, otherwise you will get a pinch bite, but it will ride harsh. Tubeless is really the best way to go off road.
I live in West Virginia, I have a high end road bike but because the roads around here are so terrible I got myself the RDO Niner. It is the best bike for the road conditions in WV.
As a fellow WV rider, I agree with that. Trek Checkpoint has been great around here, but also thinking of a Domane. Was at Cranberry Glades this weekend, great times!
2014 Cannondale Synapse (low mod!) with 28 mm Conti Gatorskin Hardshell on the rear (leaving the road 25 mm Vittoria Rubino Pro III on the front) was _excellent_ for the gravel in False Cape State Park in Sandbridge, VA. On my Shimano C50 hoops. A lot of fun as long as you mind the cottonmouth (water moccasin) snakes.
p.s. That was in summer 2018 and I haven't had a single flat on that Gatorskin Hardshell since. A bit heavy up the hills but just think of it as a training wheel. Or, if you're like me, realize that wheel weight is insignificant in relation to that of the rider.
Great video! Just trying to decide which bike to pack for this weekend. Komoot said my road bike may not be suitable for this terrain...but hey, after this, I’m packing the road bike :-) (and a couple extra spare tubes haha)
I'm a "Masshole" biker, and I haven't found a road route yet where I don't veer off and hit a trail, farm road, or whatever. Just saying yes opens up so many route possibilities. It has allowed me to cover every sq mi of over 2000 sq mi of routes from my home base in the greater Boston area - and that wouldn't have been possible just sticking to roads.
In the 90s I rode EVERYTHING on 23s pumped to 115 PSI. In my experience, the way to avoid pich flats has always been to keep the tires super hard. Of course, that has other drawbacks. Also, nearly every gravel road I've ever ridden has been a wash board. How come that seems to not happen in the US?
I was lucky to go to the Colombia mountains for a bike trip in March with my road bike: aero carbon bike with carbon 50mm rims. But I've been riding with tubeless 25s for a couple of years and put in an 11- 32 cassette in the back in preparation for the Colombian mountains. We were expecting short gravel bits but not 30km to 80km on gravel roads on some days. Ouch! With my setup, the most challenging parts were long steep descents where your hands, arms and shoulders hurt after you've been clenching the brakes for an hour. Deflated my tires to 40-50 psi that helped but I had a couple of friends with gravel bikes and they were zooming down those hills while the ones on road bikes were advancing at a snail pace downhill. Going up some steep climbs, e.g. 18% on gravel was also very tough. Hard on the legs, of course, but mostly hard to stay from falling. The front wheel would bounce up when hitting a rock and I would lose balance. I have no experience with gravel bikes, but I would expect the geometry will help staying stable on very steep rocky ascents.
Have you ever taken your road bike off road? Let us know how you got on in the comments below!
Have taken my aluminium road bike up a gravel rail trail. Bike survived just fine but it was desperately uncomfortable.
You’ve taken the Liam Thompson transition song...👏👏👏👍
Only when I had to swerve to avoid a snake...but magpie season is approaching, so I'll probably do it again soon. Welcome to Australia!
Yep, it’s fine in smooth well-maintained gravel roads with fine gravel like Forestry Commission roads. On tougher stuff with big chippings, ruts, potholes and hard-baked clay (especially if it has been chopped up by horses) then the gravel bike with 38mm tyres is definitely preferable.
Cape Cod Gravel!!!!!!!! Needs to be on GCN!
That gravel road is in better condition than most of good roads in the UK 😂😂😂
Haha I was going to say that the roads round my way have been 'repaired'. And it all looks like gravel.
Better than the sealed roads in Detroit (potholes that an entire bike can dissapear into)
Same with the asphalt in my town. It's always more comfortable riding the dirt trails because everyone driving over it leaves a nice flow.
Ha yeah same here in Ireland 😂
Yeah some of the Somerset roads have been resurfaced but already look as bad as this one
That gravel road looks smoother than most of our local tarmac cycle paths and probably a good few of our cycling-suitable roads too.
I love films with Jeremy. His love and passion for cycling are so infectious!
He's great, isn't he? We're so happy to have Jeremy on board!
That's the most beautifully manicured "gravel" road I have ever seen. Looks like pavement. Where are the hunks of rock, potholes, and washboard ruts?
I know exactly what you're talking about and am asking the same question. My parents live on a gravel road like you're describing and when I got my first road bike I used to have creep down the road for a solid km before I hit the Tarmac. That being said, now when I'm out on a group ride I am easily the most capable when it comes to "gravel roads" like what we're seeing here.
And even though it looks like there's been rain recently!
Not enough cars driving over it to ruin it i think.
I am not afraid of taking my roadbike on gnarly gravel roads, especially since it's an aluminum frame. 5 bar/80 psi seemed to work fine with 26c tires, now I upgraded to 28c and it really helps with being more confident/reckless ;-)
Sounds awesome! Happy shredding!
I’ve ridden my steel road bike with rim brakes and tubeless 23c tires on VERY chunky and deep gravel. It was during a charity ride, and the county stripped the old pavement and poured the gravel across a two mile stretch the day before the event. A lot of the riders chose an alternate route that added milage, but my bad@ss wife and I decided that we could handle it for only two miles. It really wasn’t that difficult, but a lot of stones were bounced off the downtubes, so we opted for the alternate route on the way back. A gravel or ‘cross bike with 38-42c tires would have made that road a breeze for sure.
@@prestachuck2867
Yeah, I think there is a limit when the skinny tires start to sink into the gravel. It's still doable, but just not fun. I get very tense and my forearms start to hurt after a while...
I once took my gravel bike up a technical climb with some rock exposure. I got reminded right away why mountain bikes have at least a front suspension. I hit a rock and my front wheel just bounced up in the air. No amount of body weight shifting could compensate for that jolt. It's still fun to go up single tracks with a gravel bike. Just avoid roots and rocks. Let's leave those to MTBs.
My friends always says I’m crazy when I go off road with my road bike. But as an cycling enthusiast,I were meant to explore the world.
I sure agree with that, I was surprised too but most road bike are more capable than one would expect.
i think gravel roads mean something different here. where i'm from, gravel roads have about an inch of loose gravel rocks that you'd have to crunch through while sliding around. you'd have no real control or traction on gravel roads around here. those just look like dirt roads.
yeah, this road are better than many around my french countryside, i don't get the gravel side
Those I wouldn't even want to take my mountain bike on. Had to ride on that for a bit while they relayering the path , the Bulldozers hadn't come to crush the rocks yet
I tried my bike with 28c tires at 80psi on real loose gravel and it was harrowing. Stopped within 30s and turned around. The roads in this video are sublime compared to any road near me. Better even than the paved roads.
Yes, when I think a proper "gravel" road, it usually has quite a layer of gravel of varying size. The most recent one I took my road bike on (with x23mm wide tyres) had the front wheel sink in and greatly degrade handling.
I feel you, Lisa. Same here where I live, just add a ton of sand between rocks
This dude always puts a smile on my face. I wanna see him and Eddy Murphy drinking beer and laughing and grinning a lot.
I recently put some heavy duty treaded 28mm tires on my steel frame road bike and it rides like a dream on gravel and dirt paths. I can't even tell the difference on the road as far as speed goes. Best upgrade I ever made to my bike as I'm no longer limited to riding on pavement (I used to just get flats every second week and constantly spin out).
Which tires did you get?
My 2019 Giant Defy can fit 32c tires on it. I've done a few hundred miles of gravel riding on it with no problems, and it's a complete blast getting away from the traffic of normal road riding.
Apparently the 2020 Giant Defy can take 35 or maybe even 38mm tyres.
So this begs the question, should you just buy a gravel bike and when you want to ride the roads, swap the rims & rubber out for something more suited for the road?
If you can cope with the gearing compromises why not?
YT Channel Rides of Japan use his method
Uhm an endurance road bike can accomodate wider tires
I got myself a Cube CrossRace 2016, did mostly gravel on it for a very long time and one day decided to buy some road tyres (28c, Vittoria Zaffiro Pro). Since then I've cycled from Bristol to Paris (+cycling around Paris and other places once there) approx. 600 miles, Wales in a Day Sportive (200 miles), and many other sportives. I've also changed the tyres to 32C Gatorskins. Never had a problem with keeping up with people on road bikes (of comparable fitness level to myself), I regularly go cycling with friends who have road bikes and the only time the bikes lets me down is during sprints and downhill when going about 60 kmh + as the gearing is noticeably lower. Other than and the weight, I absolutely love it, the somewhat more relaxed geometry helps to stay comfortable during longer days too.
I can recommend a relatively cheap Trek Crockett to do most things very well. Tyre clearance is limited to ~ 38 mm, enough for me.
I bought a cyclocross bike to use as a daily commuter and weekend adventurer. Even with road tyres, gravel is so much fun.
Finally a video here on TH-cam that really helped out deciding between Gravel and Endurance.... All the other videos didn't make a point like this one. I was looking to get a Gravel bike although I plan to ride > 80% on roads, the Endurance Road Bike is a better choice and also able to work on some light gravel (32mm Tires). And to ride really off-road, a mountain bike with half or full suspension is the way better choice (and much more comfortable) then riding trails with a gravel bike.
Well-maintained gravel is the key phrase here. I have taken both my Trek Domane and Colnago with 28mm tires and did fine. When it gets loose and/or rough though, a very different story (especially important are the downhill comments) and my then my Warbird is the go-to bike with 37mm or larger. Great video, thanks.
My 2019 Trek Domane will run a 38C tire with NO issue. It is my secondary bike and I just change rims with the bigger tires. Works great.
Same, run 28mm on carbon wheels for road and 40 mm on aluminum wheel for gravel. Trek Domane SL6 is awesome
38c, that’s basically gravel territory a few years ago, and plus with isospeed, that’ll be a good gravel race bike
My touring bike is better than your fad bike and will 50mm and take more of a beating without any maintenance.
I love Jeremy's unlimited enthusiasm ! Inspiring
I ride my track bike (25mm tires) on gravel all the time. Michigan is full of old railways that were converted into trails, most of which are a fairly plush crushed limestone. It's very doable, you just can't do a lot of leaning and pushing the bike around. Gotta stay as upright as possible and steer with the handlebars a bit more.
Rail trails are a bit different. Can’t really compare it to gravel roads. Tends to be finer stones and in better shape than a road that sees trucks and tractors all the time.
Did the D2R2 70mile version on my road bike with 28s and it was fine. I did use a "gravel" bike with straight bars and 2.1" Sammy Slicks when I did the full 112 mile version though- made the 45mph descents less nerve racking. Drop bars aren't great for fast descents. Fantastic gravel riding in western MA.
Jeremy you are the best! I really like your enthusiasm about cycling and i am surprised that you can motivate me to do more rides with your positive aura nearly every time!
Great information on gravel riding. I have a gravel bike and road bike, and I also live in Massachusetts, so I've ridden many of the roads in this video. While I'm not even close to the bike handler Jeremy is, I have to say, modern road bikes with 28s or 30s (tubeless of course) can take some serious punishment. However, I've found that it's more of a comfort and confidence thing for me. Like Jeremy said, it's important to feel confident in your setup and know when to back off. I'm much more comfortable, mentally and physically, taking my gravel bike out on proper New England gravel because if I run into a section with unexpectedly rough terrain, I'm good. I take the road bike out when I know I'm on pretty smooth stuff.
Nice job picking the most well maintained and scenic gravel road on earth.
This being said, regular gravel roads are unpredictable and will destroy your bike sooner or later.
Pros in Italy have free bikes and free mechanics. We don't.
In other words, if you want to ride on gravel roads, get either a gravel bike or an hardtail MTB.
GabKoost agreed. have this park with gravel paths but some parks of the path the gravel turns into a little bigger rocks with sharp edges and i don’t want to risk a flat tire
I agree. They clearly haven't ridden most of the gravel roads I have.
Totally agree. It's road bike and MTB for me. If I go off road or in the mountains then I don't want to take any compromises or avoid some type of pathways. When on my road bike I enjoy the snappiness and speed with no side interests of exploring some forest roads.
Well yes, if the pro kills his bike, his rims or his tyres, he'll get new ones. We have to dig into our bank accounts!
I live close to a good trailway (old railway reclaimed for biking, hiking, running, etc) and it is smoother than a lot of paved roads around me. Consequently, I ride my road bike on it often.
My biggest concern is not rocks or holes but loose gravel and slick mud. My mountain bike handles those much better. I find that on the road bike my main worry is just caution with speed and turning so I don't have unexpected wipeouts.
I've taken my old 2005 Giant TCR on graveled horse trails in a local park. It was fine with 700x25 and 700x26 tires. Only issue were the logs laid down to prevent erosion on the hills. Plenty of fun. When I told other road cyclists about it they thought I was crazy. :-D
I ride a fixed gear on a gravel road pretty much everyday , it`s part of my ride . My biggest fear is running over a squirrel , they like to dart across the road at the last second lol.
I ran over a squirrel last week on my felt vr60 on a paved trail going 22mph and it didn’t upset the bike at all.
@@Shonky4477 that`s good news , no one wants an upset bike .
@@Shonky4477 Fantastic news
Love this guy. legend!
HaHa, hate this guy, super annoying.
You're great, dude! I've been playing on gravel with an old road bike - steel frame, 8s groupset - that I was using mostly for commuting, here in the south of Brazil where the MTB reigns. Sometimes the lack of disc brakes makes me really scared but it's also the reason I've been having so much fun. Thanks for those nice tips.
That maintained gravel is smoother than the tarmac here in UK!
i wana see more of jeremy, he's such a natural presenter and so easy to watch
I took my road bike for a gravel ride one time. While my lycra-clad self was carefully navigating some tiny rocks, a guy on a mountain bike slowed down next to me and gave me a concerned look, before asking "ummm are you lost?"
At that point I decided I'd just buy a XC bike.
40+ years ago, when I was able-bodied, I tried riding my road bike on gravel with the skinny tires that came on it. It took less than 30 feet to convince me, I probably needed a Sting-Ray (1970's Mountain bike) for this endeavor. Jeremy has some really NICE roads to ride!! I like the forests!!
Love this video! The geometry is what really makes the difference as a road bike has a much more aggressive position making handling more sensitive compared to a gravel or even mountain bike. So while it’s possible to get through some terrain, the geometry will probably require more finesse out of it. Well done JPow and GCN! ❤️
I HAVE ridden my road bike on gravel... I have ridden my gravel bike on mtb trails and I have ridden my mountain bike on roads. The issue isn't where you CAN ride your bike, it's whether you'll have fun doing it. If I could only have one bike, it would probably be the gravel bike. The fun penalty is smaller when you take it out of it's comfort zone then with either of the other two bikes.
I used to ride all the Cascade fire roads on 25mm tires no problems... ridden plenty of local mtb singletrack on 28mm on an aero road bike too. Definitely think it’s on your handling a bit.
Just smash that single track every single time ! The old aussie saying “ she will be right mate “ lol
Rode my Synapse in Pawtukaway, on a rooty, gravelly path, I did puncture, but I had a blast and learn an important thing: On that type of terrain, you have balance your weight a lot more!
I rode a Snowdonian forest on 23c tyres a few years back, which was great fun but a miracle I didn't puncture. Done a few other rides on less extreme bridalways and trails too. Slicks are ok in the dry but slip and spin at first sign of mud. It helps to have an old bike you don't worry about bashing around.
Back in ‘90 when still road racing, I moved to Vermont. I road whatever I could find that was interesting and new, and there are a lot of gravel roads in Vermont. Many are paved, only to suddenly turn to gravel. I wasn’t going to turn around, so I just kept going and enjoyed them all (most of them). I was hoping to also meet up with some MTB riders to try some real off-road stuff on my mountain bike. I finally met some after a couple of weeks. On our first MTB ride they we spent the whole time riding the same dirt roads I had already done on my road bike. And now everybody thinks they need a gravel bike. The manufacturers must be laughing.
The far nicer than average gravel roads seen here aside, I do agree. I feel a lot of people really under estimate their road bike frames, and obviously you shouldn't be taking them on single track etc, but they can definitely handle a bit of the stuff Jeremy is talking about.
definitely body position is important. if you're used to keeping your butt on the seat the whole time, it's not going to work out well when you get to a bump or bigger rock. you can see it in the video where jeremy brings his cyclocross skills and gets his butt off the seat a lot even though he didn't actually talk about it
I've done several gravel stretches on an 2012 bike that ran 25mm tires. My new bike can run 32s. I'm currently running 28s tubeless and it's a nice improvement on gravel. Not going to do the really loose stuff or the really technical stuff. Still there are a lot of rides you can swing on a road bike.
I also love the gearing on my new bike. It's got the normal front chainrings (52-39 I think) but it was built out with a 34 on the back (11-34 I think). So I've got the same bigger gears I had on my old bike but going from an 11-28 to having a 34 has been amazing. It has bottle mounts for three bottles as well. So it really checks all the boxes Jeremy mentioned. Lastly, the frame weighs in at 800g but it actually passes xc MTN bike impact tests so it's light but solid. Just passed 1200 miles on it and I'm so happy with it. It's a smaller brand based out of Utah, and their best road model, the Fezzari Empire.
3 minutes in the video and we all know this guy has all the energy in the world
What do you mean by it not being a "good look for you" to have semi-slicks... are you implying the opinion of others matters more than technical functionality? Because that is how it came off as... and I am really curious if you actually meant that or just misspoke.
Ya, came to post exactly this. Is there a technical reason to avoid non-traditional road bike tires? I want the best ride experience, I care less about how it looks to others. I'd really like just a quick clarification if it's just style or actual functionality. Otherwise, nice video!
@@chrissdehaan cuz his bike doesnt fit anything above 28, afaik. and the choice of offroad tires isnt the widest in that category. first gravel distinction from road is wide clearance, so you can fit even niner 2 inch tyres on some of them, while standard widespread gravel 45mm offer huge choice of non-slicks.
It's just a saying. In this context sounds kind of like saying something is not recommended or advised. Assuming you are referencing 9:03 but he also uses the phrase at 4:14.
Golly...has one of those "micro- aggressions" been committed here? Better go to that "safe-space".
I rode the entire length of the caledon rail trail in Ontario, Canada, with nothing but my 25 mm road slicks on and survived! I had a blast doing it 🥰
You know they make GravelKing SS(flat center tread w/ gravel side-knobs) in a 28mm and I think even comes in the plus protection option too.
Jeremy is a legend. Top video, top production, top information and top bloke.
So to answer the question, the first time I recall riding on gravel and liking it was in '71, riding my Sting-Ray with a friend on flat farm roads outside Fresno, California. I was 11 that summer and he was a little older and he knew the area--we just lived in Fresno that year--and so it was fun to venture away from the neighborhood with someone who knew where to go and how to get back.
I bought a gravel bike 2 years ago. The first year I tried to use it instead of my xc, as there are not technically challenging courses in my area. It turns out, it was done pretty quickly and I needed to replace part after part. My next idea, after basically rebuilding it only using the frame, post, and deck, was to use it for commuting. Well, I quickly realized, that I don't need gravel tires for my commuting (although traveling through gravel). Now I basically build a road bike from it, using a bit more robust tires (4 Season Black Edition in 700x25C). It basically works great on gravel, even on light trails if it is not muddy and wet. While I loved the idea of a gravel bike, I would buy either a cx, xc or roadbike after testing it. For me it was either missing a real mtb or speed.
Tbh, I was in Britain twice and I dont get how you have fun road cycling...your roads are f***ed
Come to Germany ^-^
Come see the roads of New England.
@@fedos No kidding I ride in North Central Worcester County in Mass. and I prefer back roads to traffic. However I often feel I am better off on my hardtail than a road bike - thinking of getting carbon wheelset with slick tires for road or gravel or even flat bar road bike so hard to decide on a budget
I love cycling almost anywhere.. nice thick tyres solid reynolds 708 steel load up the expedition panniers and you can go wherever you want.
@@shapattu1949 Don't come to Louisiana... we just ride what we have.
I tried my new Trek Domane SL5 on gravel last week as it was billed as an all road bike with its 32c tyres. It was amazing on all sorts of gravel trails. I made a vlog about it and I was suitably impressed with how it handled the terrain. The Quantocks trails were not as smooth and compact as yours in the video though.
One of my first few rides on my KTM Revelator brought my out to the Ocala National Forest area and I asked google maps for a quick route home. Didn’t know I would end up on gravel. It was fairly well maintained limestone road with a few softish sand spots. I stopped to air down the tires to improve the comfort and rode on to find paved road. That was actually my first experience on gravel. I’m glad I didn’t choose to turn around. I love gravel now! I love it even on my road bike, but prefer my 38mm tires on my CX bike.
"if you can ride one handed, it's well maintained"
...watch this beautifully maintain road at 4:24 he can ride one handed :D
Hmm. Jeremy may be the exception to that rule - he can probably ride downstairs one handed.
Western MA resident here and new Gravel bike owner. Thank you for the content.
Crazy how a member of the Beastie Boys knows so much about bikes.
I tear up gravel roads all the time! There are a few good trails here in NYC that i love. Unless it gets super gnarly with roots your bike can take it.
Sounds epic, Chris!
Western Mass! Can't wait to see more of my favorite roads featured on GCN!
I'm a Vermonter in my mid 60's still riding gravel today! I much prefer my MTB over those fancy lite weight boneshakers you call gravel bikes! I do totally agree with the wider tire and lower pressure being the best strategy.
Did my first gravel century on an emonda ALR5 with panaracer 30mm slicks. Bike did great!
Own carbon roadie, full suspension mtb alloy, and now an alloy cantilever brake cx bike. The cx bike has 35c Conti SpeedKing RaceSport tyres, it's much fun and versatile, built it myself, it's a lovely bike and my first choice to ride atm
Have the 2020 Roubaix with 28’s and have been on and off road. Perfect bike for road that doesn’t make you sweat when the pavement goes away and lets you enjoy exploring new routes without having to worry about what’s coming up. My only regret was that I didn’t but 32c tires for it, next set for sure and they do not affect speed at all.
Man, Jeremy's enthusiasm and positivity is so infectious. Love it!
“Gravel” is a broad term that can vary greatly. Around here there are quite a few bike trails on former railroad right of ways. They are often surfaced with fine, hard packed gravel. A road road bike is just fine for those trails.
I'm 53 I've rode schwinns on trails and my eddy merckx...91' allez epic on single track in city park trails ...Seattle Wa. ...I rode my mtbs with elbows down 3fingers tucked...I truly am tickled to watch these vids and and hear of points I make for my riding style ...and I'm not the only one who can't help but be trail road curious...I'm not fit now but the mentality is still there and I do ride the same nearly half the time I ride ...scamper unpredictable or just smooth depends on mood...not destinations
If you are looking for versatility go for an endurance road bike with two sets of wheels. One for the road and one with gravel tyres. With 35c gravel tyres my Canyon Endurace transforms into a prety capable gravel bike that can not only do smooth gravel, but also sandy/ muddy forest roads and lights single track.
I've seen Road Bike Party. I know what they are capable of.
I recently got my first road bike and went exploring, took a little path that soon turned into mud and rocks and fallen branches. The bike did ok! But my hands were cramping and aching by the bottom of it gripping those brake levers from the hoods! Road bike brakes really only slow you down gently it seems
Calgary has amazing amount of bike paths paved with asphalt. I can’t say same about maintenance of said asphalt.
So many roots, deep lines, cuts and breakages that it’s not pleasure hitting them at any speed with my road bike inflated to 110 psi.
I even broke the spoke on a wheel trying to ride over bridge in FishCreek Provincial Park.
Concrete surface of bridge is raised good one inch higher and at 20 km/h that’s enough.
Lesson learned, either I slow down to a crawl or make sure I jump with both of heel simultaneously.
Conclusion. Gravel is cheaper to maintain.
I enjoyed this video a lot. Really great presenter. I'd like to see more videos with him. I like this topic because here in Northern Idaho we have many beautiful paved roads that change to gravel for a few miles and then they are paved again. I recently made the switch from 23s to 28 Specialized All condition Armadillo tires. No flats so far.
Oh, just try to hit the "gravel road" here in Bohemian Uplands. Covered with broken basalt and clinkstone, un-packed, with potholes, some stones as big as child's fist... some places with very old broken tarmac... and you'll see, that beefy tires are a must.
I've ridden my aero road bike on MTB single tracks and very rough mud roads (dry) here in the UK. Its great fun! The bike is so much more responsive than an mtb and its great for bike handling skills. Also across heathland. (all on 25mm tubeless road tyres). Its not as tricky as he makes it sound but don't expect much when braking! As for this guys 'gravel road', looks like a standard uk road to me!
When I was a kid all we had was road bikes "huffys" (BMX wasn't a thing yet ), or beach cruisers. Mtb's were yet to come , so we trusted our 27X7/8 inch tires to take us wherever we wanted to go.
Ah Jermey great to have you back...... congratulations 🥳 on the new arrival......👶🏼and a new 🤔😀
Jeremy is the man. Big fan of his here in Indianapolis!! Awesome enthusiasm for cycling
As the video says, it really depends on what you want to ride in the spectrum of "gravel". My "gravel" bike is basically a 90s rigid hardtail with drop bars: a steel framed tank with 29er wheels, a dropper post and 50MM tires. The farm roads around here can get pretty rough, especially when they're re-graded and haven't yet been pounded in by the tractors. The tank is great for that stuff. On the other hand, the groomed crushed limestone paths in my areas are perfectly ridable on my road bike.
I am that ahshahaha guy and stuck 32mm gravelking sk on my genesis equilibrium. Been amazing and saved me getting a new bike!
That sounds awesome!
We have a well maintained gravel path along a canal that's 70 miles long. Perfect for a road bike with some gravel tires...with the added perk that it's pretty close to flat, too. The only downside is that it's a multi-use trail and can get crowded, especially on the weekends. I did my first half century on my road bike on that trail, though, and it was great.
great video! anyone who is familiar with biking in the northeastern area of the U.S., there are also a lot of rail trails, too. those are usually a mixture of well maintained gravel and pavement; depends on the organization maintaining the trail, and who they got to give donations to do improvements.
Yes, I have ride the Tour of Batten kill in upstate NY. A great mix of road and gravel.
I own a 2018 Pinarello carbon road bike and a 2019 Cube Cross Race Pro aluminium. Both great bike in there own rights. On tarmac the pure racer is faster and more alive, but the difference is manageable (with similair tires) if you wish to use one bike.
My backyard! This area offers so many beautiful loops. Love seeing my little town get some attention
Great video! I ride my OMX on a short stretch of gravel to/from my house on 28mm Schwalbe Pro One tubeless tires on every ride. No big deal. It’s hard packed enough that I don’t slide and it doesn’t kick up any rocks. But for a longer gravel ride, no way! I paid for MY bike and hate that it gets dirty from regular road rides.
For light gravel, I have an aluminum winter bike with adventure gearing and endurance geometry. I used to run Donnelly MXP 33mm clinchers, but they barely fit, rubbed paint, and were too big for my fenders. I just got some WTB 32mm Expanse rubber, and I can fit my fenders again. The MXPs were knobby, which could handle rougher gravel. The WTB is smooth on top and lightly treaded on the sides, which is more inline with road commuter tires and light gravel.
And BTW, the 32mm Expanse rubber on DT Swiss E1800 rims fits my Orbea OMX with about 4mm to spare. So if I wanted to run it on light gravel... I’d still choose my winter bike. Like I wrote, I paid for mine.
I ride my Road Bike on Gravel at least once a week! Running 28mm tires and lowering the pressure a bit. I ride an 2020 Orbea Avant.
One of my favorite things is to ride gravel and/or kinda-gravel on my road bike...I mean, I'm mediocre...but still...I love it.
Would love to see more content from Jeremy. I dig his enthusiasm
Gravel path round a reservoir , helped shake most of the dirt off so only the fine sand from the path was on the bike. Kicked a dust cloud up behind me. But I'm normally on my mountain bike so I can just yeet myself into trails anytime I feel like.
You can do a lot more on road bikes than you’d expect. I did a gravel ride on my Canyon Endurace where I did take that wrong turn and I ended up on a maintained technical mountainbike trail where there was a stretch of back to back banked turns. Not the easiest, but once you get the bike in the flow, it worked great. By the way, that was on 28mm tires and Zipp 303’s. But the Endurace does have a endurance geometry, which does make it more pleasant. I am not taking my Pinarello out there. 😉
That sounds like a lot of fun, Arne! Road bikes are a lot more capable than they're given credit for. We've always found mud is where they come unstuck - if the trails are dry you can ride most stuff if you're willing to.
@@gcn Absolutey. Or loose sand, but that might just be my lack of technique as I saw Jeremy ride through the deep sand at Zonhoven... I have to use a MTB with 2.0" tires to get through harder sand, let alone soft sand. And mud sucks. (In more ways than one.) I am not a fan of mud. But most stuff you can just ride on 28's.
Tubeless tires for wide (32mm+) tires at low pressure (
I rode some of those roads with a super 6 Evo running gp5000 700x25. It worked but I was concerned with flatting the whole time. Did it again but I felt better running gatorskins.
Yes those roads are in better condition then some of the paved roads in western mass
Where do you find this mythical hard packed gravel road? Normal around here is loose pack, washouts, ruts and potholes. The place the road is hard and without lose stones is the tire tracks in the middle of the lane, we’re the cars and trucks come storming up on you. And then there’s the dust, sand and dirt that gets into everything and destroys the chain and bearings. Whenever possible I’ll avoid a gravel road, it’s not worth the bother.
Most of those gravel roads in the video are better than the roads I ride in Yorkshire!
If you are riding on narrow tires with tubes keep the pressure up, otherwise you will get a pinch bite, but it will ride harsh. Tubeless is really the best way to go off road.
So cool to see an American presenter on GSN. A pleasure to be able to understand. Oh, great segment too. Kudos.
I live in West Virginia, I have a high end road bike but because the roads around here are so terrible I got myself the RDO Niner. It is the best bike for the road conditions in WV.
As a fellow WV rider, I agree with that. Trek Checkpoint has been great around here, but also thinking of a Domane. Was at Cranberry Glades this weekend, great times!
2014 Cannondale Synapse (low mod!) with 28 mm Conti Gatorskin Hardshell on the rear (leaving the road 25 mm Vittoria Rubino Pro III on the front) was _excellent_ for the gravel in False Cape State Park in Sandbridge, VA. On my Shimano C50 hoops. A lot of fun as long as you mind the cottonmouth (water moccasin) snakes.
p.s. That was in summer 2018 and I haven't had a single flat on that Gatorskin Hardshell since. A bit heavy up the hills but just think of it as a training wheel. Or, if you're like me, realize that wheel weight is insignificant in relation to that of the rider.
Great video! Just trying to decide which bike to pack for this weekend. Komoot said my road bike may not be suitable for this terrain...but hey, after this, I’m packing the road bike :-) (and a couple extra spare tubes haha)
I'm a "Masshole" biker, and I haven't found a road route yet where I don't veer off and hit a trail, farm road, or whatever. Just saying yes opens up so many route possibilities. It has allowed me to cover every sq mi of over 2000 sq mi of routes from my home base in the greater Boston area - and that wouldn't have been possible just sticking to roads.
In the 90s I rode EVERYTHING on 23s pumped to 115 PSI. In my experience, the way to avoid pich flats has always been to keep the tires super hard. Of course, that has other drawbacks. Also, nearly every gravel road I've ever ridden has been a wash board. How come that seems to not happen in the US?
His laugh was the best part.
I was lucky to go to the Colombia mountains for a bike trip in March with my road bike: aero carbon bike with carbon 50mm rims. But I've been riding with tubeless 25s for a couple of years and put in an 11- 32 cassette in the back in preparation for the Colombian mountains. We were expecting short gravel bits but not 30km to 80km on gravel roads on some days. Ouch!
With my setup, the most challenging parts were long steep descents where your hands, arms and shoulders hurt after you've been clenching the brakes for an hour. Deflated my tires to 40-50 psi that helped but I had a couple of friends with gravel bikes and they were zooming down those hills while the ones on road bikes were advancing at a snail pace downhill. Going up some steep climbs, e.g. 18% on gravel was also very tough. Hard on the legs, of course, but mostly hard to stay from falling. The front wheel would bounce up when hitting a rock and I would lose balance. I have no experience with gravel bikes, but I would expect the geometry will help staying stable on very steep rocky ascents.
I live in the UK so i don't need to take my road bike off road. I bought a gravel bike and i ride it on UK roads!