Any Gravel Riders Here?

[skibob]

Here is my new ride. Just got it today after it languished in a smoky Fedex warehouse. Was supposed to be delivered the day after the fires started. As I drove away, not knowing if I would see my house again, I thought to myself, at least I'll still have a new bike if it burns down . . .

Raleigh Tamland 2. Custom 631 Reynolds tubing, 1x11 SRAM Rival, TRP dual caliper disc, 11x42 cassette, carbon forks, 15mm thru axles. I've already added my favorite saddle and carbon seatpost. Will pull the pedals off my old road bike tomorrow. Now if we can just get the smoke to clear so I can take it for a shake down ride . . .

 

[luliski]

Here is my new ride. Just got it today after it languished in a smoky Fedex warehouse. Was supposed to be delivered the day after the fires started. As I drove away, not knowing if I would see my house again, I thought to myself, at least I'll still have a new bike if it burns down . . .

Raleigh Tamland 2. Custom 631 Reynolds tubing, 1x11 SRAM Rival, TRP dual caliper disc, 11x42 cassette, carbon forks, 15mm thru axles. I've already added my favorite saddle and carbon seatpost. Will pull the pedals off my old road bike tomorrow. Now if we can just get the smoke to clear so I can take it for a shake down ride . . .

Good to hear! Wild looking saddle.

 

[skibob]

Good to hear! Wild looking saddle.

Yeah, Selle SMP TRK. I like it for the big cutout. I have a pretty flexible back for my age and I like to ride down and forward. Really allows you to use your quads effectively. But it also, um, applies pressure in unfortunate places when you ride like this. I actually wish the padding were a little less as it can adsorb a little energy I feel. But the cutout is totally awesome. Some of Selle's higher end saddles would fit this bill. But they can be expensive. You can find this one around $50-70.

 

[slowrider]

I grew up on a gravel road so that's what you rode on. Use to tow a wagon behind. Memories from childhood. Those rocks embedded into my body. Along with the BlackBerry bushes in the ditch line. Lol.

 

[luliski]

I grew up on a gravel road so that's what you rode on. Use to tow a wagon behind. Memories from childhood. Those rocks embedded into my body. Along with the BlackBerry bushes in the ditch line. Lol.

I went to jr high and high school in the western Chicago suburbs. We had the "prairie path," a gravel path that followed an old railroad track. One of my favorite ways to pass a summer day when I was growing up was to pack a picnic and ride the path as far as I could. The woods between the path and the new railroad tracks were fun for sledding in the winter and bmx riding in the summer.

 

[luliski]

Yeah, Selle SMP TRK. I like it for the big cutout. I have a pretty flexible back for my age and I like to ride down and forward. Really allows you to use your quads effectively. But it also, um, applies pressure in unfortunate places when you ride like this. I actually wish the padding were a little less as it can adsorb a little energy I feel. But the cutout is totally awesome. Some of Selle's higher end saddles would fit this bill. But they can be expensive. You can find this one around $50-70.

If you find one you like, you're lucky! I have a bunch of saddles, tried and rejected, lying around. A friend who works in the industry gave me a bin full of saddles that she tried and rejected. Finally I went to a bike shop and got professionally fitted on a saddle. I ended up with the Specialized Toupe, very unpadded. It's been on tons of long rides, caused very few problems. I thought I would switch that saddle to my new road bike, but so far I'm liking the Specialized Oura on the new bike. It's slightly different shape, but might be even better than the Toupe for me. Now I need to figure out a good saddle for my mountain bike, as the stock saddle is super flimsy. I might just try one of my old rejected road saddles, since mountain biking is not that much about being seated.

 

[skibob]

I went to jr high and high school in the western Chicago suburbs. We had the "prairie path," a gravel path that followed an old railroad track. One of my favorite ways to pass a summer day when I was growing up was to pack a picnic and ride the path as far as I could. The woods between the path and the new railroad tracks were fun for sledding in the winter and bmx riding in the summer.

I rode that path in the 90's on an early mountain bike! Lived in the Windy City for 4 years.

 

[skibob]

Hilarious. I was just checking out Powder's new Buyer's guide. I found the skis to go with my new bike:

 

[luliski]

I rode that path in the 90's on an early mountain bike! Lived in the Windy City for 4 years.

Great city, but too far from mountains.

 

[Ken_R]

Weather was so so nice today.

 

[Ron]

If you find one you like, you're lucky! I have a bunch of saddles, tried and rejected, lying around. A friend who works in the industry gave me a bin full of saddles that she tried and rejected. Finally I went to a bike shop and got professionally fitted on a saddle. I ended up with the Specialized Toupe, very unpadded. It's been on tons of long rides, caused very few problems. I thought I would switch that saddle to my new road bike, but so far I'm liking the Specialized Oura on the new bike. It's slightly different shape, but might be even better than the Toupe for me. Now I need to figure out a good saddle for my mountain bike, as the stock saddle is super flimsy. I might just try one of my old rejected road saddles, since mountain biking is not that much about being seated.

saddles... just finished up a fit at RETUL, ended up changing out my fizik flat saddle which I loved until he put a Specialized Romin and bam! I was shocked how much more leverage I had and really increased my power. A simple change like a saddle can really make a huge difference,

Take a look at the Specialized Phenom Saddles. thats what's going on my mtn bike.

 

[luliski]

saddles... just finished up a fit at RETUL, ended up changing out my fizik flat saddle which I loved until he put a Specialized Romin and bam! I was shocked how much more leverage I had and really increased my power. A simple change like a saddle can really make a huge difference,

Take a look at the Specialized Phenom Saddles. thats what's going on my mtn bike.

I'll check them out. We have a Specialized dealer right here in town.

 

[firebanex]

I'm another one who is forced to ride gravel because of my location, my commute is a total of 10 miles, the first 2 are gravel, next 4 are on a shoulder of a beat up paved road that's actually rougher than the gravel, the last 4 are on a normal bike path. This breakdown is actually pretty good representation of most of the riding around here anyways, So I ride gravel out of necessity cause that's what we got. I specifically picked a Trek Crockett cyclocross bike and currently have a set of 35mm wide Donnley x'plor USH tires on it, together they work excellent for what I need them too.

 

[martyg]

I don't specifically seek out gravel, but in Durango we have an amazing network of single track, gravel, and pave. Prior to monsoons I tend to rock my 'cross race bike on gravel with 33mm Triggers. Once monsoon hits (hopefully soon) the gravel roads get chewed up, and I ride a 19 pound HT with 2" tires if I will be predominantly on gravel.

Tire selection and pressure will often make a much more profound impact than a specific bike.

 

[cantunamunch]

Which makes for a nice segue for a little problem I ran into.

Imagine a 5%-6% downgrade with 1-2 inch projections, spaced about 6-8 inches apart.

I can ride that downgrade on an MTB with 2.1 tires - and nothing happens, it just rolls over, even up to 40psi
I can ride that downgrade on a roadie with 28mm tires and it's a bit rough but not objectionable - at 110psi

I ride that downgrade on the cheapo pseudo-gravel pseudo-touring bike with 33mm tires at 70 psi - and the front end bucks sideways and diagonally. If there were such things as pygmy mules kicking the front wheel both up and into flopover - that's what it would feel like.

At 25mph+ it feels - well I can make an argument for 'deadly' . At 12-15mph it is just spectacularly disconcerting. At 10mph it's *almost* gone.

Tire, pressure or bike geo?

 

[scott43]

Bike straight? What fork? Steel or other? I think it's more likely frame material/geo..

 

[cantunamunch]

Straight AFAIK. Steel no-name rigid fork.

I am minded to agree with you since even the ancient Raleigh Grand Prix with 27" wheels and 90psi Chinese generics rolls right through that section, no fuss no muss.

 

[martyg]

Which makes for a nice segue for a little problem I ran into.

Imagine a 5%-6% downgrade with 1-2 inch projections, spaced about 6-8 inches apart.

I can ride that downgrade on an MTB with 2.1 tires - and nothing happens, it just rolls over, even up to 40psi
I can ride that downgrade on a roadie with 28mm tires and it's a bit rough but not objectionable - at 110psi

I ride that downgrade on the cheapo pseudo-gravel pseudo-touring bike with 33mm tires at 70 psi - and the front end bucks sideways and diagonally. If there were such things as pygmy mules kicking the front wheel both up and into flopover - that's what it would feel like.

At 25mph+ it feels - well I can make an argument for 'deadly' . At 12-15mph it is just spectacularly disconcerting. At 10mph it's *almost* gone.

Tire, pressure or bike geo?

Those are huge pressures. What do you weigh?

 

[cantunamunch]

Those are huge pressures. What do you weigh?

Enough to justify them

 

[scott43]

Straight AFAIK. Steel no-name rigid fork.

I am minded to agree with you since even the ancient Raleigh Grand Prix with 27" wheels and 90psi Chinese generics rolls right through that section, no fuss no muss.

Could be a resonance thing..maybe bump the pressure up or down 20psi and see what happens. Sometimes funny things happen with flexy forks that can be..unnerving. I'm looking at you Kinesis!! Or poor geo..