Bike Noob

Because I'm Always Learning Something New

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Partners

Gravel Grinders

12.15.2013 by Ray Niekamp // 6 Comments

One of my club’s more enthusiastic race-oriented members posted a link to a nearby gravel grinder race. “This looks like fun!” she said. The 100km and 50 Km races would be run on mostly gravel roads near the hamlet of Castell, Texas, near where I had an enjoyable ride about a year and a half ago.

A gravel grinder ride.
A gravel grinder ride.

Problem was, the race was limited to only 100 entrants for both the 100 and 50. And both are now full. But it got me thinking — wouldn’t a ride over mostly gravel roads be fun, if you had the right equipment?

And what would be the right equipment? It turns out, gravel grinders have a devoted following. Even though I’d never heard of one, I soon found plenty of references on the internets. And the right equipment turns out to be pretty simple.

It’s not necessarily a mountain bike, although they would do fine in this kind of venue. Some companies make bikes for the express intention of riding or racing on gravel. They’re essentially cross bikes. Wider tires, with aggressive treads, disc brakes. The frame can be aluminum, or steel, but probably not carbon fiber.

This steed, by Niner bikes, is the RLT 9 (Road Less Traveled). Aluminum frame, carbon fork, two build options. (Click all pics to enlarge.)
This steed, by Niner bikes, is the RLT 9 (Road Less Traveled). Aluminum frame, carbon fork, two build options. (Click all pics to enlarge.)

Other gravel grinder bikes are built up at home. They’re referred to as “gravel mutts,” and might start life in a number of different ways.

One build that seems to have its adherents is to start with a steel road bike, perhaps an old 10-speed, and fit it with wide tires and a redone drive train — maybe a triple chain ring and bar end shifters. Another would be to equip a mountain bike with drop bars. Or, for the budget-minded, take a hybrid and fit it with drops.

Here's an old 10-speed converted for gravel.
Here’s an old 10-speed converted for gravel.

I think this would be a lot of fun. I know I hate to ride my skinny tires on gravel — I don’t even like gritty shoulders on paved roads. And just because my friend was thinking of entering a race (she’s funny that way) doesn’t mean you must race on gravel. Just bombing around on a weekend day would admirably fill the bill.

Have you ever done any gravel riding? Do you have a special bike for the purpose?

Like this:

Like Loading…

Categories // Rides Tags // gravel

Road Bikes & Gravel Roads

10.12.2010 by Ray Niekamp // 15 Comments

The century I rode over the weekend was well planned and well supported.  But compared to two years ago when I first rode it, some of the roads had deteriorated — mostly on the back half of the course.

Yech. Gravel road.

Suddenly, the little county road we were on changed from pocked-up asphalt to gravel.

Now, I have some friends who like gravel.  They ride mountain bikes with wide tires, and can take advantage of the more remote countryside they get to travel on those less-improved roads.  But those are mountain bikers.

Even some road bikes with wider tires can probably do well on gravel.  Some like a Surly Long Haul Trucker with 28 or 32 mm tires should be able to handle gravel with no trouble.

But that’s not necessarily true of a road bike with skinny tires.  I run 25 mm tires on my Specialized Allez, and I was all over the road, trying to find the more tamped-down sections.  I can imagine that people riding 23s had a rougher go of it than I did.

After the gravel ended, I stopped to attend to a hot spot on my shoe.  Bikers who were behind us passed by, and every one of them made a remark about the gravel.

As it turned out, I had good reason to be concerned with the rough surface.  I discovered  low pressure in my front tire at the next rest stop.  I pumped it up with the mini-pump I carry, but ten miles farther down the road, at another rest stop, the tire was soft again.  A sag vehicle was at the stop, waiting to haul a hapless rider back to the start, and he had a big floor pump.  I pumped up the tire again.

At the final rest stop, it was soft again.  I was getting ready to pull out the mini-pump when a Bicycle Sports Shop van pulled up.  The bike mechanic pumped the tire up for me.  I finished the century without any other mechanical problem.

When I got home from work today, I pushed the bike out of the garage to get ready for a short ride.  The front tire was completely flat.  Once I took off the tire and carefully inspected it, I found a small gouge like a sharp-edged pebble would make.  I had to pump up the tube and submerge it in the kitchen sink to find the slow leak.  I found no debris inside the tire, so I put in a replacement tube and took a one-hour ride.

Gravel roads and road bikes — they just don’t mix very well.  Or is it just me?  Do you ride gravel on skinny tires?

 

Like this:

Like Loading…

Categories // Rides Tags // flat tire, gravel

Get Email Updates

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 257 other subscribers

Categories

  • Accessories
  • Bike fit
  • Bikes
  • Blogging
  • Books
  • clubs
  • Cold weather
  • Community
  • Commuting
  • Components
  • crash
  • cycling
  • Equipment
  • Favorite rides
  • fitness
  • food
  • guest post
  • Heat
  • Injury
  • logs
  • Maintenance
  • Mental
  • Nutrition
  • Odds 'n ends
  • People
  • Poll
  • Racing
  • Records & stats
  • Review
  • Rides
  • running
  • Safety
  • soreness
  • Specialized
  • Technique
  • Technology
  • Tips
  • tires
  • training
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Partners

Recent Posts

  • Getting Back on the Bike: Road Cycling Tips for Older Cyclists
  • Are BCAAs and EAAs Good for Cycling?
  • How to Fix Numb Toes When Cycling
  • How to Find and Vet a Bike Club
  • Celebrate Pearl Izumi with Big Savings in the Memorial Day Sale

Categories

  • Accessories
  • Bike fit
  • Bikes
  • Blogging
  • Books
  • clubs
  • Cold weather
  • Community
  • Commuting
  • Components
  • crash
  • cycling
  • Equipment
  • Favorite rides
  • fitness
  • food
  • guest post
  • Heat
  • Injury
  • logs
  • Maintenance
  • Mental
  • Nutrition
  • Odds 'n ends
  • People
  • Poll
  • Racing
  • Records & stats
  • Review
  • Rides
  • running
  • Safety
  • soreness
  • Specialized
  • Technique
  • Technology
  • Tips
  • tires
  • training
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized

Archives

  • May 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • March 2022
  • October 2020
  • November 2018
  • May 2018
  • September 2017
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • January 2016
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008

Copyright © 2026 · Modern Studio Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Go to mobile version
%d