To start with, we have firm dates for the Audax Tune Up Rides, and for the actual Audax 200K. These dates appear on the “Tour Calendar” to the left, but we’re listing them, with times, below.
45 Mile Tune Ups:
Tune Up 1 ~ Sunday 26 February @ 1:00 P.M.
Tune Up 2 ~ Sunday 11 March @ 1:00 P.M.
65 Mile Tune Ups:
Tune Up 3 ~ Sunday 1 April @ 11:00 A.M.
Tune Up 4 ~ Sunday 15 April l @ 11:00 A.M.
Audax 200K ~ Sunday 20 May @ 7:30 A.M.
All of the Audax related rides will start and finish at Bicycles Unlimited, in Peachtree City, GA.
There will be posts in the near future with more information on these rides, and with links to previous posts about them.
Dirt Road Riding:
In last Friday’s post, I indicated that I would start doing a bit of focused work on dirt road riding. I envision three different dimensions to this endeavor; 1) Equipment. 2) Cue Sheets indicating where good fun dirt road riding can be had. 3) Group dirt road rides.
What follows is a bit of an overview of my take on equipment choices for unpaved road fun in this general area.
What Bike?
As I’ve often stated, a road bike should be capable of being ridden on any road. That said, not all road bikes are created equal. Most likely, a high end, super light, carbon wonderdreambike, with ultra electric, computerized parts made from pure vaporware and unobtanium is likely not the best choice for this kind of thing. Even the elite pros use different equipment for the early Spring “Classics.” Honest, the bikes ridden in Paris-Roubaix are not the same as the ones campaigned in “Le Tour.”
Of course, a mountain bike would work well on any non-paved road surface. But pure mountain bikes have a drawback. At least they do, if one’s dirt road riding is going to be in north and central Georgia.
The problem is that, we do have a lot of wonderful unpaved thoroughfares, but they tend to be rather short. It’s hardly worth the effort to load up a mountain bike, and drive to a dirt road that is only 2 to 5 miles long. But if one is willing to ride some pavement in between dirt stretches, then a lot can be done. Unfortunately, mountain bikes, wonderful as they are, are not suited for long over-road excursions.
Like almost all discussions of this type, there is no definitive answer. Things that work excellently for one individual just don’t get it for others. What follows is based on my own experience, on trial and error, on observation of others, and on a good deal of reading and research.
Probably some kind of “road bike.” The drop bar bike’s multiple hand positions and basic geometry work well in this kind of environment. That said, most likely the best choice is going to be something a bit more robust. Cyclocross frames, or tourists seem to work well. I’d pick something that has the clearance to mount fatter tires than a typical racing type machine. The ability to mount fenders is not essential, but can be nice, particularly if the weather turns wet.
A more relaxed seating position is good. Most will find a “race oriented” frame to be fairly uncomfortable. Further, the position (aggressive, deep lean, and forward stretch fit of a race oriented bike) is usually not comfortable for jouncing and rattling along.
Stability. Longer chain stays, lower bottom brackets help here.
Comfort. More relaxed seat tube angles and head tube angles tend allow for a more comfortable position. In addition, consider either double wrapping the bars, or having them wrapped with a gel padding under the tape. Frames that are more “compliant” are usually better choices. (In my opinion, too much “stiffness” is not necessarily a good thing.) We are speaking of a high vibration environment. A bike that transmits every tiny jolt and buzz is not pleasant on long stretches of dirt and gravel.
Tires. 700C is good, but the width makes a big difference. Any width tire can be ridden on dirt roads. However, wider, higher volume skins will yield a more comfortable ride. Sometimes one encounters sandy sections, or ones that are “surfaced” with a deeper layer of small stone gravel. In these cases narrow tires do tend to sink in and make handling and forward progress more difficult. I don’t like to ride our local unpaved roads on anything less than a 700 X 25, and much prefer a bit wider tire to those. Bikes with something between 700 X 28 and 700 X 40 tires seem to be good compromises. The wider tires can be inflated to much lower pressures and tend to roll comfortably and smoothly over a lot of uneven stuff.
One more word on tires. Tires with supple sidewalls, and good aramid belts are a delight. The belts decrease the chances of punctures, and the more supple construction results in a lot less rolling resistance.
I know there are several of you out there who regularly engage in this kind of thing. How about you chime in on the discussion? There are a fair number of folks who are interested.
I feel like if a person is going to have one bike, it should be a cyclocross bike. Of course I say that having owned all of two quality bikes (wal-mart bikes and childhood huffys not included). That said, I've taken that cyclocross bike everywhere. CX races of course, but also mountain bike trails, PTC paths, and roads - paved and unpaved. I've riden a century on it and couldn't have been more comfortable (considering I rode 100 miles, that is).
ReplyDeleteFrom March through August, I usually roll with 700x25 road tires, and while I don't typically seek out unpaved road at that time of year, my favorite summer route does include a few miles of gravel in Chattahoochee Hills, and the tires are just fine.
In the fall and winter, I usually switch over to cyclocross tires, and having only one wheel set, I don't switch back and forth much. I use 700x35 Kenda Small Block Eights. They work fine on any offroad I've tried, though they aren't wonderful in slick mud, and they can't handle deep sand (not sure what does). I ride those tires on paths, roads, and the Stinky Trail. If I were going to ride more than 25 miles that were primarily paved, I probably wouldn't ride them, unless I were really planning on taking it slow and easy. I usually run them at pretty high pressure - 45 if racing, and 55 generally, but I value not flatting over comfort. If I were really interested in experimenting, I'm sure I could run them MUCH lower.
While our Jamis tourists with the 700 x 28 tires can do fairly well in the dirt, we prefer to keep it on the pavement. Having said that, I agree there are those occasional times you mentioned in the previous article when a dirt road is a short, but logical segment of a longer loop.
ReplyDeleteBob M