This coming Sunday, 26 January
2014, I will be hosting a ride that intentionally features some sections of
unpaved roads. This will be an
easy paced, keep the group together, learning type of ride, but should be
enjoyable for the more advanced ride too.
The intent is to bring some of you newer riders into the fun of dirt
road riding. The choice of route
is designed to be enjoyable, and not very challenging.
Now, what’s it all about? Read on…
Lately, it’s been called “Gravel
Grinding,” and it’s become very popular.
There are several regular gravel/dirt/unpaved road rides going on in
this area. I’m very pleased to see
this. If you are interested, but
just not quite sure about this “Thing,” here’s a low impact way to get started
and have a lot of FUN!
What is “Gravel Grinder”?
The expression is a newly coined
phrase. It can sound kind of
intimidating and super-mach, but when it’s not dressed up for church, it simply
refers to riding a bicycle on an unpaved road. A “Gravel Grind” might be a ride on roads that are not
paved, or it might be an organized race.
Why is it suddenly a “THING”?
Who knows? There are plenty of people who have
been riding bikes on roads that weren’t paved. In fact, we pretty much started out that way. Bicycles predate paved roads by a
goodly margin. Perhaps it has
something to do with the rise in popularity of Cyclocross style
racing. (“Cyclo Bikes, or Cross
Bikes are just about ideal for riding off pavement.) Randonnuers have been investigating this stuff for quite
some time. Perhaps it has
something to do with the increasingly crowded conditions on the paved roads. Could be some or all of the above, or maybe it’s just time.
Why do I want to
do it?
Maybe you do, and maybe you don’t. Here’s what’s good and bad about riding
on unpaved roads.
The Good Stuff:
Less
traffic
Good
scenery
Interesting
road surfaces increase the fun factor
Dirt
roads often provide “shortcuts” or usable alternatives to other routes
Not as
tricky or challenging as “singletrack” mountain bike
Surfaces
provide the “fun factor of mountain biking with a greatly reduced fall risk,
and greatly reduced traffic concerns.
Great
adventures!
The Not So Good Stuff:
You do
run into the occasional dog challenge
You have
to clean you r bike up a bit more after a ride
Occasionally
deep small gravel forces a dismount and walk situation
A true
narrow tire road bike can be a bit of a handling challeng
If it
rains you get really “yucked up.”
What do I
need?
You need a bicycle! You could do
dirt roads on almost any kind of
bike, but…
Some bikes work a bit better than
others. Here’s a breakdown:
Cyclocross (also know as CX)
bikes: These are almost ideal for
this kind of fun. The wider high
volume tires do well, and the quick handling road bike configuration is great for this kind of thing.
Tourists: A bike intended for loaded touring will
have the gears and brakes. It will
usually have a bit wider tires too.
All to the good.
Mountain Bikes: Not a bad choice for the shorter rides. The wide tires and low gears are a
definite plus. Suspension helps,
but isn’t strictly necessary. On
the downside, the single position flat bar configuration is less than ideal for
longer riders. (NOTE: A mountain bike will work well for this coming Sunday’s ride
~~ It just isn’t that long.)
Hybrids: A good “can do” type bike. These will handle the rougher road surface with aplomb. Like mountain bikes, they are great for
the shorter rides, but not so much for epics.
Cruisers: Okay! Just BE that
way! You can, but I wouldn’t.
Entry to mid-level Road
Bikes: Hey, I do this all the
time. It works. Yes, the road bike’s stiffer ride and
narrow tires can be a bit of a
handful, but they are built to ride on roads,
and paved or not, these are roads.
High end (read racing) road bikes: Probably not the best choice. Yes, Pros can and do, but you
are not a Pro. Besides, Pros don’t have to pay for the
damage. You do.
Older 27 inch or 650B type road
bikes: If they are in good repair
they are almost ideal. The only
real lack that most of these have is brakes. Generally that old Schwinn or Raleigh had really crappy
brakes. The tires are great for
it, and the riding position is not bad.
Fixies?: If you can ride it, bring
it! (I do this a good bit and
I’m still alive. In fact I
appreciate the added control of the fixed gear on the sketchy sections.
Other Equipment: Helmets (of course!) Glasses or sunglasses (it’s dusty and
the debris does fly.) Full finger
gloves. Dress for the weather.
So come on out and let’s have some
fun with this!
For more info, please check out
the Bicycles Unlimited Calendar HERE
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