Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 48 total)
  • The best thing about a gravel bike is when you take it on a road ride and…
  • epicyclo
    Full Member

    …and serendipity occurs.

    I was supposed to be doing a little loop (50 miles) to celebrate getting back the full use of my leg. I rode up the road from Bonar Bridge past Loch Migdale when I saw this very tempting track. I didn’t have any idea where it went (no maps needed for road rides).

    So nothing ventured, nothing gained.

    The track quickly got scenic. It was in reasonable condition although there were long stretches of deep ruts.

    The road divided here. No indication of which was which. I figured even if I took the wrong turn it would end up somewhere, and even if that wasn’t a road, at worst I’d have a few miles of hike-a-bike and a bracing trudge through the heather.

    I took a chance and went left because that was still heading uphill and everyone knows uphill is more fun. Once over the top thee views were good. It’s sad to realise that this area was once heavily populated.

    Looking forward and there was Loch Laro looking very inviting for a quick dip.

    Sadly there was vestiges of the old landlordism in the shape of a locked gate to bar access. It was doing its job successfully, the track beyond was overgrown and reverting to heath. In my youth the gate would have been “opened”. 🙂

    So over the gate and a mile of mainly hike-a-bike.

    Then through another gate with a proper personnel gate, and the track improved again except that it was very soft in places and post-holed from cattle. Even with 2.35″ tyres it was a wee bit rough in places.

    The track came to an end at another fence with a large drop off to the road, but the fence wasn’t high, so no problem. There was a track off to the left a bit earlier which may have led to the road but I could see no signs of its exit once I was on the road.

    So instead of having my soul sucked out of me by a road ride, that little 8km of track made it into a great day out.

    I did come to the conclusion my ideal gravel bike would have 3″ Big Apples though. 🙂

    stumpy_m4
    Free Member

    Great write up , your lucky living somewhere so pretty 🙂

    prawny
    Full Member

    I did something similar a couple of years ago over a hill behind Creetown, but I was on a carbon road bike with 23c tyres, I didn’t finish the ride with a smile on my face. Had to turn back in the end, the road had completely disappeared after the third gate.

    Yours looks significantly better, am jealous.

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    epicyclo
    Full Member

    When I did the hike-a-bike it was a bit of a gamble that the track condition would improve.

    I could see the traces of a track as the ground rose up from the other end of the loch, and I reckoned it would not be so overgrown because it would be better drained. Otherwise it would have been quite a few miles of HAB. 🙂

    jameso
    Full Member

    Nice. That’s exactly what it’s about : )

    Winging-it finds the best magic links.

    senorj
    Full Member

    Can’t beat a bit of off road exploring…”where does this go?” = 😀

    bikebouy
    Free Member

    Superb!

    Next time Strava it and “smash it” 😆

    Actually, don’t.

    Lovely place you have there 8)

    jekkyl
    Full Member

    So… did you get to the Loch for a swim?

    epicyclo
    Full Member

    jekkyl – Member
    So… did you get to the Loch for a swim?

    Just a dip. My feet have gone soft and I was hopping on all the spiky little rocks. 🙂

    kcal
    Full Member

    lovely — can’t fault any of that 🙂

    FunkyDunc
    Free Member

    Would my CX bike have been capable of getting me there, or does it need to be a gravel bike 😛

    epicyclo
    Full Member

    FunkyDunc – Member
    Would my CX bike have been capable of getting me there, or does it need to be a gravel bike

    I used to ride a dropbar racer on tracks all over the highlands in my youth, so I’d say yes.

    But you’d spend half your time rattling along watching the track a few metres in front of your wheel for nasties and gotchas instead of cruising along in comfort enjoying the view.

    I would probably have had to do a lot more hike-a-bike with 30mm tyres in the softer bits. A better or stronger rider may not have the same problem though.

    So weigh up definitely possible versus enjoyable.

    However regardless of what bike I was on, I’d have given it a crack, eg I’ve done most of the Great Glen Way on a 20″ wheel Dahon with 38mm tyres (although it has been pretty well sanitised since then).

    So if you’re planning to do it, fatter tyres are nicer, but don’t let the lack of them deter you. 🙂

    FunkyDunc
    Free Member

    But you’d spend half your time rattling along watching the track a few metres in front of your wheel for nasties and gotchas instead of cruising along in comfort enjoying the view.

    That has done more to sell me the benefit of a gravel bike than any gumph I have seen so far about gravel bikes !

    dragon
    Free Member

    It’s not a gravel bike but a 29er with funny bars.

    So instead of having my soul sucked out of me by a road ride,

    ❓ I see little difference between a road ride and a your gravel ride TBH, specially knowing the condition of some of Scotland’s so called ‘roads’.

    tuskaloosa
    Free Member

    awesome, just plain awesome

    mrblobby
    Free Member

    The best thing about a gravel bike is when you take it on a road ride and…

    And the worst thing about a gravel bike is when you take it on a road ride 🙂

    Though TBH I’m not sure what that bike is. I’d have said this too…

    It’s not a gravel bike but a 29er with funny bars.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    Nice ride, but as above that’s not really a gravel bike 🙂

    munrobiker
    Free Member

    As above it’s not a gravel bike but it’s still an absolutely cracking post!

    epicyclo
    Full Member

    dragon – Member
    It’s not a gravel bike but a 29er with funny bars.

    I’m calling it a gravel bike because that’s exactly what I built it for. I don’t care what the hipster marketing guys think, or the UCI for that matter. I think what are being touted as gravel bikes are missing the mark, they’re too much like slightly stout CX bikes.

    But the bike doesn’t really need categorising. I wanted a bike that I could ride on the road to get to a given track, ride that track, and ride home. I consider that the size of the tyre has more effect on offroad capability than tread and on road you don’t want tread.

    That’s not to say I wouldn’t like tread on an offroad tyre, but I just don’t fancy riding 40 or so miles on road with it, and the large volume Big Apple tyre can handle most offroad conditions I’d point my bike at. HAB does the rest.

    Example: I ride 18 miles from home to where the road peters out near Braeantra, then on tracks from there to Alladale, and from there over and through the mountains via Loch Vaich offroad to Inchbae and then back on road home another 20 miles.

    The off road bit is about 40 miles (used in this years HT550).

    I built the bike up specifically for doing that sort of ride in comfort, and if that isn’t gravel riding, I don’t know what is. Therefore it is a gravel bike to me.

    The great thing is you no longer committed to riding closed loops offroad. You can ride to a track, cross a mountain range, and cycle home from the other side. No cars needed.

    Come for a quick ride and see what you’d class this sort of riding as. Here we go:

    And that’s a great way to spend a lazy day in the saddle.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    I wanted a bike that I could ride on the road to get to a given track, ride that track, and ride home

    Exactly the same as mine.

    I took my hybrid converted to ‘gravel’ out on some gravel the other day, on its 32c tyres. It handled it, but only slowly. As you said above – constantly watching for stones and potholes.

    mrblobby
    Free Member

    The great thing is you no longer committed to riding closed loops offroad. You can ride to a track, cross a mountain range, and cycle home from the other side. No cars needed.

    Much the same as a mountain bike or a road bike. You’re just trading compromises.

    Nice ride though.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    Yeah but it’s a hell of a lot easier to do 15 miles on a rigid 29er than it is on a slack FS. So whilst you might be slower on the techie bits, that kind of ride really isn’t about technical fun, and the fact that 15 miles of road isn’t anything like as much of a chore makes the whole ride much more enjoyable. The trade-off in technical speed is more than worth it for the big days out. When you want that kind of ride, that is. If you want a technical blast, then you want a different bike.

    epicyclo
    Full Member

    I’m off the opinion that in 20 years time we will regard the current retail ‘gravel’ bikes as being as useful for that purpose as a current mtber would regard a late 70s mtb* for mountainbiking.

    *Come to think of it, some of them would make pretty decent gravel bikes, because that’s what they really were.

    ton
    Full Member

    epicyclo, you put all the hipster fashionista’s to shame. they can only dream of doing rides that you do mate, whilst cleaning and polishing their fashion led gravel bikes.

    keep it up old lad…….. 8)

    OCB
    Free Member

    Agreed!

    😉

    I had an Eastern Dartmoor version of exactly that kinda thing on my Vaya at the weekend – it’s like ‘mountain biking’ was back in the early 90’s!

    #1. The Vaya might not be a gravel bike – I’ve kinda lost track.
    #2. On quite draggy, but tough, 700 x 38 Specialized Nimbus Armadillos.

    tang
    Free Member

    I whole heartedly approve of this sort of thing. It’s why I got a steel custom cx made with big tyre capability.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    I reckon 40c tyres minimum, or even 45. Otherwise it’s just chunky road.

    rumbledethumps
    Free Member

    Brilliant photos fellas. We need more of this!

    kerley
    Free Member

    I’m calling it a gravel bike because that’s exactly what I built it for. I don’t care what the hipster marketing guys think, or the UCI for that matter. I think what are being touted as gravel bikes are missing the mark, they’re too much like slightly stout CX bikes.

    You may not care but the marketing got there first and defined the gravel bike. A gravel bike is close to a CX bike because they are to made to go fast on very easy off road, and that is what they do well. As soon as it starts to get rougher then your funny barred 29er would be better suited and when it gets rougher still one of those even more funny full suspension things.

    I agree that none of it actually matters but misleading to include gravel bike in the title….

    I used to ride ‘gravel’ on one of these…

    Turnerfan1
    Free Member

    Could we have a better photo of the bike Epicyclo?
    A brief spec wouldn’t go amiss.
    Titanium?
    Max

    robowns
    Free Member

    Would have been even better on an mtb.

    dragon
    Free Member

    My issue is people in the UK seem to have forgotten what a mountain bike (XC) is capable of, my off the shelf Trek 29er will do all what you are asking and so have XC mountain bikes since they were invented. We don’t need marketing to tell us its a gravel, enduro or whatever bike. The UK could do well to return to just riding mtbs like most of the rest of the world do, there are some awesome mtbs out there that will carry you up and downhill till your legs drop off.

    epicyclo
    Full Member

    robowns – Member
    Would have been even better on an mtb….

    As it happens I’ve done this exact same ride on an mtb (29er) and its deficiencies on the road more than outweighed its advantages offroad.

    kerley – Member
    You may not care but the marketing got there first and defined the gravel bike.

    Everything new is old.

    ***

    So I’m pretty sure the marketing guys didn’t get there first.

    Maybe I’m defining what a gravel bike should be a few years from now. 🙂

    ***Edit: I’ve deleted this bit, until I can find the reference.

    milfordvet
    Free Member

    Grand day out. A Salsa Fargo/ Cut Throat or a Deadwood would suit you, if you can ever find one.

    I agree that rebadged cyclocross bikes as gravel bikes is cynical and lazy by the industry.

    With the gearing that is suitable for off road and on road for an average cyclist, there is absolutely no reason to have a 30-40mm limit on tyre size at all. Its just a throwback to roadies with 53 chainrings using it as a winter bike.

    With modern drivechains using smaller rear sprockets like 10 and smaller front chainrings, there is absolutely no need for currnt gravel bikes to run such narrow tyres.

    In fact there is no reason for cyclocross bikes anymore, at all. Its an outdated deadend limiting standard that gives normal people sub optimal bikes.

    On one were so close with the Bish Bash Bosh. Had they put a smaller chainring triple set on, allowed it to take 2.4-3 in tyres and given it a longer fork length. To match a Fargo, and they’d have sold millions of em to bikepackers accross the world as a Cut Thhroat alternative, but they missed the spec.

    The big apples are heavy. Try Thunder Burts for utmost speed and good drip or or some 2.4 Xkings/ 2.2 Raceking for more gripand a just a bit slower.

    Sam
    Full Member

    Looks fantastic! Must get up to he highlands again….

    epicyclo
    Full Member

    Turnerfan1 – Member
    Could we have a better photo of the bike Epicyclo?
    A brief spec wouldn’t go amiss.
    Titanium?
    Max

    Here it is being a roadbike on the Bealach na Bah.

    It’s a TD-1, and fairly obviously titanium, but any frame which can take large volume tyres will do. It’s the volume that’s important.

    The Big Apples at 2.35″ are as big a tyre as you can get without tread and they are the most important feature. As I mentioned I would give 3″ tyres a go if they were available as slicks. Slick tread is important because the bike covers large distances on road and a treaded tyre on road is almost as wearing as skinny one offroad.

    At the moment the only frames that will fit these tyres are 29ers. The older 29ers designed for rigid with steeper head angles are best because they work well in road use while losing none of their capabilities offroad.

    I have done the same mods with a 29er Scandal and it was also very good for this purpose, and just as happy on the road (eg a day ride of 140 mile on road in a loop round Wester Ross). It was a singlespeed, which is perfectly fine for single purpose, but I wouldn’t that again because the road gearing is too high for offroad for me these days.

    If you want to try this I can recommend the Scandal frame. It’s really light, it’s a lovely bike to ride and they’re inexpensive, so it’s a good starter drug. 🙂

    It looks like I may have offended the niche taxonomists by calling it a gravel bike, but it does that job better than what is currently offered as such IMO.

    Maybe I should invent a category for the do it all bike and call it a Proper bike. A bike you are just as happy to ride 100+ miles on the road as off.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    I agree about gravel bikes being a bit light for what we would use them for in the UK, but to give these evil marketing types a break the name comes from the US where they have thousands of miles of pretty smooth fire-road, and that’s what they are talking about. Not your jeep tracks from those pictures.

    My mate’s Shand Stoater has WTB Nanos on it and looks bang on. That’s the sort of size I’d go for – personally I think 2.35 is too big if you know you are doing lots of road, although it’s perfect in chalk downs-land, and what I’m using now for 50/50 road. The road is definitely a compromise though.

    My Salsa is the same as your bike epicyclo except the bars, and I want to call it a modern day ‘hybrid’ because that’s what it really is, except the name’s taken.

    ransos
    Free Member

    I had an Eastern Dartmoor version of exactly that kinda thing on my Vaya at the weekend – it’s like ‘mountain biking’ was back in the early 90’s!

    I was going to say the same: easy offroad exploring and a bit of tarmac to link it together was pretty well suited to a rigid mtb with 1.9″ tyres. It’s what I used to do, anyway.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    it’s like ‘mountain biking’ was back in the early 90’s!

    Maybe for you.. I was 18 and racing my mates down the best descents we could find 🙂

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 48 total)

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