Despite the hype all over the net, there seems to be little interest in Gravel / Adventure etc… riding in the UK still. There are a few events springing up, but as far as stocking of components & such…

I’m struggling to get any decent tyres for a start. I can only go up to 35c due to frame clearance, but there’s no sign of the Panaracer Gravel King SK 35c, or Challenge Gravel Grinder 33c in any of the UK online shops yet and the tyres they do have seem to be sold out half the time. I don’t want to use fragile CX tyres. (I have the 32c Gravel King SK, but they are a bit narrow for rockier riding.)

Do I/we have an inflated / unrealistic view of the interest in this kind of cycling by being too close to the hardcore few do you think?

Do I/we have an inflated / unrealistic view of the interest in this kind of cycling by being too close to the hardcore few do you think?

I just ride me bike

Not sure a frame that only takes up to 35mm is a gnarmac/gravel/adventure/monster cx etc etc ?

I could be totally wrong but I thought standard cx bikes take up to 35mm and gravelly types are designed for bigger rubber ?

Its pretty damn popular in the events that are available. I think the problem you have is your stuck with a CX bike that wont fit proper tyres, time to upgrade 😆

I wouldn’t fret too much about it. I’ve done a couple of gravel races and just used my ss rigid 29er. Most folk just run what they’ve got, so hardtails, rigids, cx and maybe the odd one or 2 gravel/gnarmac bikes.

If you are wrecking the biggest cx tyres you have, then maybe use a mtb?

That.

If you can only fit 35’s and you’ve damaged ‘fragile’ cx tyres (seriously tho, semislick cx are the same build as light gravel tyres) then fit some Landcruisers. Fast rolling, grip in gravel, tough as nails, bit heavier than premium tyres.

Do I/we have an inflated / unrealistic view of the interest in this kind of cycling by being too close to the hardcore few do you think?

there seems to be little interest in Gravel / Adventure etc… riding in the UK still. There are a few events springing up, but as far as stocking of components & such..

Well for starters I don’t think you’re as hardcore as you think you are, if you were then you’d have been doing it before it was a thing and bodging/fixing/making it up as you go along instead of looking for specific parts labelled ‘gnarmac approved!’ in the shops

Also, although there are some events around I think you’ll find part of the appeal of ‘just riding around’ (as I prefer to call it) are that you can just go out and do it, no need for events, no need to be told where to go, no need to use specific equipment or to be told what equipment is right, you just work out what works for you and go ride your bike places.

If you’re actually after proper gravel racing then yeah, you’re probably right it is a bit lacking, but in no small part because we simply don’t have the miles and miles of gravel roads like other big countries, nor the space to do multi-day events without coming close to civilisation on a too-regular-to-be-worthwhile basis. The only exception to this perhaps being Scotland, and even then, it wouldn’t be an easy event to run…

I’m struggling to get any decent tyres for a start. I can only go up to 35c due to frame clearance… I don’t want to use fragile CX tyres. (I have the 32c Gravel King SK, but they are a bit narrow for rockier riding.)

So use a XC mountain bike instead? If you can’t cope with it on 32/32c tyres then either go slower or you’re using the wrong tool for the job.

CX tyres aren’t any less fragile than gravel tyres really, if you need more beef then you’re going to have to look at touring tyres (and associated compromises) or a frame with more clearance.

I’m annoyed I can’t get Thunder Burts in mine without losing paint and Speed King2s only come in 2.2. I know.

Gee from here won the Dirty Reiver, then reckoned he’d have gone faster on a hardtail. He also used a hardtail to win this years Gravel Dash 100.

So then, if gravel/gnarmac stuff isn’t the best at gravel races, then what’s the point?

isnt gravel/gnarmic just an N+1 justification on the fringes of a fringe hobby

What is a gravel track? Is this the same as fire roads/Land Rover tracks?

Yes.

But you can’t sell that. So

It’s a go anywhere approach, big distance, self sufficiency, not seeking technicality, but covering the miles in a big place etc….

Gee from here won the Dirty Reiver, then reckoned he’d have gone faster on a hardtail. He also used a hardtail to win this years Gravel Dash 100.

That’s because he was miles out in front of everyone 😆
Kielder is also pretty rough for the whole distance

In the US the races are more popular so they seem to be raced like road-races with packs forming and lots of drafting.

Think of it more like mountain biking 25 years ago 🙂

Or stick 26″ wheels in with 2.1/2.25 rubber on !!

[url=https://flic.kr/p/LNzmpU]Pickenflick on 26"[/url] by Plus one2010, on Flickr

If you’re actually after proper gravel racing then yeah, you’re probably right it is a bit lacking, but in no small part because we simply don’t have the miles and miles of gravel roads like other big countries, nor the space to do multi-day events without coming close to civilisation on a too-regular-to-be-worthwhile basis. The only exception to this perhaps being Scotland, and even then, it wouldn’t be an easy event to run…

I think that pretty much sums it up.

Well yes, but you can still draft on an mtb, and if it covers the ground better (for UK gravels races anyway), then it’s got to be the best choice.

The reality is we don’t have the terrain of the USA, but we are trying to make the ‘gravel’ thing fit here.

Thanks for the replies – a few answers to suggestions / comments so far:
I’ve done my fair share of riding MTBs over the years and have been re-discovering the joys of drop bar bikes of late.
I don’t “race” any more but I’ve done the odd Adventure Cross CX style sportive and similar events. I ride a GT Grade and 35c is the max tyre width that’ll leave any mud room. The “Gravel Specific” tyres I mentioned come with puncture protection layers which CX race tyres don’t as I understand it. I’ve not tried proper CX tyres on my Grade, but have been put off by plentiful reports of multiple punctures when riding Cross tyres away from the race circuit, as they are built for speed, grip & lightweight, rather than robustness / durability.
I’ve done some fairly rugged rides on 32c with not a single flat, but would like a bit more airspace for extra grip / comfort / protection.
I do have some 35c Landcruisers, but they are waaay heavy for longer rides, especially where a lot of tarmac is involved.

I can get by ok with what I have, but it’s frustrating when you can see riders on what appears to be exactly what you want in the USA and you can’t buy here.

I’ll be the first to admit that the Gravel tag is a bit stupid here in the UK.
I’m just enjoying big(ish), fast(ish), miles over a variety of terrain.

According to the bicycle academy 70% of people passing through their doors are building ‘all road’ drop bar bikes. I reckon most of them (and myself included) just ride them without the need for events. Now, as a statistic it might be that if you’re going to the hassle of doing a weeks course to build a frame a life bike makes sense. I love MTB, CX and road and work in all of those fields. However, 90% of my riding is on a customer cx/all road. This lunchtime is an example:

Not quite sure how you’ve missed this trend really, there seems to be a never ending range of drop bar bikes that can take bigger rubber, tonnes of tyre choice, and interesting 1×11 drop bar groupsets.

I think the ‘gravel’/adventure label has caught on pretty well, but ‘gravel’ is a pretty useless term and as already mentioned, one that doesn’t hold up in the UK because of the terrain. There’s not a great deal of difference between the dirt drop bar bikes here or in the US really, but here they are used for different things. Gravel in the US is graded, non-metalled roads covering big distances, which they have plenty of (and so does some of Scandinavia too FWIW). In the UK we make do with the same trails and tracks (fireroads being very different from a graded ‘gravel’ road) as mtbs and so often an mtb does just as good a job.

In my opinion (as the owner of a ‘Gravel bike’) there are two ways you can look at this.

1) We don’t have any real gravel roads, certainly not in the south east. Therefore a bike designed specifically for the purpose of riding on gravel roads is a bit pointless (in theory). I personally find mine to be a pain in the arse off-road compared to my MTB and not as quick as my road bike on tarmac. So I don’t use it

2) For some people they make a lot of sense. Disc brakes, sturdy build, higher at the front, able to take guards, bigger tyres and so on – for said people this gives them a bike that for them is far more practical than either an MTB or full on road bike.

There are a few races but most of our off-road terrain is better suited to an MTB rather than a slackened out cross bike. Tyre wise I’ve only used G ones and some vittoria cross things that were crap. The G ones seem a bit more robust, but I doubt they’d stand up to rocks.

Your second point is mainly why I bought the Grade, Flange.
It’s almost as good as a “proper” road bike for fast tarmac rides and pretty capable off-road, most fun when mixing up the two.
There’s limited MTB worthy off-road near where I live, so I bought it to allow more riding from the front door. (I could have bought a CX bike ages ago, I guess, but the idea didn’t occur to me until I started seeing the GT Grade adverts & videos and I liked the slightly more road bias of this particular bike.)

See, I’ve got a few road bikes as well as the Grade and I always take one of them rather than the Grade – it just feels so slow compared to the others. It’s also higher at the front which I can’t get on with, but I realise that’s purely personal as some folk can’t stand a high front end.

I forced myself to commute on it the other week and it was bloody miserable. I then took it round Bedgebury and again it was zero fun, although riding there and avoiding paying £12 for the car park made me feel better.

Different strokes for different folks I suppose

I ride the same stuff on my MTB with 2.4″ tyres as I do on my cross bike with 35c tyres, just a bit slower when on the skinny wheels.

Ride back roads to somewhere with good off-road riding, ride the off-road stuff, ride home on back roads. Or, link a couple of different off-road areas (like Swaledale and Hamsterley) on one ride. Or, ride to somewhere via Sustrans routes. Or, ride local tamer BWs and farm tracks.

Am I riding gnarmac/adventure?

The only real reason for the title of my post was because I’m frustrated that I can’t buy the tyres I want in this country. 😳
I’d have thought they would have been worth the distributors importing by now.

Nothing should come between a man and his tyres! 👿

These tyres are widely available in 35mm wide.

Small Block 8:

Land Cruiser:

The Land Cruiser is particularly good for all-round, on/off road use.

On the subject of gravel roads: the UK must be one of the most tarmac’d countries in the world. The proportion of public roads that are not covered in tough black stuff or concrete is tiny. We certainly don’t have long sections of unsurfaced roads between towns.

The only real reason for the title of my post was because I’m frustrated that I can’t buy the tyres I want in this country.

Any shop with a ZyroFisher account can get you a pair of Gravel King SK in a 35c. £34.99 each.

Yes.

But you can’t sell that. So

It’s a go anywhere approach, big distance, self sufficiency, not seeking technicality, but covering the miles in a big place etc…. still riding on fire roads

If you’re actually after proper gravel racing then yeah, you’re probably right it is a bit lacking, but in no small part because we simply don’t have the miles and miles of gravel roads like other big countries, nor the space to do multi-day events without coming close to civilisation on a too-regular-to-be-worthwhile basis. The only exception to this perhaps being Scotland, and even then, it wouldn’t be an easy event to run…

I think that pretty much sums it up.[/quote]

Pretty much the same reason that the UK’s premier freerider is Elbry

Yes.

But you can’t sell that. So

It’s a go anywhere approach, big distance, self sufficiency, not seeking technicality, but covering the miles in a big place etc…. still riding on fire roads
and rail-trails, and byways, and many bridleways, and towpaths, and country roads that are neglected, etc.

If you are trashing tyres on any bike, it’s you that’s the problem.

The Scwalbe G-One’s are trickling in now I believe

simondbarnes wrote:

Any shop with a ZyroFisher account can get you a pair of Gravel King SK in a 35c. £34.99 each.

No one seemed to stock them, so I e-mailed Zyro. They didn’t reply.

crikey wrote:

If you are trashing tyres on any bike, it’s you that’s the problem.

I’m not. I’ve not even punctured once since I bought the bike in June last year. I was just after a bit more volume!

Even halfords stock land cruisers! As well as their svelte cousins,the cx comp&pro!

For me it’s simply getting out and riding, however I have ridden the Gravel Dash a couple of times on both CX and fatbike with not a huge difference in time or finishing position. From someone who started riding rigid bikes offroad and never seen the need to change, magazines and bike makers place too much emphasis on the bike – most people are over-biked and if you adapt your riding style, a monster CX with 40-50mm tyres is hugely capable and great fun, particularly where you can join up sections of trail and tarmac. I race CX too, but I have two difference set-ups – carbon wheels and tubulars for CX and 40mm+ tubeless for regular offroad.

I ride the same stuff on my MTB with 2.4″ tyres as I do on my cross bike with 35c tyres, just a bit slower when on the skinny wheels.

So do I apart from the fact I am faster on my fixed track bike than my MTB on most segments due to living in an area made of fire roads.

I wouldn’t use gravel tyres though as they would puncture within 10 minutes…

Just move to Norway, I did and there’s about a billion miles of this out here:

Easier to move country than buy a new bike… 😀

Got back home on Sunday from the most excellent 1st Torino Nice Rally…

franki – Member
simondbarnes wrote:

Any shop with a ZyroFisher account can get you a pair of Gravel King SK in a 35c. £34.99 each.
No one seemed to stock them, so I e-mailed Zyro. They didn’t reply.

i can look on saturday on the zyro-fisher site if you want, email in profile

and rail-trails, and byways, and many bridleways, and towpaths, and country roads that are neglected, etc.

True, but I ride all those on 23c tyres on my ‘racing’ bike too, because for the most part there’s not enough of them really to justify a bike, or trying to link enough of them together for a ride.

I do see the appeal and utility of gravel bikes in big sparsely populated countries with a network of unmetalled roads because there’s insufficient traffic to justify sealing them. But for the most part you’re kidding yourself in this country. Even Charlies Gravel dash was non-technical off road rather than gravel (and therefore quicker on an XC bike).

I do in fact own a touring gravel[/i] bike compete with tough-ish 38c tyres. I’m just not evangelical about it.