Home > Bikes > Road bikes on gravel - common questions

Road bikes on gravel - common questions

Are road bikes OK on gravel?

ANSWER: You can definitely use a gravel bike as a road bike. You'll still get plenty of gears for most road riding, but you won't have quite enough high gears for when the speeds gets very fast, like 26 mph to 30 mph or faster. You'll probably spin out, because you can't pedal fast enough.





Perhaps we haven't given our racing bikes enough recognition, if you've seen the beautiful StradaBianchi race, then you've seen the professionals who, with small modifications, tore up the beautiful white Tuscan gravel roads of Italy on their racing bikes and apparently have no problems with it imagine the Question, do I really need a gravel bike to ride gravel and find out what you can and can't do? I'm going to take my brand new Orbea Orcaroad bike on an epic gravel adventure, in fact we're riding the exact same route that Simon Richardson and I rode for the All-American gravel ride last year, so let's jump in and see what happens are here now at the top of Massachusetts This is one of the nicest areas to technically call and drive home in, and I am Really, I just absolutely love it up here when I had to come here with a science show last year , it was such a blast and today, even though we're avoiding the rain, I'm going to show you that you have to meet this place favorite rides and I'll give you some tips to get you on your own road bike gravel adventure. So when you see Instagram social media all that stuff then you are following a number of pro riders and you know they ride their bikes on all kinds of wild terrain and so you think if they can why can't i say that it's a gravel road bike yes that's true, but you may not need a gravel bike if you know yourself Now let's confirm that you are riding down this beautiful gravel road your road bike flows on this side and then on the left you see a beautifully manicured one Single Track Trail you look at this and you say or you say man if you said yes then that is a good sign you know yourself you will be mature you will be responsible, you will not get out of control, but if you like i am and see this trail and you know ah i cant hit it i gotta do it i gotta do what i gotta do what i gotta do to see where it's going a whole different article but when you amateur up t, if you love taking care of your bike if you know you won't cross that line then you should be in good shape if that happens, okay story in about an hour if you stick to the all american Remember the gravel ride with Psy that we started down in Greenfield Massachusetts and then we flew up here that is literally one of my favorite places, we have already ridden on one of the covered bridges, only this little river with these little waterfalls rushes everything down it is absolutely breathtaking up here there is not a soul that bothers you up here, what do I? absolutely love and that is really well-kept gravel, it's not too gnarled and the racing bike is doing well so far, I know you will ask me how we know if it's well-kept gravel, but outside of Kamut I have the solution and it is this if you can drive one of them- passed or not passed My dad is the new international sign when it's well-groomed Road bike gravel, when I talked about well-groomed gravel before going on a really well-groomed gravel path you can see the Community has deposited a lot of stones here, but these stones are now starting to dig a little, you need the stone so that the water drains and the roads stay nice and strong so they don't get big potholes, but if you ride really lean tires or super high pressures or something, it's just one of those rocks to catch that'll definitely knock you out a really bad pinch when this stuff is on your reindeer nrad is totally good, you just have to do the things we talked about roughly but there's another road up here that you could turn left on and it's absolutely not the type of road I recommend for your road bike would, especially if you don't have a lot of ground clearance, once you start getting mud and stuff in there doesn't look good so let's check that out, so that's that well-manicured gravel, but that was the left-handed, about that i talked exactly like this boom suddenly it switches and you see it is much more treacherous big rocks mud nothing is cared for that is technically still a road it would be a lot absurd on a bike for a big adventure but on your racing bikes i have to say idon i don't think it would be that great and i am telling you because of this terrible instinct i have that i have to go on these trails and not have a lot of friendly team owners because there were a lot of broken mo tor bikes so let's dig in some more let's talk about one of the big ones and that's important now, if you ride a proper racing bike then the thing that you are most restricted to is the tire size you are in here and here the bike meeting can fit and not all the paint and frames to nothing so you don't want to ride a bigger tire then you actually fit in your bike because when you get up and walk from side to side it rubs the frame and this is not going to be good for anyone and unfortunately it would ruin your frame so y the max for a proper road b If you're probably nnessee 28, maybe 30 on this bike, you can actually get away with 32 see tires which is pretty cute now after you've decided what size tire you can fit in there you will want to start thinking about the type of tire you have you will be able to fit in there, of course i would tell you that you're supposed to be walking on glittering tires because you don't want to run a 21c tire with a tube in it you hit a rock at 120 psi, this won't be good for anyone you want to make sure you have big, tubeless, lower pressure tires ride, maybe 60 psi, because it'll give the tire a little deflection, it'll move, it'll give you a little bit better traction and a much better overall experience, we're in Vermont right now and these customers are notoriously steep pitchers are flying off and then they come right into what I would like to call a brick wall. This bike that I have here has a 48 35 in the front and then it has a 1028 in the back which is that super wide range when I was riding and off what a lot of you probably have is a 5339, maybe a 1125, what if it is you? I'm going to do a big steep climb, you guys, your channel, see my cadence and I'm getting pretty hard, it's going to be a really tough day and the worst thing you can do is get off and run if you can Coming from someone who has had to do this often, when those types of gears weren't available it's no fun so by all means opt for a wide range on your road bike if you plan on doing a bit of gravel and they can suit you really feel like you've done a gym day of hundreds of quats if you're not careful because you have to hit a pretty small cadence when you don't have the proper gear that you were wearing halfway through that ride and we have some more massive climbs that my legs will be screaming at, but on the other side of the coin, do we really have some? pretty also steeper good, so we got up here we look over here it is absolutely beautiful picturesque mountains here are all just torn, but what goes up now has to be this super steep downhill drive now in front of us and I have to tell you, you having to go slowly when riding your road bike on gravel with 28 to 32 C tires, if you hit even a small rock it can pierce and worse, you'll fly now and on the other side when riding a gravel bike and You had 45d tires and a less aggressive stance you can take a big rock like a champ just keep going no problems but really you have to moderate your speed you have to be mature you have to put both fingers on the brakes your weight back and drive You slowly down I've seen drivers tearing up the descent so many times only to come out downstairs with double flats.

So if you get off a road bike on gravel with some rocks you have to go slowly, love this view, so this is my Myorbeaorca road bike now I have 32 C Pirellislick tires on it if you think you're going to take your road bike and attach a few buttons or semi-slicks here, it won't look good you really want 100% slick tires this is the wrong tire for the wrong bike you definitely have to ride with slick tires now the other thing if you want to do big grass days because we are so bleak are so far away consider it as an alternative place to stow maybe a frame package in the front or below here a larger bag in the back and some extra water something on the back or a third bottle holder that is mounted here on the seat post or even down here in this area all good things to add to a road bike that you will be using on long gravel days that shouldn't be said but i will say it anyway because you see things when you are in this type of job and as a professional for a long time. I've seen people on gravel roads with 120 psi 21cdisc wheels tri-spoke hyper-lightclimbing wheels, probably a thousand grams in total, specially stuck on it just for going uphill these are things just that hold up on the road we don't want to see this gear on gravel we don't want anyone to hurt Julie, you have to be careful and in any case, if you choose a carbon fiber wheelset, get something that is sturdy and designed for the tests you plan to use it for. We're here, this is the last time, so? let's talk about road geometry, now the thing about road geometry is that it is supposed to be super fast on asphalt and that means that you have pretty big saddle road pedals, you will be very aerodynamic, like a snake, only the beautiful asphalt Now on a gravel bike you will be more upright, your arms will be more aggressive, but you will have a lot more control of the bike, if you are b ike on your road and you are pushed out long and so you won't have the ability to shift your body weight when you hit a pothole or a rock or something wrong so you've really thought about it and this is one of the most important things I will say during this article when planning your route, look for well-groomed ones Gravel Roads Now Commuting our partner here with GCN could help you look for this type of road, but it's basically a neat gravel road road that the town pulls them with a machine every year and smooth surface, frankly, it's better than a lot of the paved roads in Mytown, Massachusetts, but that's for another article too, to be honest, although most important what you can do is make sure you don't go overboard riding your road bike off-road -of-four dirt bikes ATVs huge jeepsand stuff like that it's not a great place for your road bike which brings me to another point So when I speak to any of my friends who were at a high level when it came to going out and riding the gravel of my newcomer, that I'm bicycling friends when they have their racing bikes with me on gravel would drive they would be a little freaked out, so really what you want to do, just call some friends while you're at it, say hey, I want to take my road bike with me on something new bulkhead r and before you know it the bug is going to bite, you have a t-shirt and you have baggies over your shorts and you will turn it up and have a lot of fun now.

Important tip for you is that you get the right bike for the right train have. Don't ride your road bike on things that are really designed for gravel and don't ride your bike on things that are designed for mountain biking and mountain biking I probably shouldn't be riding my bike on the road, it just doesn't seem that much fun , Guys this is good to finally meet two cream filled pizzas waiting and I can't wait thank you guys for watching with me leave a comment below let us know what you think when you get yours Racing bike on serious gravel and got away with it and how far you push the boundaries that's all for me, it's Pete's time, it starts

Should I get a road bike or gravel bike?



Road bikes will typically have a short wheelbase and steeper angles for nimble ride quality and lively handling. Gravel bikes have a longer wheelbase and slacker head angle to add stability and slow down the handling for negotiating technical obstacles and loose descents.

Can you ride a road bike on gravel Reddit?

Yeah you will be totally fine, lower your pressure a little, ride carefully avoiding big rocks, try not to corner hard or at speed. If you can run 28s do so. It won't be detrimental to the rest of your ride, and might even help if the roads are beat up.

(metallic noise) (hypnotic EDM music) - three, two, one, high, high, high, high, high, high, high! What's the best upgrade you can do on your bike? would say making the transition from flat pedals to clipless. - Clipless is a confusing name because you ride clipped in, but the name comes from a time when toe clips and straps, the visible cage around your foot, were the pedal of choice. These new pedals had no visible clip and were therefore called clipless.- Yes, now everyone who uses clipless pedals will tell you that they make you more efficient, they make you faster and you have more control of your bike.- But you can with it These pedals are actually going to put more pedals, will you go faster, or do they make any difference at all? Well, we'll find out, and for that we're going to tackle one of the most incredible climbs in the world, twice.



Maybe not the whole climb. Once on the flat pedals and once with our normal clipless pedal as, it sounds easy and it wouldn't be the fact that the entire climb is Sa Calobra in Mallorca, nine and a half kilometers with an average gradient of 7%. Instead, we're reducing it to just three kilometers near the summit.

Again, the average incline is over 7% If you want to find out what the benefits of clipless pedals are, all you need to do is do a quick google and you will find the idea is all about power transfer and efficiency. Since your foot is physically attached to the pedal, you should be more efficient. - Yes, you can also transfer more power as you can pull the pedal up and down, making your pedal stroke more efficient.

But, Chris, it all sounds like nonsense, because the first one doesn't make sense and the second one is refuted.- Yes, and although that's true, you would absolutely never catch me racing a pair of flat pedals.- Yes, I would have to wrest it from you, right? - Well, my clips would if I didn't drop them first. - We're going to do two runs.



Our first run will be on clickless pedals with our Fizik carbon road bike shoes. That should do us fine now, Benchmark. Well, our second run will be with sneakers and flats. - And at this point we should point out the obvious difference between the two setups; you see, cycling shoes are really stiff and on mega-efficiency But if you are riding on flat shoes, it is very unlikely that you have already bought yourself a set of cycling shoes and therefore likely have a fairly flexible pair of trainers - yes, a little bit like that actually.

These sneakers are designed for running and walking, and are not designed to bring power through a pedal - Right, let's talk about the tests. To prevent our excessive competition from coming into play, we're going to make it time trial specific. That means we only drive one driver at a time. - Yeah, but don't worry.

bike frame building class

We will do maximum effort and we are not allowed to see our data. So, Chris, take off your Wahoo headunit.- In your pocket.- Chris and I have just ridden two thirds of the way of this legendary climb, Sa Calobra, and we will ride the toughest stretch to get there. - Yes, the bridge at the top or at the very top.

There's a reason we decided to only do three K's, isn't it? I don't want to do two consecutive 30-minute exertions and have the accumulated fatigue from them. That could skew the results a little. But I also think it would be more interesting to do something that is a bit of a half house between sprints you did it last time and the prolonged exertion they made - are you ready for the maximum exertion? - As ready as I always will be, James - All right, you go first - What, and have you been chasing me? the climb? - Yes.- Just give me three minutes.

There's nothing I hate anymore --- I'm starting. (hypnotic EDM music) Chris Opie, run number one with clipless pedals. Three, two one, up, up, up, up, up, up, up, up! (Relaxed EDM music) Right, Chris should be up a bit by now, I'll start myself.

Three, two, one, me just hope I can make clips in there. Right, clipped in, let's chase the fast sprinter! (relaxed EDM music) - That hurt, as you might have expected. (panting) It's time now to go downstairs, switch pedals and walk again can catch me. (relaxed EDM music) - Run number one done.

Now let's switch pedals. Whoa! - I want these Don't really put pedals on my bike, it just seems I don't know, I mean what, they 'it's worth less than a tube and the bearings don't really spin so maybe you could just take the test. that's not fair.

After all, that's all for science - All right, okay. (soft bluesy rock music) - Right, Chris, how does it feel to wear sneakers on your Pinarello? - It's really weird because I don't know, I mean, I don't know where to put my feet, how Definitely not made to ride a bike in this shoe.- No, are you ready for that maximum effort of three kilometers? - No, no Not really.- Well, don't worry, mate, because here you are.

Are you ready? Three, two, one and up! Up, up, up, up, up, up, up, up! Looks slow. (Aggressive rock music) Well the good thing about having flats is that I don't have to worry about latching on, so here goes nothing, three, two, one, high! (grunting) Slow start. Oh, it's harder than I thought. (aggressive rock music) Whoo! That was tough.

How are you feeling? - It was really weird because every time you wanted to get up, you couldn't really kick The pedal up as usual. It was actually easier to stay seated and turn a slightly higher gear than normal. - How should we then look at these results? - Well, we're going to need a laptop, so we'll do that in a different location and we'll enjoy the rest of our ride for now, I think. - We made it back to GCN headquarters and all the results are there.

So Chris, are you ready to elaborate? - That's me, so we decided to go for this three kilometer stretch at the top of Sa Calobra, we'll start with clipless pedals first? - Let's do it - It's us used to drive it. James, 367 watts, 78 revolutions per minute, that's how fast his cadence was, 9:17 minutes. - Not bad. - Now I've been training a little, I managed to roll you over here. 9 : 12 minutes, but I've done a lot more watts because I'm a lot heavier than you.

So it's 409 watts, but a cadence of 73. I tend to pedal slowly, going uphill again. I've noticed that you always look like you're in an easier gear and getting a little faster.

So there was no click. Obviously we're trained to ride that way. We know what it's like to be trapped - The apartment is a little strange, isn't it? - It was a little.

It didn't feel exactly the same. Should we get the results first? - Let's do it - Right, 351 watts for you at 70 rpm with a time of 9:42 minutes. I put seven seconds in here because I did 9:47, 380 watts, but my cadence dropped quite a bit.

And we both lost a bit of cadence, but mine lost more than yours, 62 RPM - So what was the conclusion? I think we don't waste a lot of time, but it really all depends on the feeling - yes, exactly. You'd get up or try to get out of the turns and accelerate and try to pull the pedals, but you didn't, so the bike felt kind of clumsy under you, we're not used to riding without clips. So, like you said, that was pretty alien to us - Yeah, I mean, I rely on the upstroke of the pedal, especially when I'm climbing, so I kind of have to turn it around and rely on it.

I just didn't have the tee off the feeling that I couldn't even come close to reaching the force. - No, you don't get that initial resistance until the end of the blow, do you? In fact, the performance discrepancy is, I think, 'It's not even quite 10%, so it's actually 5%, so it's really not that bad at all. But it was all about the sensation and the feeling, wasn't it? It just didn't feel like we stopped riding our bikes - No, but other than that I think they don't have as big gaps in time as we thought they would be - So if you have apartments at home and don't really want to change, then don't be pressured. - No, do what is pleasant, I think thumbs up - and click below for more information.

What is the best bike for riding on gravel roads?

Best gravel bikes
  • Wilier Jena.
  • Specialized S-Works Diverge.
  • Trek Checkpoint SL6.
  • 3T Exploro Force.
  • Scott Addict Gravel 20.
  • Giant Revolt Advanced Pro.
  • Basso Palta. Fast and nimble gravel racer.
  • Canyon Grail CF SL 7.0. Crazy looking but as versatile as they come.

Are gravel bikes slower than road bikes?

Are gravel bikes slower than racing bikes? The answer is: 'It depends. ' There are a few things that can make a gravel tire slower: Aerodynamics of the bike: Wider tires catch a tiny bit more wind, but a 10 mm increase in frontal area doesn't make a huge difference.03.12.2019

Why do gravel bikes have drop bars?

Why do gravel bikes have drop bars? The most compelling reason for a gravel bike to have drop bars is primarily for stability and control. These bars are boasted as being wider with flared drops, providing the rider natural positioning.

Is a gravel bike slower than a road bike?

Are gravel bikes slower than racing bikes? The answer is: 'It depends. ' There are a few things that can make a gravel tire slower: Aerodynamics of the bike: Wider tires catch a tiny bit more wind, but a 10 mm increase in frontal area doesn't make a huge difference.

Is a gravel bike worth it?

Gravel bikes are great on mild off-road terrain, but they remain compromised as pure road bikes. Those who live in riding range of gravel roads and manicured off-road trails can justify a gravel bike but if you don't have the land access, it is pointless.15 . 2020 .

What's the hype with gravel bikes?

Gravel bikes have wider frame spacing to accommodate those tires, as well as wheels that are stronger to take those lumps and bumps and are compatible with tubeless tire technology so you can ride lower tire pressures without worrying about pinch flats.

Can road bikes go off road?

Road bikes can definitely handle offroad conditions. A good example is the Paris-Roubaix race. In this race there are a lot of roads built out of old cobble stones. Often riders will ride of the side of the cobbled sections which is basically hard packed dirt (or mud, depending on the weather).30 2016 .

Can a gravel bike be used as a racing bike?

There is no reason why a gravel bike couldn’t use the same riding position as a racing bike (above). After all, gravel roads are roads, and there is no need to change the position just because the ground is a bit rougher.

weighted ab exercises

Where did the idea of gravel bikes come from?

Gravel bikes were born out of the American Midwest, where racing on gravel roads took hold a decade ago and has steadily gained popularity. In the early days, riders tackled these endurance events on cyclocross bikes with the largest tyres that would fit between the stays.

What to do when the road turns to gravel?

However, when the road turns to gravel, standing out of the saddle is a much riskier proposition. To maintain traction, keep most of your weight over your back wheel as much as possible by staying seated. This will help your bike handling and keep your wheels from spinning in loose sections of road. 3. BE CAUTIOUS IN CORNERS AND WHEN DESCENDING

Other Questions In This Category

Where to buy bike tools - listed questions and answers

What is the best bike tool kit? Best bike tool kits in 2021PRO Advanced Toolbox.Birzman Essential tool box.LifeLine X-Tools Bike Tool Kit 37-piece.Topeak Prepbox tool kit.26.05.2021

Fuji transonic 2.8 review - listed questions and answers

Is Fuji Transonic a good bike? The Transonic looks and feels like a world-class aero bike. Most of the time I spent with it was during the Covid-19 lockdown, and so most of my rides were much shorter than usual. That was fitting, as the bike lends itself well to short blasts and I enjoyed skipping along at speed on long, flat stretches.15 июл. 2020 г.

Is powdered peanut butter good for you - how to decide

Is peanut butter powder better for you? The Bottom Line PB2 powdered peanut butter is a low-calorie, low-fat alternative to traditional peanut butter. It has 85% fewer calories from fat and may be a good option for people on restricted calorie diets. It does contain a small amount of added sugar and salt, which may be wise to consume in moderation.12.01.2018

How often should you eat - finding solutions

Should you eat every 3 hours? Eating small, balanced meals every 3 hours boosts your body's fat-burning potential, Cruise says. If you don't eat often enough, he explains, your body goes into “starvation protection” mode, conserving calories, storing fat, and burning muscle (not fat) for energy.28 июл. 2020 г.

Huffy downhill bike - Complete Manual

Are Huffy bikes good for mountain biking? Huffy mountain bikes are therefore great for beginners and those who are just getting to grips with mountain biking, but more experienced riders are likely to want a more sophisticated bike with full suspension.