When I first started gravel riding I noticed that as well. Then I was told to take some pressure out of my tires. I was riding at 60psi and was advised to drop it to 30psi. That might help if you aren't doing that already.

Very little experience with gravel riding but plenty with mountain biking. Unfortunately, I've had back problems for decades due to motorcycle accidents when I was younger. Although I absolutely love mountain biking, I finally decided I had to give it up as it caused too many back problems. Ever since sucking it up and making that switch I've been relatively pain free for the most part. Well except for when I helped my 22 year old daughter move last weekend and have had a sore back since then. It was worth it though to finally get her out of the house, again (she had to move back post-Harvey due to flooding).

I had similar issues but for me it was my wrists (arthritis). Went from 32c tires @ 60-70psi that were bone jarring to 38c tubeless @ 35-40psi and it's much better.

My baptism on gravel - I did my longest ride ever in a race on 30's :O! With some 4800M climbing on road gearing too. Yikes - I got blitzed. I stopped a few times letting air out, to eventually around 30psi, when I put the pump on.

Everything hurt, knees on upward. But afterward I had no issues and it was a thrilling adventure.

So most people in the know recommend 40mm tires and say Clements. Next year I am going to race w/tubulars at 35mm as that is the biggest I can find. And I can only getup to 38's on my frame anyway.

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I have been doing a bit of gravel lately, and I haven't found it to bother my back.
One interesting tidbit, I ride an aluminum road bike, but my Gravel bike is Steel, so it might just have enough "give" that it doesn't bother my back.
Might be worth seeing if you can wrangle a steel (or Ti) bike for demo ride and if it helps at all.

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+1 to this free and easy mod. My G One tires measure 41mm on a 21mm ID rim and I run 30 rear and 27 front at 190 lbs in the rough stuff. Very smooth. Even +5 psi feels jarring.

As everyone else has said (in not the same words)... your tires are your suspension.
Go with the widest your bike will allow and get that pressure in the 30's.

More air volume, lower pressure, tubeless if you can.

I run Conti Speed Ride 42mm tires (measure to 40mm on WTB I-19 rims), and want more. My next build will have room for 50's, and I'll likely run beach race tires for more volume (with less weight). Might also look into the Kinnect Bodyfloat seatpost.

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If you ride the kinds of roads we have here in NOVA then some very wide tires at low pressures is the ticket. However, if you ride the kind of crap that Kiley does then fat tires plus a luaf is the ticket. I run Schwalbe Thunder Burts in 27.5 x 2.1" with a front PSI of ~18 and rear of ~22. So, my advice is to run as much tire as you can at the lowest pressure allowable (which is pretty low if you let yourself get there).

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Beyond tires, be sure that your body is relaxed and supple as well.

Lightly hold the handlebars. Push a slightly bigger gear at a lower cadence to unweight your saddle a bit.

Check your position. I don't know what you're road position is, but if the drop is too much it may be loading your arms and transferring vibration through your body.

You can also double-wrap your bars.

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I assume we are talking tubeless as no way could I run clinchers that low

I was going to stipulate that then I thought: "who does gravel with tubes?" ;)

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ha, I'm sure your right (I have a gravel bike but it came with clinchers) and I haven't actually done a gravel ride (yet)

Ummm...<raises hand>

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LMAO, I was just about to post you were going to come on and say you do.

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I've done both...and a TON of time with the rear set up tubeless and the front with a latex tube. I've never had a flat on the front <knocks wood> running a latex tube, even though it's got the lowest pressure of the 2.

One of the main reasons I'm running latex tubes right now (inside of Challenge 36C Gravel Grinder Pros) is because it's basically impossible to find a tubeless tire that is BOTH nice rolling (off AND on pavement) and has a bit of tread texture. The smooth Compass tires are decent rolling, but they don't have the tread for looser or muddier stuff. Their Stielacoom model isn't any faster than other tubeless tires with the same amount of tread. Tires like the G-one and Gravel King have more tread, but their relative low tpi casings really let them down in regards to good rolling.

As with road tires, it's really tough to beat a high-tpi cotton casing with a glued-on tread for performance. There's a reason that Challenge tubulars are popular amongst the CX crowd (and they have latex tubes inside them as well). The Challenge Gravel Grinders are somewhat of a "Goldilocks" tire for one with tread blocks...not as slow as the other "gravel" offerings, but not as good rolling as the smooth models. Of course, their 36C Strada Bianca Pro is even faster than the Compass tires, so that would probably be my choice for courses with significantly more pavement than dirt, such as BWR.

To be honest...I actually like tubeless if the punctures are small. I can easily plug them, and it's faster than swapping in a tube, even as compared to a non-tubeless beaded tire. But, if the cut requires a boot and a tube...then, I'd much rather not be dealing with the tight tubeless beads.

So...considering that latex works so well in the first place...

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Which latex tubes are you using for that size tire?

http://www.challengetech.it/...er-tube-046/80003/en

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Vittoria Terreno Dry?

Be sure your saddle lets you rotate you pelvis forward. If your lower back is rounded, you will hurt is. If your lower back is straight or slightly arched, it won’t be such a problem.

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Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I know nothing.

I’m going to raise my hand too. I have tubes on the stock Cannondal Slate wheels because there was a notice from cannondale not to run them tubeless. I take the g-one one those wheels down to 20 psi all the time. I have another set with babyshoe tires which I have run with tubes pretty low without a problem. I’m too lazy to switch over to the Mavic wheels cannondale sent over as a replacement to run tubeless. Maybe this winter I’ll get around to it when I try out the new Terra Pro tires.

I was hoping so...but nope.

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Thanks for all the help. My back arch must be good the only time i am not in pain is on the bike. As for riding gravel i have G One 38's and run 40 psi. I weigh 175. I may try 30 pounds or give up gravel. The gravel in my area has anything from small to large size rock mixed in , many pot holes, and the hills are much steeper than paved roads. I ride a 50/34 12/26. Spinning on gravel seems to be harder because the steep incline and bounce/movement of the gravel is constant.