I live near gravel. I don't want a boat.

I don't really live near gravel roads either, but I bought a gravel bike. I really like it. It's comfortable and has a lot of bottle and snack storage for long rides, plus I can run nice wide wheels and 32c tubeless road tires. Different strokes I suppose.

So don't buy one?

Looks like it ! 🤣

I like riding my gravel bike on gravel roads, but do absolutely hate riding it on anything rocky that is better suited to mountain bikes. I don't understand why that's a thing people do.

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Dimond Bikes Superfan

Creating a thread about how you don’t like gravel bikes is usually one of the last cries for help before you finally cave in and buy a gravel bike. Enjoy your new bike!

There is a certain appeal to riding mountain on the wrong bike. Which gravel, like cyclocross, is all about having fun on the wrong bike. I remember Back in the Day (tm), when BWR was about going off road on your road bike. It's lost some of that innocent fun now that everyone has decided to buy a whole new bike for it.

Uphill isn't that bad, even rock crawling. But riding the wrong bike on a bumpy descent, I'm with you there.

ride whataver you like and have fun

N+1

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

I find this hilarious, as someone who lives in Denver, and can verify that many people, including myself, ride gravel bikes on singletrack MTB trails. And many of our gravel races on "roads" require the handling of a MTB rider. It's all in your perspective and what each person finds fun.

So, you don't want to buy product for a use case that doesn't apply to you. Shocking.

I'm going to go on a surf forum and tell them I'm not a fan of surf boards because I don't live near the ocean.

That's because most "Gravel" is what cross country mtb used to be, but no one wants to admit they're mtb'ing.

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Jim Manton / ERO Sports

Disagree about the gnarly mountain trails in Colorado. Many of them in the Boulder area are fine on a gravel bike. Even if there is a short section where you really would prefer an MTB, a gravel bike is far better for the ride as a whole. I see lots of MTBers drive to their trail, whereas a gravel biker will ride from home. The gravel bike’s versatility is a huge benefit here.

If you don't live near gravel, then I can see why you don't want to buy one. Most people don't live near gravel. If you do live near gravel, you'll find most riders have shifted to gravel, not because its a shiny new object, but because it opens options on routes, less cars and more challenges.

I don't plan to buy a surfboard because I live 200 miles from the closest place to surf (Lake Superior), but I wouldn't say I'm not a fan of surfboards. There is just not an opportunity for me to try and get into surfing.

Ha, we were thinking of the same analogy!

I live near lots of gravel roads, and don’t want a wetsuit of tri bike.

Doh! Writing our posts at the same time.

There are NO gravel roads within 100 miles of where I live. Why would I buy a gravel bike if there are no gravel roads?


Then a gravel bike and gravel riding is not for you. Agreed!

I've always been a fan, of ride-from-your-front door. I have always been lucky in that where ever I have lived I have had good to great riding from my front door.

Where I am now, I have a Gravel Trail right at the end of my street, and can link that up with some paved sections for a decent 40km ride. Further afield, there are gravel Rail Trails, that I can hit up on longer rides, again looping and connecting these with sections on pavement. If I go out for say, a 90km ride, about 1/3 or about 30km will be on gravel.

My current bike is a true All Rounder - Argon-18 Krypton GF - that can go well on literally any kind of terrain. I'm running Conti GP 5000's 30mm tires most of the time and on the type of gravel mentioned previously, they are fine. I recently bought a set of 35mm Panaracer Gravel King tires that if I plan on doing some more "serious" gravel, I can put them on!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Exactly. The first post had an "old man yells at cloud" vibe to it.

The next time any STers are in Florida, hit me up and I'll get you a surfboard.

candyman wrote:

I know that gravel bikes are the new hot commodity, but I live in Florida. There are NO gravel roads within 100 miles of where I live. Why would I buy a gravel bike if there are no gravel roads? My son lives in the Boulder, Colorado area and you can ride gravel bikes on gravel roads in Colorado, but you can't ride gravel bikes on the gnarly mountain trails in Colorado. I have a road bike, a tri bike and a commuter bike to ride to the pool. I am never planning to buy a gravel bike. Am I the only person that is not a fan of gravel bikes?

Where in Florida do you live? Lots of great gravel/sand roads in the state. I'm in Jax and we have Guana River and lots of dirt out towards Callahan. Tiger Bay in Daytona is also good riding and close to the Clash Endurance office

My buddy Graham is doing some amazing work scouting routes all over the state. He hasn't owned a tri bike in years and hasn't touched his road bike in a long time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktaHVlTcvQk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p6TF2lYczI

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-Dre
RD at Clash Endurance

Taking my Ventum GS1 out after work tomorrow to ride Tiger Bay

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-Dre
RD at Clash Endurance

i found the “spirit of gravel” last night and it can fuck right off. :-)

It started with steep climb up big rocks and loose sand. then fields of huge square edge rocks (3-5 inches… bouncing you everywhere constantly), then multiple lakes of water/mud one after another… then a decent of the mountain with huge ruts, wet rocks everywhere, and a stream eroding the road all the way down (at dusk).

i got home and hosed myself off before entering the house.

I live on a boat. I get sea sick and take gravol.

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Remember - It's important to be comfortable in your own skin... because it turns out society frowns on wearing other people's