Yep

Doge's video of Chico SR got me thinking, what's with all the gravel in the "road" season?

gsteinb

I don't know.

grolby

That looked like a road to me. Why the scare quotes?

globecanvas

Maybe a reflection of the relative popularity of cross in recent years relative to road racing?


I like racing gravel and dirt. Race elements that emphasize skills over raw fitness make things more interesting imo.

furiousferret

A few of our races added a gravel section, I don't like it. Its like the race promoter wasn't happy with the prior years lack of crashes.

mattm

too soon.

hack

The gravel at Chico is the only norcal race I can think of with gravel (does copperopolis's road count since it's worse than gravel?) and from what I've heard, has been part of the race for quite some time.

I thought it was fun and only accounted for 10-ish percent of the course, but I'd prefer if it didn't make it's way into more races.

save10

Regalado RR (which i won back when i once back in the good ole Cat 4 days) 2km gravel, pot hole section. central valley race, some rollers, need to be near the front or on the front for the gravel.

Andy STi

I like gravel if the gravel is in a spot to make the race. A flat 1-2 mile section of gravel just because seems worthless to me. Just a chance for flats. Now some steep gravel hills where the hill is the defining feature of the race is good with me.

Doge

While I don't like it I like finishes with 140 (or 30) riders even less. My preference is a nice hill or mountain to sort that out. Wind is a far 2nd (had that too in the Chico RR), then I would say rain, cobbles - and is far last place - gravel.
I was chatting with team director who's done Paris-Roubaix 3X about bike abuse (thinking of sending "my" bike with puppy to junior Paris-Roubaix). He was driving the Optum car and mentioned Chico RR was worse on the bike than Paris-Roubaix - OK.
Some of that dirt and dust from Chico will be in the bike a very long time.

grolby

I'll cosign on this. There's a race in Tennessee called the Hell of the South with about a mile or so of gravel in it. Despite a short, steep climb, it has no real strategic importance in the race. There's a new course this year in a different town, so maybe that will be different, I don't know. On the other hand, I've done other races with dirt road sections that I enjoyed even though they were also relatively unimportant - the UVM Mt. Philo RR comes to mind. I like riding dirt and I like the added skill element in racing. Too much would make it less special, but dirt roads are roads, and if they add something to a race, why not? I'm NOT a fan of dirt or gravel as race gimmick, like including a couple miles of stupid gravel and naming your race "Bum****-Roubaix," but otherwise I'm ok with occasional dirt roads in races.

hack

The dynamic of the gravel for Chico changed a bit this year from past years. In the past, the race used to finish about 3 miles after the gravel. You'd go gravel > climb > descent > finish. This year, the gravel was around the halfway point on each lap. So, while it wasn't as much of a finishing strategic point (attack like hell), it did act as a splitting point for a lot of fields (attack like hell).

Creakyknees

I think the trend started with the "Podunk Roubaix" thing a few years back - promoters doing routes with gravel or dirt ... Rouge Roubaix maybe the grandaddy of those? Anyway, nowadays the gravel grinders are getting popular too.

I've been in a few rr's where there was a short gravel section simply because the road was being worked on and no other route was available... even a hundred yard section of rocks will take a few riders out with flats.

cmh

Would you put the Gorge Roubaix races in the latter category? And will you be doing those in a few weeks? I haven't raced them before, but I'll be there in the 40+ cat.

tetonrider

to me, gravel for gravel's sake is not terribly interesting. however, if it opens up a cool route because it links roads one otherwise couldn't get to, that's great. also, as you say, if it is in a defining section of the race then i like that, too.

aaronmcd

I just like gravel, period. Only race I did w gravel was Chico, and I wasn't really feeling good, but I enjoy gravel generally. I wouldn't care what the reason was for putting it in. Hell, if it's not a "defining section of the race" but people have differing opinions of it, it sounds like that's kinda defining anyway.

Andy STi

At least with the course used last year the gravel was the defining feature. At this moment I'm working that weekend, trying to change that, so I don't think I'll be there.

Doge

I don't like it as it puts more on the logistics/equipment than the rider.

caloso

Leesville Gap also has gravel, at least it did the last time I raced it a few years ago. Being a VeloPromo race, the gravel portion was smoother and safer than parts of the "paved" road.

Wylde06

There is a race in Michigan that the gravel is the reason why people do the race (at least the people I know that have done it). I know a few people that have won the race in the past.

And because its Michigan I'm sure the gravel roads are in better shape than most of the paved sections.

wens

If you're talking about cone, they're dirt not gravel, which is a minor distinction, and the year I did it the dirt roads were much smoother than the paved.

Wylde06

I think it depends on when they dump stone if its dirt of gravel.