Originally Posted by
NoSho
Well, these gravel roads were also pretty hilly. My experience is that smooth tires + loose gravel + uphill = rear tire spinning and not getting very far.
You're probably using too narrow a tyre at too low a pressure. Teeth don't help much on gravel - if they grab a few peices of loose gravel they tend to make it slide over the layer beneath. The key to traction for climbing is having a wide soft contact patch that grips a good area of stones.
(If you work out what the key to traction for cornering on loose gravel is, then please let me know!)