mstateglfr 

I dont like either of those.
The last time I got a flat on gravel was 17 months ago and before that it has to go back years.
As for silicosis, doesnt it take many years of continued high exposure to be an issue? I dont view me riding gravel roads for 4-6 hours a week to be a major risk.

Risk is everywhere and taking reasonable precautions to reduce risk is smart.

jfmckenna

I'm just having a bit of fun. But at 91kg I think I flat more then most.

msu2001la

The biggest draw to gravel riding for me is getting away from cars/traffic and into areas that are more rural, quiet and natural. I like mountain biking for those reasons too, but dislike being contained to a handful of specific (and often busy) trails that I have to drive to access.

For me, gravel riding is basically just riding wherever I want, regardless of surface. In most cases, my preferred routes include a combination of paved roads, paved trails, unpaved roads, and unpaved trails.

corwin1968

What bike is this in the photo? 80's MTB?

HTupolev

Yes. Drop-bar conversion of a 1984 Stumpjumper.

corwin1968

That is sweet!!

I used to have a 1984 Takara Highlander, which was a slightly heavier copy of the Stumpjumper, and I loved that bike!! So much fun to ride.

jonathanf2

I actually don't ride a gravel bike for it's intended purpose. I just wanted a general all-terrain bike, best suited for urban riding. I'm not a roadie or a dedicated mountain biker and living in a big city, sometimes I like to cut across parks, paths or hop onto other rough terrain dedicated roadies wouldn't even consider. I prefer wearing MTB shorts and I like flat pedals, I also enjoy getting into an aero position with my drop bars when I need to get somewhere fast and the better assurance of wide tires (had a friend break his leg when his bike's skinny tires hit a crack). Gravel bikes to me are like the jack-of-all-trades, master of none.

Dino_Sore

I was on a gravel ride last year and saw a large black bear up the road. I figured it would run off into the woods as I approached. However, it stayed in the road as I drew closer. When I got close enough, I realized it was only a fat guy in a black sweat suit out for a walk.

unterhausen

I had a lot of flats on gravel before I went tubeless and got bigger tires. Then I got so excited about being able to run lower pressures that I had a few problems with the tubeless tires, but nothing in the last couple of years.

I imagine there are some gravel roads in Ohio, but maybe none very close to the OP. I am not sure I would regularly go look for gravel to ride on if it weren't nearby.

AdkMtnMonster

We can explain it to you, but we can’t understand it for you.

indyfabz

In 2017 I was on a gravel road at a campground in NW Pennsylvania preparing to leave at dawn when a huge black bear walked out from between two dumpsters. He was at least 600 lbs. He had raided the dumpsters that night, but I figured he had split. We were about 25’ apart. Not the way to start the morning. Fortunately, he realized what a badass I am an ambled off. The next day I saw a young one from a much safer distance.

corwin1968

Exactly my situation, except for the drop bars. I run regular MTB bars and sometimes a Jones bar.

A lot of cyclists ridiculed hybrids in the 90's but guess what? Take a lot of those 90's hybrids and put drop bars on them, and you have a gravel bike!! Maybe not as refined and high performance as modern, dedicated gravel bikes, but very capable and 20+ years ahead of their time.

Toadmeister

I think it was Russ from Path Less Pedaled who said: Gravel Bikes are what 90% of people (who aren’t pros) should be riding. I’ll agree with that.

I use to ride an alum8num road bike because I thought I had to be fast and light, because that’s the marketing. After about 10 years of increasing pain and discomfort from the aero position, neck and hand fatigue, and road chatter literally vibrating my body apart....I needed a change.

Enter the gravel bike, it’s my do almost anything, anywhere bike. Wider, supple tires, steel compliant, frame, more upright riding style = comfort and a happy rider no matter what surface your on. I’d rather be comfortable than fast, I’m not racing. I actually do enter gravel races just for the grass-roots fun and trying out new rural routes I might otherwise not have known of. I’m happy to finish while being challenged with adventure. I also use my gravel bike for bike-packing, commuting, and stuff like RAGBRAI.

Swap wheel sets and I have an extremely versatile biking platform. I live in Iowa with thousands of miles of Gravel roads and a Casey’s store almost every 10 miles. If I didn’t have a day job and family responsibilities, I’d probably just wander around living off my gravel bike 7 days a week...

Ed333

A lot of folks are showing pictures of what we call crushed rock in Maine; gravel is usually sandy. with rocks in it, or whatever else the native subsoil is. Riding on gravel is pretty much a necessity in rural Maine, that is what there is.

unterhausen

That's what the dirt roads were like when I was a teenager in the mountains of Virginia. Around here, the DNCR has way too much money for maintaining the forest roads and there are all kinds of surfaces. There is one road I ride on occasionally that has very large crushed stone. It's quite unpleasant, particularly since it's on a mountain ascent and usually late in a ride. I think they usually use that larger stone as underlayment for the smaller stone. Maybe they ran out of money one year.

By the end of deer season, most roads are compacted down to whatever compacting agent they put in with the crushed stone. Much faster to ride on. One year they skipped putting down new gravel and just scraped up the old. That was slippery, and not much fun. Fortunately it was compacted again pretty quickly.

But anyway, we use gravel as shorthand for all kinds of surfaces that are manmade but not asphalt or concrete pavement. One thing to keep in mind is that everyone's gravel is different.

SkyWave

It is a throwback - another stage in the evolution of riding on 'roads' - Dirt, Plank, Gravel, Paved.
Just remember all of those 100 mile races on high wheelers in the late 1800's. The early years of the Tour de France was on gravel / mud / snow up to 300 km a day with no support.
So larger tires, lower gears and unbelievable vistas become the result.

Roadie88

Great comments here. Around Eastern Iowa where I live, the road network of gravel roads is far more extensive than the paved road network, so what I've found is that having a gravel bike allows me to extend my regular training routes in new and different directions on the gravel network, while also riding part of the way on the paved road network. I enjoy finding gravel sections that go through beautiful areas - often along streams, or through hilly forested areas. Some of our gravel riders here have been motivated mainly by the belief that riding on paved roads is no longer safe due to the constantly rising traffic speeds and cellphone-distracted rivers, and I get that. There is far less traffic on the gravel network. By coincidence, I live across the road from a stone quarry that is one of the largest gravel suppliers in the area, so I'm acutely aware of the patterns of gravel road maintenance as I see the gravel trucks heading out to replenish the gravel roads. I generally avoid freshly graveled roads because the loose gravel can make riding uncomfortable (it seems like this is worst in mid-summer when a lot of gravel is being spread). But unless the road gets very little traffic, fresh gravel is usually compacted within a few weeks, and not too hazardous for riding comfortably.

Bill in VA

I have always ridden logging roads, 'unimproved roads', and a lot of canal towpaths, long before it was a 'thing' and did it on road tires of 25-28mm. It was real popular in the mid-1970s when I was in college in Central PA. I now use a cross-type bike and 32-35mm tires. Of all, I find the canal towpaths are among the nicest rides, especially on the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal out side of Washington, DC. There are some areas where in early spring you might have to walk it due to washout or mud, but the silence of a bike allows you to come up on wildlife before the see you.

My other favorite location is the unimproved roads (and the paved roads) of the Rideau area of Ontario, Canada. Those were probably some of my most memorable rides

layli

In north central Florida there are plenty of unpaved roads. They are safer and more scenic than paved roads. Not as fast, but lots of fun. Perfect for a roadie who wants something different.

leadholder

Mostly its just about riding a bicycle in new places in your region. If gravel/dirt/fire/unimproved roads double the available mileage into new interesting areas; why not? It’s not dangerous with the right tires as your skill set improves. But, the best reason for me is the freedom from car traffic. It’s not for everyone but you might want to give it a try. You might like it!

Cpn_Dunsel

Don't know how to define it but "I know it when I see it."

~ Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart

sammymann

I quote my father, who made it clear that science trumps god! "Gravel is god's way of punishing you for stealing". I couldn't challenge him at that moment. Being 9 years old and getting punched in the mouth would have just aggravated the 40 missing layers of skin on my leg from being forced off the road into an eventual gravel slide.

mstateglfr 

mack_turtle

I am so confused. are you saying your dad punched you in the mouth when you were nine?

csrpenfab

The gravel bike is a true "Swiss Army Knife" for cycling. One day I can be out with my roadie friends, keeping up with them on cushy tubeless 38c's, and the next I'll be bombing a dirt trail and passing up full squish MTB's on climbs where they clearly brought a gun to a knife fight. Gravel her in So. CA ranges from dirt singletrack to DG crusted horse trails. The beauty of the gravel bike is that it allows leave my garage, ride the paved roads for a few miles to the wonderful trails along the river. Once there, I"m free of traffic, other riders, and most people!