2023 Road'n'Gravel Biking

[Rudi Riet]

Awesome. There is no "wrong" way to ride a bicycle!

But... but... what about The Rules?

 

[scott43]

There are rules?!

 

[Tom K.]

But... but... what about The Rules?

It had been awhile, so that was a fun 15 minutes. Thanks!

I may just start randomly sprinkling "Rule 5" into skiing-related threads next season......

 

[Rudi Riet]

Rule 9 is also applicable to skiing, especially for those of us who often encounter "immature snow" on our ski days.

Rule 12 applies to ski quivers as much as it does bike quivers.

Rule 17 applies if you aren't part of a ski team or club.

And rule 43 is definitely applicable to our SkiTalk family.

 

[scott43]

Gravel riding.. last refuge for the non-conformer...

 

[Tom K.]

Rule 9 is also applicable to skiing, especially for those of us who often encounter "immature snow" on our ski days.

Though I am fast approaching 64, for one day last season, I embodied Rule 9!

 

[wooglin]

Only gravel rule I’m aware of is you have to call it gravel even though it’s probably a dirt road.

 

[cantunamunch]

Yup. Thus, gravel:

Also gravel:

Although that last one is probably cheating since you can see the.5" gravel under the clay silt.


It's important to be aware of this. I mean we have to categorise properly on Strava or it doesn't count.
PS I have to feel sorry for the e-bike riders. Poor dears have to ride e-road or e-MTB and can't join us.

 

[Tony Storaro]

But... but... what about The Rules?

It annoys me a bit that there is no specific rule against dork discs and spoke reflectors but perhaps the Creators of the Rules just deemed it so outlandishly absurd that they reckoned there will be no sane human in the universe who would even think about it let alone actually doing it.

 

[Tom K.]

Only gravel rule I’m aware of is you have to call it gravel even though it’s probably a dirt road.

Very large gravel?!

Posted previously, but I could not resist.

It annoys me a bit that there is no specific rule against dork discs and spoke reflectors but perhaps the Creators of the Rules just deemed it so outlandishly absurd that they reckoned there will be no sane human in the universe who would even think about it let alone actually doing it.

If you read all the way down to the fine print, it appears you can propose additions to The Rules........just sayin.

 

[ilovepugs]

It annoys me a bit that there is no specific rule against dork discs and spoke reflectors but perhaps the Creators of the Rules just deemed it so outlandishly absurd that they reckoned there will be no sane human in the universe who would even think about it let alone actually doing it.

Wait a minute… my bike has spoke reflectors too!

 

[scott43]

I just read a thing about spoke protectors. The first two reasons people don't get them are elitism and non pro look...

 

[Tony Storaro]

Wait a minute… my bike has spoke reflectors too!

 

[wooglin]

I just read a thing about spoke protectors. The first two reasons people don't get them are elitism and non pro look...

I bet those are the second two reasons as well.

 

[ilovepugs]

I just did the same ride I did on Friday with my husband and smoked him on the uphill sections. Guess all those hours staring at my Kindle on the dreadmill during mud season were worth something…

 

[Rudi Riet]

I just read a thing about spoke protectors. The first two reasons people don't get them are elitism and non pro look...

They also develop rattles over time, are often installed improperly at the factory so they wobble, and get brittle in short time.

And as I said above: if you have a properly tuned drivetrain they are 100 percent unnecessary.

As for spoke reflectors: required by USDOT but don't have any proven record for increasing visibility. They also make wheels imbalanced, get loose, rattle, etc. On my commuter bike I run tires with reflective sidewalls and also have some lightweight reflective decals on the rim in contrasting colors - they work as well as (or better than) the DOT-spec reflectors in terms of visibility.

 

[scott43]

All jokes aside, I don't have one on my current bike. My old MTB did and and I left it on. They do discolour over time and they do get brittle. At that point I would remove it and probably not replace it. But I don't go out of my way to remove it right away especially on a MTB. Wheel reflectors are a hard no despite the fact they do a good job of illumination. Too much imbalance. And there are better ways like real lights. I always thought the pedal reflectors were really effective, impossible with SPD pedals. But reflective tape on shoes would be great.

 

[wooglin]

But reflective tape on shoes would be great.

That’s what I do. The up and down motion of your feet is the first thing that penetrates an overtaking drivers mind with ”bike”. Or I once read a study concluding that.

 

[Tom K.]

I just did the same ride I did on Friday with my husband and smoked him on the uphill sections. Guess all those hours staring at my Kindle on the dreadmill during mud season were worth something…

Nah, it was the spoke reflectors that put you over the top!

And I love that "dreadmill" term! Reminds me of the old days, when Nordic Traks were popular, but mostly used as Nordic Racks.

 

[ilovepugs]

Nah, it was the spoke reflectors that put you over the top!

And I love that "dreadmill" term! Reminds me of the old days, when Nordic Traks were popular, but mostly used as Nordic Racks.

I’m thinking the dork disc helped too. His bike doesn’t have either.

I actually don’t mind the treadmill too much.. I just zone out and (thankfully am able to) read my Kindle. But it’s funnier to call it a dreadmill.