Gravel rides of 2021

[Ron]

???? I dont know anything about Star Trek

 

[Philpug]

???? I dont know anything about Star Trek

Harry Mudd.

 

[cantunamunch]

I ride plenty of MTB level trails, sections of deep loose gravel with 6" washboard and 2x farm roads that are in pretty crappy condition but I dont look for miles of it. My bike is setup for gravel riding. I ride it well and dont mind a little of it but I dont find it particularly fun I recently moved to 43 GravelKing SS's. My friend is a pro-level gravel and mtb rider and she doesnt like courses that are so crazy rutted and rocky. she will race her hardtail with slicks for that stuff. She races gravel on 36's. She races Leadville 100, DK and many other races. 3 years back she finished 2nd place in her age bracket at the DK and only lost due to a train. .

That's exactly what I m trying to tell you. Those are NOT MTB trails, those are county surfaced MUPs . And the only time they meet your gravel standard is when the county is about to pave them. Like they did here just 4 months ago.

I mean not riding washboard, ruts and potholes is great but we have rain .

 

[Ron]

mine aren't MTB specific trails either, CO roads or farm 2x. but you seem to love to ride that stuff. But, to each their own. Enjoy!

 

[cantunamunch]

mine aren't MTB specific trails either, CO roads or farm 2x. but you seem to love to ride that stuff. But, to each their own. Enjoy!

Ours too. Except we get 5-10 mile rut, washboard and pothole stretches. Ask @Rudi Riet about Old Waterford Rd sometime - they simply couldn't keep the steepest section passable enough and gave in and paved it.

 

[Rudi Riet]

Ask @Rudi Riet about Old Waterford Rd sometime - they simply couldn't keep the steepest section passable enough and gave in and paved it.

Yup! And the unpaved sections still become super pothole magnets. A couple Sundays ago I was bombing down Old Waterford Road on my gravel/monstercross bike. At the end of the second paved section there's a 200 meter long bit of gravel and the entire width of the entry from uphill was a sea of potholes. I picked a line, bunny hopped the big hole on the entry, landed on a ridge between more potholes, then hopped a second set before landing straight. I'd scrubbed some speed but was still doing around 25mph when I hit that dirt - the old MTB racing skills came into play, for sure - as did a wee bit of luck in terms of line choice.

My fellow riders heard me call out "BIG HOLES!" as they descended behind me and slowed down to about 10mph and were able to pick lines that didn't require air time to keep going. They were certainly the smarter ones.

 

[Willyum215]

OK, not technically a gravel ride- but there was plenty of sand and paver stones along the way… 7/15/21 OBX, NC

 

[babanff]

Some photos from a little 80km out-and-back. Really digging the new bike I lucked into earlier this spring. We only have a few gravel routes around here, mostly fire roads not open to vehicles… pretty much the only life form I saw today was a single grizzly (this route is in prime bear country). Beautiful backcountry fire road with nice double and singletrack sections. Great riding, but the babyhead choked downhills get a little tiresome. This section also serves as the first 40km of the traditional Tour Divide route.

 

[firebanex]

I want to know if I can count my commutes as a gravel ride if the first 1.5 miles out my door are terrifying loose rocks on hardpacked washboards before I get to a frost heaved paved road I follow for the next 5 miles into town? If so, they have been fantastic way to start the day.

 

[Tom K.]

I want to know if I can count my commutes as a gravel ride if the first 1.5 miles out my door are terrifying loose rocks on hardpacked washboards before I get to a frost heaved paved road I follow for the next 5 miles into town? If so, they have been fantastic way to start the day.

You rode over more than a single piece of gravel, so YES!

Today's birthday ride: 56 miles, 3,800 feet. A gorgeous view of a beautifully-colored burn area:

 

[Willyum215]

This weekend I checked a goal off the list - to ride from Union Dale, PA (Elk) to the NY state line. I've had this in mind since I rediscovered cycling in May of 2020 after decades away from the sport. 15 months later I got it done, with a lot of help from my friends and family. I'd say it was 75% road (although some dirt), with about 8 miles of the D&H rail trail to lead us home from Ararat into Union Dale. My friends and I collected a bit of Strava hardware too, which always feels nice.

 

[Jim Kenney]

I took a 25 mile bike ride in WV with a couple of SkiTalkers on Aug 21, 2021. We rode the Allegheny Highlands Trail (AHT) from Hendricks to Elkins, WV. The AHT is a rail-trail that follows the course of several rivers while passing through a mountainous region of WV with small towns and rural farmland. The surface was a little bit of everything including a number of miles of gravel.

Overpass for US 48 under construction near Montrose, WV:

Country roads take me home to West Virginia!

Beautiful 80 degree Saturday with blue skies and puffy clouds. Darn weekends are so busy on the AHT.
During our 25 mile ride we saw a total of seven other people using the trail, three bikers and four walkers.

 

[Tom K.]

Big-ish gravel ride for me yesterday, at 72 miles, 6k climbing, and 5 hours of ride time. No pics, as I was chasing a young racer friend all day.

Felt great until the last 6 miles, which was pretty flat, but into a 12-18 mph headwind. Argh!

 

[cantunamunch]

Felt great until the last 6 miles, which was pretty flat, but into a 12-18 mph headwind. Argh!

Are you going to do the aerogravelbar thing?

I took a 25 mile bike ride in WV with a couple of SkiTalkers on Aug 21, 2021. We rode the Allegheny Highlands Trail (AHT) from Hendricks to Elkins, WV. The AHT is a rail-trail that follows the course of several rivers while passing through a mountainous region of WV with small towns and rural farmland. The surface was a little bit of everything including a number of miles of gravel.

Did you get a chance to have a look at the undeveloped section, Hendricks to Thomas?

 

[wooglin]

Felt great until the last 6 miles, which was pretty flat, but into a 12-18 mph headwind. Argh!

That’s when you tuck in and hang on. Age and treachery and all that.

 

[Rudi Riet]

Yesterday I went out to Fauquier and Loudoun Counties in Virginia to take on some of the lovely gravel roads that still cling to life so close to suburban sprawl. The weather was a little steamy (air temps in the mid-80s F and dew points near 70°F) but there was ample shade and a hazy upper level cloud that kept things in check (distant offshoots of Henri).

The route was only 39 miles and change but it had a nice sampling of both drawn out and punchy, short climbs to keep things fun, and less than 5 miles was on paved surfaces. Recent rains reduced the dust factor but things were drained enough that mud was almost nowhere to be found. The only hang-up was that the rains that fell last week were torrential so there was some washout that made for some judicious line picking and having to dip into the quiver of MTB skills for a couple.

Pics!

My friend Eric climbing early in the ride.

Yours truly with pals Owen and Mike

With roads like these it's like being in a magical land.

Honestly, these vistas never get old!

This is the same view, only looking behind me:

Old growth trees provide ample shade.

Old stone walls pepper the groads of Loudoun and Fauquier Counties. Some of the properties belong to famous folk: Robert Duvall lives in Loudoun County and we traversed one of his properties on this ride on a right-of-passage easement that connects two gravel roads. That passage is pretty much a grassy, stick-and-black-walnet-strewn goat path but it's passable with decent handling skills.

The punchy climbs included this little 11-13 percent incline:

Occasionally you'll find some flora with personality such as this lumpy tree that must have quite the story to tell:

 

[Tom K.]

^^^ Beautiful pics, @Rudy Riet!

Are you going to do the aerogravelbar thing?

Kidding, I know, but somewhat pertinent. I've been told my upcoming Checkpoint "has some aero crap going on", but I don't know any details.

And by upcoming I mean probably April or May -- so I'll run the old one through another winter of crappy roads.

That’s when you tuck in and hang on. Age and treachery and all that.

My normal MO, for sure.

Yesterday, I'm pleased to say, the roles were reversed, and younger-stronger-faster friend was more cooked than me, so he was drafting.

Small victories.

 

[cantunamunch]

And by upcoming I mean probably April or May -- so I'll run the old one through another winter of crappy roads.

In today's delivery climate that's almost 'imminent'

 

[wooglin]

Facebook reminds me that 8 years ago today I was happily riding the Deerfield Dirt Road Randonnee (D2R2). 110 miles with 16k feet of climbing. Not gonna be doing that again I don't think. Good fun though.

 

[wooglin]

End to end on the Northern Rail Trail. Pedally. Wet. Lovely.