How To: Pick Tires

<===Something in the 35-40mm range seems to be the "sweet spot" for gravel tire width.

Tires. The question about what tires to use on gravel road events is a constantly asked one and the answers are constantly evolving as to which type of tire and width works best.

This post won't tell you what to use, but hopefully it will help guide you to a choice that is appropriate for you.

<===Sometimes mud defeats any tire choice! (From T.I.V2)

In my experiences on gravel, running events, and riding in them, I would say that a semi-knobby, 700c, 35mm-40mm tire hits the sweet spot for almost any gravel event. Tires that are cyclo-cross based, urban/commuter based, or 29"er based might all fall within these parameters.

Typically these tires are fitted to cross bikes with plenty of tire clearance, or they show up on 29 inch mountain bikes, but whichever type frame they are stuffed into- I've seen anything from Surly Steamrollers to Niner hard tails- this type of tire should cover your bases in terms of having a great balance of speed, comfort, and durability.

<===Riders like Rusty Kay, whose T.I.V2 rig is shown here, sometimes get away with true road racing rubber, but this is rare.

If I had to pick one tire in this category, it would be the Schwalbe Marathon Extreme, or one of those models based upon the Marathon series. I have seen Trans Iowa events won on Marathons, and I have seen many top gravel contenders using those tires. Says something to me!

Now, I've seen skinny tires used as well, but typically the pinch flat ratio goes up with these narrower than 35mm choices and obviously, comfort goes down. Pick yer poison.

In the realm of larger tires, you are generally stuck with 29"er frames, and if that is okay with you, Nanoraptors, Stan's Crow/Raven tires, or WTB's Vulpines are hot treads on gravel. A bigger, wider tire may be seen as slower, but keep in mind that riders of these will typically be fresher in the long haul, and they should theoretically experience fewer pinch flats.

<===I have witnessed "fat bike" tires walk away from other skinnier tired rigs on gravel if the conditions are right.

Yet with all of the "classification" going on here, I have to say that I have witnessed everything from 25mm road slicks in horribly wet conditions to ginormous "fat bike" tired sleds do really well on gravel. Nothing is outside the realm of possibility. So if you are on a limited budget, don't fret. Just get out and ride!

Update!: Heck Of The North

I just learned that the AGRS event, The Heck Of The North , has announced a tentative date of September 25th, 2010. Also, news on the procedure to register for the Heck has been released.

The registration will take place starting March 1st with a cap of 75 riders. Registration will cease on March 31st. Preferance will be shown to riders already doing the AGRS events, as the Heck is one of those events. When the roster fills out, there will be a "Waiting List" maintained.

Details on exactly how all this will play out will be revealed later. I suggest keeping a close eye on the site linked here for further details.

How To: Pick A Bike

<====The winning bike from Trans Iowa V5

Choosing a bicycle for a gravel or back road event can be a bit confusing. If you have been around any of these events, and are just casually looking about, it would seem that about any type of bike will do, and in fact- it will! Truth be known, almost any type of bicycle can be ridden on gravel roads, back road dirt pathways, double track, or what have you. The thing is, if you are competitive, or want to be comfortable on a long adventure, there are better choices in bikes over others.

Let's start with some basics. Traveling gravel or rough back roads will usually rule out road bike tires. I'm talking anything under 30mm in width and having little to no tread. Of course, as I said above, you could ride a road bike tire/road bike, but it isn't optimal for several reasons. First of all, road tires typically have very little volume, are fragile in rocks, and prone to pinch flatting. Bigger, tougher, more voluminous tires on sturdy wheels is a better choice for gravel roads. Added to this is the fact that road bike calipers limit mud/debris clearance. I've seen bikes come to grinding halts that were hung with road brakes when other bikes cruised right through using cantis/disc brakes. So usually a full on road bike isn't ideal.

Base your choice on body weight, (lighter guys can get away with skinnier tires, lighter wheels, and lighter bikes), and type of terrain to be ridden. (Stay away from road racing bikes with limited tire clearances or tight fitting side pull caliper brakes) Carrying a bunch of stuff? Make sure your bike can deal with it! Rack mounts, water bottle mounts, and other features may figure into your final bike choice.

<===A group of Salsa Fargos- excellent all terrain travelers.

Secondly, if your event/ride is long- like counted in the tens of hours/hundreds of miles long- you will want to pay particular attention to rider comfort. Obviously a good fitting bike is paramount, but you may want to raise the handle bars a bit over your standard road position. You may want a different saddle, and grips/bar tape choice is a really big deal. Basically you are going to want to experiment with contact points and the equipment that is specific to those points. Only by some trial and error will you accomplish finding the right equipment for you.

I usually would only change one thing, go for a three plus hour ride, evaluate, and adjust if necessary. Your specific "thinkering" routine may look different, but I recommend experimentation to find products that work.

Saddle sizing is now available, and I highly recommend taking advantage of that to dial in a proper width saddle. Also remember that weight of components is less a concern. Comfort comes first. Grips and bar tape are also very important. I highly recommend Ergon grips for flat bar users, but do experiment here. Also there are interesting findings that are indicating padded/gel bar tape for drop bars is not a good idea. Building up the diameter of bar tape using multiple layers seems to be better here. Again- experimentation is required to find what works best for any individual.

<===This bike with a higher handle bar position, bar ends on flat bars, and 2.0 inch rubber make gravel travel much more enjoyable- for me! Your mileage may vary!

So, what have we learned? First off- traditional, modern road racing bikes are not ideal for gravel grinding. Contact points are very, very important on longer gravel road rides. Pay attention to what works and what doesn't by experimenting on several long gravel/back road rides. Dial in your set up.

Now, a word or three on some specific bike choices that I have observed working well on gravel road events.

Cyclo-cross Bikes: These bikes can be the fastest, best choice in gravel grinding- but......

Cyclo-cross bikes in their purest form are all out, efficient racing machines meant for short events. Real, very traditional cyclo-cross bikes won't even have water bottle bosses! This is not ideal for gravel grinding. Fortunately there are several bikes that blur the lines between true cyclo-cross, road, and adventure type riding. A great, workman-like rig to exemplify what I mean is Surly's CrossCheck. Stick to something like that bike and you can't really go wrong.

Mountain Bikes: These can also be great gravel grinders, but........

Mountain bikes typically are heavier, shod with knobby tires that are 2 plus inches wide, and may have shock systems that are typically overkill on most gravel grinders. You can certainly change tires, and a fully rigid bike is actually a good thing on gravel roads. My advice would be to get a 29"er, which is really just 700c wheels fitted with wider tires and a frame and fork that accept the wider meats. Wide, 2 inch tires with minimal tread like Stan's Raven, WTB's Vulpine, and Nanoraptor models excel at gravel travel. You may not be the fastest guy in the event, but you will be protected from pinch flatting more so than skinnier tired bikes are, you'll be more comfortable on rough roads, and you'll have an advantage on really rough, or muddy sections. I've seen lots of mountain bikes- typically 29"ers, do well at gravel road races, most notably the Fisher Paragon and Rig single speed models, modified with rigid forks.

Adventure Bikes: This is kind of an odd category, but it is being defined into three distinct types of bikes: The "monster-cross" bike, the randonneuring bike, and the 29"er based off road touring type rigs. Used to be that "monster-cross" bikes, many times based upon the aforementioned Surly CrossCheck, were showing up a lot at these events in highly user modified states. Usually shod with 38-42mm tires, drive trains featuring single speeds to "1 X" type set ups, to internal geared set ups, and flat bars, H-Bars, or drops, these bikes almost defined gravel grinding for a time. Then we had the Salsa Cycles Fargo come on the scene and in that bikes wake we are seeing the introduction of several drop barred, 29 inch wheeled, adventure rigs that really lend themselves well to the gravel culture. Finally, randonneuring rigs, like Velo-Orange's "Polyvalent" all-purpose 650B rig are also great gravel rigs, (minus the fenders, perhaps!) and can yeild an excellent balance between rider comfort and speed over rough roads and gravel.

Which is right for you? Depends on if your aim is to go as fast as possible, (then a cyclo-cross type variant), or if you want to finish and enjoy the ride, (adventure bike), or if you want to be practical, (mountain bike that you can use elsewhere on trails). There is no "wrong" choice.

The big thing is to get out and grind some gravel- on whatever bike that you might have!

New "How To" Series

Gravel grinding, back road riding, or all terrain rides- whatever you call them- they require a bit of a different take on bikes and equipment. I see lots of questions regarding types of bikes, set ups, how to carry things, and especially questions about tires!

I will be taking some posts to help beginners and the curious understand the ins and outs of some of the gear used on gravel type adventures and races. So, in between the event reports and such, you can look for information regarding equipment and techniques specific to gravel/back road events and rides. Stay tuned!

If you have any suggestions for topics or specific questions, e-mail them to me by using the link in the right margin.

Thanks for reading!

New Additions!

First of all, thanks for the tip offs folks! That's the only way this site will be of use to everyone- That is if everyone contributes what they can. Thank you!

Okay, we have a couple of cool additions of late. Check out the links to these!====>

B.A.L.L.S.- It is an acronym for something or another that was pretty clever as I recall..........but anyway...this occurs on the same weekend as Trans Iowa but these guys are doing their thing in Wisconsin. The link will take you to their discussion thread, but I am hearing a blog might be in the works. Hopefully I'll get the link if the organizer decides to do this. Stay tuned!

D2R2: This one is waaaaay out on the Right Coast in Massachussets. Westerm Mass to be exact. Big climbing! Almost 1600Ft and 70% of it on dirt roads. Check it out. The next version happens in August.

You will find the links on the right margin.

Now go ride!

Race Discussion: January Events

Okay, so far we have two things to talk about in January of all months! Gravel can happen at any time, so you gotta be prepared!

Red River Riot, St Jo Texas, January 23rd: This event, in its first year is looking at doing a little more than 100 miles as a "challenge ride". In fact, the site specifically says it isn't a race, but says a clock will be running for those so inclined.

Starting at a right properly Texas named site called the "Breaks at Bar H mountain bike ranch", this event will have a basic two loop type course of out and back dirt roads, back roads, and as little pavement as possible with a short single track section in the middle thrown in for good measure.

Roster size is about 210 folks, so there are still places to be had if you are interested. (Last check showed they had about 150 spots to go). Classes included the typical Male, Female, single speed/geared, and a Tandem class.

Looks like the rules are fairly relaxed on this one, but re-supply opportunities will only exist at the Bar H Ranch, by the sounds of it. Riders will pass through once at the mid-point of the event and organizers say you'll never be further than about 20 miles from the staging area. They will also have time cut offs, (although it isn't clear as to what they are) and a sweeper vehicle to extricate any slow-coaches off the course and back to the party at the ranch.

Sounds like a good time for $30.00. Registration online ceases a week before the event.

Hey, its gotta be good, it happens on my birthday!



Cup-O-Dirt Challenge: This unique "event", or better termed as a challenge, is something you can do. All you have to do is check out the site, get in contact with the organizer, Dave Mable, and you're off. The rules are pretty simple and I am posting them in their entirety here so you can get the idea.

Pretty simple: ride 100 miles or kilometers in a day - 80 miles (k) of it on dirt - and it counts - it can be a race or just a ride - the dirt can be anything but concrete or asphalt.... grass, dirt, gravel, rocky trail, wooded single track - whatever.Centuries can be completed in two days - but must be fairly continuous - like a 24 hour race or Trans-Iowa or Continental Divide like race. You be the judge.Centuries can be completed back to back - like the Dirty Kanza or Trans - Iowa.You can ride any bike you want.To get in the game - just send me an email (dave@bikeworldiowa.com ) describe your ride - send pictures if ya like - we like pictures - and you'll be in the chase.

So, there you have it. There are other "levels" to the Cup-O-Dirt, but you'll have to 'splore that on the site and check it out for yourself. If you do well, you might even get a piece of crockery for your efforts!

That wraps up the January edition of Race Discussion on Gravel Grinder News. If there are any updates or discrepancies that need clearing up, hit the e-mail link on the right margin, tell me, and I'll edit the stuff for you.

Thanks for reading!

Ride Discussions

If I get enough information regarding the rides posted, I am going to give folks the 411 on events on a monthly basis here. What I'd like to do is post on events during an upcoming month, so for instance the next Ride Discussions post will describe anything going on in the month of January. The January Ride Discussion post will detail February events, and so on.

So if you have a training ride, or info regarding any of these rides on gravel, remember to shoot me an e-mail and I'll get on it.

Thanks for reading.

More About This Site.....

Gravel Grinder News is going to be centered on crushed rock, dirt, and path type rides that take place on an annual basis. (Or are intending to) Not that we don't like our single track, but this isn't necessarily about mountain biking. (Although some events listed will include single track and can be ridden on mountain bikes) No- this site will center on the back roads, rural pathways, and forgotten roads that criss-cross the United States and beyond.

If you have news concerning events, training rides, equipment questions, or technical stuff you want to see discussed here, just let me know and those will be posted in this column. If you have an event, that will go in the links section on the right column.

Legend To The Links Section: The links are laid out so you see the event name, the state where it is held in, and a date for 2010, if it has been announced. Otherwise you will see a "TBA" (to be announced).

For example: "Trans Iowa V6- IA April 24-25th" and so forth.

Almanzo Gravel Road Series events are indicated by the "AGRS" after the event name.

You will notice that I have collected links from Colorado to West Virginia, Texas to Minnesota. Quite a wide variety of events so far and I am sure that list will get bigger.

Please do not hesitate to contact me concerning anything related to this site: Guitar Ted Productions