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I know it will be small fry compared to what others do on here but did my first ever little gravel adventure into the wilds of Birmingham!
Did my first ever little gravel bike adventure today into the wilds of Birmingham!
Really loved it and thought I’d share some of the things i learnt (and a few qs where could do with some help!)
https://strava.app.link/ZJZohQLh5ub
It’s great fun! I may sell my road bike (or at least I’ll be using it a lot less this winter!)
Need to learn to take my time and stop and smelll the roses(coffee) and not just get to end asap like on road ride
Also could do with knowing where some cafes are on route
Need to improve my Gravel bike skills…thought I’d be ok having riden road for ages and done a bit of mtb. But surprisingly butt clenching on very muddy small track near canal!!
Komoot is amazing! can’t believe how good for a free service. (Better when out of own town as then you don’t know if there are more direct routes you normally take)
Walkers and hikers were far friendlier than I expected.
Hard work pulling pedals up on flats when use to being clipped in (but also really nice not to have to keep clipping in and out all the time)
If I ever up on my own might end up living on a canal boat!
I need a bag I can put my jacket in but doesn’t get in way of bottle cages (any recommendations?)
Can anyone recommend a bike washer I can use with my van and quickly at home without hassle of getting karcher out)
Did mine 2 weeks back, really enjoyed it, nice to enjoy being out with minimal chance of coming off
It depends how chunky your gravel is!
I've fell off doing tracks and bridleways that really needed a HT. Didn't hurt too much so it was quite funny. Finding the limits of traction, or in my case lack of handling skills, is a good laugh
Also could do with knowing where some cafes are on route
I believe @rOcKeTdOg is the man for this.
Try ukgravelco
Linky
He does a few rides over Leamington way judging by Strava, many of which seem to feature baked goods.
Can anyone recommend a bike washer I can use with my van and quickly at home without hassle of getting karcher out)
Worx Hydroshot with a short lance and 5L plastic drum. If you're not getting terribly muddy and/or have big mudguards, a garden sprayer might suffice.
I need a bag I can put my jacket in but doesn’t get in way of bottle cages (any recommendations?)
I've swerved the on trend dangly bar barrel bag and gone for tourer / commuter friendly Klik-Fix Altura Transit bar bag. It's perfect size for jacket, phone, snack and LifeLine coffee mug... It was £7(!) with fittings from OnOne
To add- I've got a larger Alpkit and small Altura frame bag. They're a faff to fit and remove, particularly as my bike is outside when at the office or inside damp shed. Tu be able to unclip / clip-in in a second is great.
I believe @rOcKeTdOg is the man for this.
Try ukgravelco
LinkyHe does a few rides over Leamington way judging by Strava, many of which seem to feature baked goods.
We've just spoken on the OP's Facebook version of this thread 😉
Worx Hydroshot
I second this, great bit of kit, not hugely powerful but enough to get the worst grime off without blasting your bearings to kingdom come.
As for the bag, I've got the Alpkit 5L bar bag and have used it a ton, big enough for a jacket and some snacks and rolls down quite small when you've got less stuff. The mesh side pockets are especially useful for keys and empty wrappers and such.
You can get 12v cheap pumps
*Goes off to stalk rockbus on Gravel Bikes UK*
🤣 Recognised the post!
What about frame bags? Small enough to still have a bottle on the bike but big enough to carry stuff. Any options? Looking at this at the moment. Is something like that too cheap and nasty?
@MarkyG82 I’ve got an Alpkit Possum on mine, it’s the full length of the top tube and still fits two 750ml bottles in.
The one you linked will do the job fine but do some measuring as you may find you can fit something bigger (if you want to that is). Mine will just about fit lunch and a spare top in it.
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Goes off to stalk rockbus on Gravel Bikes UK*
🤣 Recognised the post!
Ha, me too 🙂
Disappointed there’s no photos in there either though!
I've got small and large Ortlieb seat packs. All my tools, tube, etc live in the small one for dry/short rides. Or I can pack those bits into the large one (usually I just chuck the whole pack in there, I'm no weight weanie!), and add a jacket and some grub for longer rides. They both use the same clip, so I just choose which to put on the bike.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52511283533_adaccff1a9_h.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52511283533_adaccff1a9_h.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2o1f48t ]Small bag[/url]
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52510734051_8af4172c36_h.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52510734051_8af4172c36_h.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2o1ceMD ]Big bag[/url]
Did you get the train back?
Straight on at Moor St., or need to book the bike beforehand?
I've got the basic Worx Hydroshot and a 12v Mobi washer and find the Mobi much better. The cordless Mobi is currently on offer for £70 on Wiggle at the moment or £50 for the 12V
alanl I got train back to tile hill just because I knew can always get bike on those trains.</span>
might look at going back to Leamington next time as route back from tile hill was tough (and can’t even use greenway thanks to hs2!)
Something I learned from my fifth gravel ride this morning: descending cobbles is bloody brutal.
hold tight, but keep loose at the same time!
Something I learned from my fifth gravel ride this morning: descending cobbles is bloody brutal.
Redshift stem, they should be fitted to all gravel bikes as standard.
hold tight, but keep loose at the same time!
I had sussed that actually, but I'm running tubes at the moment - so I was too scared to let go the brakes and couldn't let the handlebar float in my hands at the same time as feathering the brake levers.
Setting up tubeless so maybe I'll be a bit more brave after that.
It is about a kilometer of constant downhill cobbles (Rivington), so I might just use it as a climb next time.
Redshift stem, they should be fitted to all gravel bikes as standard.
Bit too spendy for my budget build, would like to try one though.
Try really chubby bar tape to help with hand gnadgering on descents. I have a shiny new roll of Bontrager cork 3.5mm tape to go over a few strips of the older (foam) tape that is already on there. Squishy.
Funny you say that, I have a rather natty roll of black and blue tape, ready to go over the thin stock tape.
I double wrapped my road bike last year and love the girth.
It is about a kilometer of constant downhill cobbles (Rivington)
Snakebite alley as it was known at the Commonwealth games?
Snakebite alley as it was known at the Commonwealth games?
That's the boy.
Seems they at least had suspension forks though...
I was there that day. Those wheels look tiny now
I was there that day.
Awesome.
Are you the lad in the white shorts, about to pull a moonie?
Things I've learnt...
Descents which are ace on an mtb are not great on a gravel bike
Descents which are boring on an mtb are fun on a gravel bike
Things I haven't learnt...
What the hell are gravel riders carrying in all those bags?!
What the hell are gravel riders carrying in all those bags?!
I reckon it's beard oil / beard combs.
What the hell are gravel riders carrying in all those bags?!
Stuff,like really good stuff.
Stuff that you could only dream about.
The kinda stuff that you don't even know you need yet.
Next time you see a gravel rider,ask for a look in their bag,you will be amazed,amazed I tell you. 😉
Not my bags though,I only carry blocks of cheese,sometimes a satsuma. ☺ ☺ ☺
I reckon it’s beard oil / beard combs.
Cans of Hazy IPA
Things I learned following a chap on his gravel bike, yesterday. They can't half shift. He came past me on a disused railway track, and I struggled to keep up on the Scandal, the Garmin though we were doing 19mph, I was churning, he looked like he was gliding along. On the muddy section that followed, he couldn't make his rear wheel go in a straight line to save his life, slithering all over the place, until we got a corner, and then he couldn't turn...
Both of us were laughing. We stopped and had a natter at a gate before we went our separate ways, he was a roadie normally, he was having loads of fun on (new to him) off road adventures.
Bikes are cool.
Did my first ever little gravel bike adventure today
I need a bag I can put my jacket in
Love that you have gone full "gravel" on the first ride 😀
What would you do on a road ride and what is wrong with your jersey pocket now the tyres get more dirty? 🙂 Genuinely packable jacket and fewer bags are much better IMO. Strap it to the seatpost if you really can't bear it in a pocket. Lighter too 😉 I can't stand bags so your mileage may vary 🙂
https://mtzoom.com/products/handy-strap
What the hell are gravel riders carrying in all those bags?!
The CarTen 100 goes near my house, and I tend to catch the tail end of it most years. A 100 mile road event, from Cardiff to Tenby, passing many places that sell a huge variety of food and drink. And yet, the second half of the field is rammed with riders carrying rucsacs, frame bags, saddle bags, bar bags. Often all of these bags, brimful of stuff. I ride a gravel bike - a lot - and have lots of bags. But even on a weekend away I carry less stuff than some of these riders carry for a day ride. Maybe it's from indecision about what sort of coffee beans are suitable for the route?
Things I learned following a chap on his gravel bike, yesterday. They can’t half shift. He came past me on a disused railway track, and I struggled to keep up on the Scandal,
Whenever anyone asks about gravel bikes they get told that 'I can travel at the same speed on my Magic Mary shod 160mm enduro bike as any gravel bike'. You must be mistaken.
Is snakebite alley the one that is just behind Rivvy and black rod school?
Whenever anyone asks about gravel bikes they get told that ‘I can travel at the same speed on my Magic Mary shod 160mm enduro bike as any gravel bike’.
You can, it just requires far more energy input on some surfaces.
Is snakebite alley the one that is just behind Rivvy and black rod school?
Yes, though today's the first time I've heard it called that.
Usually known to me as "the cobbled climb", and the clue was in the name I suppose.
Yes, though today’s the first time I’ve heard it called that.
Usually known to me as “the cobbled climb”, and the clue was in the name I suppose.
me neither, just ordered a Camino, looking forward to exploring the tamer bits of Rivvy that I never bother with on my full bouncer 😄
Bags...
On a road ride, I'm never that far from help/assistance/civilization and if a mechanical or injury occurs then I know I'll be reet after a short while. I'll also be passing shops and cafes so extra food isn't a problem.
On a mountain bike ride I might end up miles from anywhere with no phone signal and the need to repair the bike/myself which might also involve needing an extra layer of clothing, plus there's the food thing. I'll likely be wearing a small pack of some sort and have some tools/tube/whatever strapped to the bike.
My gravel rides are more like the latter than the former. Only difference is that I don't like wearing a pack so much when I'm using drop bars - it's just uncomfortable. A bag (or two) gives me the storage capacity for that extra layer/food/camera/tools/tube etc. FWIW my gravel bike is also used for bikepacking so there's a small frame bag on it that I never bother removing.
Bags - much prefer to carry things on the bike rather than the person - top tube bag for snacks and phone, seat pack for spare tube, bottle of sealant and any tools I’m carrying. Frame bag for pump and spare clothing - quite a few of my rides start and finish with a ferry trip, so I carry a warm jacket and over shorts.
What the hell are gravel riders carrying in all those bags?!
Artisan coffee, titanium mug and spork and a brew kit. 😉
I need a bag I can put my jacket in but doesn’t get in way of bottle cages (any recommendations?)
If you use a bar bag, check it doesn't interfere with light mounting brackets or any external bis of cable run. If it gets in the way too much, go for a top tube one that mounts just behind the stem - if you've got a small lightweight packable jacket it'll go in there no problems. Something larger / more bulky might require a small frame fit bag.
me neither, just ordered a Camino, looking forward to exploring the tamer bits of Rivvy that I never bother with on my full bouncer 😄
I'll keep an eye out for you, I'm on a lurid orange Boardman.