Just got a gravel bike and trying to find routes in my area. Would this type of loose gravel path be considered too steep to ride? Komoot says at its steepest it was 12-16% grade, but I was too new to feel confident cycling most of it that looked like this.
Wondering if with a bit more experience I should consider trying riding these sections or is this more mountain biking territory?
For more context I’m riding a rigid steel gravel bike with 40mm tubeless tires
by Zealousideal-Dot1783
31 Comments
The steepness is one thing but the surface doesn’t help either.
I personally wouldn’t want to ride this, not even slow, even with 50mm tires.
This is not a gravel road/path.
I’d send it. I’d regret it but I’d send it.
1st and last picture is mtb territory.
This calls for a cross country mountain bike.
I’ve ridden worse, but I wouldn’t do it regularly
This wouldn’t be horrendous going uphill but would really suck going downhill.
Yeah a bit too heavy going for a standard gravel bike. Would be rough for a hard tail but more acceptable.
Gravel for me is a mix of actual gravel roads, towpaths, nature trails and some road or pavement
It looks like fun. But I can imagine ridding this with gravel bike will definitely suffer, but still fun
I would definitely ride that, but my gravel bike has 55mm tires and a front suspension fork. Otherwise I’d say bring the MtB instead!
Ask your arse cheeks in the morning. I’ve ridden definite mountain bike terrain on my gravel bike. If you’re arse hurts in the morning it was too rough (or just rough enough depending on how you like it). I’m not here to yuck your yum.
You can ride it on a gravel bike. You probably won’t enjoy it and your bike may rattle apart. On a trail/Enduro bike that’s quite tame though.
It looks like pretty standard British gravel/double track/bridle way.
Lots of routes like that in Scotland/Wales/Northern England
More suited to a mountain bike. Full sus preferably. If you ride a gravel machine on this, ride with flat pedals.
Hard to tell from pictures but I would say rideable but not really fun on a gravelbike. Just try, in case of emergency ride into the soft vegetation.
I’d give it a go but I’d do it on this (I have one):
https://www.clcycle.ca/blogs/c-l-news/tanglefoot-moonshiner
I’ve used on similar trails to those in the pics and it’s a blast. I’m 68 so anything is possible…
i haven’t ridden on slate like that, but i did recently ride chunky gravel with rocks about that size and it was wet out and i decided to just walk that section bc it was also wet and it felt like my front wheel was slipping out every pedal stroke lol. i also decided that breaking my collar bone 30 miles from the nearest town was probably a bad idea in logging country.
That’s MTB my boy
I’d ride it but try to pick a decent line. I’m on 57mm tires and ultra durable wheels and frame though (both are cleated for 140kg system weight and I’m only running 90-95kg).
You can ride that on a gravel bike but it’s not the best tool for the job. If you’re primarily riding tracks like the one on the first image, get a mountain bike
I would make an exception and struggle down or up this if the only alternative was tens of kilometers of backtracking, but I wouldn’t consider it a regular element of enjoyable gravel rides. This is definitely MTB territory.
I would try it with my gravel, but i would do it faster and with a bigger smile with a MTB.
This is beyond what most gravel bikes are meant for and it would be safer, faster, and more enjoyable on a mountain bike.
On the other hand, rig up a Cutthroat with an 80-100 mm front fork, 2.4 inch tires, and a dropper post, and you’d cruise this no problem. Of course, you’ve pretty much turned your gravel bike into a drop bar XC bike by that point.
1st and last pic I’d want a hardtail. That’s not to say you can’t ride it with your gravel bike, it just won’t be super enjoyable or fast.
My bike isn’t anything special. Niner RLT on 45s with 42/10-52. Looks fun ride in sections. I wouldn’t want to ride miles and miles of it continuously, but one my friends would probably plan the route and off we’d go…
I’ve ridden stuff like that on my gravel bike. But with 650b 2.2” tyres. Terrifying. But kind of fun. Maybe.
12-16% grade I’d be walking
I’ve done WAY worse than this on my cross bike with 32s. 16% grade is fine.
The crap we were riding in the 90s with no suspension on 1.75 inch tires was also totally worse than this.
Totally doable with the correct tires and gearing.
If you can ride it, do so. If you enjoy it, do it again. If you can’t afford a new rim or tire from time to time, do so cautiously.
Personally I’d ride a hardtail mtn bike for that but I’m old and bitter and no fun any more and have had enough type 2 fun on the bike that I don’t need to vibrate over that kinda shit any more than I have to hehe.
I‘d ride it. But I’d need new tires and new wrists after.
I think drop bar bikes are better for hills vs a flat bar bike but I’d definitely be riding that with suspension. I’ve done a ride like this once, Eldridge in Marin, on my gravel bike and my wrists were so beat from being in the drops. Never again. I had 2.2 tires but you just sometimes need suspension.