# a bit of gravel



## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

and some wind and clouds, can make for a bleak but beautiful landscape. Thanks to a last - minute invite and some help from a friend who couldn't ride, I got reg'd for the Texas Chainring Massacre. Only went for the 50-mile route, let the really fit and fresh legs do the 90. 

Course - typical rural North Texas country. Mostly gravel (intentionally planned that way) and some cool little quiet country spots. Only downsides were the constant stout breeze from the North and the low-40's F. Ow.


Our organizer holds up a route marker and says "this is not a race, but the finish line is over there" before raffling off a new Orbea. Didn't win. 











Man says go and we are off, several dozen of us soon spreading out, since the racers are at the front drilling it through the cross wind and the gravel starts almost immediately. Mostly CX bikes a few MTB's and at least a couple of roadies. 

A nice Riv sighting.










Course is rolling the whole time, mostly exposed except down in the small valleys.











A cool waterfall, located in the farthest possible NW corner of Denton County.











27 ish miles covered, we come to the rest stop and decision time. I decided to only do 50. 


















I had to walk this one. Oooof.









These are so commonplace but I've never stopped for a pic of one. 









Down in a valley









Up on the plains









Stark beauty.









No shelter from the wind. But, only saw a handful of cars the whole time.









I've been stopping to take pix, and finally, some company.


















.... and pavement









but only briefly









....and, finish.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

Looks like our kind of ride!


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## Kurious Oranj (Oct 11, 2009)

Me likey. Great pics. I am thinking about signing up for a similar thing in SW WI this spring.


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## vagabondcyclist (Apr 2, 2011)

Cool ride.


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## bismo37 (Mar 22, 2002)

Awesome. Love rides that make you feel like you are in the middle son nowhere.


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## 10ae1203 (Jan 14, 2007)

nice. i like dirt roads and the crunchy sound they make.


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

Great. Thanks for sharing.
Looks like race bike roads to me.


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## axlenut (Sep 28, 2010)

Hi, love the pictures! Other then the wind that looks like my kind of ride. 

Take care, Axlenut


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

This thread can haz podium girl.










In Italy vintage bike gran fondos is all the rage, and they too need proper road surfaces.
ITALIAN CYCLING JOURNAL: Vintage Bike Rides in Italy, Schedule


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## foofighter (Dec 19, 2008)

i wish there were things like this in south OC


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## nonsleepingjon (Oct 18, 2002)

Awesome, I'll keep an eye out for that next year. I'd be last place but it's my kind of ride.


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

nonsleepingjon said:


> Awesome, I'll keep an eye out for that next year. I'd be last place but it's my kind of ride.


Several more coming this spring.

"Spinistry" on facebook, or | The Spinistry


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## unclefuzzy_ss (Nov 23, 2002)

Proper! I had a customer do the long one. Finished in 5'45". looks like a grand time was had. Our local gravel is a soupy mess right now.


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## GRAVELBIKE (Sep 16, 2011)

Hell yeah!

Ride _everything_.


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## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

noice!


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## Willis24 (Mar 4, 2012)

Gravel, that's all I ride. Nice pics!


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## Art853 (May 30, 2003)

That looks dirty.


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## Ridin'Sorra (Sep 7, 2004)

That looks like a great ride!!

Looks similar to our dirt roads around here.

What's the smallest tire I could get away with on this surface?
Not that I want a skinny tire (I ride these roads normally on a 5" MTB with 2.25" tires), but rather that I want to use my road bike but I don't think 23C slicks will cut it and my frame maybe could take a 28mm tire max. 

Thanks for any pointers!


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## rkj__ (Mar 21, 2007)

Nice.


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