# Gravel Walking



## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

I just ride on the road but we have one road that is gravel, soft dirt, hard dirt in the mountains so I thought I would just ride it on my road bike. 

It was very beautiful out there and amazing properties for the rich ranchers that own it. For me gravel riding turned out harder then expected. One stretch had 1000 ft of climbing over 1.9 miles. However I was not geared low enough and had to decide to turn around or walk part of it. I sucked it up and went gravel walking. Now that I have actually been over the trail I can see why everyone rides it from the other end as most of the climbing is on the paved road before you get to it. Going down such a steep section would be easy but probably not on treadless road tires. A bit to slippery for me. My wife is angry at me for going out there alone so no dinner tonight it seems. 

When I got home and uploaded to Strava it showed I was 6th overall and I thought no way on that. Then I clicked on the segment and saw that only 6 people have ridden it since 2012 and I am dead last of the 6. Oh well I suck but at least I tried. 

Bottom line is I am not big on gravel walking.

edit: after Christmas I am going back one more time. I can gear down a little and if I turn off my phone that will help. I had 9 text messages from my wife reaming me out so I had to stop and answer each time. Since I am 68y/o she thinks I am going to drop dead In some ditch and nobody will be able to find me.


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## dcgriz (Feb 13, 2011)

If going out there means no dinner when you get back then make arrangements to stop at a restaurant before you go home. That's all.


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## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

If I die older than 68 while gravel riding, I will consider my life a complete success. Meanwhile, fatter tires will make it more fun. I just got some 40mm Clement XPLORs and I basically can handle anything I can do on my mountain bike, except for really serious ruts.

I also ride out of range of cell phone coverage, and don't even own one myself.

Where is it?


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## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

dcgriz said:


> If going out there means no dinner when you get back then make arrangements to stop at a restaurant before you go home. That's all.


I could stop in at the Cowboy bar out there in the Diablo Mountains and order me up a steak and potato and sit there in my muddy kit and wink at the pretty girls.


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## ColaJacket (Apr 13, 2015)

BikeLayne said:


> edit: after Christmas I am going back one more time. I can gear down a little and if I turn off my phone that will help. I had 9 text messages from my wife reaming me out so I had to stop and answer each time. Since I am 68y/o she thinks I am going to drop dead In some ditch and nobody will be able to find me.


There are apps where she can get on the computer and see that you are still moving.

There's also an app that will call her if you have a crash.

Maybe get one or both so that she won't call/text you as much. At least if she had called you, you could have put it on speaker and kept riding.

GH


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## AlanE (Jan 22, 2002)

There's a similar gravel road near me, about 1/2 the size: 1 mile & 500 ft of climbing. I tried it with treadless tires but ended up walking. I went back another time with my cross bike and made it, but it was a tough mother.


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## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

ColaJacket said:


> There are apps where she can get on the computer and see that you are still moving.
> 
> There's also an app that will call her if you have a crash.
> 
> ...


Valid points for sure. I will look into the tracking thing.


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## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

AlanE said:


> There's a similar gravel road near me, about 1/2 the size: 1 mile & 500 ft of climbing. I tried it with treadless tires but ended up walking. I went back another time with my cross bike and made it, but it was a tough mother.


I want to go back and I could use a 700x25 road tire with tread on it. I am just not sure I want to spend the hundred bucks on tires for one gravel road. I do not have a cross or mountain bike.


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## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

wgscott said:


> If I die older than 68 while gravel riding, I will consider my life a complete success. Meanwhile, fatter tires will make it more fun. I just got some 40mm Clement XPLORs and I basically can handle anything I can do on my mountain bike, except for really serious ruts.
> 
> I also ride out of range of cell phone coverage, and don't even own one myself.
> 
> Where is it?


I do get out of phone range sometimes but this road was no problem. The phone thing started as my wife wanted to tell me good news about contract negotiations at her job and then she asked what I was doing. When I told her what I was up to she kind of got ticked off because of safety concerns. Basically no body around to help or call. However on my end of it I did not feel I was at any risk.


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## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

AlanE said:


> There's a similar gravel road near me, about 1/2 the size: 1 mile & 500 ft of climbing. I tried it with treadless tires but ended up walking. I went back another time with my cross bike and made it, but it was a tough mother.


500fpm is really like riding up a wall. It's kind of fun the crazy stuff we get into on the bikes. On my ride if you go the opposite direction it is really a down hill ride as the elevation is done on the road before you get there. I went the up hill way because I was not confident about a steep downhill on gatorskins. I was worried I would fall. Actually mostly worried I might ding my bicycle.


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## bradkay (Nov 5, 2013)

"500fpm is really like riding up a wall."

That is less than a 10% grade, so while it is steep, it is nothing like some of the walls found on popular climbs around the world. I know that Sonora Pass in the Sierras has 25% sections, as does Brasstown Bald in Georgia. IIRC, the steepest portion of L'Alpe d'Huez (the first switchback) is @ 16%.


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## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

BikeLayne said:


> I do get out of phone range sometimes but this road was no problem. The phone thing started as my wife wanted to tell me good news about contract negotiations at her job and then she asked what I was doing. When I told her what I was up to she kind of got ticked off because of safety concerns. Basically no body around to help or call. However on my end of it I did not feel I was at any risk.


Look on the bright side: at least she still wants you alive. I'm like George Bailey.

If you have an iPhone, you can share your location and she can see where you are on a map on her Apple computer or iPhone/iPad/iOS whatever. (You can turn it off if you need to visit the nudie bar.)


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## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

bradkay said:


> "500fpm is really like riding up a wall."
> 
> That is less than a 10% grade, so while it is steep, it is nothing like some of the walls found on popular climbs around the world. I know that Sonora Pass in the Sierras has 25% sections, as does Brasstown Bald in Georgia. IIRC, the steepest portion of L'Alpe d'Huez (the first switchback) is @ 16%.


 There is a Cat 2 climb near the house that is very steep. According to Strava with a section of 31% and I can manage it if I zig zig. However I could not climb this section of the dirt road. But my rear wheel was slipping and I could not zig zag. Maybe if I had better tires and a lower gear I could manage it in an ok manner. I might give it another shot after Christmas. Not sure what I can do about the tires as I do not want to spend a lot on it. However a 700x25 Michelin all weather tire would probably be fine and I could still use it on the road to get my money's worth.


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## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

wgscott said:


> Look on the bright side: at least she still wants you alive. I'm like George Bailey.
> 
> If you have an iPhone, you can share your location and she can see where you are on a map on her Apple computer or iPhone/iPad/iOS whatever. (You can turn it off if you need to visit the nudie bar.)


We are both on flip phones and my Garmin is the 500 model. I have bonded with my LG and cannot part with it. My wife will get an iPhone after our last 2 kids graduate from college next May. But still my tech is to old.


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## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

I am going to give it another try today. I have my 30t on the bike and my Michelin Pro4 endurance tires on it. Not much different then Gatorskins but they will have a bit better grip as the compound is softer. I will run lower pressure then usual. Also I have been over it one time now and know what to expect. It will be warm enough at 10AM to get going.


After looking at the uphill portion on Strava I can see that 23% grade Is the worst portion of it. With that in mind I figure I am good to go. I can ride on that.


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## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

> (You can turn it off if you need to visit the nudie bar.)



I never liked alcohol so I missed out on some young men things. I have never been in a nudie bar. Even in the military I just did other things. The Mexican restaurant we frequent has a bar in the waiting area. The bar tender is clothed and even lives across the street. He does not drink either but he has a body building thing he is passionate about. Also he has kids and who would drink or have alcohol around kids. However I am a retired RN and I made a lot of money taking care of people who drink or their victims.


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## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

I went back for a second time today. I had a 30t instead of the 28t and my regular road tires which are better then gatorskins. It all went better today but I still had to walk the last section at the summit. Not sure how steep it is as Strava shows it as a vertical line and calls it zero percent. I suppose it's out of range of the program. My guess would be 60%. Anyway I cannot ride up it and found it difficult to even walk up. The rest of it I managed to stay in the saddle. I knocked 15minutes off my segment but I am still 6th overall which is last place. However I am going to leave it at that as I do not want to do that road anymore. I do not have proper gear for it anyway.


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