Gravel biking wake up call

[Grant Fondo]

Thanks for the replies lads - When me ears better I'm going to do it again!

Must admit, I loosened off the SPD's after the first spill
Opens up a new world does gravel biking .. and I was a committed roadie for yonks

 

[PaulSB]

Must admit, I loosened off the SPD's after the first spill
Opens up a new world does gravel biking .. and I was a committed roadie for yonks

Absolutely. I was getting tired of riding roads I knew like the back of my hand, gravel riding up a new world and rekindled my cycling enthusiasm.

 

[smoggie]

Absolutely. I was getting tired of riding roads I knew like the back of my hand, gravel riding up a new world and rekindled my cycling enthusiasm.

This was my thinking too. Apart from the bumps and bruises, I'm aching in a few different places.
I love the appeal of riding tracks and not worrying about cars.

 

[Kajjal]

It is also good for covering longer distances than a mountain bike unless things get fairly rough and technical. I do a 50 miles ride which is mainly off road and the road sections fly by. On a mountain bike with big knobbly tyres it would not be as good but still enjoy mountain biking a lot.

 

[figbat]

My gravel bike gets the most use of my fleet. I like that I can do a mostly road route or an entirely off-road route and it feels like it belongs. I can also link up roads with tracks to make new routes that a road bike can’t do and a MTB would be wrong for.

 

[smoggie]

It is also good for covering longer distances than a mountain bike unless things get fairly rough and technical. I do a 50 miles ride which is mainly off road and the road sections fly by. On a mountain bike with big knobbly tyres it would not be as good but still enjoy mountain biking a lot.

I'm surprised how easy the climbs feel - I'm sure it's not only down to my level of fitness.

 

[Jon62]

I keep a spare SPD bolt in my puncture kit having had one go missing on a ride.

 

[PaulSB]

I keep a spare SPD bolt in my puncture kit having had one go missing on a ride.

Yes, so do I now. I was so impressed when one of my buddies whipped one out of his bag to give me the day I fell off.

 

[ColinJ]

I usually have the opposite problem... My SPD cleat screws end up rusted in so I can't get them out!

 

[Andy in Germany]

You guys really aren't selling SPD's. I think I'll stick to toe clips; no moving parts to rust, break or drop off...

 

[chriswoody]

Up until I bought my gravel bike, I always used SPD pedals. When I bought the Kona secondhand, the original owner had fitted it with DRM v12 flat pedals and I had every intention of swapping them for my SPD pedals. Except I found that loved riding with them, I can wear any shoes I want and the pins on the pedal ensure my feet stay put, so they have ended up staying on the bike till this day.

 

[Pedropete]

With modern gravel bikes (especially on big tyres) it's easy to find their limits abruptly as they're so comfortable on flowy stuff. Easy to forget they don't have the travel/compliance to take the really rough stuff at speed so hit a lumpy section too fast and all you can do is try to float through and hope for the best... or bail.

As for pedals, I've used single-sided SPDs on cross and gravel bikes for years. Great for hopping on the bike in normal shoes but even better on sketchy/slidy sections where you're better being unclipped, especially if the bike's loaded up. EH500s are the faves (improvement on A530s due to grip from the pins), albeit with added shin-shredding potential on the flat side.

Can sympathise with your SPD-induced off as still remember riding to school on early SPDs when I was still training, slowing for a level crossing and just coming to a stop as I got the dreaded 'click' of doom. Cue the slow motion topple and flipped-tortoise routine in front of a load of girls from the all-girls school round the corner! They enjoyed it; me, not so much. Youthful blushes and all that.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

My gravel bike gets the most use of my fleet. I like that I can do a mostly road route or an entirely off-road route and it feels like it belongs. I can also link up roads with tracks to make new routes that a road bike can’t do and a MTB would be wrong for.

Of course, that’s what touring bikes have always been able to do, not being limited by tyre width like road bikes.

 

[figbat]

As for pedals, I've used single-sided SPDs on cross and gravel bikes for years. Great for hopping on the bike in normal shoes but even better on sketchy/slidy sections where you're better being unclipped, especially if the bike's loaded up. EH500s are the faves (improvement on A530s due to grip from the pins), albeit with added shin-shredding potential on the flat side.

I have PD-M324s on my gravel bike (and on my hardtail too) - same reasoning; I can ride in normal shoes if I need to plus in really tricky terrain I can unclip, flip the pedal over and ride untethered as far as I feel I need to. In truth though I rarely do use the flat side.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I usually have the opposite problem... My SPD cleat screws end up rusted in so I can't get them out!

Grease sir, use some grease!