More On Things That Irritate People Concerning Gravel Riding

More opinionating from yours truly today.

 NOTE: Large doses of "my opinion" will be handed out in gloppy dollops today. You've been forewarned.....

Thursday I posted about some of the terminology surrounding gravel riding and I gave my opinions on those. If you missed that, or want to refer to it, here you go. This post will be concerned with a few of the ideas and other things surrounding the gravel scene which seem to bother the people I asked about gravel terminology on Twitter earlier in the week. I will list each thing, make a comment, and move on. These things are not so much related to terminology as they are to things and entities, so I couldn't include these in a list about terms.

First though, I'd like to give a reference point to an assertion I have made for years concerning the term, "gravel grinders", which seems to irritate the heck out of some folks out there.

I have always stated that riding on gravel roads was referred to as "gravel grinding" long before riding gravel was "the cool thing the kids are doing now". The term wasn't invented by those kids, marketing departments, or "influencers" of the cycling scene. In fact, our grandfathers were calling it "gravel grinding" back in the 70's. However; no matter how many times I have related that Jeff Kerkove and I got the term "gravel grinding" from our area cycling culture in the ealy 2000's, not many people would believe it.

Well, low and behold. A Twitter user pinged me with a link to a Summer of 2004 Bike Iowa post which has a reference, right at the top, to a long held "gravel grinder" in the state. That's a solid example, but this was happening all over the Mid-West. I'm not going to tell you "I told ya so", but there it is....... Now onward.

USAC: This came up several times in answer to my Twitter question. Obviously there is still a lot of animosity toward the organization and what people feel it would do to the gravel scene. If they, as has been reported here and elsewhere, are interested in becoming a part of gravel cycling in the U.S.A., they have a 'long row to hoe' there.

Gravel Riding: To give this context, I am going to quote part of the Tweet I received here: "'Gravel Riding' itself. The fact that cycling media & a whole bunch of manufacturers were anxious to jump onto this & create a stupid trend just sucks the big one imo."

This is a problematic idea. If we are riding on gravel roads, what would you call it? "Just riding" isn't going to be a realistic answer here, so let's move on from that right away. Even people who have been riding on gravel for decades call it "something", (see above), so you are going to get served up a term regardless of what you think of having "no term" for this type of cycling. 

Secondly, and also in reference to my gravel grinding description, the cycling media and manufacturers did not create "this trend". It grew organically from the grassroots up. Now, you can accuse brands and marketers of taking advantage of that to make money. But, you know.......that is their job, right? Really, you cannot complain about them for ignoring you at first, and then get self-righteous when they try to make a buck off what we like to do after they address our needs. I, for one, am quite happy we have better tires, bikes suited for long days on rough roads, and gear acclimated to "not racing" on pavement. Your mileage may vary. 

Ted King, (L green arrow) from a Pro road racing background, won the '16 DK200

The Idea Of "Pro Road" Anything Crossing Over To Gravel: Again, the Tweet that pretty much sums this up is this one: "If not UCI or World Tour, it has to be “a former pro on a mission to _______”" 

Apparently y'all are not impressed by the former roadies turned gravel riders like Ted King, Peter Stetina, and the like. I get it. They are just riders like the rest of us. I think what it is that is bothersome is the hype the media, and some events, give to this idea of someone turning their back on Pro road and "turning to gravel", as if by doing this they are some sort of rebel.  Yeah..... That narrative doesn't seem to fly with a lot of you. I say don't blame the rider so much as the culture surrounding Pro racing and how the cycling pundits pander to that idea. As if by being successful in that you have reached "the holy grail" of cycling. 

That the author of that Tweet tied the riders to the World Tour and the UCI is also telling of how many in gravel cycling don't like that sort of thing, never did, and it is why they want to keep any odor of that sort of cycling out of their gravel experiences. Another take on this can be seen here on Craig Groseth's blog, which I have referenced here before. "World Tour" and "UCI" are terms that engender an idea of submission to a centralized organization with a single purpose for cycling to many gravel riders. It is pretty much the opposite of "grassroots" cycling, which is how this "gravel" cycling scene came about. 

The T.I.v6 header based on the idea of "Vitamin G".

Epic: Not really a "gravel specific" term, but a term that has been misused, over-used, and rendered pretty much meaningless due to that, in terms of any sort of adventurous activity. Cycling doesn't hold an exclusive on 'epic' either. Nuff said there. I think we all understand the over-hyping nature of many marketers and promoters. 

"Roubaix" In Reference To Any Gravel Event: (See "Paris-Roubaix" for context) Many events in the Modern Era of Gravel, (which I hold to be from 2005 onward), started identifying with the single day classic road race, Paris-Roubaix, early on. Conjuring images of cyclists battling the sections of cobbles in sometimes horrible conditions, these events were mostly held in Spring, which often brings rough weather in North America. Lately though, many gravel events boasting the "Roubaix" tag have actually been hit with far worse weather than their namesake. In fact, fans of the real Paris-Roubaix event have bemoaned the absence of such tough conditions in recent iterations of this old road racing classic. 

But how many folks even know what "Roubaix" is referring to? Not a lot, I bet. And furthermore, those who do "get it" should be able to look beyond the hyperbole, and either take part or pass on to events which have names more suitable to their sensibilities. In my opinion, this is a non-starter for something to be bent about. But, maybe that gets your goat, I don't know. One thing I do know is that Barry-Roubaix is the single largest gravel event in the U.S., so it must not bother a lot of folks to be participating in an event with "Roubaix' as part of the event name. 

Again, with well over 500 events, (in my estimation) across the U.S and nationally, I bet you can find an event any time of year without "that name" in it that bothers you. Be it "Roubaix" or otherwise. Go to those events and support them, and let others who are not pestered by an event's name have their events. There is enough to go around in 2020. Or better yet- start your own event.  Freedom y'all.

Random Bits: One commenter said "ruining". That was all. I take that to mean they are worn out by all this talk about what is going to "ruin gravel". If that was what was meant, yeah...... I can see that. I'm as guilty as anyone for propagating such stories, but being who I am, I feel I am kind of obligated to say something. (Okay....shutting up now!) Another random comment was "Alternative calendar". I am not really sure I have ever seen that term bandied about for gravel events, if that is what is meant here. So, I found that comment puzzling. Lastly, we have a term I actually used for Trans Iowa v6's page header on the T.I. site and which I had heard used a bit by some in the late 2000's. That would be "Vitamin G".

I had kind of let that one slip my mind, but a commenter on Twitter said it could have been a possibility for a really annoying term for gravel that they thought was only being used by them. And that sparingly. I agree. That could have found a life of its own and really gotten out of hand. Funny that never happened. Maybe by my using it for T.I.v6's header I helped kill that! Ha! Who knows?  

In the end, none of this stuff really matters when you are out there pedaling on a sunny day, enjoying the ride alone, or with a group of like-minded individuals. I mean, when was the last time you looked over at a riding buddy in the middle of a ride and said, "Don't you just hate the UCI?" 

Yeah.....probably happens a lot on group rides. Or how about when you are riding on a cool Summer morning, seeing the Sun rise, and listening to the birds sing. Do you look wistfully at the unfolding grandeur and think, "That stuff about gravel grinding drives me nuts." Yeah..... That's probably fairly common, right? 

The point is, you and I need to worry less about this nonsense, stay off the innergoogles,  and just enjoy riding more. Because we are giving this way too much energy. Energy we all could be using for cycling instead. 

Thanks for reading! 

More On Things That Irritate People Concerning Gravel Riding

More opinionating from yours truly today.

 NOTE: Large doses of "my opinion" will be handed out in gloppy dollops today. You've been forewarned.....

Thursday I posted about some of the terminology surrounding gravel riding and I gave my opinions on those. If you missed that, or want to refer to it, here you go. This post will be concerned with a few of the ideas and other things surrounding the gravel scene which seem to bother the people I asked about gravel terminology on Twitter earlier in the week. I will list each thing, make a comment, and move on. These things are not so much related to terminology as they are to things and entities, so I couldn't include these in a list about terms.

First though, I'd like to give a reference point to an assertion I have made for years concerning the term, "gravel grinders", which seems to irritate the heck out of some folks out there.

I have always stated that riding on gravel roads was referred to as "gravel grinding" long before riding gravel was "the cool thing the kids are doing now". The term wasn't invented by those kids, marketing departments, or "influencers" of the cycling scene. In fact, our grandfathers were calling it "gravel grinding" back in the 70's. However; no matter how many times I have related that Jeff Kerkove and I got the term "gravel grinding" from our area cycling culture in the ealy 2000's, not many people would believe it.

Well, low and behold. A Twitter user pinged me with a link to a Summer of 2004 Bike Iowa post which has a reference, right at the top, to a long held "gravel grinder" in the state. That's a solid example, but this was happening all over the Mid-West. I'm not going to tell you "I told ya so", but there it is....... Now onward.

USAC: This came up several times in answer to my Twitter question. Obviously there is still a lot of animosity toward the organization and what people feel it would do to the gravel scene. If they, as has been reported here and elsewhere, are interested in becoming a part of gravel cycling in the U.S.A., they have a 'long row to hoe' there.

Gravel Riding: To give this context, I am going to quote part of the Tweet I received here: "'Gravel Riding' itself. The fact that cycling media & a whole bunch of manufacturers were anxious to jump onto this & create a stupid trend just sucks the big one imo."

This is a problematic idea. If we are riding on gravel roads, what would you call it? "Just riding" isn't going to be a realistic answer here, so let's move on from that right away. Even people who have been riding on gravel for decades call it "something", (see above), so you are going to get served up a term regardless of what you think of having "no term" for this type of cycling. 

Secondly, and also in reference to my gravel grinding description, the cycling media and manufacturers did not create "this trend". It grew organically from the grassroots up. Now, you can accuse brands and marketers of taking advantage of that to make money. But, you know.......that is their job, right? Really, you cannot complain about them for ignoring you at first, and then get self-righteous when they try to make a buck off what we like to do after they address our needs. I, for one, am quite happy we have better tires, bikes suited for long days on rough roads, and gear acclimated to "not racing" on pavement. Your mileage may vary. 

Ted King, (L green arrow) from a Pro road racing background, won the '16 DK200

The Idea Of "Pro Road" Anything Crossing Over To Gravel: Again, the Tweet that pretty much sums this up is this one: "If not UCI or World Tour, it has to be “a former pro on a mission to _______”" 

Apparently y'all are not impressed by the former roadies turned gravel riders like Ted King, Peter Stetina, and the like. I get it. They are just riders like the rest of us. I think what it is that is bothersome is the hype the media, and some events, give to this idea of someone turning their back on Pro road and "turning to gravel", as if by doing this they are some sort of rebel.  Yeah..... That narrative doesn't seem to fly with a lot of you. I say don't blame the rider so much as the culture surrounding Pro racing and how the cycling pundits pander to that idea. As if by being successful in that you have reached "the holy grail" of cycling. 

That the author of that Tweet tied the riders to the World Tour and the UCI is also telling of how many in gravel cycling don't like that sort of thing, never did, and it is why they want to keep any odor of that sort of cycling out of their gravel experiences. Another take on this can be seen here on Craig Groseth's blog, which I have referenced here before. "World Tour" and "UCI" are terms that engender an idea of submission to a centralized organization with a single purpose for cycling to many gravel riders. It is pretty much the opposite of "grassroots" cycling, which is how this "gravel" cycling scene came about. 

The T.I.v6 header based on the idea of "Vitamin G".

Epic: Not really a "gravel specific" term, but a term that has been misused, over-used, and rendered pretty much meaningless due to that, in terms of any sort of adventurous activity. Cycling doesn't hold an exclusive on 'epic' either. Nuff said there. I think we all understand the over-hyping nature of many marketers and promoters. 

"Roubaix" In Reference To Any Gravel Event: (See "Paris-Roubaix" for context) Many events in the Modern Era of Gravel, (which I hold to be from 2005 onward), started identifying with the single day classic road race, Paris-Roubaix, early on. Conjuring images of cyclists battling the sections of cobbles in sometimes horrible conditions, these events were mostly held in Spring, which often brings rough weather in North America. Lately though, many gravel events boasting the "Roubaix" tag have actually been hit with far worse weather than their namesake. In fact, fans of the real Paris-Roubaix event have bemoaned the absence of such tough conditions in recent iterations of this old road racing classic. 

But how many folks even know what "Roubaix" is referring to? Not a lot, I bet. And furthermore, those who do "get it" should be able to look beyond the hyperbole, and either take part or pass on to events which have names more suitable to their sensibilities. In my opinion, this is a non-starter for something to be bent about. But, maybe that gets your goat, I don't know. One thing I do know is that Barry-Roubaix is the single largest gravel event in the U.S., so it must not bother a lot of folks to be participating in an event with "Roubaix' as part of the event name. 

Again, with well over 500 events, (in my estimation) across the U.S and nationally, I bet you can find an event any time of year without "that name" in it that bothers you. Be it "Roubaix" or otherwise. Go to those events and support them, and let others who are not pestered by an event's name have their events. There is enough to go around in 2020. Or better yet- start your own event.  Freedom y'all.

Random Bits: One commenter said "ruining". That was all. I take that to mean they are worn out by all this talk about what is going to "ruin gravel". If that was what was meant, yeah...... I can see that. I'm as guilty as anyone for propagating such stories, but being who I am, I feel I am kind of obligated to say something. (Okay....shutting up now!) Another random comment was "Alternative calendar". I am not really sure I have ever seen that term bandied about for gravel events, if that is what is meant here. So, I found that comment puzzling. Lastly, we have a term I actually used for Trans Iowa v6's page header on the T.I. site and which I had heard used a bit by some in the late 2000's. That would be "Vitamin G".

I had kind of let that one slip my mind, but a commenter on Twitter said it could have been a possibility for a really annoying term for gravel that they thought was only being used by them. And that sparingly. I agree. That could have found a life of its own and really gotten out of hand. Funny that never happened. Maybe by my using it for T.I.v6's header I helped kill that! Ha! Who knows?  

In the end, none of this stuff really matters when you are out there pedaling on a sunny day, enjoying the ride alone, or with a group of like-minded individuals. I mean, when was the last time you looked over at a riding buddy in the middle of a ride and said, "Don't you just hate the UCI?" 

Yeah.....probably happens a lot on group rides. Or how about when you are riding on a cool Summer morning, seeing the Sun rise, and listening to the birds sing. Do you look wistfully at the unfolding grandeur and think, "That stuff about gravel grinding drives me nuts." Yeah..... That's probably fairly common, right? 

The point is, you and I need to worry less about this nonsense, stay off the innergoogles,  and just enjoy riding more. Because we are giving this way too much energy. Energy we all could be using for cycling instead. 

Thanks for reading! 

Friday News And Views

Testing the Topeak D-Flash "muck deflectors" on the Noble Bikes GX-5

Playing In The Mud:

Earlier in the week I got a chance to "muck about", in the muck actually, with a set of front and rear Topeak D-Flash mudguards. (Link to down tube mounted version)

There are a lot of bikes that do not support fenders, and a lot more people that think fenders are not cool. They look dorky, or they are issues for muddy riding, or they are not aero, so they do not want them on their bicycles. I used to be counted amongst these folk.

Then Ben Witt, now of Whiskey Cycles, but at the time, the proprietor of Milltown Cycles, convinced me that fenders were worthy of consideration. I ended up agreeing with him, and after spending a lot of time with various different solutions, I have landed on Planet Bike Cascadia ALX metal fenders. I also use those PDW Mud Shovel fenders on my fat bikes. So, I am a fender fan, (also a Fender fan, but that's another story!)

So, getting back to these Topeak sheilds.....deflectors? They aren't really "fenders". Anyway, I've found that if you are going with a deflection type device in the rear, it had better be long. The angle at which water, mud, and debris comes off a rear tire while it is spinning means that a deflector type device has to overhang the rear wheel by at least a few inches, and four is better. Otherwise you are still going to get wet, dirty, and if that's the case, what is the point? The deflector won't keep your bike or your drive train clean, so it had better keep the rider clean!

If you take a look at my image here of the Noble Bikes GX5, you can see that rear deflector is about at the same vertical plane as the right side of the rear rotor. Ain't gonna cut it, and I can tell you that it doesn't. Tried and failed. The front, down tube mounted deflector? Brilliant. Well done. Fortunately, the D-Flash products are available separately.

Note: Topeak sent over the D-Flash devices for test and review to RidingGravel.com at no charge. I was not paid, nor bribed for this review/post.

Forecast temps for this weekend in Waterloo, Iowa

 Spring Springs- Populace Loses Their Minds:

We have had a few days in a row of chilly, 30 degree highs here, but this weekend it will nearly be 60°F on each day, and you know what that means? It means cars and motorcycles will be zooming around like people have lost their minds.

Not to mention the Winter detritus along the sides of roads and in corners, which, if you are riding on the streets and roads, will catch you out if you are not careful. Just a friendly reminder that the roads are a mess and warmer temperatures bring out "The Crazy" in Iowans when they first appear after a long Winter. I expect to hear a LOT of ambulance sirens over the weekend.

Don't let one of those sirens be for you! Watch out for "Spring Fever", and if it has been cold where you live and warmer days are about to strike, be aware!

Hope components from the UK are pretty good looking. Seem well made too.

Hope UK Introduces A New Crank Set. Guess What It Is Called: 

I like Hope UK components. I've used their hubs before, and I have installed their head sets and MTB cranks in other people's bikes. The design, execution of design, and presentation of the finished products is second to none, in my opinion.

Well, guess what? They have a (did you guess the name?) GRAVEL crank set out now. (groan) Yep! I know...... A regrettable name for such a fine component, but, it looks ace, and it comes in Hope's six standard anodized colors. One of which is.......purple. 

While they say this RX crank set is optimized for single ring set ups, you can get it to work as a double. Of course, that's what I would want. I can totally imagine this in purple with a 46T/36T set up on my Black Mountain Cycles MCD. Pink and purple!

Maybe that would be too much. Hmm...... Color? No way! I'm talking about the money! these are not cheap crank sets! For that money I could go a bit more subtle and use a White industries VBC and add a touch of purple with chain rings, or something. Dreaming..... May not ever become reality, but those components are cool.

The Warakin Ti from Otso Cycles

 It Could Be A Contender:

If you've read about my quest for a replacement for the aging Raleigh Tamland, you've seen me pass over several entrants into the gravel bike scene. Now there is a new one out there, and it is related to one I already talked about. Added to that, I've already ridden this frame's geometry, and I happen to like it just fine. The bike? the new titanium version of Otso Cycles Warakin.

The change they made for this frame makes it even sweeter than that stainless steel version I rode in 2017. The frame now can handle 700 X 50mm or 650 X 2.1" tires. Pretty impressive, and it still retains a road based drive train with a maximum double chain ring size of 50T. That's plenty. I'd only want a 46T/36T set up anyway.

But as with the stainless bike, price is a big barrier here. $2800.00 for the frame and fork. Ouch! That's outside of my price limitations now. Guess I'll just have to drool and be happy with a steel frame from someone at some point. That Twin Six Standard Rando v2 is looking mighty close to being the choice. (WARNING! Scary picture on link. Click at your own risk)

Update On T-Shirt Idea: A while back now I floated an idea for a t-shirt to celebrate the 15 year anniversary of this blog. (Miss it? See HERE) Well, I got some initial interest, then things fizzled. But y'all maybe just forgot? So, I'm pimping this here one more time to gauge interest. The plan is to give it a week and then next friday I will give my verdict on whether or not this is going to happen.

Stay tuned.....


Okay, that's a wrap for this week. Thanks for reading! Get out and ride!

Friday News And Views

Testing the Topeak D-Flash "muck deflectors" on the Noble Bikes GX-5

Playing In The Mud:

Earlier in the week I got a chance to "muck about", in the muck actually, with a set of front and rear Topeak D-Flash mudguards. (Link to down tube mounted version)

There are a lot of bikes that do not support fenders, and a lot more people that think fenders are not cool. They look dorky, or they are issues for muddy riding, or they are not aero, so they do not want them on their bicycles. I used to be counted amongst these folk.

Then Ben Witt, now of Whiskey Cycles, but at the time, the proprietor of Milltown Cycles, convinced me that fenders were worthy of consideration. I ended up agreeing with him, and after spending a lot of time with various different solutions, I have landed on Planet Bike Cascadia ALX metal fenders. I also use those PDW Mud Shovel fenders on my fat bikes. So, I am a fender fan, (also a Fender fan, but that's another story!)

So, getting back to these Topeak sheilds.....deflectors? They aren't really "fenders". Anyway, I've found that if you are going with a deflection type device in the rear, it had better be long. The angle at which water, mud, and debris comes off a rear tire while it is spinning means that a deflector type device has to overhang the rear wheel by at least a few inches, and four is better. Otherwise you are still going to get wet, dirty, and if that's the case, what is the point? The deflector won't keep your bike or your drive train clean, so it had better keep the rider clean!

If you take a look at my image here of the Noble Bikes GX5, you can see that rear deflector is about at the same vertical plane as the right side of the rear rotor. Ain't gonna cut it, and I can tell you that it doesn't. Tried and failed. The front, down tube mounted deflector? Brilliant. Well done. Fortunately, the D-Flash products are available separately.

Note: Topeak sent over the D-Flash devices for test and review to RidingGravel.com at no charge. I was not paid, nor bribed for this review/post.

Forecast temps for this weekend in Waterloo, Iowa

 Spring Springs- Populace Loses Their Minds:

We have had a few days in a row of chilly, 30 degree highs here, but this weekend it will nearly be 60°F on each day, and you know what that means? It means cars and motorcycles will be zooming around like people have lost their minds.

Not to mention the Winter detritus along the sides of roads and in corners, which, if you are riding on the streets and roads, will catch you out if you are not careful. Just a friendly reminder that the roads are a mess and warmer temperatures bring out "The Crazy" in Iowans when they first appear after a long Winter. I expect to hear a LOT of ambulance sirens over the weekend.

Don't let one of those sirens be for you! Watch out for "Spring Fever", and if it has been cold where you live and warmer days are about to strike, be aware!

Hope components from the UK are pretty good looking. Seem well made too.

Hope UK Introduces A New Crank Set. Guess What It Is Called: 

I like Hope UK components. I've used their hubs before, and I have installed their head sets and MTB cranks in other people's bikes. The design, execution of design, and presentation of the finished products is second to none, in my opinion.

Well, guess what? They have a (did you guess the name?) GRAVEL crank set out now. (groan) Yep! I know...... A regrettable name for such a fine component, but, it looks ace, and it comes in Hope's six standard anodized colors. One of which is.......purple. 

While they say this RX crank set is optimized for single ring set ups, you can get it to work as a double. Of course, that's what I would want. I can totally imagine this in purple with a 46T/36T set up on my Black Mountain Cycles MCD. Pink and purple!

Maybe that would be too much. Hmm...... Color? No way! I'm talking about the money! these are not cheap crank sets! For that money I could go a bit more subtle and use a White industries VBC and add a touch of purple with chain rings, or something. Dreaming..... May not ever become reality, but those components are cool.

The Warakin Ti from Otso Cycles

 It Could Be A Contender:

If you've read about my quest for a replacement for the aging Raleigh Tamland, you've seen me pass over several entrants into the gravel bike scene. Now there is a new one out there, and it is related to one I already talked about. Added to that, I've already ridden this frame's geometry, and I happen to like it just fine. The bike? the new titanium version of Otso Cycles Warakin.

The change they made for this frame makes it even sweeter than that stainless steel version I rode in 2017. The frame now can handle 700 X 50mm or 650 X 2.1" tires. Pretty impressive, and it still retains a road based drive train with a maximum double chain ring size of 50T. That's plenty. I'd only want a 46T/36T set up anyway.

But as with the stainless bike, price is a big barrier here. $2800.00 for the frame and fork. Ouch! That's outside of my price limitations now. Guess I'll just have to drool and be happy with a steel frame from someone at some point. That Twin Six Standard Rando v2 is looking mighty close to being the choice. (WARNING! Scary picture on link. Click at your own risk)

Update On T-Shirt Idea: A while back now I floated an idea for a t-shirt to celebrate the 15 year anniversary of this blog. (Miss it? See HERE) Well, I got some initial interest, then things fizzled. But y'all maybe just forgot? So, I'm pimping this here one more time to gauge interest. The plan is to give it a week and then next friday I will give my verdict on whether or not this is going to happen.

Stay tuned.....


Okay, that's a wrap for this week. Thanks for reading! Get out and ride!

Gravel Grinder News: Guitar Ted Defines Gravel Riding Terms

It's a gravel road. Period.

 NOTE: Large doses of "my opinion" will be handed out in gloppy dollops today. You've been forewarned.....

This whole deal with riding bicycles on gravel has generated a huge trend in cycling. No doubt it is on par with the mountain bike craze of the 80's/90's and the "ten speed", so called "bike boom" of the 70's. Along with those bumps in bicycle popularity came several terms which remain in our bicycling vocabulary to this day. Today I am going to discuss, rate, and define some terms that have sprung up around this gravel cycling scene. Some well known, some maybe not so much.

First of all, I should disclose that I asked folks who follow me on Twitter about terms for gravel riding that annoyed them. Some of their feedback has informed today's post as well. 

My system will work like this: First I will list the "Term", then a rating of that term, then my definition and discussion, which may include bits of feedback I received on Twitter. Keep in mind that this is not an unabridged version, nor is it anyone else's opinion but my own when it comes to the veracity of the terms described here. This is my version of "the facts", and it may not conform to yours, or your beliefs.

With that said......onward.

"Gravel" (As A Category Within Cycling): Rating: Really Dumb. Definition and Comments: Well, anymore it is whatever marketing says is a product for riding off-pavement. I've seen shoes that ten years ago would have been readily accepted and described as "mountain bike shoes" now done up in a different color and with the "Gravel" label plastered onto the box the shoes come in. You get the picture here. Really this is an unfortunate and lazy label that grew from how the cycling industry understood cycling. Namely- from a racing perspective, and not as an "every-man's transportation, transformative" viewpoint, which is what I was advocating for back in the day. The term "gravel" is so limiting, and the cycling industry really has fouled the waters with the use of this term. But here we are. It's what we have to work with now. Still.....really dumb.


Gravel Bike (See Above Also): Rating: Unfortunate, uninspired, short-sighted. Definition and Comments: A bike that you ride on gravel, that works for what you want and are doing, is a gravel bike. That said, the industry is trying to move this category more towards what amounts to a wider tire clearanced road racing bike. This was not what I had wanted to see ten years ago. My vision was for an "any-road" bike that most people would be better served by, rather than the racing bike derived "road bikes" of the 90's-2000's. Bottom line: Many brands within the industry are bent upon ruining this category, seemingly. Ditto for many in the current entrenched cycling media.


Gravel Grinder (See Also "Grinder"): Rating: Cool if you know the history. Dumb if you don't. Definition and Comments: Completely misunderstood and misused term. Originally anyone training on road bikes on crushed rock roads in the Mid-West of the US called what they were doing "gravel grinding". This was a term coined back decades ago, long before Trans Iowa, and long before anyone ever thought riding on gravel roads was a "good thing", which, by the way, a LOT of people still think is a crazy idea. Nowadays many events call themselves "gravel grinders" because it seems like the thing to do, or because it makes their marketing sound more "mainstream gravel". All I know is that many times when the term is used out of context and without understanding where it came from it becomes annoying to many folks. (See "Gravel Race/Event/Ride" below)

This was called "gravel grindeing" for decades before the current gravel scene started. The term makes sense when applied correctly. (Image of T.I.v14 by Celeste Mathias)

 Groad (See Also "G-Road"): Rating: Really Dumb. Definition and Comments: A conjunction of the term "gravel road" I first saw used in an "Outside Online" article by Frank Bures in 2013 which was describing the burgeoning gravel scene. Whether or not Mr. Bures came up with this term, I've no idea, but I do know I was dismayed when I saw he used it. If the reaction I got from Twitter is any indication, most folks find this term extremely annoying.  

Groadie: Rating: Juvenile. Definition and Comments: A contraction of "gravel roadie" which is kind of ironic since most gravel riders would not identify as a roadie. In the end, it just comes off as some juvenile terminology for a cyclist which just sounds dumb to outsiders and exclusionary to the casual cyclist. It should be banished from our vocabulary. We're smarter than this......

Grav-Grav: Rating: Seriously? Definition and Comments: I've seen this used for what riding on gravel roads is, or for what the activity surrounding an event is, and frankly, it's really childish. I know.....I know. Some people are just being silly out there and trying to have some fun. #OkayBoomer Yeah......

Gravel Race/Event/Ride: This is a bit different, but this is a term that I wanted to cover because some folks are saying their events are "gravel" events when....well, are they really? I used to hold a standard for events wanting to get on my old Gravel Grinder News calendar. The event had to have a course with more than 50% of its mileage in gravel. It also could not have more than 10% of its course mileage in single track.

Imagine if these two simple prerequisites were in force for events today. I'm betting there would be a LOT fewer events under the "gravel" category. And frankly, I am okay with that. There are "back roads" events that should promote themselves as such, and there are fire road events that should present themselves as such. There are events with miles and miles of dirt roads that call themselves "gravel grinders" that should not call themselves that.

 See, this is what happened when we assigned the term "gravel" to mean "off-pavement cycling". It's misleading, it causes misunderstandings, and it ultimately turns many people off. I'm all for calling events on miles of crushed rock roads "gravel events", because that's what they are, and calling them that informs would-be participants that is what they can expect. Calling a ride with mostly dirt roads and pavement sections a "gravel grinder" is not informing would be participants correctly. Nor is it good to call a mostly paved ride with unpaved sectors a "gravel event".

To wrap things up: Again- these are just my thoughts and opinions, and a few comments I gathered from Twitter which seem to support my views. You may disagree. Cool!  I'm all ears and would love to hear the reasons why I am wrong, if you think I am. I also would love to know if you have other terms for the gravel scene which you've heard that you think are silly, dumb, or irritate the bejesus out of you. List those in the comments and I may do a "Part 2" on this. Stay tuned for a follow up on some other things I learned from Twitter users that are subjects that bother them related to gravel riding.That post will publish here on Saturday.

Gravel Grinder News: Guitar Ted Defines Gravel Riding Terms

It's a gravel road. Period.

 NOTE: Large doses of "my opinion" will be handed out in gloppy dollops today. You've been forewarned.....

This whole deal with riding bicycles on gravel has generated a huge trend in cycling. No doubt it is on par with the mountain bike craze of the 80's/90's and the "ten speed", so called "bike boom" of the 70's. Along with those bumps in bicycle popularity came several terms which remain in our bicycling vocabulary to this day. Today I am going to discuss, rate, and define some terms that have sprung up around this gravel cycling scene. Some well known, some maybe not so much.

First of all, I should disclose that I asked folks who follow me on Twitter about terms for gravel riding that annoyed them. Some of their feedback has informed today's post as well. 

My system will work like this: First I will list the "Term", then a rating of that term, then my definition and discussion, which may include bits of feedback I received on Twitter. Keep in mind that this is not an unabridged version, nor is it anyone else's opinion but my own when it comes to the veracity of the terms described here. This is my version of "the facts", and it may not conform to yours, or your beliefs.

With that said......onward.

"Gravel" (As A Category Within Cycling): Rating: Really Dumb. Definition and Comments: Well, anymore it is whatever marketing says is a product for riding off-pavement. I've seen shoes that ten years ago would have been readily accepted and described as "mountain bike shoes" now done up in a different color and with the "Gravel" label plastered onto the box the shoes come in. You get the picture here. Really this is an unfortunate and lazy label that grew from how the cycling industry understood cycling. Namely- from a racing perspective, and not as an "every-man's transportation, transformative" viewpoint, which is what I was advocating for back in the day. The term "gravel" is so limiting, and the cycling industry really has fouled the waters with the use of this term. But here we are. It's what we have to work with now. Still.....really dumb.


Gravel Bike (See Above Also): Rating: Unfortunate, uninspired, short-sighted. Definition and Comments: A bike that you ride on gravel, that works for what you want and are doing, is a gravel bike. That said, the industry is trying to move this category more towards what amounts to a wider tire clearanced road racing bike. This was not what I had wanted to see ten years ago. My vision was for an "any-road" bike that most people would be better served by, rather than the racing bike derived "road bikes" of the 90's-2000's. Bottom line: Many brands within the industry are bent upon ruining this category, seemingly. Ditto for many in the current entrenched cycling media.


Gravel Grinder (See Also "Grinder"): Rating: Cool if you know the history. Dumb if you don't. Definition and Comments: Completely misunderstood and misused term. Originally anyone training on road bikes on crushed rock roads in the Mid-West of the US called what they were doing "gravel grinding". This was a term coined back decades ago, long before Trans Iowa, and long before anyone ever thought riding on gravel roads was a "good thing", which, by the way, a LOT of people still think is a crazy idea. Nowadays many events call themselves "gravel grinders" because it seems like the thing to do, or because it makes their marketing sound more "mainstream gravel". All I know is that many times when the term is used out of context and without understanding where it came from it becomes annoying to many folks. (See "Gravel Race/Event/Ride" below)

This was called "gravel grindeing" for decades before the current gravel scene started. The term makes sense when applied correctly. (Image of T.I.v14 by Celeste Mathias)

 Groad (See Also "G-Road"): Rating: Really Dumb. Definition and Comments: A conjunction of the term "gravel road" I first saw used in an "Outside Online" article by Frank Bures in 2013 which was describing the burgeoning gravel scene. Whether or not Mr. Bures came up with this term, I've no idea, but I do know I was dismayed when I saw he used it. If the reaction I got from Twitter is any indication, most folks find this term extremely annoying.  

Groadie: Rating: Juvenile. Definition and Comments: A contraction of "gravel roadie" which is kind of ironic since most gravel riders would not identify as a roadie. In the end, it just comes off as some juvenile terminology for a cyclist which just sounds dumb to outsiders and exclusionary to the casual cyclist. It should be banished from our vocabulary. We're smarter than this......

Grav-Grav: Rating: Seriously? Definition and Comments: I've seen this used for what riding on gravel roads is, or for what the activity surrounding an event is, and frankly, it's really childish. I know.....I know. Some people are just being silly out there and trying to have some fun. #OkayBoomer Yeah......

Gravel Race/Event/Ride: This is a bit different, but this is a term that I wanted to cover because some folks are saying their events are "gravel" events when....well, are they really? I used to hold a standard for events wanting to get on my old Gravel Grinder News calendar. The event had to have a course with more than 50% of its mileage in gravel. It also could not have more than 10% of its course mileage in single track.

Imagine if these two simple prerequisites were in force for events today. I'm betting there would be a LOT fewer events under the "gravel" category. And frankly, I am okay with that. There are "back roads" events that should promote themselves as such, and there are fire road events that should present themselves as such. There are events with miles and miles of dirt roads that call themselves "gravel grinders" that should not call themselves that.

 See, this is what happened when we assigned the term "gravel" to mean "off-pavement cycling". It's misleading, it causes misunderstandings, and it ultimately turns many people off. I'm all for calling events on miles of crushed rock roads "gravel events", because that's what they are, and calling them that informs would-be participants that is what they can expect. Calling a ride with mostly dirt roads and pavement sections a "gravel grinder" is not informing would be participants correctly. Nor is it good to call a mostly paved ride with unpaved sectors a "gravel event".

To wrap things up: Again- these are just my thoughts and opinions, and a few comments I gathered from Twitter which seem to support my views. You may disagree. Cool!  I'm all ears and would love to hear the reasons why I am wrong, if you think I am. I also would love to know if you have other terms for the gravel scene which you've heard that you think are silly, dumb, or irritate the bejesus out of you. List those in the comments and I may do a "Part 2" on this. Stay tuned for a follow up on some other things I learned from Twitter users that are subjects that bother them related to gravel riding.That post will publish here on Saturday.

Winter Views: On The Way Out

Earthy tones against a washed out background.

Well, I am back at it again. yep! Winter is on its way outta here, despite a brief set back, and more signs of Spring are being noted out there in the country. I managed to get out North of town on Monday before the latest storm brought in colder temperatures and snow for a short time for the area.

I have been itching to get out, and seeing so many folks riding gravel already has made me a bit jealous, if I am honest. So I breathed a sigh of relief when I hit that mushy, wet, gravel road North of Waterloo Monday fore noon.

That's an interesting turn of phrase, "fore noon", which I heard my rural ancestors use when I was a little dude. It always referred to the eleven o'clock hour up till high noon. Before eleven o'clock was just "morning", but that hour from eleven to twelve o'clock got that special designation. Anyway......

A little philology for you all there.....

Flocks of dark birds, (NOT crows), were noted. Maybe starlings? I couldn't get close enough to tell. 

The roads were surprisingly firm, mostly clear of gravel, and wet and muddy where the Sun was starting to draw up the frost. This state of affairs will descend into mucky-madness once the Sun really starts to cook that frost out. Usually that takes about two weeks of good, solid 40's-50's, Sun, and warmer overnight temperatures to make it happen.

I saw two separate large flocks of small-ish black birds. Starlings? I can't say other than they definitely were NOT crows. These are birds that don't Winter here. Gotta figure the migration is on now and we should start seeing Red Wing Blackbirds, Robins, and hear the snow geese overhead soon if we're lucky.

Most fields still have a covering of snow North of Waterloo.

Interesting drifts here. Off the South side of the road instead of the North on this East-West road.

My daughter goes to a small college located just South of Waterloo a few miles. There the fields are clear, and snow is only found in the ditches. North of Waterloo almost every field still has snow covering it yet. Several early snow dumps were skirting just North of the city, and as a result, they have more snow cover up that way.

The wind was out of the Northeast, so I went that direction, North, then east, then North again, to get a tailwind push home. I ended up near Dunkerton before coming back again to Waterloo. I never really encountered anything that I was thinking made the ride worse. There were, as I already said, a few wet spots though where the frost was melting out.

Barns For Jason: I found a barn I hadn't seen yet on Raymond Road where it is gravel. 

I went the wrong way to start out my turn back toward Waterloo though. I kind of figured that taking Raymond Road would end up on pavement, and sure enough, I was right. Only a mile though to hop off on Big Rock Road. Then over to visit the big rock itself. Looked like someone had been there by the looks of a footprint I saw. Kinda looked like a cycling shoe/boot. Must have been pretty gooey when it was made since it was fairly deep into the road.

Not a barn for Jason, but a better shot of it than I had gotten before.

Then after the visit and a few images for RidingGravel.com, I was off to the "Truck With No Name" and back at home again. Tired, but feeling much better for having gotten in a gravel ride again. It's been far too long!

Winter Views: On The Way Out

Earthy tones against a washed out background.

Well, I am back at it again. yep! Winter is on its way outta here, despite a brief set back, and more signs of Spring are being noted out there in the country. I managed to get out North of town on Monday before the latest storm brought in colder temperatures and snow for a short time for the area.

I have been itching to get out, and seeing so many folks riding gravel already has made me a bit jealous, if I am honest. So I breathed a sigh of relief when I hit that mushy, wet, gravel road North of Waterloo Monday fore noon.

That's an interesting turn of phrase, "fore noon", which I heard my rural ancestors use when I was a little dude. It always referred to the eleven o'clock hour up till high noon. Before eleven o'clock was just "morning", but that hour from eleven to twelve o'clock got that special designation. Anyway......

A little philology for you all there.....

Flocks of dark birds, (NOT crows), were noted. Maybe starlings? I couldn't get close enough to tell. 

The roads were surprisingly firm, mostly clear of gravel, and wet and muddy where the Sun was starting to draw up the frost. This state of affairs will descend into mucky-madness once the Sun really starts to cook that frost out. Usually that takes about two weeks of good, solid 40's-50's, Sun, and warmer overnight temperatures to make it happen.

I saw two separate large flocks of small-ish black birds. Starlings? I can't say other than they definitely were NOT crows. These are birds that don't Winter here. Gotta figure the migration is on now and we should start seeing Red Wing Blackbirds, Robins, and hear the snow geese overhead soon if we're lucky.

Most fields still have a covering of snow North of Waterloo.

Interesting drifts here. Off the South side of the road instead of the North on this East-West road.

My daughter goes to a small college located just South of Waterloo a few miles. There the fields are clear, and snow is only found in the ditches. North of Waterloo almost every field still has snow covering it yet. Several early snow dumps were skirting just North of the city, and as a result, they have more snow cover up that way.

The wind was out of the Northeast, so I went that direction, North, then east, then North again, to get a tailwind push home. I ended up near Dunkerton before coming back again to Waterloo. I never really encountered anything that I was thinking made the ride worse. There were, as I already said, a few wet spots though where the frost was melting out.

Barns For Jason: I found a barn I hadn't seen yet on Raymond Road where it is gravel. 

I went the wrong way to start out my turn back toward Waterloo though. I kind of figured that taking Raymond Road would end up on pavement, and sure enough, I was right. Only a mile though to hop off on Big Rock Road. Then over to visit the big rock itself. Looked like someone had been there by the looks of a footprint I saw. Kinda looked like a cycling shoe/boot. Must have been pretty gooey when it was made since it was fairly deep into the road.

Not a barn for Jason, but a better shot of it than I had gotten before.

Then after the visit and a few images for RidingGravel.com, I was off to the "Truck With No Name" and back at home again. Tired, but feeling much better for having gotten in a gravel ride again. It's been far too long!

One Of The Stories Of The Decade?

Ten years ago we were putting on the sixth Trans Iowa already.

You may have seen this on Facebook, because I posted about this there on Sunday, but I came across an article linked by someone else for a completely different reason on a Florida gravel page. A link which led to a "Velo News" article about a "Story of the Decade" which was about gravel grinding. It apparently had appeared in the print version of the publication in December.

Okay......"So what". you may be thinking. Well, this article named me by name. Usually, whenever that happened in the past, I was notified right away by somebody. But not this time. Weird........ I guess that tells you something about magazines these days, eh? Maybe you read the article? (HERE) If you did, and didn't say anything, I apologize, but apparently no one I know, or that knows Jeff Kerkove, read this, or told either one of us about this. Maybe it isn't a big deal.......

Anyway, that aside, the article discusses how "gravel grew up", a popular muse for many in the entrenched cycling media these days. They seem to take pleasure in pointing out the biggest thing since sliced bread that everyone, (except perhaps the writers and editors), already has known about for......a very long time now. Some of us for over a decade. Most of us for at least 5-8 years. Where these yahoos have been I don't know.

I mean, people are sick of hearing about "gravel", and yet we keep seeing the genre described as the "hottest new thing in cycling" or a hayseed trend that now has been legitimized since, you know, real races and racers are doing it now. Or something....... I dunno. I just find this whole thing really silly. But as far as this article in particular is concerned, I understand it is coming from a viewpoint of covering the years 2010-2019. So, I've no quarrel with this particular post.

And  again, it amazes me.....apparently no one I know reads these articles. Or I'd have had it forwarded to me, I would have thought, by someone. And that's the oddest thing of all in my opinion. Used to be that if you had your name in print people would let you know about it pronto. And like I say, it wasn't just me, because Jeff commented that he hadn't known about it until I posted the link on Facebook. The article said we were named in a "story of the decade". Must not have been much of a story, huh?

One Of The Stories Of The Decade?

Ten years ago we were putting on the sixth Trans Iowa already.

You may have seen this on Facebook, because I posted about this there on Sunday, but I came across an article linked by someone else for a completely different reason on a Florida gravel page. A link which led to a "Velo News" article about a "Story of the Decade" which was about gravel grinding. It apparently had appeared in the print version of the publication in December.

Okay......"So what". you may be thinking. Well, this article named me by name. Usually, whenever that happened in the past, I was notified right away by somebody. But not this time. Weird........ I guess that tells you something about magazines these days, eh? Maybe you read the article? (HERE) If you did, and didn't say anything, I apologize, but apparently no one I know, or that knows Jeff Kerkove, read this, or told either one of us about this. Maybe it isn't a big deal.......

Anyway, that aside, the article discusses how "gravel grew up", a popular muse for many in the entrenched cycling media these days. They seem to take pleasure in pointing out the biggest thing since sliced bread that everyone, (except perhaps the writers and editors), already has known about for......a very long time now. Some of us for over a decade. Most of us for at least 5-8 years. Where these yahoos have been I don't know.

I mean, people are sick of hearing about "gravel", and yet we keep seeing the genre described as the "hottest new thing in cycling" or a hayseed trend that now has been legitimized since, you know, real races and racers are doing it now. Or something....... I dunno. I just find this whole thing really silly. But as far as this article in particular is concerned, I understand it is coming from a viewpoint of covering the years 2010-2019. So, I've no quarrel with this particular post.

And  again, it amazes me.....apparently no one I know reads these articles. Or I'd have had it forwarded to me, I would have thought, by someone. And that's the oddest thing of all in my opinion. Used to be that if you had your name in print people would let you know about it pronto. And like I say, it wasn't just me, because Jeff commented that he hadn't known about it until I posted the link on Facebook. The article said we were named in a "story of the decade". Must not have been much of a story, huh?

Spring Is Springing If You Look Close

I had to bury these a week and a half ago to keep them from getting bitten.

Last year at this time we were buried under the biggest pile of snow I had seen in years. This year? Swinging the other way, at least that's what I see. We've had snow, but not much, and there isn't much of that "not much" left. Spring is springing, but you have to pay attention to see it.

The cardinals are singing, things are trying to poke their heads above the icy crust and frozen dirt, and the Sun is higher in the sky again. February is drawing to a close and CIRREM, the late month gravel classic, is set to kick off the gravel season with a bang next weekend.

It was warm enough, for sure, this past weekend, but I felt under the weather, so I stuck close to home. I had plenty to keep me busy though, including a trip into work (!!!) on a Saturday. That's the first Saturday I have worked in.......I can't remember. Over a decade for sure. Maybe 15 years? I'm not complaining at all. I just felt odd going to work on a Saturday. It didn't last long though and I was back home doing errands and setting up the Noble GX5 for "Slop Season" with these new Topeak D-Flash fenders. Fenders? Okay......spray deflectors. Yeah, that's probably a better description for them though.

Fitting these things was a bit of a trick due to the design of the Noble GX5. It doesn't have traditional stays but rather a mono-stay design. This makes for a closer clearance between the frame and the tire. Squeezing that D-Flash deflector in between the tire, a 40mm Vittoria Terreno dry that measures 43mm, and the mono-stay was tricky and left little clearance. But I got it in there!

Another sign of Spring's arrival- Mud guards. Or....deflectors?

Fenders are on three bikes, tires are set, and gear has been readied. It's going to be time to get out there soon. But of course, we aren't quite through with Winter just yet. Tuesday into Wednesday we're supposed to get a dump of snow and it is supposed to be colder the rest of the week. But the Sun will eventually win and we'll be out there on the gravel full-time real soon.

Spring won't be held back by this last gasp of Winter!