Why do some walk their bikes across gravel?



In article <[email protected]>,
catzz66 <[email protected]> wrote:

> Mike Reed wrote:
> > I people walking a lot, but I've always just ridden over gravel
> > (parking lots and such). What's the motivation to walk or even carry
> > your road bike?
> >
> > I guess with a high-end TT rig, if you picked up a pebble, it could
> > tear sh*t up between the tire and frame. Could this be it? I've see a
> > lot of standard road bikes being walked too.
> >
> > I'd rather have my tires on gravel than my cleats.
> >
> > Example from yesterday (TT bike):
> > http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2...nelibere06/dauphinelibere063/Dauphine06-s3-01

Considering how hard those guys and their mechanics work on TT bike
prep, I'd say that they have a better-than-usual reason to be fussy
about not mussing up the bike.

> Riding on gravel feels like riding on ball bearings with skinny tired
> slicks.

Yes... so I've heard...

http://descantes.com/2006/HarrisRoubaix/Men12/

You'd have to be crazy to do that sort of thing...

http://descantes.com/2006/HarrisRoubaix/Men45/pages/IMG_8622.htm

Such a surface is probably all but unrideable in the wet...

http://descantes.com/2006/HarrisRoubaix/Men45/pages/IMG_8681.htm

ObHonesty: that course was a harrowing bit of craziness on the
gravel/mud section. Your wheels just sort of wandered, all while you're
trying to avoid the occasional mudhole.

That said, I DNF'd 3/5ths through because I was rear-ended on the paved
section.

--
Ryan Cousineau [email protected] http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos
 
John Forrest Tomlinson wrote:
> On Fri, 09 Jun 2006 00:04:25 GMT, "Sorni"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>> And none of the three failures
>> I described had anything to do with the
>> type of pavement we were on
>
> Then what is the point of your story about the ride. That your cleat
> broke on gravel? OK. I guess that's useful info...but what does the
> subsequent ride have to do with anything.

What a guy!
 

> I used to tense up and reach for the brakes. Now, on the rare
> occasions that can't help it I don't even change anything -- just keep
> going straight normally. And I've never fallen on ice on a bike. But
> it still scare me a lot.
>
> JT
>
>
> ****************************
> Remove "remove" to reply
> Visit http://www.jt10000.com
> ****************************

The less changes you make in balance/grip, the less chance of crashing.
That works in (deep) sand too.
 

>
> From the way the story was written, I assumed (incorrectly) that those
> broken bikes were due in some way to the gravel.
>
> I dont' understand what all the broken bike stuff has to do with this
> thread if it didn't occur on gravel. I'm sorry if that sounds
> threatening to you -- I just want to know what your point was.
>
> JT
>
> ****************************
> Remove "remove" to reply
> Visit http://www.jt10000.com
> ****************************

Well, I also thought you were coming on rather strong. And I found the
short anecdote of Sorni amusing^^
 
On 8 Jun 2006 20:34:50 -0700, "Jay Beattie" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>
>John Forrest Tomlinson wrote:
>> On 8 Jun 2006 18:40:58 -0700, "Mike Reed" <[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >Yeah, I've ridden a lot of ice and snow on my road bike. I guess that
>> >contributes to my confidence. I have pretty much refused to use a
>> >trainer my whole life, so you have to get out there...
>>
>> Ice scares me a lot. If I see ice on the road ahead I'll avoid riding
>> over it. I'm impressed if you can deal with ice -- I can't.
>
>It's one of those self-fulfilling prophecies, too. I see the ice; I
>tense up -- that first squirm comes, and I instinctively go for my
>front brake. I have to really beat myself into laying off the front
>brake.
I used to tense up and reach for the brakes. Now, on the rare
occasions that can't help it I don't even change anything -- just keep
going straight normally. And I've never fallen on ice on a bike. But
it still scare me a lot.

JT


****************************
Remove "remove" to reply
Visit http://www.jt10000.com
****************************
 
On Fri, 09 Jun 2006 06:50:06 GMT, "Sorni"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>John Forrest Tomlinson wrote:
>> On Fri, 09 Jun 2006 00:04:25 GMT, "Sorni"
>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> And none of the three failures
>>> I described had anything to do with the
>>> type of pavement we were on
>>
>> Then what is the point of your story about the ride. That your cleat
>> broke on gravel? OK. I guess that's useful info...but what does the
>> subsequent ride have to do with anything.
>
>What a guy!

From the way the story was written, I assumed (incorrectly) that those
broken bikes were due in some way to the gravel.

I dont' understand what all the broken bike stuff has to do with this
thread if it didn't occur on gravel. I'm sorry if that sounds
threatening to you -- I just want to know what your point was.

JT

****************************
Remove "remove" to reply
Visit http://www.jt10000.com
****************************
 
On 9 Jun 2006 02:33:55 -0700, "Tuschinski" <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>>
>> From the way the story was written, I assumed (incorrectly) that those
>> broken bikes were due in some way to the gravel.
>>
>> I dont' understand what all the broken bike stuff has to do with this
>> thread if it didn't occur on gravel. I'm sorry if that sounds
>> threatening to you -- I just want to know what your point was.
>
>Well, I also thought you were coming on rather strong. And I found the
>short anecdote of Sorni amusing^^

Thanks,

JT


****************************
Remove "remove" to reply
Visit http://www.jt10000.com
****************************
 
Lou Holtman <[email protected]> wrote:

> You don't get cuts in your Michelin Pro2's? Some people want to minimize
> the chance of getting cuts in their tires.

I guess some, here and there. I'm not sure how big of a problem that is
supposed to be. I don't get many flats.

-as
 
Ryan Cousineau wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> catzz66 <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > Mike Reed wrote:
> > > I people walking a lot, but I've always just ridden over gravel
> > > (parking lots and such). What's the motivation to walk or even carry
> > > your road bike?
> > >
> > > I guess with a high-end TT rig, if you picked up a pebble, it could
> > > tear sh*t up between the tire and frame. Could this be it? I've see a
> > > lot of standard road bikes being walked too.
> > >
> > > I'd rather have my tires on gravel than my cleats.
> > >
> > > Example from yesterday (TT bike):
> > > http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2...nelibere06/dauphinelibere063/Dauphine06-s3-01
>
> Considering how hard those guys and their mechanics work on TT bike
> prep, I'd say that they have a better-than-usual reason to be fussy
> about not mussing up the bike.
>
> > Riding on gravel feels like riding on ball bearings with skinny tired
> > slicks.
>
> Yes... so I've heard...
>
> http://descantes.com/2006/HarrisRoubaix/Men12/
>
> You'd have to be crazy to do that sort of thing...
>
> http://descantes.com/2006/HarrisRoubaix/Men45/pages/IMG_8622.htm
>
> Such a surface is probably all but unrideable in the wet...
>
> http://descantes.com/2006/HarrisRoubaix/Men45/pages/IMG_8681.htm
>
> ObHonesty: that course was a harrowing bit of craziness on the
> gravel/mud section. Your wheels just sort of wandered, all while you're
> trying to avoid the occasional mudhole.
>
> That said, I DNF'd 3/5ths through because I was rear-ended on the paved
> section.
>
> --
> Ryan Cousineau [email protected] http://www.wiredcola.com/
> "I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
> to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos

Yeah, Boulder Roubaix is equally impossible to ride:
http://bikeabout.net/ZExtra/PhotoGallery/BldrRbaix/BldrRbaix/0408BldrRoubaix065.jpg

Especially in the corners:
http://bikeabout.net/ZExtra/PhotoGallery/BldrRbaix/BldrRbaix/0408BldrRoubaix055.jpg

But you have to stay out of the soft stuff (note that this still isn't
a crash...):
http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2002/apr02/colorado_local/RK637.jpg
 
John Forrest Tomlinson wrote:
> On 8 Jun 2006 20:34:50 -0700, "Jay Beattie" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>> John Forrest Tomlinson wrote:
>>> On 8 Jun 2006 18:40:58 -0700, "Mike Reed" <[email protected]>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Yeah, I've ridden a lot of ice and snow on my road bike. I guess that
>>>> contributes to my confidence. I have pretty much refused to use a
>>>> trainer my whole life, so you have to get out there...
>>> Ice scares me a lot. If I see ice on the road ahead I'll avoid riding
>>> over it. I'm impressed if you can deal with ice -- I can't.
>> It's one of those self-fulfilling prophecies, too. I see the ice; I
>> tense up -- that first squirm comes, and I instinctively go for my
>> front brake. I have to really beat myself into laying off the front
>> brake.
> I used to tense up and reach for the brakes. Now, on the rare
> occasions that can't help it I don't even change anything -- just keep
> going straight normally. And I've never fallen on ice on a bike. But
> it still scare me a lot.

I ride all winter (Boston) and found that ice threat was really taking
the fun out of it, so I invested in studded tires for my road bike (700
x 35). I keep them on a spare wheel set for those days when ice is
likely. After that, I became an "ice biker", getting another set for my
MTB and looking for ice to ride on, particularly off-road. When we get
the relatively rare condition of frozen saturated snow, it's like the
woods have been paved -- the most fun I've ever had on a bike.
 
John Forrest Tomlinson wrote:
> On Thu, 08 Jun 2006 14:52:41 -0400, Peter Cole
> <[email protected]> wrote:

>> I think that MTB riding really helps develop skills that come in handy
>> at times on the road -- like loose surfaces.
>
> Yeah. And the other thing is to just get out there and ride on bad or
> loose stuff with your road bike. Your skills will improve and you'll
> have more terrain to have fun on.

When mountain biking gets a bit stale I find it refreshing to take a
road bike onto the trails. What's really fun is to come upon a group of
fully outfitted MTB riders and watch their faces -- they look at you
like you're a Martian.
 
On Thu, 08 Jun 2006 23:31:35 GMT, "Sorni"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>John Forrest Tomlinson wrote:
>> Buck up my friend, buck up.
>>
>> http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/stick...://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/stickboiy/my_photos
>
>You lost me...twice.

I think he was trying to say something to the effect of "Things will
not always go so badly." That looked like a fun ride in the photos.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.
 
On Thu, 08 Jun 2006 14:52:37 -0400, Ernie Willson
<[email protected]> wrote:

>3. Really deep loose gravel/small rocks. In this situation the front
>wheel moves from side to side relative to your forward direction. It is
>very difficult to move your center of gravity around fast enough to stay
>upright. Try to stay upright by going slow and using legs for support as
>necessary.
>
>The solutions that I have found, whether on a bike or motorcycle are to
>either walk the bike, or proceed very slowly.

There's a nominal bike path[1] near here which has one section that's
often subject to building up an accumulation of very soft sand along
the edges. Straying into that sand with a roadie or narrow-tire
hybrid at any speed above a slow walk has much the same effect that
you describe. I avoid that stretch by taking to the streets and
riding around the park it traverses.



[1] It's mapped as one, but it's older, narrower, in worse shape, and
IME more likely to be overrun with pedestrians than most.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.
 
In article <[email protected]>,
"Mike Reed" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Ryan Cousineau wrote:
> > In article <[email protected]>,
> > catzz66 <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> > > Mike Reed wrote:
> > > > I people walking a lot, but I've always just ridden over gravel
> > > > (parking lots and such). What's the motivation to walk or even carry
> > > > your road bike?
> > > >
> > > > I guess with a high-end TT rig, if you picked up a pebble, it could
> > > > tear sh*t up between the tire and frame. Could this be it? I've see a
> > > > lot of standard road bikes being walked too.
> > > >
> > > > I'd rather have my tires on gravel than my cleats.
> > > >
> > > > Example from yesterday (TT bike):
> > > > http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2006/jun06/dauphinelibere06/index.php?
> > > > id=/photos/2006/jun06/dauphinelibere06/dauphinelibere063/Dauphine06-s3-0
> > > > 1
> >
> > Considering how hard those guys and their mechanics work on TT bike
> > prep, I'd say that they have a better-than-usual reason to be fussy
> > about not mussing up the bike.
> >
> > > Riding on gravel feels like riding on ball bearings with skinny tired
> > > slicks.

> > You'd have to be crazy to do that sort of thing...
> >
> > http://descantes.com/2006/HarrisRoubaix/Men45/pages/IMG_8622.htm

> Yeah, Boulder Roubaix is equally impossible to ride:

> But you have to stay out of the soft stuff (note that this still isn't
> a crash...):
> http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2002/apr02/colorado_local/RK637.jpg

That's just a classic dirt-bike berm-riding technique. Excellent form!

http://descantes.com/2005/HarrisRoubaix/

Okay, yeah, that's a crash.

--
Ryan Cousineau [email protected] http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos
 
In article <[email protected]>, Werehatrack
([email protected]) wrote:

> There's a nominal bike path[1] near here which has one section that's
> often subject to building up an accumulation of very soft sand along
> the edges. Straying into that sand with a roadie or narrow-tire
> hybrid at any speed above a slow walk has much the same effect that
> you describe. I avoid that stretch by taking to the streets and
> riding around the park it traverses.

Try the road down to Spurn Head at the mouth of the River Humber in East
Yorkshire. For most of the 5 km from the entrance, there's sand all
over the road and, to add interest, a 2 km stretch in the middle is
surfaced with concrete blocks not dissimilar to cobbles in feel.
Someone described it as "Lawrence of Arabia Does Paris-Roubaix"; I was
rather glad of the extra wheel...

--
Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/>
A *National* Socialist Government did you say, Mr. Chaplin?
 
Werehatrack wrote:
> On Thu, 08 Jun 2006 23:31:35 GMT, "Sorni"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> John Forrest Tomlinson wrote:
>>> Buck up my friend, buck up.
>>>
>>> http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/stick...://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/stickboiy/my_photos

>> You lost me...twice.

> I think he was trying to say something to the effect of "Things will
> not always go so badly." That looked like a fun ride in the photos.

No, he was making the point that his group rides more challenging terrain
with superior equipment, and if my group would just do things his way
we'd've not suffered the mishaps experienced on our ultimately aborted ride.
(He misunderstood the reasons for our mechanicals, and why I mentioned them;
since cleared up more or less.)

I agree, however, his group's ride looked like fun.
 
Tuschinski wrote:
> > I used to tense up and reach for the brakes. Now, on the rare
> > occasions that can't help it I don't even change anything -- just keep
> > going straight normally. And I've never fallen on ice on a bike. But
> > it still scare me a lot.
> >
> > JT
> >
> >
> > ****************************
> > Remove "remove" to reply
> > Visit http://www.jt10000.com
> > ****************************
>
> The less changes you make in balance/grip, the less chance of crashing.
> That works in (deep) sand too.

Another OT comment -- out on the Columbia River Gorge, there is a
bridge crossing the Columbia called The Bridge of the Gods. It has an
old metal-grate deck that tends to steer your bike. You look down
through the deck about 130 feet to the water below (I hate heights).
There are winds that often blow you towards the railing and RVs in the
lane. That is another place where I have to make myself relax through
the shoulders and take a very straight line. Super pretty ride, though.
-- Jay Beattie.
 
On 9 Jun 2006 10:52:19 -0700, "Jay Beattie" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>
>Tuschinski wrote:
>> > I used to tense up and reach for the brakes. Now, on the rare
>> > occasions that can't help it I don't even change anything -- just keep
>> > going straight normally. And I've never fallen on ice on a bike. But
>> > it still scare me a lot.
>> >
>> > JT
>> >
>> >
>> > ****************************
>> > Remove "remove" to reply
>> > Visit http://www.jt10000.com
>> > ****************************
>>
>> The less changes you make in balance/grip, the less chance of crashing.
>> That works in (deep) sand too.
>
>Another OT comment -- out on the Columbia River Gorge, there is a
>bridge crossing the Columbia called The Bridge of the Gods. It has an
>old metal-grate deck that tends to steer your bike. You look down
>through the deck about 130 feet to the water below (I hate heights).
>There are winds that often blow you towards the railing and RVs in the
>lane. That is another place where I have to make myself relax through
>the shoulders and take a very straight line. Super pretty ride, though.
>-- Jay Beattie.

Dear Jay,

Shudder . . .

Please remove "you" everywhere in that damned post.

You, Jay, merely hate heights.

I, on the other hand, have to switch the channel after a minute or two
if I stumble across a mountain-climbing documentary.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel
 
[email protected] wrote:
>
<snip>

> >Another OT comment -- out on the Columbia River Gorge, there is a
> >bridge crossing the Columbia called The Bridge of the Gods. It has an
> >old metal-grate deck that tends to steer your bike. You look down
> >through the deck about 130 feet to the water below (I hate heights).
> >There are winds that often blow you towards the railing and RVs in the
> >lane. That is another place where I have to make myself relax through
> >the shoulders and take a very straight line. Super pretty ride, though.
> >-- Jay Beattie.
>
> Dear Jay,
>
> Shudder . . .
>
> Please remove "you" everywhere in that damned post.
>
> You, Jay, merely hate heights.
>
> I, on the other hand, have to switch the channel after a minute or two
> if I stumble across a mountain-climbing documentary.
>
> Cheers,
>
Check this out. You can see up (not down) through the deck.
http://tinyurl.com/mrrg2 -- Jay Beattie.
 
On 9 Jun 2006 13:41:28 -0700, "Jay Beattie" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>
>[email protected] wrote:
>>
><snip>
>
>> >Another OT comment -- out on the Columbia River Gorge, there is a
>> >bridge crossing the Columbia called The Bridge of the Gods. It has an
>> >old metal-grate deck that tends to steer your bike. You look down
>> >through the deck about 130 feet to the water below (I hate heights).
>> >There are winds that often blow you towards the railing and RVs in the
>> >lane. That is another place where I have to make myself relax through
>> >the shoulders and take a very straight line. Super pretty ride, though.
>> >-- Jay Beattie.
>>
>> Dear Jay,
>>
>> Shudder . . .
>>
>> Please remove "you" everywhere in that damned post.
>>
>> You, Jay, merely hate heights.
>>
>> I, on the other hand, have to switch the channel after a minute or two
>> if I stumble across a mountain-climbing documentary.
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>Check this out. You can see up (not down) through the deck.
>http://tinyurl.com/mrrg2 -- Jay Beattie.

Dear Jay,

Whatever it is, I'm not going to look.

These goddamn things already haunt my dreams:

http://www.trentobike.org/Countries/Europe/Tour_Reports/Tour_of_the_Alps/Gallery/vertigo.jpg
http://www.paloaltobicycles.com/alps_photos/s25.html
http://www.paloaltobicycles.com/alps_photos/s42.html
http://www.paloaltobicycles.com/alps_photos/s87.html

Shiver . . .

Carl Fogel
 
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