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Does anybody actually have "Gravel Roads" near them?

So...when every other review now refers to a bike's potential on "gravel", does anybody have any actual Gravel Roads (like the US big brand marketing teams think we need their bikes to ride on) near them?  

Near me, we only have crap tarmac and grassy/rooty/occasionally stony bridleways.

 

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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48 comments

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. . | 6 years ago
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Cannock Chase.  Dry sandy/gravel trails.   The gravel bike laps it up.

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Yorkshire wallet | 6 years ago
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So the long and short of it is that gravel bikes are used on exactly the same paths/roads mountain bikes have used since their invention?

Nothing like the marketing machine to convince you need a new tool for job you could already do. 

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edster99 | 6 years ago
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The Ridgeway from Avebury northwards defintiely counts.  Although chalky gravel.

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shufflingb | 6 years ago
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If we're talking exclusively about mile upon mile of "gravel" in the Bedford, UK then no. But if mud/grass and other hardcore rideable surfaces are allowed into the mix then around Bedford there is more than enough to create 100km + routes that run primarily on it, or very quiet roads e.g. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/25598985

In 2000 there was apparently an estimated 18,350 miles of bridleways, and 4,500 of byways in England alone.  There is definitely an "art" to figuring out what's going to be fun riding, depending on seasons, foliage etc. But nationally, my experience has been that there is no shortage of places where Gravel/Adventure/All-Road bikes make a lot of sense.

Telegraph Hill on the Icknield Way just outside of Luton ...

 

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Johnnystorm replied to Yorkshire wallet | 6 years ago
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Yorkshire wallet wrote:

So the long and short of it is that gravel bikes are used on exactly the same paths/roads mountain bikes have used since their invention?

Nothing like the marketing machine to convince you need a new tool for job you could already do. 

You can ride anything on any bike. Might not be the best tool for the job. My Arkose is faster off road than my CR1-SL and faster on road than my Charge 29er. All on the same ride.

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dorkingdan | 6 years ago
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Nope - not in Surrey. Or certainly not enough that doesn’t have odd sections that are really mtb terrain. Downs Link is closest and a good example: most of it is do-able on a gravel/road/cx bike - but there are enough muddy stretches and bits of proper off-road that it’s so much faster and easier on a hard tail mtb or ‘proper’ CX bike (nobbly tyres). 

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matthewn5 | 6 years ago
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Lee Valley tow path is as near as any Londoner gets to a proper gravel road.

You need to go to Oz to get proper ones... My nephew lives out there and is always posting idyllic photos to Instagram of him and his mates riding gravel... this is in typical of where he rides in the Adelaide Hills:

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And this is further north, in the Flinders Ranges

//instagram.flhr3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/vp/6748af091d10d362abebd88ed697dd23/5B1E70B2/t51.2885-15/s640x640/sh0.08/e35/21577338_874415302734213_8513947072821460992_n.jpg)

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Crashboy replied to matthewn5 | 6 years ago
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matthewn5 wrote:

Lee Valley tow path is as near as any Londoner gets to a proper gravel road.

You need to go to Oz to get proper ones... My nephew lives out there and is always posting idyllic photos to Instagram of him and his mates riding gravel... this is in typical of where he rides in the Adelaide Hills:

//instagram.flhr3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/vp/c68ebb6d6465a93033dba12a27612e2f/5B1E69AC/t51.2885-15/s640x640/sh0.08/e35/27879229_176092823116326_446572926863409152_n.jpg)

And this is further north, in the Flinders Ranges

//instagram.flhr3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/vp/6748af091d10d362abebd88ed697dd23/5B1E70B2/t51.2885-15/s640x640/sh0.08/e35/21577338_874415302734213_8513947072821460992_n.jpg)

 

Yep.  That'll do me! 

 

 

 

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Giles Pargiter | 6 years ago
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All across the hills and through the forestry - miles and miles, here in Wales. Sounds as if such a bike would be good for you as well.

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mattydubster | 6 years ago
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I have a full sus mtb which I save for forests and mountain trips, and I have a gravel bike which does 'everything else'.  I live in Norfolk and most of the off road stuff around here is mud.  But that's the absolute beauty of gravel bikes - you ride on tarmac, see a trail and off you go.  They're pretty comfortable on everything.

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Boatsie | 6 years ago
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Having lived in an old chapel in Meadows; southern hills of Adelaide, there were many flat dirt roads nearby. Jupiter mines to the North, Ki-po forest (can't spell name properly /memory) to the south. Had a mountain bike then, gravel bikes weren't marketed but would be very suited to the shady trails; especially kipo and the short road rides to get there.
Mate was on a light weight bmx, fun relaxing trails on any bikes. We used to complain about the road distance back then but a gravel bike could have been perfect.
Spent plenty of years living out of motels along the Hume hwy(Australias busiest road) just south of Sydney). Never rode bikes there but the many fire tracks would be perfect on a gravel bike. 100s of kms worth of hilly gravel roads. If I lived near there I would definitely consider a wide tyre road bike as my entertainment.

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JohnnyRemo | 6 years ago
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Any amount of forest tracks and trails in Scotland including this one - once used as Ayrshire's "Strada Bianche"

 

 

 

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cdean | 6 years ago
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I took a bike to Cornwall on holiday last year and ended up on the Goss Moor path which is a wide, white gravelled path (see photo). It was great fun. I also ended up on a ridiculously muddy and rocky bridleway, which is more typical of British ‘gravel’ riding! 

 

I’m in Bristol too and echo gonedownhill’s comment. The pill path up the other side of the river from the portway is good.

 

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gonedownhill | 6 years ago
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If anyone knows of any decent ones in Bristol please do share. Only really Leigh woods that I know of and they definitely aren't gravel.

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fenix | 6 years ago
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I'm jealous - plenty of decent roads to ride around but i can only think of one ex railway path that is a footpath too and so not suitable for speedy rides when people are round. 

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BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
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I think there are some trails near me but I haven't been off road for an age, now I've built a road type bike to do exactly that and acquired some wider boots I'll have to crack the old OS out and pinpoint some likely candidates.

Certainly nothing like what is shown in the ads I agree.

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ChetManley | 6 years ago
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Yes, lots around Bedfordshire. Old quarries 2 minutes from my house, tree plantations, drovers roads, farm access routes, the ancient Icknield way.

Not mile after mile of them, but a lot if you know how to link them up.

Outside of gravel riding, a gravel bike is very practical all rounder.

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SingleSpeed | 6 years ago
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Nope, but I once took a Tarmac Demo bike round the MTB trails at Haldon.

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asdfqwerty | 6 years ago
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I've ridden gravel roads in Colorado that are smoother than most sealed roads in the UK. I wish we had some of that here, though forestry commission tracks are sometimes decent.

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Crashboy replied to asdfqwerty | 6 years ago
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asdfqwerty wrote:

I've ridden gravel roads in Colorado that are smoother than most sealed roads in the UK. I wish we had some of that here, though forestry commission tracks are sometimes decent.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if some almost inaccessible  poor or war torn thirld world countries have better road surfaces than parts of the UK.

 

Whichever way I route my short daily commute my Marathon Mondials take a severe hammering - for the off road riding I do, they're ace; but for a touring tyre recommended for traversing the world with minimal punctures, they are not doing so well on 18KM per day on my route to work - and I've tried many types of tyres, all the same story.  A gravel road (whichever definition we choose) would be easier on them I think!

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kevvjj | 6 years ago
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Yes

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Bmblbzzz | 6 years ago
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Parts of the Fosse Way south of Cirencester are gravel. Other parts are mud, and tarmac. Probably mostly mud, really. 

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Luv2ride replied to Bmblbzzz | 6 years ago
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Bmblbzzz wrote:

Parts of the Fosse Way south of Cirencester are gravel. Other parts are mud, and tarmac. Probably mostly mud, really. 

Parts of that start near to where I live, but late last year long sections got "resurfaced" using huge chunks of aggregate.  Made it almost unrideable on my bike even though running 700x40mm tubeless, and I think walkers and horses were struggling with it too.  A real shame.

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alansmurphy | 6 years ago
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Ha ha, apologies, I'm in a grump.

 

There's just a few on here that reckon we've all been duped - they must be on a steel frame with 23 tyres and an 11-23 cassette. I may coin the term 'do it all drop-bar' as I reckon many gravel bikes are part cross, part road/pothole, part sod it and ride!

 

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pwake | 6 years ago
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Loads in Texas. Heading out this weekend for a 100k gravel ride, about 3k will be on paved roads. Might be worth a look at Gravelmap.com; looks like people are uploading sections in the UK.

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Edgeley | 6 years ago
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Yes,  mostly the Sustrans tracks which have been "patched"with loose chippings. 

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IanEdward | 6 years ago
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Yes, loads, plus I've plotted a few routes recently either using Google Map or Strava where what appeared to be a road turned out to be farm track of some sort. Thankfully it's been winter so I've been on my 'gravel' bike (my singlespeed drop bar commuter with 38c tyres) and it's been a fun diversion off the tarmac.

Problem is I don't want to use my singlespeed for the sort of long hilly routes I've planned for the summer, makes me wish I could fit bigger than 25mm tyres on my road bike, next bike will  definitely be 'gravel'!

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Boatsie | 6 years ago
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Yes although mtb, bmx preferred due to lumps and rhythms. Almost assembled a 38mm road bike but that's because I feel old and comfy nice on not so good bitumen. Can't imagine it being as quick as a tiny frame on the loose stuff. Sorta avoiding hurt nowadays.

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Leviathan | 6 years ago
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Lots of them here, Mersey valley/Chorlton Water Park.

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Crampy | 6 years ago
2 likes

We have a great many here around Oslo, Norway. Google «Nordmarka». Its all gravel.

My CX bike is used more on gravel than a CX course.

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