cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/45756453

There are a lot of back roads in WNC that are great for gravel biking. Here is a short list to get you started.

If you ride gravel in the western part of the state, you already know this place is built for it. Forest roads, river crossings, and climbs that make you question your choices. These are a few that are worth the effort.

1. Maple Sally Road (Caldwell and Burke Counties) This is the one everyone talks about. About 18 miles of gravel through Pisgah that goes from smooth to busted in a hurry. You get steep climbs, switchbacks, and the kind of quiet where you hear your own tires echo. No stores, no water, no help so plan ahead.

2. Wilson Creek Old Forest Service roads and river tracks that twist forever. Brown Mountain Beach Road and FS 192 are the main ones. Expect deep gravel, wet boots, and some of the best riding you’ll find.

3. Curtis Creek to Old Fort A steady ten-mile climb that doesn’t quit until you hit the Parkway. No traffic, no sound but your breathing. Good loop options down Newberry Creek or into Marion if you want more punishment.

4. Bent Creek to Mills River Closer to Asheville and good for weekday rides. A mix of pavement, hardpack, and loose gravel. Nothing crazy, just solid miles through forest.

5. Tsali and Fontana Lake Backroads The singletrack crowd ignores this part, but the gravel around Fontana Lake is quiet and scenic. Long stretches where you won’t see a soul.

6. Lake James to Linville Gorge Rough, steep, and worth every curse word. Gravel climbs with Table Rock and Shortoff in view. Bring low gears and patience.

None of this is fancy. It’s just hard roads, good views, and that quiet space you get when you’re too tired to talk.

If you’ve got other routes, drop them. And if you haven’t hit Maple Sally yet, go fix that.

I just thought I would ask the question and see what everyone is riding. I have a Surly Ogre with corner bars. I also have a GT Pro that I have modded a little.

My 10y old upgraded from MTB (24'') to a 26'' Gravel today and he is absolutely loving it.

26'' Gravel bikes are hard to find in Germany but luckily I found a distributor (Meipel) just 30km from where I live. Today we visited them for testing and pickup.

It comes with Microshift and a mechanical Tektro that was a real pain in the butt to adjust but for the price of 800€ it is totally fine.

Enshittification striking in full blow, I'm personally taking a look at wanderer.to (mentioned in the article) but have no idea how that works: did anyone try it?

Just a heads up for who's interested: don't underestimate the importance of tire pressure on comfort and safety. There are several online tools for choosing the best tire pressure according to different parameters. At the link you find the one by Silca that is highly regarded.

As gravel bikes are generally rigid and rely on the tires to attenuate vibrations and absorb impacts, the correct pressure is key. I hope this could be useful to someone, I will add it to the sidebar.

Canyon has updated the Grizl with less sporty geometry, newest Shimano components and presents two interesting products:

• Full Mounty Cockpit: backpacking oriented funky bars
• ECLIPS integrated battery for lights (from Lupine) and accessories (nothing to do with e-bikes)

Another very interesting new product by Canyon is the recently released Endurance Allroad as a good value proposal with Shimano Cues gearing and 45mm tires.

Crossposted from https://feddit.org/post/14626025

Good and many things from Shimano recently: After MTB groupsets revamp, fully wireless comes to GRX.

Live coverage starts at 10AM CDT (UTC -5)

Elite men start at 5:50 AM, women 6:05.

Event website

Pulling the bike out now that the snow's mostly melted way up here and realizing I probably need a new chain based on stretch last year... what's your chain (and other bits) maintenance routine? I definitely need to get something better going than a casual clean... I guess streams/mud/insane amounts of road dust are pretty hard on the system.

Did the the 36-mile Barry-Roubaix with a 197X Raleigh Record. It was fun but I can't say I recommend this kind of bike build

Wanted to build a thru axle gravel bike, first ride impressions are awesome, easy to throw around and silent. Juin F1 brakes with compressionless bowden housing, this is now on par with fully hydraulic systems. Still some final details to iron out, very happy with it so far.

Now I just need to go tubeless.

Does riding on wet Gravel suck, or is it me? Felt like I was trudging through quick sand.

I already have a cross bike (bought new last year) that works pretty well for gravel with a number of gravel races and lots of miles and elevation on it with no problem. A local guy is selling a gravel specific bike that I love the look of but is essentially the same geometry although a little shorter wheelbase and 650b tires.

Other than n+1, why should I buy a gravel bike? Wrong answers only. Bonus points for adressing the inevitable eye rolls from the SO about another bike in the garage.