How To Avoid These 8 Gravel Riding Mistakes

Gravel riding is becoming ever more popular, and all of the GCN presenters have now taken part in at least one gravel event - except Dan Lloyd! We've made all the mistakes, and learnt a thing or two in how to avoid them, so here is a list of all the basic mistakes you could be making, and how you can make sure they don't happen to you!

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:34 - Loose bolts and lost bottles
1:39 - Picking the wrong trail
2:32 - Sliding Out In Corners
3:45 - Pumping up tyres too hard
4:36 - Wearing the wrong shoes
5:34 - Don't sweat the bags!
6:10 - Enjoy gravel culture
7:03 - Don't go off too hard

Useful Links:

Do you have any gravel tips? Let us know in the comments below!👇

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[davidmiller]

Yesterday I was on a road bike ride and passed a gravel road. I pulled a u-turn and decided to try out my endurance bike (Giant Defy Advanced) on the gravel for the first time. It was great (I didn't ride fast)! Smooth, predictable, no issues and it took me back to a remote pond that I never would have gone to. It reminded me of when I was a kid and had one bike that I road everywhere. We humans tend to get a little too specialized sometimes and forget that maybe our bike is a little more versatile than we think. Get a bike and ride it everywhere you can!

[josephlevacher]

Hey GCN. You guys and gals should come and ride our 200km gravel trail called " Le Ptit Train du Nord " located 30min north of Montréal, Québec Canada. It's the old railroad track that helped colonise the Laurentian mountains north of Montréal. It is now a gravel trail dotted with small towns and for Manon's happiness, cafés. It stretches between Mont-Laurier to St-Jérôme. Beautiful trail in the forest following the "Rivière du Nord". I commute on it everyday. Come for a visit.

[Hawky]

Found my first gravel bike I fell in love at first sight with (Rock Machine Gravelride 500) in one shop just two months ago, after 3 months of occasionally visiting bike shops (shortage of bikes over here). Started rides in 20-30 km range, the last one was 60 km and I felt it was maybe 10 km too long for my fitness yet. But I do enjoy it which means a lot to me - a person who just physically works and the rest of the day sits at a computer during workdays and rests over the weekend.

[StormKingPNW]

Regarding cornering, you can still bring speed in and avoid washing out if you counter steer with your body weight a bit. The point is keeping your center of gravity over the bike and weight down on the tires rather than having your weight off the bike to the inside and not enough traction to keep the tires on the surface. Hard to explain, but hope that's helpful. I learned this the hard way mountain biking and a buddy helped me figure out the weight transfer.

[cb]

Thanks Manon and crew...first race, slammed a hole, lost both bottles...kept going. Got dropped ..lost, in woods ! Yep...LEARN the route, or get a good map . The race ended up being ten miles longer than I was told, and my friend , guide, experienced showed up ...yep It was a very very long day. BUT..ended at a Brewery!

[brianwright]

Over where I live, most of our gravel rides are still at least 50% paved. So I run my Speedplay Zeros for most gravel rides. But let me tell you! Getting clipped back in after putting your Zero cleat into mud is... Challenging! 😂

[Tobias]

For the loose bolts get some locktite blue and get it on the bolt before screwing it in, it'll keep the bolts in place even during the rattliest of rides! Plus since it's only blue locktite you can still remove bolts as necessary.

[toosas]

I say gravel riding without at least a front suspension is a form of masochism. change my mind

[ChrisGuarraia]

From my former running coach in DC with Capital Area Runners, with most all distances above 5k races, the mantra is always “Start slow, finish strong.”

[geoffreyhoney]

Great video Manon! All great points! Super content and we know from the Paris to Ancaster and Steamboat Gravel videos that you have the chops! No problem to get Dan to try Gravel: just tell him that mirco brews sponsor many and there is beer at the end!

[paavoviuhko]

Should I change my mountain bike for a gravel bike. I do mainly highways and paved side rows to walk my bike to a secret place in the woods where I lock it up and hike to my canoe. Can I be your virtual grandad. I am 73 and have no car. The bike is my only form of transit. I have to say it is heavy with a steel frame. I am thinking of aluminum frame to reduce the weight by ten pounds. Do I need clipless pedals. Right now I use convertible pedals.

[gatorglenn]

Love the super duper. Great info. My wife said she needs to see you more, on the network.😊

[carlosfallas]

Not me coming from trail and enduro riding and using the gravel bike as if it were a cross country and dropping both cross country and roady mfs… after climbing a 16 kg full suspension trail bike on a lot of tarmac, my gravel bike feels like a feather. Love it

[LakeDistrictcyclist]

What Orbea bike is that, gorgeous 🚴‍♀️👍

[lgarcia]

Guilty of wrong shoes, lose bottle cage, and over inflated tires.
One GCN may have forgotten because they normally have support: WATER! I did a 40 miler recently with only two bottles and ran out of water. I was in this super lonely road. No one around for miles. So yeah, make sure you carry extra water and/or plan your route through a town where you can re-supply.

[rokibuca]

most important bring extra water with you on road you can stop in cafes but on gravel, you can go for miles without drinkable water

[bonevgm]

I felt that gravel corner one. A few months ago I decided to take a shortcut trough some gravel, I did not take into account the speed I had trough a corner. Paid for it with a lot of skin.

[JakeWoolmer]

I've bought a Cannondale Gravel bike and I absolutely love it! Thanks for your tips for the beginners like me!

[DonutEndurance]

Thankfully not a mistake I made but one I have seen a lot of people make. It is not cleaning the top of their bottles after riding through rain or other runoff near a ranch or farm. Nothing like a side of pesticides and/or manure with your hydration mix.

[barriobarranco]

Gravel Now the winter is here my trusty road bike is on the turbo, the winter road bike is almost ready, but if I'm going anywhere off road- from FIRE ROAD to Cairngorm Plateau it's the KTM E-MTB....(I've got a Carrera Vulcan 26er with 100mm of travel, does exactly what a "gravel" bike can do without the sore wrists or pretentiousness)