Gravel trail with a road bike?

[Veronica]

I ride on gravel with 23s. I use slime tubes, so I don't worry too much about flats.

Veronica

[aicabsolut]

I've done it on 700x23 race tires. I don't really like to do it (it's uncomfortable, unstable, and slow), but sometimes, I've had no choice. If the rocks are small and it's packed well, then that's not so bad.

[andtckrtoo]

Our path through the Santa Cruz Mountains has a about a 3 mile stretch through a trail that is gravel. I've ridden this on my road bike (23 tires) several times. I guess I have been mountain biking too much and expect my road bike to perform like a mountain bike. It does not exactly, but it is not as scary as I originally thought it would be. If it's a short stint, I say try it.

[Andrea]

Road bikes do just fine on gravel!

I just did a road race in Louisiana (Rouge Roubaix) that included ~15 miles of gravel roads... sandy, slippery, deep gravel There were some wrecks, of course, but for the most part, people were inspired to ride harder on the gravel sections than on the paved road It was freakin' awesomely fun.

Once you get past the mindset of "road bikes may only be used on pavement," you're on the right track. I actually seek out gravel roads on my rides because they add some interest to an occasionally monotonous activity.

Tips:

• A slightly tougher tire is not a bad idea- I've used 23c Kenda C2Cs and 25c Conti Gatorskins with no issue.
• Carry two tubes/CO2s. You are slightly more likely to flat
• Unless you're on really slippery stuff, you may find that a slightly harder gear feels better.
• Just like on the pavement- Look ahead for potholes or stuff you don't want to run over, NOT down at the ground just in front of your wheel. Pretend like you've got blinders on to prevent you from looking down. Look where you want to go!
• If you start to slide a little or hit a deep spot, pedal harder to get out of it... DON'T slow down or grab the brakes (or look down)!

Have fun!!!

[aicabsolut]

Tips:

• A slightly tougher tire is not a bad idea- I've used 23c Kenda C2Cs and 25c Conti Gatorskins with no issue.
• Carry two tubes/CO2s. You are slightly more likely to flat
• Unless you're on really slippery stuff, you may find that a slightly harder gear feels better.
• If you start to slide a little or hit a deep spot, pedal harder to get out of it... DON'T slow down or grab the brakes (or look down)!

^^^ very good tips

My BF rode on a ton of gravel (huge, sharp rocks) last weekend. There were multiple flats in his group. He ripped a 3/4" hole in the sidewall of his tire. Road bikes can do it, but I'll just say it's not my favorite terrain. Hard pack dirt (with or w/out light gravel) is a lot easier IMO.

Another tip that I find helpful is to 1) stay seated, and 2) keep your weight back. The rear wheel is where you're going to feel the slips, so keep your weight on the saddle and keep going. I don't fly through gravel, because I don't want to remove all the paint from the underside of my bike, but it's like going through mud in that you need some constant speed to keep from slipping or getting stuck. Sitting back a bit will also help you loosen up your arms so that you aren't trying too hard to control the front end, and you won't get quite as much upper body fatigue from the rough ride.