pea gravel

[crazycanuck]

Hey there, I'm posting this hoping someone is familiar with pea gravel (trekhawk?) is and can give me some tips.

If you're on a path with a slight downhill and the pea gravel is quite deep or a bit deep do you
a-brake a bit and keep going fast
b-don't brake at all and mozy it

There's a section of one of the trails we do with deep pea gravel..(western australia is mainly pea gravel tracks) and i keep sliding...It's cool however it's not cool at the same time..

c

[Trekhawk]

Hey there, I'm posting this hoping someone is familiar with pea gravel (trekhawk?) is and can give me some tips.
If you're on a path with a slight downhill and the pea gravel is quite deep or a bit deep do you
a-brake a bit and keep going fast
b-don't brake at all and mozy it
There's a section of one of the trails we do with deep pea gravel..(western australia is mainly pea gravel tracks) and i keep sliding...It's cool however it's not cool at the same time..
c

Sorry crazy I have no trails experience so cant help you with that but Im sure one of the mountain ladies here will have an answer for you. Hope you are enjoying some nice spring weather.

[Trekhawk]

Hey CC - I just received in the mail today a DVD called Performance Mountain Biking by Ned Overend that I ordered after a recommendation by SadieKate. It goes thru braking in lots of different situations even deep sand (hmm this could come in handy for you in WA). This might also help you out with your query of what to do in Pea Gravel.

If you cant get a copy let me know and I will try posting a little of the info for you. Watching the DVD is heaps better though then reading a blurb.

[Irulan]

there's a dvd now?

anyway, deep stuff you have to power through it and surf it at the same time.

[JanT]

We have lots of gravel here in Phoenix, much is pea sized but not smooth, so I don't know if we're on the same type of terrain. Sometimes it's a few inches deep, sometimes probably a good foot, depending on where the motors and ATV's have sprayed it. What we do is try to maintain speed as long as possible, floating over the surface, and trying to keep a loose, but firm grip on the handlebars. You don't want to make any sudden movements or attempt turns at this point, cuz you'll go down in an instant. In terms of speed, well, it depends on how fast I'm going in the first place. I'm not a race, I just want to live to ride tomorrow. If we're going at a good clip, I might just feather the brakes to take the edge off, so I'll have better control. Sometimes it's a mental thing, too. If it's a long stretch of gravel that I know I'm going to have to grind through anyway, I might knock down a few gears and prepare for that inevitability. Gravel can be scary, but the more you ride it, the more comfortable and confident you'll be. Have fun with it: we make it a contest to see who can get through the farthest.

One thing I didn't discuss--if the gravel is on a turn, better slow down well before the turn, at least until you're familiar with how it handles. Most of my elbow and knee scars come from skidding out of control on gravel in curves

Oh, one more thing: the kind of tire you use may make a difference. Here we use lots of big lugged tires to help get that float over the gravel, and then to dig through when we sink.

Hope this helps. Gravel was a nemisis for me for a long time.

[Trekhawk]

there's a dvd now?

anyway, deep stuff you have to power through it and surf it at the same time.

Yep thank goodness as I dont have a video player. Great info for newbie Mountain bikers like me.
If your reading this SadieKate thanks for the recommendation.

[SadieKate]

Sure thing! It is so much easier to understand these things visually. It's why I like to ride behind strong technical riders.