So in the midst of this discussion I took the Ram out for a short ride that
included 10+ miles of dirt road. The bike has Grand Bois Cerf tires which
are not ideal but adequate for dirt roads. About 7 miles or so from home I
hit a patch of rough ground. I never heard the rear tire pop but
I live at the bottom of a long, steep dirt road. Going downhill on a dirt
or gravel road is different than pavement. I set my pedals horizontal and
lift my buns off the saddle. Keep the knees loose. I put my hands very
loosely around the brake levers, mostly on the side to keep the wheel in
Someday I will print up some teeshirts that say The gravel is always
smoother on the other side.
Michael had some great advice when he suggested hanging onto the bars
loosely. Very much a let the bike go where it wants to and make subtle
corrections when the opportunity presents itself.
Och! The hardest roads to ride are those that have just been maintained.
Tied for first are roads that get enough traffic to get DEEP washboard,
like the kind that swallows what feels like a third of your tire before
spitting you out and back down to the next one. I have yet to figure those
On 09/30/2014 09:45 PM, Deacon Patrick wrote:
how much descending will work your *thought* and hamstrings because
you're in a constant squat over the saddle. Switch which foot is
forward in the 9 and 3 o'clock positions, that helps the legs on long
descents.
Is that an autocorrect failure
Indeed.
On Tuesday, September 30, 2014 7:59:15 PM UTC-6, Steve Palincsar wrote:
On 09/30/2014 09:45 PM, Deacon Patrick wrote:
how much descending will work your *thought* and hamstrings because
you're in a constant squat over the saddle. Switch which foot is forward in
the 9 and 3
I'm no gravel expert -- sand is more my line -- but I recall 10+ miles of
fast downhill on a very heavily washboarded, deeply gravelled, ex-logging
road in the Jemez. The Fargo was shod with 60+ mm 700C Big Apples at no
more than 20 psi, but despite standing, knees bent, on the pedals with
hands
