How much gravel is too much gravel

Peddle Up!

Had a cracking ride yesterday along a twisty newly tarmaced road. That surface gives supreme confidence in getting the bike over and round the bends, but I ease off when I'm back on the normal stuff for fear of hitting a patch of gravel.

We seem to have loads of it, sometimes in small heaps, other times in a line along the road. I try to avoid them, but if you find one in your path you could be in for trouble. My question is how much does it take to "have you orf".

cougie

You'll know when you come off....

Bobbinogs

Isn't this the classic "it depends"? Speed, camber, steering, braking, angle, etc., will all affect you on it. I hit some around by Hilcot the other week (road surface is absolutely dreadful) and found that I just had to let the bike find its own path (I should have closed my eyes and used the force). I ended up about two feet up on a grass verge but felt that anything I did whilst on the gravel would have had me off. Took it easy for the next 10 minutes

ShutUpLegs

I'm surprised this hasn't been mentioned already, get yourself a 'Graveldar'. Vital on a road bike.

Ands

This much:

Came off last year on gravel - front wheel just went on a right hand turn.Not sure how fast - maybe took the turn at 20kph+, I don't even think I went through the main patch in the photo as the white line for the middle of the road is where the blurred finger is. Outcome: trip to A&E and 7 stitches on my face

P_Tucker

ShutUpLegs wrote:

I'm surprised this hasn't been mentioned already, get yourself a 'Graveldar'. Vital on a road bike.

Wiggle are selling one with a built in whitelinedar, first developed for Denis Menchov for time-trialling.

Daddy2Coull

i've just given up my passion for motorcycling in favour of pedal power. this gets talked about a lot on biker forums. although it's gonna hurt coming off on your roadbike, imagine what it's like when you hit a pile of gravel at around 170mph!!!!!

andrewjoseph

Daddy2Coull wrote:

i've just given up my passion for motorcycling in favour of pedal power. this gets talked about a lot on biker forums. although it's gonna hurt coming off on your roadbike, imagine what it's like when you hit a pile of gravel at around 170mph!!!!!

I'm surprised there gravel patches on race tracks! you couldn't be talking about public roads though as doing 170mph on roads is both illegal and pretty stupid.

Peddle Up!

Ands wrote:

This much:

Came off last year on gravel - front wheel just went on a right hand turn.Not sure how fast - maybe took the turn at 20kph+, I don't even think I went through the main patch in the photo as the white line for the middle of the road is where the blurred finger is. Outcome: trip to A&E and 7 stitches on my face

Hmmm. Thought so. We have this kind of cover on most of the country roads in Glos. Run off from the fields doesn't help either. I guess I'd better save the swoop and turn stuff for good tarmac and keep my eyes peeled on the dodgy stuff.

Jason82

Not a lot as I found out going round a mini roundabout slipped but didn't quite come off as I got my foot down in time

robz400

i've just given up my passion for motorcycling in favour of pedal power. this gets talked about a lot on biker forums. although it's gonna hurt coming off on your roadbike, imagine what it's like when you hit a pile of gravel at around 170mph!!!!!

Yeah, I imagined you spent many hours cornering at 170 mph on you motorbike :roll:

Slow Downcp

robz400 wrote:

i've just given up my passion for motorcycling in favour of pedal power. this gets talked about a lot on biker forums. although it's gonna hurt coming off on your roadbike, imagine what it's like when you hit a pile of gravel at around 170mph!!!!!

Yeah, I imagined you spent many hours cornering at 170 mph on you motorbike :roll:

You wouldn't need to be cornering at 170mph to come off when you hit gravel. Even in a straight line 30-40mph could be enough to make you lose the front wheel.

MountainMonster

Gravel damage depends on the exact conditions. I've gone through a gravel patch and had nothing happen, even while cornering at 60kmh. Watched the father in law end up in hospital for a week with brain swelling and a blod clot in his brain from wiping out at 10kmh on a corner due to gravel. Luck is a part as well.

andrewlwood

Slow Downcp wrote:

robz400 wrote:

i've just given up my passion for motorcycling in favour of pedal power. this gets talked about a lot on biker forums. although it's gonna hurt coming off on your roadbike, imagine what it's like when you hit a pile of gravel at around 170mph!!!!!

Yeah, I imagined you spent many hours cornering at 170 mph on you motorbike :roll:

You wouldn't need to be cornering at 170mph to come off when you hit gravel. Even in a straight line 30-40mph could be enough to make you lose the front wheel.

But the point is that hitting a patch of gravel going in a straight line at 170mph shouldn't give you too much trouble. Only if you try to corner on it. But, as has been said, there's nowhere with gravel that you would ride at 170mph, and even fewer corners you would/could take at that speed.

sloppyschleckonds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaCpwR8G0hw