Will outright speed dominate or will the course take its toll on the pure road bikes? We'll know soon enough. What we do know is that some very fast bikes will be on the start lines of the Gravel World Championships races this weekend. Will we see the lines blurring to the point where in a few years we'll have one extremely capable bike to ride road, gravel and cyclo-cross on with a few tyre options? Perhaps we are already at that point. That being said a world championship race is a stern test for any equipment, and perhaps proof that modern road bikes are much more capable all around. They also don't have to worry about purchasing their own equipment, which always makes things a lot easier, whereas if we were to risk taking a road bike off road and the bike were to be damaged, it would be an expensive fix. The pro athletes we will watch in the race have supreme bike handling skills and will float over sections that we mere mortals would really test our bikes on. But if the Gravel World Championship contenders are riding road bikes, does that mean we can ditch the gravel bike and take our road bikes off-road too? Since around 2014, the bike industry has been on a gravel charge, and nowadays you'll struggle to find a major brand that doesn't have at least one in its lineup. Does this mean gravel bikes aren't needed? Fast forward a few years and Lachlan Morton showed what a Cannondale SuperSix Evo could deal with. We've also seen Sandy Floren use the lightweight Trek Emonda at Super Sweetwater in 2020 in a similar guise. Looking back at that particular bike now it's interesting to see how things have developed in this area. Peter Stetina has used a Canyon Ultimate in gravel races before, back in 2020 he used an older Ultimate with some gravel tweaks. Several professional riders on the gravel circuit have used road-specific frames without issues. More and more road models are able to run 32mm or even 35mm tyres which enable gravel tyres to be fitted with ease. In New Zealand, and other Commonwealth countries, they may be known as metal roads. They are common in less-developed nations, and also in the rural areas of developed nations such as Canada and the United States. However, it isn't that unusual to see riders using road bikes in gravel races. A gravel road is a type of unpaved road surfaced with gravel that has been brought to the site from a quarry or stream bed. It is important for motorists to be on the lookout for water over the road regardless of whether they are driving on a paved or gravel road.A Specialized Roubaix fitted with Roval Rapide CLX II road wheels and Specialized Pathfinder gravel tyres (Image credit: Future) Placing heavy equipment, such as road graders, on the roads can make the situation worse, so crews will continue to spot grade and add material where possible.Ĭulverts under driveways to businesses and homes should also be cleared of leaves and debris to assure that storm water will properly flow through ditches and reduce the potential for road flooding. Sunny days and consistently warmer temperatures will tremendously help dry the gravel roads so proper grading can be done. Until the ground completely thaws, the water simply cannot be absorbed, which is causing soft and wet/muddy conditions on many gravel roads. In many places, the ground remains frozen below the road surface, meaning there is nowhere for water from the rain and melting snow to go. Weather over the past few weeks, ranging from snow, rain, frigid temperatures and the current warmer conditions, is causing very rough conditions on many of the 755 miles of gravel roads in Oakland County. Small fragments of rock, used for laying on the beds of roads and railroads, and as ballast. The Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) advises drivers to use caution on gravel roads during the upcoming weeks. Seasonal Changes May Mean Bumpy Gravel Roads, Here’s Why…
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