2023 Subscriptions Gerard Deeley Posted February 8, 2022 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted February 8, 2022 Looking to explore options for including gravel bike specific events on the club calendar. This is a new event being built up from nothing so everything is on the table at this stage, no detail too small, no idea too crazy. What would get your interest so you will ride it? Mountain bikes and e-bikes will also be welcome in this, indeed any bike at all. Post up here or message me. thejanullrichdietplan and chung 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions thejanullrichdietplan Posted February 8, 2022 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted February 8, 2022 I'd be interested - Although the Venn Diagram of people in the club that like TTing and also like gravel riding and who would like the two to be combined might just be a circle with me in it https://www.strava.com/routes/2926218731512168650 Thats the Corlic hill loop i mentioned last night - it's pretty short but a loop so could do laps to make up a longer distance. Although i wouldnt fancy doing the steep bit too many times! One benefit it it's all off road and closed to cars and wide. IMO about as fast on a mountain bike as it would be on a gravel bike. https://www.strava.com/routes/2926220499691371722 This is Devol past Port Glasgow Golf Course and up to the substation. It's a loop again, some of it on road (all left turns) and has a gate. Would be slightly faster on a gravel bike but mtb would be faster on the descent part. https://www.strava.com/routes/2926222368858057332 For a traditional TT distance then here is 10 mile around Loch Thom. Gravel bike would be faster than a mtb due to more road That's just 3 options that are all fairly local. There are lots of other local options (like to the mine at Muirshiel and back down again) but a lot of them would be out and back rather than loops and some (like around the Neilston pad or up to Loch Humphrey) can be busy with walkers and we might be a bit of a nuisance! Alternatively could go a bit further afield - Whitelee, Dunoon, or Aberfoyle etc and then do something that is longer. Not sure what the appetite would be for that but i'd be up for that too. chung, Gerard Deeley, P McDonald and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions Gerard Deeley Posted February 8, 2022 Author 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted February 8, 2022 These look like great routes to use, I will need to get out and ride them. Off road cycling is about skill so is quite different from an all out TT effort on the Georgetown and could suit a lot more people. thejanullrichdietplan and chung 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Life Members chung Posted February 9, 2022 Life Members Report Share Posted February 9, 2022 "Gravelistas" ...... have you just coined a new word there, Gerard? :-) Iain67, KennyS and Gerard Deeley 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions Gerard Deeley Posted February 9, 2022 Author 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted February 9, 2022 5 minutes ago, chung said: "Gravelistas" ...... have you just coined a new word there, Gerard? 🙂 It is sorrowful to note that I am bereft of such lexicographical creativity. chung and KennyS 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Jannza Posted February 9, 2022 Administrators Report Share Posted February 9, 2022 https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/4850888815 Or this loop of 2 joined routes, easy to get to from cycle track. Gerard Deeley 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Iain67 Posted February 14, 2022 Members Report Share Posted February 14, 2022 Great Routes Ian.Some further afield include Arrochar Alps and Gravelfoyle (Aberfoyle), lots of great tracks and mostly all off road so great stress free riding. Maybe looking at Saturday 19th for some gravel as weather not looking good for Sunday. Will post up later in the week Gerard Deeley 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions XXX Posted February 15, 2022 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted February 15, 2022 You would have to make the routes totally off road and have maybe some rough descents so that the MTB wouldn’t be too slow, personally it would be disappointing to see less TTS , so would these be races ? Gerard Deeley 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions thejanullrichdietplan Posted February 15, 2022 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted February 15, 2022 The idea is having it as an off road sort of TT (what format this takes i'm sure Gerard is open to ideas) in the hope that it will encourage more members to take part in club confined events (would replace the 25s on the Barrhead road which often get cancelled because of lack of interest). Also as a recognition that off road riding is a popular part of the club at the moment. Gerard Deeley 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions Gerard Deeley Posted February 16, 2022 Author 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted February 16, 2022 McTavish has it bang on here. Gravel bikes are popular and any route suitable for them could also be done on a mountain bike. I will have to defer to others on a suitable course and the format. We really either try something here or revert back to the existing calendar and it’s declining participation. For what it is worth I enjoy a TT very much and I accept that I need to cast my own net wider to continue doing them as much as I have done since joining the club. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions XXX Posted February 16, 2022 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted February 16, 2022 So half a dozen ride Gravel, half a dozen ride TTS so your cancelling two or more hard TTS to increase participation, however there is no guarantee that the gravel riders would participate in a gravel race, also surly the gravel event would have to be longer in duration than our standard TTS , so how long 3/4 hours , would that then not lead itself to be done on a Saturday or Sunday . I have an MTB but don’t think I would be overly excited about riding some wide fire roads on the MTB , probably take me too long . Gerard Deeley 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions thejanullrichdietplan Posted February 17, 2022 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted February 17, 2022 If half a dozen were riding the 25s there wouldn't be any need to change things and they would still be going ahead as normal but unfortunately its been years since there has been that sort of interest. Whether a gravel event will be more popular remains to be seen but it's worth a try Gerard Deeley 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions XXX Posted February 17, 2022 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted February 17, 2022 3 hours ago, thejanullrichdietplan said: If half a dozen were riding the 25s there wouldn't be any need to change things and they would still be going ahead as normal but unfortunately its been years since there has been that sort of interest. Whether a gravel event will be more popular remains to be seen but it's worth a try Jan Totally agree but don’t think it fits in with a Tuesday night, think it fits in with a Saturday or a Sunday and a longer ride, when I ran the 25 as an CTT event we had 30 plus riders , my point is mainly about the club members not being that interested in racing so moving the goals and racing on a rough surface rather than a road will that encourage people to race . I don’t think so but you won’t know until you try it . thejanullrichdietplan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions Gerard Deeley Posted March 11, 2022 Author 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted March 11, 2022 Taking on board the comments and views of other club members the idea of a competitive gravel ride does not appeal. However one or two summer’s evening club gravel rides with a beer stop somewhere to finish may be more fitting. As I need to get version 2.0 of the diary sorted it would be great to hear what others think about this so dates can be allocated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2023 Subscriptions XXX Posted March 11, 2022 2023 Subscriptions Report Share Posted March 11, 2022 So not a confined event then? Plus I don’t think we should encourage drinking alcohol either before or after an event , I think puddle water for these wild cyclists is more than enough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.