ONE MAN'S GRAVEL

STUTTERING ALONG THE TRAIN TRACKS, it occurred to me that this might be more than gravel.  How exactly did the cycling world settle on "gravel bike" anyway?

If you think about it, we already had "cross bikes" for cyclo-cross.  And what is a gravel bike but a cross bike with slacker geometry, room for slightly wider tires and a few other comfy features?

Don't we already call cars that are part sedan and part SUV crossovers?

Why didn't we just go with comfy-cross?

Because these so-called gravel bikes were invented to race on gravel roads outside the big cities?

Duh, road bikes are called road bikes.  

All that proves is a supreme lack of creativity.

It just bugs me.

One, we don't have any gravel roads 'round here.

Two, it's awesome for fire roads.

Three, and single track.

Four, and curb jumping.

We could have called them adventure bikes, because you just throw a leg over and go where ever the spirits will you.

But, again, boring.

Too obvious.

If I had to pick a feeling my "gravel" bike gives me it would be freedom.

Free to ride wherever I want.

Across a field
Through town
Up the sidewalk
Along the train tracks
Bike trails
Horse trails
Hiking trails
Down stairways
On my shoulder
Over the sand
Spraying water
Bunny hopping
Skidding

But, that's not even it... the going anywhere part of freedom... it's the freedom to be creative in my route.

That's it.

Which occasionally includes a forlorn gravel road.

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164.2
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8 hrs 
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