Aye.. `Fat Gravel`... there is a new niche cycle... well not really you see we were riding British Standard Bicycles on Gravel roads that were never tarmac long before mountain bikes came along in the 1980`s....
Then mountain bikes progressed from 26" wheel rigid bikes to front suspension, and then rear suspension to give us guess??? the option of full suspension...
Then the wheel diameter changed and we got the option of 29 inch wheels in regular 26' tyre widths that then were 2.25 -2.5" widths...
Surly Bikes were an original developer of 29ers with their Karate Monkey, I have had 3 of those frame built up over the years including one with drop handlebars- stop the tape... drop bars on a 29er? aye well yes... it came about after buying into fashion with a sister brand to Surly, Salsa Cycles and the Fargo drop bar specific 29er using the then stander width 29er wheels, but I thought it a crude bike while unloaded with luggage it gave a harsh non flex (suspension on a rigid frame and fork) ride and I soon sold it... meanwhile with a 3rd Surly Karate Monkey frame set which I knew is a very comfortable frames with Flexi bump absorbing ride maybe a cool build with drop bars I soon discovered that drop bars are actually crap off-road with no leverage on the bike for rocky stuff... and if you really do ride off-road you will soon discover that the lovely gravel roads like we have in our local Lammermuir Hills may indeed be smooth that by serving Windfarms they come to a halt at the last wind turbine in that corner of the field and are joined to the next track or wind turbine buy either by really rough gravel made of 2-4" chuncks of rock or soft peat shepards quad bike tracks through heather and soon the Gravel bike dream that USA people in the likes of IOWA USA rant on about kind of fades the enjoyment of your slightly chubby road bike...
Enter 29+ which can join the smooth stuff to a certain degree while allowing a decrease in pressure to 10 psi without the worry of a pinch flat if on a tubeless set up and it beggars belief that most companies have deserted the 29+ concept now for mountain bikes more suited for trail centres - nothing wrong with trail centre cycling - if you like non changing coniferous scenery and paying to park and cycle your 5 grand full suss enduro rig...
back up in the local hills with miles and miles of newly built wind farm gravel tracks you can double the fun of connecting them with older roads built to serve the Pylons that left the local Power station with earlier mention natural moorland tracks ...enter the fatbike... it can ride everything else bait at a slightly slower pace if climbing on 5" tyres but will take you where the other bikes esp Gravel bikes would be just an outright slog fest - remember a Gravel bike is not built like a lightweight cyclocross bike which is easy and light to pitch onto your shoulder and run across rough stuff, Some of our friends ride these and it is impressive where they get with these bikes which the common public think are the same as gravel bikes, and they are not - oh and these folk don't ride `Gravel Bikes`....
I`m guessing your thinking I don't have much time for gravel bikes?, well I don't have a lot of time for marketing cycling in major bike companies... but you ride what makes you happy and its your money to choose what you spend it on... each to their own...
We have found up here 29+ works for us on gravel tracks which may be real rough in places and sometimes like on todays route your glad to have the full Fatbike max float to cross between man made tracks...
Right to narrow down this rough f you want to do it as you prob now we don't do GPX routes etc but this loop starts at the start of the Pylon road and takes in Killpallet Heights, Fallago Rig, Little Says Law, Miekle Says Law, and Fasney Cottage...
Top of the Lammermuirs!...
2 miles descending on gravel...
Watch the crossings!...
Wee film, well 18 minutes actually as had so much decent footage!, Songs are from Boards Of Canada`s last Album Tomorrows Harvest
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