Video: Greg Callaghan Tries Gravel Biking his Favourite MTB Loop

 and flatter head angle.

 Makes me wonder how gravel biking is a training tool? Its a lighter bike than normal, so not muscle building. Drop bars, so no practicing handling skills. Rigid bike, so a severely handicapped ability for jank drops or jumps.

Still, its oddly fascinating to see it.

 @thustlewhumber: way easier to get base miles in. Different riding experience also makes it interesting enough to avoid burnout.

 @Ironchefjon: Completely agree. I use it as a road bike that can take dirt path and trail shortcuts to avoid city traffic. 1% overlap in the riding routes of what I would do on a mountain bike. Adds variety, another excuse to buy bike parts and is possible through most of the winter when trails are icy and sketchy here.

 @thustlewhumber: thats not how "muscle building" works

 @n00bmtbr: Why would one choose a gravel bike over a cyclocross bike? I assume CX bikes are more aggressive and nimble right?

 @agul29: a gravel bike is longer and slacker and with a more comfortable riding position (generally) and space for bigger tyres. Nimble is a euphemism for nervous and unstable at speed. No reason whatsoever to choose a CX unless you are racing CX. Zero advantages.

 @thustlewhumber: sorry but you are wrong. i ve been ridign gravel for a year now on mixed surfaces (road and easy singletrack) next to my all mountain rig, and both my fitness and skills-balance improved.
-there are lot of trails around that would be very-boring on mtb but a challenge on the gravel
-drop bars mean you re in a very forward -low position, so a slight gradient downhill feels like a steep trail on the mtb, activates your core muscles, improves your need for balance (bike is not helping)
-no suspension means you have to work with your body and use it as "suspension" on every small bump, rock, etc., also make smarter line choices to ride smoothly
-skinny tires mean you have less grip so you have to focus more on braking points and line choice. Also on loose climbs you need to focus more how to put weight on the rear tire.
-i have less gear ratio also, so have to work harder on climbs
-it s easy to cover a lot of miles, that s helps fitness as well

if you ride only on road or wide gravel roads, this doesn t apply entirely but if you mix it up with road-dirt road-singletrack it s really great training I think.

 @Ironchefjon: yep. the upper body workout on rocky stuff is way more fun than going to the gym too..

 @agul29: CX bikes have to conform to UCI rules too, which includes a max tire size. Limited clearance if you want something bigger. Don't think my 40mm tires would fit on many/any cx bikes. Also, CX bikes are indeed more aggressive... which means steep HT angles for racing tight courses, as @Ido83 pointed out.

Video of my 5 year-old building my gravel bike in case you want to kill a few min: youtu.be/_GTsqR6jv_4

 Right or wrong or indifferent, doesn't really matter.....but, I have a Giant TCX as a "road bike" gor off season training. And I also enjoy base miles without the mountain bike fatigue.

It came with CX wheels and tires, I bought a cheapest set of road wheels and tires and also a set of gravel wheels and tires.

I love racing CX and also road riding. I'm not going to win races in any discipline but the enjoyment of riding a bike in any format is second to none.

The cx setup is also more enjoyable on my local XC loops ad opposed to my slash.

 Redshift already does!

 @fullmetaljacky: BMC Urs!

 Specialized FutureShock, Trek IsoSpeed

 Hadn't seen this vid before. Good shout! Imagine meeting that group of riders on the trails, you'd just go back to the car lol

 Yikes. Glad you are walking and can keep riding!

 big oof making a enduro rig your only bike...

 @gorideyourbikeman: well can live with it

 @ferenooo: Fair enough.

 You can get Vittoria airliners for gravel

 Yeah, they make a gravel/cx cushcore.

 I couldn't help but marvel at how he didn't puncture! That'd be the only thing going through my mind riding 40C tires with paper sidewalls on trails like that.

 @hardtailparty , you should just replace "gravel riders" with "riders". That'll cover more than just your "few standalone cases", because "mtb riders" do not have 100% compliance on 100% trail etiquette.

 With the amount you ride Steve, your real world experience means a lot. And thinking about it, 2pot cable or hydraulic brakes, with 160 rotors or even v-brakes, totally means a lack of stopping power!

 I LITTERALLY had this exact same thing happen to me on a desolate frozen snow covered hidden away trail this weekend. I was climbing up and had to guys on gravel bikes come hurling down yelling and made me dismount and jump out of the way as they yelled LOOK OUT!!!! kinda rude.

 @iammarkstewart: I've had more close calls with gravel riders on singletrack than mtbers. I don't know if it's because of the limitations of their equipment, the racing mentality, or their lack of experience on singletrack around other riders. No doubt riders of all walks of life and genres can create problems, but I have had more bear head-ons with gravel riders than any other genre.

 @hardtailparty: I’m pretty sure I know who your talking about. 2 riders, gray gravel bikes . .. lol ...
agree it’s the rider and not so much the bike

Great video Greg and really nice to see some of your local trails.

 @hardtailparty: Your description of a rider "hurling straight at you out of control" sorta reminds me of many new riders on trails, even myself when I was new to mtb and 12 or 13 years old. I'm not saying it's the right way to learn, but biking is awesome, and it's easy to get carried away when you don't know any better. I never ran into anyone, I had to dodge off trail a few times tho.

 Well here's a solution for you. Stop riding trails on your MTB that people can ride on gravel bikes. Problem solved!

 @rideonjon: Where do I take new riders to have a good first experience? Besides, if gravel riders are running people off the trails because they don't have the traction or technique to avoid crashes, I'd argue that they can't rode the trails.

 @hardtailparty: It was a joke,relax.

 @hardtailparty: For the record i've NEVER come across a gravel rider on any of the trails i ride.So there you go.

 @hardtailparty: You could argue that new riders lack the skills to brake and corner effectively and maybe they can't ride the trails...can't have it both ways.

 They're saying this upside down from the bottom of a ravine, right?

 105/GRX. problem solved. Totally agree with you o the cable actuated junk though.

 got my deposit back on my gravel bike after a sat there and really thunk about riding it not on pavement. had to give my mountain bike a hug and appoligize.

 I reckon it’s along the banks of the Glencullen river. It’s only a few minutes from GAP.

 @ODubhslaine: gotta check that out, sound

 When it's really rough, you go into the drop to keep your hands from getting knocked off the hoods.

 @pmhobson: Totally. I much prefer the riding position on the hoods when it goes downhill or gets rough but it's flat out terrifying feeling like you're about to slip a hand off so drops it is.

 @sourmix: I wonder if the new GRX hoods are better in this regard (but not curious enough to buy them and find out)

 @pmhobson: also so the hoods don't move on you. And you can do proper 1 finger braking much better from the drops when the situation calls for it.

That being said I'll ride the hoods most of the time off road until I need to manage the brakes properly

 @Artikay13: yeah I stay in the hoods as long as I can. But once I really need to do precise braking (1-finger as you said), into the drops I go

 @pmhobson: I have GRX but I've never had anything else to compare to - first time drop bar rider - I can say they work well up to a point but you definitely need to use the drops when it gets rough, otherwise it's impossible to gaurantee getting consistent braking when it matters and there is always the feeling that one bump will bounce a hand off.

 Nothing like the feeling of railing a tall wooden berm on the 700x38s! What you're talking about are roadies lost on a trail...

 @Will1848: Yeah thas wha I said... gravel heads