I took the old Schwinn world sport out for a spin today, and I ended up in the Amana colonies, about 30 miles outside of Iowa City. The last 12 miles on the route to Amana is unpaved. In other words, I rode gravel. I grinded the gravel. I ground the gravel, on my gravel grinding Schwinn, with its under-inflated fatty tires, perfect for floating effortlessly over all that gravel. Want proof? Check it out:
Riding on gravel is fun, but like anyone who's ever ridden gravel, I wonder if it necessitates its own category of bike (In reality, I shouldn't even be talking, because I'm riding a gravel bike across the country starting in a few days.). I think I like the name "adventure bike" more than gravel bike. Every time I got on my Diamondback this last semester and turned off on some random unpaved trail, I felt like I was taking an adventure; going some place I would never be able to go on my sexy slice of Cannondale. I got to explore in a way that I'd never explored before, all because my bike could go anywhere and I didn't have to worry about traction or pinch flats or messing up my (heavily discounted) $3200 race bike. Don't get me wrong, I love my Cannondale -- there's nothing quite like the feeling of blasting up a hill at 22 mph -- but having a road bike that can go anywhere is pretty sweet.
Today I got muddy, I saw some gorgeous countryside, and I got an entire road all to myself. Gravel's dope.
