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Gravel Riding Places to ride

Gravel Ride Vailocity Bike Park

“Can you jump a gravel bike?”

Sadly when you google that, this is the first thing you see…

Rob Wessels
Rider: Rob Wessels (me) photo by Max Coonley

Gravel ride vailocity bike park

Max Coonley & Rob Wessels gravel ride Vailocity Bike Park

Jumping your gravel bike

Yes, while I agree you are defineley most likely to snap your bike upon landing a jump. What we discovered on this day was.. If you don’t case the jump or over jump. The landing was incredibly smooth. SO if you plan on jumping your gravel bike. be sure to grease that landing!

Open gravel bike
Rider Max Coonley Eliel Cycling Factory Racing, riding an Open Cycles gravel bike

But why??

Well.. I’ve heard people comment on modernern gravel bikes having “slack head tubes”. My gravel bike has a 66 degree head tube angle while my enduro bike has 65 degree head tube angle. I correlate that these bikes aren’t actually made for gravel but to shred!

Ever since the first time I got both wheels off the ground on drop bars. The pure sketchy awkwardness of the riding position while jumping as well as lack of suspension was intriguing. This was day one “feeling out” the bikes in jumping situations. I guess the next step is bigger jumps? 

Good fun on the Gravel bike

All and all a good day riding bikes at the Vailocity Bike Park. Honestly my ribs are sore from laughing my ass off. So many sketchy moments but seriously good times!

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