Gravel Basics | Riding Skills, Tips & Tricks

[@phillippitts6294]

Woke up to 6 inches of snow! Riding in the snow is always a blast

[@madisondeans5566]

Hilarious,with Daves background commentary!

[@KU-mg9el]

that was really funny. spin/slip

[@Zenek143]

“What’s your Favourite position?” made me giggle

[@jonathankim9968]

She is a pro. Video deserves professional comments.

[@TerryMcGearyScotland]

Thanks. WE all knew what you meant. The business of keeping your body vertical and letting the bike incline under you was interesting. I don't have a gravel bike (just a Claud Butler urban hybrid type) but I've used it on some forest trails quite successfully. Extra tip from experience: if you have to put your foot down to stop sideways on an incline always put your uphill foot down. I didn't and rested my foot on rotten wooden edging before falling over sideways on the slope! "Is he alright?" walker shouted to my son, lol! My dignity was not intact! Good video!

[@supremeuppercut]

I love that you're perpetually smiling. It's awesome.

[@JulietElliottsChannel]

Cycling does that to me!

[@davehoover8853]

I come from years of mountain biking and now do some gravel riding and bike packing too. All of your points were well presented and pretty much right on the money. You could have been talking entry level MTB! The flat corner is the hardest thing for people to adjust to on loose terrain. It also hurts the worse when they go down. I would urge you to make another video really emphasizing bike/body separation and show a lot of examples of what that looks like. Burma’s are fun, easy and fast, but they don’t have them on gravel roads. Downhill, off camber, loose gravel is a real challenge to ride well! Thanks for the great video!

[@CB19087]

I missed the part where she asked for her presentation to be critiqued 🧐

[@DavidsInsights]

This is my first year in cycling and I love the tips in this video, Juliet! I feel like the cornering section was the most applicable to my current skillset. Not too long ago I feel off my bike and I know there was much more wrong with my approach than the speed. My body was high up, my body was leaning into the turn, and I was using mainly the back brake. My assumption with braking was if there is too much of a front brake I would fly over the bike but I think this would be too hard on gravel. I learned so many things and now I am trading in my Marlin 7 (hardtail) for a Obed Boundary (gravel bike). Oh, and my shoulder now has a slight sprain. CANT WAIT TO RIDE on the new bike!!

[@AlisonAdventuring]

Just saw this as getting into gravel.. so helpful thanks!

[@colinmcdonald2499]

First time viewer. Subscribed immediately. Great tips for all levels of gravel riders.

[@JulietElliottsChannel]

Thanks Colin

[@stephenjones6902]

Looks like a great day, more to gravel than meets the eye

[@j.s.3113]

My inspiration for exploring gravel riding on my Diverge in Arizona for the last year, and and am in admiration of her style, technique and endless riding adventures. Catch some ZZZs and ready to go tomorrow. 🚵‍♀️

[@justinlynch715]

Really good comments , succinctly put. Nice one Juliet!

[@justinlynch715]

Really good advice I meant to say. I have watched heaps of videos like this, yours was best by far. Cheers.

[@JulietElliottsChannel]

Thanks, that’s super cool to hear!

[@elizabethcollins3682]

Juliet, since finding your channel you have inspired me to continue getting out on my bike through the winter! I invested in cold weather gear for the first time...ever. I also live in a beautiful place, and love riding, so no excuses! If we can ever travel again and you ever get a chance to come to the states, check out Colorado!

[@ross-morozov]

Think you, I definitely learned something! 🙏

[@lolgrant]

oh and quick tip is to add a pair of CX top bar brake levers which you can pick up for a tenner in E-bay for extra control

[@robertgordon5150]

They say you never forget how to ride a bike. Well it turns out from watching this I never learnt 😂. Looking at buying my first gravel bike so these are great tips. 🙏🏾

[@haraldg8101]

look through the corner is not "another good tip" it's equally important as outside pedal down (or pedals level as in mountainbiking). nice basics gotta bookmark it for further reference for people I convince to try gravelling. for those commenting, they feel uncomfortable changing to the drops when going down: that changes, took me about two years to do it always and there still are short moments where I think uhohno... :) for these moments I will try to hear juliet saying "enjoy it, it's the most fun part"

[@sarahstreet-rose7532]

Thanks, some very useful tips there. Just need to get my confidence descending now as I tend be be heavy on the brakes.

[@mikecortes8481]

Thanks for the video! Long time fan:) I’m a roadie that just built up my first gravel bike and love all the new spots it’s taken me! Definitely a wonderful new way to have a bike adventure!!

I´ve got problems of confidence going downhill, when I switch from the hoods to the bars I feel I´m not safe doing it. I would like to do it far more fast. The moment I´m switching the bike feels loose. Do you have any advice Juliet? Thank You!

[@ecopennylife]

Great video - love the extra Dave 'bits'.

[@bbanga5542]

Great video Juliet. More of these please. I am going to try some of your tips out tomorrow on the trails.

[@agetyrrell]

Thanks for the tips. Haldon looks great - must get up there with my gravel bike.

[@adunnthing]

Great video, super helpful. Thanks for putting this together, as a roadie I can see where I’m going wrong..

[@grahamtricker4103]

Very useful video! 👍

[@JulietElliottsChannel]

Thanks Graham

[@fredthornberry249]

Thank you for the second lesson. Good job Coach!

[@johnburton9979]

So good to see you out and about love this tips , hi to Dave

[@JakeOlsonTheSnake]

great great video. superbly broken down explanations. cheers!

[@danhernandez7603]

Always a pleasure.., nice Jacket

[@Casual_BackPacking]

I LOVE THE BIKE

[@CentralNH]

My favorite position is on top...being under the bike or laying in the gravel makes for a bad day!

[@bubblesezblonde]

I learn so much from your vids! thanks!

[@chuto4826]

Great tips. Thanks Juliet

[@peterhartill3047]

Cracking tips 👍🚵‍♂️🚴🚵‍♂️

[@cristinac9604]

Lovely clip. Thanks. Do you happen to have a video on saddles and saddle position?

[@elroloy]

El primero, te admiro mucho todo lo que haces. Sos una crack. 💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚

[@brianmaldonado3723]

That was awesome, thank you. Nice flow.

[@Balksa]

Thank you!!!

[@JanekDetko]

Loved that :) and your gravel videos! Thanks for the tips!

[@erinohagain9841]

love these videos! Keep it up friend!

[@JulietElliottsChannel]

Thank you

[@lolgrant]

Great tips Juliet for an old roadie who's recently built an old CX frame into a gravel/CX/all rounder. Any tips for avoiding/dealing with horse fly bites which have become a nause on my first few off-road Summer gravel rides?

[@JulietElliottsChannel]

Cheers! Afraid not, I do tend to use insect repellent but haven’t found anything particularly effective

[@carpetsomething]

Smidge is a godsend - someone who works outdoors on a lot of wetlands where the little bastards like to lurk (yes I know im replying to a year old comment)

[@Vangriff]

very informative, thanks

[@joshualewis8068]

Great Tips! Thank you!

[@jasoninrikes1925]

What an excellent question dave.. i like the topic well. 😝

[@grmusica5400]

Great vid! Another reason to get used to descending in the drops - if you're like many of us who ride our gravel bike "like a mountain bike" i.e. in some pretty rough stuff, your hands can feel like they'll get bounced off the hoods descending with speed if you hit an unexpected bump. The drops gives you a safer grip in that scenario.

[@krissnt]

Two Big problems for me after switching from 2.4inch mtb to 38mm Gravel; sand riding - even Small one, the bike drifts and I feel uncomfortable braking, however observed now that it is better to go faster and the bike is then „straightened” somehow automatically. Plus cornering - cannot yet believe in grip of such „allround” tyres and great slight curves on high speed - which should be the best of graveling - are still a reason of stress…

[@patrickperkins5316]

Hey what tires do you have?? I like them… looking for new ones

[@ethan-youtubetips9038]

Great idea. Will definitely come back for the next video. When is it coming out? Thumbs up 👍

[@salarguelles8074]

Pedals Flats or Clipless

[@CosgroveNotts]

No smooth gravel where I live

[@gimmeagig]

Great video. Some of it seems obvious but it never hurts hearing someone articulate it like you do.

[@playandteach]

Excellent - I'm definitely on the brakes too much. Also, if it's ok to ask, what shorts are they?

[@bikewatcher5428]

Hi Juliet, If you want epic gravel rides give John Braynard’s channel a look. He lives in Austria the roads he rides are just epic and most are just a short ride from Innsbruck. Stay safe and happy riding👍

[@JulietElliottsChannel]

I’m friend with John, his videos are great

[@bikewatcher5428]

@@JulietElliottsChannel That’s great you all seem to know each other😹👍Ps l’m trying to put the word out there for him, he deserves it.

[@DunedainAkkarin]

I'm surprised at how much is common to when I was dicking about on a mountain bike 20 years ago. The saddle on my bike means I'm not going to be sat in it on rough terrain anyway 😅

[@WOUUUTT]

what brand is that short?

[@zulkarnanabdul]

Thanks for the tips! I have zero gravel skills 😅

[@burtmabel545]

Juliet can you give me more info regarding tire pressure? My gravel bike has 650b wheels. My tires are 40mm. The sidewall has imprinted minimum pressure 45psi. Can I run as low as 30psi? I’m not running my tires tubeless and I weigh 130lbs. Thanks

[@AlexandarHullRichter]

You can definitely go lower on pressure. I'm new to gravel riding, but I weigh 150 (plus my bike, which is 32 lbs) and I've been putting my 38mm tires at 35ish psi, and I'm running clinchers. The danger in lower tire pressures are from impact-flats. First, if you hit something hard enough to flatten the tire, it will give you a puncture. Second is that if you hit something hard enough for an impact puncture, it can dent your rim. Sometimes that can leave the wheel rideable, but never again true and round. Sometimes that can mean a tire won't seat on that rim again. It depends what you hit, how hard, etc. Easy ways to reduce impact flats (other than increased tire pressure) include being pickier with your line choice (avoiding rocks, roots and other things that can provide a sharp impact); letting the bike float under you by getting off the saddle and keeping your elbows and knees bent; and sometimes bunny-hopping over obstacles so that the impact of landing on the trail is less than the impact of just running into what you are hopping over. Edit: you can also get something called a Cush-core to protect your rims. They're basically a foam-rubber cushion that sits inside the tire against the rim to absorb impacts that are great enough to damage the rim. Cush-cores are meant for tubules setups, but I'd be surprised if you couldn't put in a cush-core and an inner tube for a smaller size tire and make it work. It might be more prone to impact punctures due to there being less space for the tube, but I wouldn't know because I haven't seen it done.

[@timparsons2741]

What brand of shoe are you wearing ? Awesome pointers .

[@JulietElliottsChannel]

Cheers. These are Fizik

[@superdavaa]

nice video as always.. I am just wondering how you did not smack Dave in the video..Keep up the good work

[@AbuBakar-Ironwood.]

Nice

[@woongtv-naturehealing273]

You look so cool riding a bike. Thank you for the good video. From Woong TV of KZbin.👍👍👍

[@timporter8886]

Enjoyed this fun, yet informative video. Lots of good tips in this, for us mere mortal bike riders. It must be awkward and difficult to dissect and reproduce on camera, skills that you are now fluent in and perform subconsciously. Having to think, what am I doing when I'm cornering/descending/climbing..etc, and why!? And your camera man was absolutely no help on this one, with his impromptu teasing. Hope you made him pay later..haha!🤣 Apologies, because I've been watching your posts for a while now, and I've only just realized that I hadn't subscribed..oops! Sorry, that's not going to help support your posts and this great channel..remedied! Thanks Juliet, take care 😊

[@davehause8571]

Is this for people who have never ridden a bike before?

[@brajamusti9]

What marin type do you have?

[@JulietElliottsChannel]

Headlands

[@rman6977]

Did you ever get gravel in your gravel drawers

[@ludovicseydoux9179]

Hello Juliet, I saw on a youtube channel that it was a good idea to lower the seat post when riding in rough terrains, what do you think about that? Thanks!

[@stevecrump1375]

We use to have gravel bikes in 1993 then in 1994 suspension forks came out and then in 1995 full suspension arrived ive never looked back and never likely to...

[@nightinp60]

Where were you riding Juliet? was it Haldon?

[@iuliua]

what model is that if you don't mind ?

[@JulietElliottsChannel]

Marin Headlands

[@renerioscom]

What brand of shorts are you wearing?

[@JulietElliottsChannel]

They’re PEdALED

[@garypostell5268]

700c or 650b That your riding?

[@gravelcompromise7935]

Solid tips! Have you considered a dropper for trail/rougher conditions?

[@BikeSaidFred]

What shorts are you wearing? Are they MTB shorts? They look nice and comfy and a bit baggy.

[@BikeSaidFred]

Also we have the same helmet. It's so rad 😁

[@GansGenaus]

What helmet is it?

[@doodleandghoul]

​@@GansGenausSmith Trace MIPS ( Mike Giant edition)

[@insightoutgirl7]

Just like skiing, stand on your outside leg!

[@mikechan1720]

Hey! What helmet are you wearing?

[@coenng5787]

Maybe a novice question: how do you keep your feet positioned during cornering. I'm mean while I'm mountainbiking I tend to keep my both feet horizontal so it is easier to tuen left right without hitting anything. I'm actually going the opposite way, almost finished building a road bike. I noticed on the road bike I hit my toes easily with the front tire when turning low speed. So I can't keep my feet horizontal on a gravel bike?

[@Elaine-hq5rq]

That’s what I’m trying to find out tonight… let me know what you found out 😊

[@333wheeler]

No full on gravel in the UK . just bridleways and forest service trails.. good tips for newbies . always had my cross position a tad down on the saddle .. main drawback with the gravel bike position is you are using the road set up to ride off road ... Can be a bit more sketchy then ..

[@keithgreig7136]

When you say UK, you mean England?

[@333wheeler]

@@keithgreig7136 Yeah mostly... bit and pieces but not what you would call common place.

[@miguelangel909]

Great Tips, Thanks! Do change cameraman... 🤨

[@paulhorsley8922]

Great video apart from the Mr condescending cameraman ! Thank you .

[@briansrcadventures1316]

If I had to downsize to just one bike, it'd probably be a gravel bike type of bike :-)

[@chrisandsamlivingthedream]

Ha ha .. what’s your favourite position ... oh shut up ..lol .. Awesome so funny Dave ... lol

[@DiegoP.Escouto]

👏🏻👏🏻🔝

[@troiwhalen7961]

Juliet, do up your helmet strap ! 🚴🇨🇦

[@geem4973]

HAha Dave cracked me up that

[@an_tape]

Good night actually 😂

[@EgonSpengler1977]

Am I the only one who says morning back 😂😂😂

[@RemarkaBIL]

I've stopped calling it gravel riding. 'Underbiking' makes it sound more challenging as well as appropriately noting that the bike you're riding isn't exactly right for the terrain. For example: riding a cross bike on MTB downhill.

[@tedbownas2748]

"All the different positions.." "What's your favorite position?" ::snerk:: 🤣🤣

[@edscoble]

Can you please please make your content inclusive and accessible to everyone by formatting the auto captioning into closed captioning please? It is very hard to watch your content relying on only the dreaded auto captioning. There’s load of videos available on KZbin helping on how to make your video inclusive, for some people, it’s 10 minutes to do on a 5 minutes video.

[@thecappy]

Please don't take this as disrespect. My kids 2 and 4 think you sound like Ms. Rabbit from Peppa Pig.

[@ianmills1120]

100% 😆

[@Adventures-and-More]

Who’s the smart arse at 6:54? You should get rid of him!

[@JulietElliottsChannel]

Already did 🤷‍♀️

[@puggy454]

lol, i'mma go MAC 10 through errything

[@Lonesta1980]

so after 60 seconds of non information video 20 seconds of commercial.... that is worse than most of all the TV channels I stopped watching cause of to much commercials...

[@purestilton]

Zipp wheels on a casual/training bike? Such unnecessary bling 🙄

[@JulietElliottsChannel]

This is my race bike

[@purestilton]

@@JulietElliottsChannel haha cheers Juliet - just a bit of banter, I like your channel 😀 (but it still is a bit unnecessary!)

So basically, 20+ years old MTB skills gradually introduced to roadies ;-)

[@C_Haberstoked]

Great tips!! Thanks!