Tag Archives: Gravel Cycling

A Gravel Adventure – The Scratch ‘N Denton Gravel Grinder

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A long time roadie dips a toe into a different cycling style, and comes away energized.

At the finish of the Scratch ‘N Denton Gravel Grinder. The background is the Eden Town Brewery.

It is early in the morning of August 29th, 2026, at the Eden Town Brew Pub in Denton, Maryland. I arrive early to score one of the scarce and valuable parking spaces in the pub’s lot. I’m not alone, only the first 50 get the choice parking, but I get what I wanted. Now I begin my preparation for a new experience. A gravel event. Not simply a ride on a path, but 37 miles split into sections of gravel roads and pavement. A new test for me.

I am an experienced cyclist. Most events are similar, and you prepare for them the same way every time, but this one has small differences. I know that the surfaces will change often. I’m riding a bike with much wider tires at much lower tire pressure than my road bike. This ride will be 35 psi front and back, and I really don’t know if that’s a good tire pressure for this ride. I’m guessing at it. As it turns out, it’s a good guess. I have no tire issues at all, and no matter what surface I’m riding on it feels good. More tire volume at lower tire pressure can be very comfortable, but if your tire pressure is too low you’re working harder on the pavement and if its too high you risk a flat on the uneven gravel surfaces.

I won’t be going as fast as I would on my road bike, but I’ll see different things. I’m ready to go, but I don’t know what to expect. I can’t decide if I’m more excited or worried about this ride. I check in at the start and get my tickets for post ride beer and snacks. There are 3 potential distances. I signed up for the “Mid” – 37 Miles. There is also a 25 mile “shorty” and a full 60 mile ride. I have the computer files. Two guys who parked beside me are also riding the 37, and we decided to ride together. Jerrell and Alex are good company and we set off together at a quarter past 7 into a bright morning. We stayed together for the entire ride. It turned out we were all riding a compatible pace!

Only a couple of miles in, we reach the first gravel section. This is what I came here for! A road bike on a gravel road is NOT in its element. My road bike instincts are working against me. The tires on my Cinelli Nemo are much wider than my road tires (40mm) and I’m running less than half of my normal road bike tire pressure. I think to myself “trust the bike”. I chose the safest line I could, and stayed with my more experienced riding partners. I needed to concentrate, but by the end of that first gravel section I’m smiling. Trust the bike. The feel is different. The bike floats over the gravel road, and I’m enjoying what I came here for. A new experience.

However, I was NOT done learning. Pavement is relatively uniform. Gravel roads are NOT. I found that I had to stay sharp. There were ruts, mud, loose spots you could slide out on and hardest of all, a section of deep sand. I tried to stay composed, and soon I was getting better at choosing a line to ride on. It was not unlike skiing – pick your line well and you can stay out of trouble. We saw a couple of groups pace lining on the course, even the gravel sections. I wasn’t ready to ride that hard. Some guys can really rip on those surfaces, but I doubt I will want to go much harder than I rode that day, even as I gain experience and skill. I think I needed more concentration when riding on gravel than I had to on the pavement. It was worth it! We found out later that one rider had a bad crash. We thought maybe the deep sand section that we had to work hard on may have caused it. That can happen, and we all hope he’s all right, but fortunately we came through it feeling great.

Alex, Jerrell and I in between gravel sections. We had a great day!

I normally don’t use my computer’s map display. I know most of my rides by heart. That day I kept the map display on, and I was fortunate that I did so. On at least one occasion, the direction said go left, when the map display showed the course going right. I chose to follow the arrows on my map, and they didn’t steer me wrong. I found out later that at least one rider was confused by this. It’s a minor detail that the organizers will certainly correct. They did a great job. The only rest stop on the 37 mile ride was at 27 miles. It’s a long way to go before getting a rest, but we took advantage when we got there. The rest of the ride seemed to go too quickly, or maybe it felt that way because I was having such a good time. In any case, my first gravel event was a positive experience.

The post ride beer! A tasty end to a terrific experience!

Because the ride started and ended at a brew pub, the celebration was virtually built in. I had an Octoberfest lager that was perfect for that celebration. I’m looking forward to coming back next year. I hope to pull a few old friends in to share the experience. This experience was too good not to share. It certainly energized my cycling!

Planning Cycling Events in 2026

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After a year of adjustment in 2025, I’m finding a new frame of mind for cycling in 2026.

After a 2025 with few events and no motivation, I’m getting back to events in 2026.
This photo was taken during a rest stop at the Patuxent Rural Legacy Ride 7 years ago.

2025 was a transition. I ended 2024 with a century, but 2025 included no such ride. I was surprised to find that I hadn’t missed them. I rode shorter rides, I rode alone, and my yearly distance dropped off. I still love to ride, but those rides last year were different. 2025 was a mental and physical adjustment. How will I approach 2026?

Winter has always been tough on me, and after a hard, cold and snowy winter, the onset of spring 2026 has been welcome. One thing a new year brings is event registration emails for local clubs and events. I’m on the email lists of all of my local clubs and a few outside of my home area, so registration emails arrive before the weather warms and Daylight Savings Time makes evening rides safe and comfortable. This year, planning is fun again. It isn’t about riding because my friends are going, or because I ride these every year, but just to ease up and enjoy the ride.

I’m going to ride events, but somewhat lesser distances. 40-60 miles at most. Part of that is a concession to age, part is that I have fewer companions to go with, and part is just understanding that I want to keep riding and moving to stay fit. Speed? I’m not worried about that yet. I have no idea what I’ll be capable of. I have nobody to compete with anyway. The point is to recharge my riding, and I’m looking at events as a way to keep riding and stay motivated.

I started with the Tour De Talbot (TDT). A ride in early June that I’ve been riding for a few years now. I’m going again in 2026. It is a typical eastern shore of Maryland ride – flat, perhaps windy, but enjoyable, and this one has a ferry ride in the middle of it. That kind of experience is so enjoyable for me that it’s easy to look forward to.

On the Ferry during the Tour de Talbot a few years back.

This year TDT doesn’t conflict with the Patuxent Rural Legacy Ride, which I’ve enjoyed in the past. Pax runs the weekend after the Tour De Talbot. I’m riding that again in 2026. I know it won’t be the ride I remember, because I’m not the rider I remember being, but an easy, comfortable spin through those familiar surroundings sounds wonderful. All of the stops are by the Patuxent River, and riders cruise down to them and then climb out again. Most riders just remember the climbs. I’ve gone there many times, and I can’t remember not having fun there. Oxon Hill bike club puts on a good event.

Last year I got a gravel bike for a change of pace, and I’ve loved riding it. This year I’m going to ride my first Gravel Event – the Scratch ‘N Denton Gravel Grinder in August, run by the Chesapeake Cycling Club. I’ve wanted to try new cycling adventures, and this is the definition of “new”. For decades I’ve been strictly a roadie, and getting off the road for a little while is something new for me. Since this event has such novelty for me, it is probably the one I’m looking forward to the most.

My gravel bike will be ready for action at the Scratch ‘n Denton Gravel Grinder in August!

There will be more to come. I may ride the Potomac Pedaler’s Lewes Delaware weekend. I’ve never done that one before, often because of event conflicts. I may go back to Portland Maine in early September for the Lighthouse Ride, but for now I’m entering spring with a mental tailwind – the kind that comes with renewed energy. I’m going to ride for the soul, and as I satisfy this urge to ride events again, I hope that they will keep me motivated. In 2025 I spent a lot of thought looking backward at what I did for the last 20 years, thinking of what has changed, and thinking of ways to define what a successful year of riding will look like. 2026 will be the start of that new definition of what riding will mean to me. Signing up for events is a good start, and I believe in starts!