Do not ride on gravel roads?

[SailnDive]

In the Do and don't section it says " do not ride on gravel roads" Well, I live on a gravel road and I have to drive on about 1/4 mile of gravel to get to my house! Most of the belt is covered but there is a short section that is not. Is there a cover made for that section? I'll bet a piece of gravel could do severe damage to the belt and drive wheel. Now I'll worry every time I drive on that short section of gravel road. My bike is an RTs.

[Chupaca]

check with spyderpops, a sponsor on the home page, who has those missing guards...

[ARtraveler]

Your question got answered quick.

[flaggerphil]

No, no! You're never allowed to ride on gravel...you have to give the bike back!



Or not.

[nesdspyder]

If it makes you feel better. I have 3 1/2 miles of gravel to the nearest tar road. no problems yet. dealer said it is the chipped granite that will cause damage to the belt. the round rocks on a gravel road have not bothered yet.

[PistonBlown]

As Chupaca says the Spyderpops stone guard does the trick on normal gravel, stone chip etc.

Once you've got the belt guard fitted all you have to be careful of is very fresh tar and chip, by fresh I mean the tar has just been laid and is still hot and sticky. What happens then is the tar helps the chips stick to the tires and they shower everywhere . In that situation the worst is actually front left tire as that comes back towards the belt and of course the tar helps the chips stick to that as well. I'm the third rider I'm aware of in NZ who's damaged a belt after hitting that stuff.

[SethO]

I ride on them, harder than most people should and have been fine and I don't have a top belt guard, I did get a rock thru the first belt I had but it held up until I had my front pulley bolt break.

[Bob Denman]

You can ride on pretty near any surface worth riding on; as long as you don't kick something up to where it gets grabbed by the belt.
Take your time across that first and least piece of each trip, and you'll be fine. Spyderpop's belt guard would also help, and probably give you some peace of mind as well.

[Cleg]

Although I don't do it everyday, when it is necessary, I find traveling slower workst to keep the gravel where it belongs, on the ground and not in the bike belt track... Just sayin... Unfortunately, hot tar is just a mess...

[Vt. Rider]

I have to ride 3 1/2 miles of dirt road each time I leave the house just to get to the paved roads. I had the same question, but since there is no choice in the matter, I just take it a bit slower and watch where I go.

[Omcge]

I've been driving on a 1/2 mile gravel drive for 2 years and have had no problem.
I keep the speed under about 10 mph.

[AY4B]

Harley's have had the same exact belt for decades. Why are they not concerned?

[Pennyrick]

Harley's have had the same exact belt for decades. Why are they not concerned?

I believe the Harley rear sprocket run between 125 to 140 teeth whereas the Spyder has half that number. That makes it easier for a piece of gravel to lodge itself into the teeth as the spaces are wider.

[Rockwall]

Just go extremely slow.

[trikermutha]

I believe the Harley rear sprocket run between 125 to 140 teeth whereas the Spyder has half that number. That makes it easier for a piece of gravel to lodge itself into the teeth as the spaces are wider.

Harley rear sprocket is around 65 -70 tooth on rear sprockets..

[Bob Denman]

Anyone riding a "Belt-Bike", who isn't aware of this potential issue... WILL BE!!

[trikermutha]

[PaladinLV]

Harley's have had the same exact belt for decades. Why are they not concerned?

Maybe we're just smarter!

All kidding aside, because of TWO wheels, we tend to travel SLOWLY on gravel so as to not kick the stuff up.
I notice the Harley Trikes go faster and there's allows a cut storm behind them.

I've taken the Spyder on gravel - no problems. If you start to hear the sound of gravel hitting the underside, just slow down.

AJ

[BajaRon]

My driveway is about 800 ft long. All gravel. I've never had an issue. Your results may vary...

[pegasus1300]

As Chupaca says the Spyderpops stone guard does the trick on normal gravel, stone chip etc.

Once you've got the belt guard fitted all you have to be careful of is very fresh tar and chip, by fresh I mean the tar has just been laid and is still hot and sticky. What happens then is the tar helps the chips stick to the tires and they shower everywhere . In that situation the worst is actually front left tire as that comes back towards the belt and of course the tar helps the chips stick to that as well. I'm the third rider I'm aware of in NZ who's damaged a belt after hitting that stuff.

I hate it when they chip seal (hot tar and rock chips) a road here. It is a very common practice in Utah and in rural Utah there is often no other way you can go except over the fresh chip seal. Will Spyderpops missing belt guard work with the Rivco belt tension device?

[sledmaster]

Out of nearly 100,000 Spyder miles since 2007 I would guess that 1,000 of them have been on gravel roads in Minnesota. I generally slow down some, but not to a crawl. Often times it is 50 mph for miles on end. To be fair, I did have to replace one belt, but that was damaged due to hot tar patches and chunks of tar getting stuck on the big sprocket. Yes it is a concern, but just slow down and be smart about it to minimize any paint chipping and rocks getting stuck in the sprocket/belt. The dust is more of a concern, kills the air filter far quicker.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I hate it when they chip seal (hot tar and rock chips) a road here. It is a very common practice in Utah and in rural Utah there is often no other way you can go except over the fresh chip seal.

It's getting to be a common practice all around the country. It's been proven to be very cost effective way to extend the life of asphalt pavement.

[Deer Slayer]

It's getting to be a common practice all around the country. It's been proven to be very cost effective way to extend the life of asphalt pavement.

I had to remove a chunk of tar gravel stuff from my rear sprocket. So stuff happens every where.

[sledmaster]

It's getting to be a common practice all around the country. It's been proven to be very cost effective way to extend the life of asphalt pavement.

Agreed. They call it "seal coating" up here. They first spray a hot oil/tar layer then cover it in pea-rock, let it get packed in and then come back later and sweep up the un-stuck pea rock. Typically it is most effective if done one year after the pavement is laid down. Something about helping to keep the oil content in the pavement.

But that is less of an issue than the 100% hot tar pot hole repairs we have to deal with due to the freeze-thaw cycles. They come along with a truck load of hot mix asphalt and fill the craters in the pavement with hot tar and pack it down. If you should come across the repair sites that day, your tires pick up some chunks and it is hell on the belt, sprockets, wheels, the guy behind you. I will flat out turn around when I find roads that are getting repaired that day. WD-40 is a cheap tar remover, spray it on and let it sit for a few minutes, loosens up the tar bond and it wipes right off, cheap.

[Bob Denman]

We also keep an eye on the Road "Repairs" up here, and I will always avoid sections that have just been chip-sealed; even with my Jeep! We normally give it two days to get a stabilized surface, but I wait an extra day for the bike!
Besides; the detours around the mess normally just ends up adding time and mileage to any ride!