What is Gravel Cycling?

Adventure, all-road, gravel... huh?

At its most fundamental level, gravel cycling is just riding a bike on an unpaved road. Can't you do that with your road bike? Yes. What about your mountain bike? Yep. So what makes gravel cycling different? The answer lies in three things: community, culture, and equipment.

Gravel's big-tent community is one of its strongest draws. The discipline is more accessible than mountain biking and more welcoming than road riding. Routes are less intuitive and more remote, so people tend to stick together. With so much to look at on rural farm roads and old mining paths and overgrown timber breaks and converted railroad tracks, paces are manageable and rest stops are frequent. Sharing sights and stories is half of the fun, so that's what people do. Instead of an ethic that seeks to crack your friends, enemies, and frenemies, the gravel community champions diversity and inclusion.

Culture encompasses any community's shared beliefs and habits. For almost a century, road culture has tracked examples set by the pro peloton in its pursuit of grand tour glory. Meanwhile, mountain biking has shifted from 1970s hippie counterculture to the thrilling descents of events like Red Bull Rampage. Gravel culture rejects roadies' push for speed no matter the cost and mountain biking's tolerance of risk and injury. We've written about its history elsewhere, suffice to say gravel grew up embracing the occasional teamwork of a road peloton, the occasional solitude of a mountain trail, and no-drop attitudes in between. Gravel roads with open visibility and no traffic offer quiet, beautiful views, and the space to share them side-by-side-by-side with your mates. That's where culture is built.

The earliest organized gravel races in the United States were won by riders on cyclocross bikes with non-regulation tires or rigid mountain bikes with hardpack tires. If you have a cyclocross bike or old hardtail up in the rafters, you can throw on some slicks or semi-slicks and see for yourself what the fuss is about. And as your mind and body tire after a full day in the sun (or rain, or sleet), you might discover why early gravel riders started tweaking their bikes, and why the cycling industry started introducing gravel-specific machines. Cyclocross bikes' twitchy handling is a boon on a twisty turny cross course for a 60-minute race because it helps their riders easily make line corrections around course features and fallen competitors, but that same fast handling can make it hard for a tiring gravel rider to hold their line over rough terrain. Mountain bikes' burly frames and components are designed to survive high speed downhill crashes into rocks, but their combined weight can make climbing long steady pitches feel like a slog--especially if the person next to you is on a converted 'cross bike!

After a few gravel outings on your converted rig, you might be ready to make some modifications to enhance your ride experience. If you're on a 'cross bike or road bike, tubeless wheels and tires can help keep you moving in pinch-flat terrain (which, in the world of gravel, is basically everywhere). Ride the widest tires your bike can fit--and try letting some air out of them to increase traction and smooth out the bumps. A single chainring drivetrain can eliminate dropped chains on rough roads. A larger rear sprocket can help you achieve a lower gear ratio to help you climb steep roads that were never graded for automobile traffic. A stem that places your handlebars a few centimeters higher can ease your position and add comfort and confidence on fast technical descents.

If you're on an old mountain bike, ditch the heavy knobby tires for something supple and light. Try something in the 40mm range and go wider or narrower as your local roads demand. Your taller front end will keep you in the wind on open gravel roads, and you may find it worthwhile to experiment with clip-on aerobars or to fully convert to drop bars. That suspension fork is adding three or four pounds over a rigid alternative, not to mention all the lost energy you're pushing into the suspension with every pedal stroke. Swap it out.

Finally, as a born-again gravel rider, you may decide to pull the trigger on a bike whose geometry and spec is specifically designed for the unique needs of gravel riding. We sell those.

If you're new to cycling, consider buying a gravel bike for your first bike. The characteristics that distinguish them from road bikes are especially nice for newcomers to the sport. They have a wider range of gears which will help you tackle even the toughest climbs. Their less aggressive geometry will place you in a more upright, and comfortable, position. They often have wider handlebars which can assist your steering. Because they are more adventure-oriented, they are built to accommodate racks and fenders so you can easily turn them into commuters or grocery-getters. Finally, their wider tires offer a more plush ride.

Not all gravel rides and riders head out into the wilds seeking the same thing. Remember, this discipline is about diversity. Over the past few years two subcultures have evolved from gravel's humble beginnings. Some riders have a more maximalist philosophy. They load their bikes with racks and bags to hold enough food and water and spares to support all day (or multi day) adventures on quiet backroads at a more contemplative pace. Others tend toward minimalism. They trim their kit to a water bottle and a pair of cargo bibs packed with a couple bars and some water-purification tabs so they can blitz the countryside at a racer's pace. However you choose to explore and experience your local gravel, remember that there's no wrong way to do it.

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