Gravel cycling has rapidly gained popularity as a unique cycling discipline, offering a refreshing departure from traditional road cycling. In this article, we delve into the unique allure of gravel cycling, exploring its appeal for both casual riders seeking adventure and professionals embracing a new challenge. As we navigate the gravel roads, we’ll compare this discipline with others, highlighting the reasons why gravel cycling is carving its niche in the cycling world. The definition of gravel is up to the individual, but in essence, we want to avoid paved roads and traffic and explore what nature has to offer.
Why gravel cycling
Gravel cycling provides cyclists with an unparalleled experience. It combines the long rides of the road with the nature of the mountain bike disciplines, without the requirement of technical skills and risk of crashing. Gravel offers a sense of adventure and exploration. Riders revel in the freedom of traversing less-known routes free of cars, discovering the beauty of diverse terrains, and relishing the unique challenges presented by gravel paths.
The Social Aspect of Gravel Cycling
While other cycling disciplines have their social dynamics, gravel stands out for its communal spirit. The gravel community is really inclusive, and invites every type of rider. The slogan “Gravel is what you make it” really fits. At first, it was about going off the road. Having a relaxed ride and exploring nature. At this point, the racing part of the gravel scene is developing rapidly. Some claim racing is against the gravel spirit. But every type of rider is welcome in the gravel world. Unlike the road scene, where you can be thought less of because you don’t adhere to the unwritten rules of the Velominati. You can turn up on any bike and in any style of clothing you like.
Gravel roads, providing ample space, create an environment that enforces group rides and camaraderie. Unlike more technical mountain bike trails, the nature of gravel roads allows cyclists to ride side by side.
Getting Started in Gravel Cycling
The gravel world is fantastic. However, you need to consider where you live before you can get started. If you live in the center of a big metropolitan area, it might not be possible to get to any gravel roads unless you want to ride for many hours. And that still defeats some of the purpose of the ride. Riding on tarmac for 3 out of 4 hours might not be worth the effort. A road cycling route might be more appropriate then. And getting a dedicated gravel bike is probably not worth the money.
If you are in doubt whether the area where you live has any gravel to offer, you can check out Strava heatmaps and routes from others on RideWithGPS. Strava heatmaps allows you to see how much other people ride on roads and gravel paths. If there are used roads in forests and rural areas around you, you can go check it out. Nothing stops you from trying the gravel sections on a road or city bike to see if a gravel bike is worth it. Routes on RideWithGPS gives a better overview of where gravel sections can be found. It also allows you to search for routes by others, and see the amount of tarmac and gravel in the route.
Tips for beginners
While exploration is an essential part of gravel cycling’s DNA, a good route is important for an enjoyable ride. Every rider has different taste. Gravel can be everything from a degree of tarmac, gravel boulevards, technical gravel, single tracks and even mountain bike trails. Creating routes that suite your style of riding is an enjoyable process in which, you get to explore nature where you live. If are semi failiar with your local forests, you can head and explore. Then you can check your route planning tools to see where there might be other nice paths. Changing small bits to perfect your routes is good fun, and being the route master among your friends is pretty cool.
Tire pressure is the most important thing for ride comfort on gravel. Too much pressure will bounce you all over the place. You will get very sore hands and butt. Too little pressure, and you might get snake bite punctures. That’s when you hit a hole so hard, the rim is making contact with the ground and bites through the tube. Even if you have a tubeless setup, you might damage or break your rims from such a hit.
Everyone is talking about what the right pressure is. The truth is it’s individual for every rider. Less pressure means a softer more comfortable ride. It also gives higher grip and traction on gravel, but more rolling resistance on tarmac. Higher pressure means less risk of snake bites, but a more uncomfortable ride. You need to find your own sweet spot, but it will also vary depending on route and whether conditions. A good starting point for an 80 kg rider is 2.0 bar on the front wheel and 2.2 in the rear. Then you can experiment from there. A heavier rider needs more tire pressure than a light rider. But it’s not very much.
Conclusion
Gravel is a rapidly growing discipline in the cycling world. It’s a very open community, where every type of rider is welcome. From racers who want to get a break from the road to beginners getting hooked on the ability to explore a lot of nature on the bike. Gravel is what you make it, and there’s certainly a place for you.
If you want to get inspiration on which gravel bike you should get. Head over to our Buyer’s Guide.
