What is gravel cycling?

Gravel riding is one of the most popular and fastest growing disciplines of cycling.  While the core idea of gravel riding is easy enough to understand (i.e. riding bikes on unpaved roads), the term itself can be confusing to cyclists not familiar with this type of riding. Gravel riding has become synonymous with long-distance multi-terrain cycling, on which riders explore new and unfamiliar routes and where road conditions can be uncertain. It draws upon road cycling and mountain biking, combining features of both into a type of riding that embodies the spirit of adventure and exploration.

History of gravel cycling

It can be argued that gravel cycling is, in fact, one of the earliest types of cycling. In the early days of cycling for leisure and sport, smooth tarmac roads were not as ubiquitous as they are now. If we look at the type of road conditions pioneer long-distance cyclists rode on, we can see how gravel riding, at its core, is not really brand-new idea.

The modern form of gravel riding, however, can be traced within the last 15 years. Riders in the United States, where stretches of seemingly endless dirt and fire roads extend across vast distances in many parts of the country started using modified road and mountain bikes to suit their preferred type of riding. One of the early terms applied to gravel bikes is monstercross, whereby riders put drop bars on hardtail mountain bikes and adapted them for long-distance dirt road touring. Manufacturers didn’t start producing gravel-specific bikes until around 2012, when US-based Salsa Cycles offered their adventure bike model, the Salsa Warbird. These days, gravel bike offerings are abundant, and most bike manufacturers have at least one gravel-specific model in their product lineup.

‍What are the defining elements of gravel riding?

Gravel riding is less about getting from point A to point B fast, or riding one particular type of terrain. It is more about long-distance rides where exploration and adventure are the main motivations, and there is a desire to keep going where smooth roads end and unpaved, potholed, rutted and otherwise rough surfaces begin.

If the rising popularity of gravel can be pinpointed to one element, it would be the more laid back and relaxed nature of it compared to other types of riding. Since adventure and exploration define the core spirit of gravel, there is less pressure to conform to certain things that define more established disciplines of cycling like road and mountain biking. Even gravel racing embodies that ethos, with many competitive gravel events emphasizing the fun factor over pure competition. For instance, Grinduro, which is a well-known gravel global racing series, bills itself as a “party on wheels”.

Can I just use a road or mountain bike to ride gravel?

You certainly can, with caveats.  A typical hardtail or fully rigid mountain bike, or even an endurance road bike with bigger tire clearance can be used for gravel and dirt road exploration. That said, the versatility of gravel-specific bikes is compelling. Modern gravel bikes combine the efficiency of road bikes with a healthy dash of the off-road handling prowess of mountain bikes to make a category of bike swell adapted to long treks on routes with multiple types of terrain.