“Gravel” bikes have ignited the passions of new and experienced cyclists.
Cyclists by the MILLIONS are buying “gravel” bikes.
Why is this category of all-road bikes outselling other models? What is the attraction of these all-purpose bikes over traditional road bikes and mountain bikes?
The answer isn’t a mystery when you learn that over 30% of the public roads in the U.S. are unpaved?
Your riding possibilities are DOUBLED when you don’t avoid unpaved routes and connector roads. Now any bike that you ride on an unpaved road could be considered a gravel bike. In fact, if you go back a few generations, EVERY bike was a gravel bike!
My mountain bike is a “gravel bike” sometimes. So is my fat bike and touring bike. But “gravel bikes” fall in the middle ground between traditional road bikes (with slick, narrow 25mm or 28mm tires) and mountain bikes (with knooby tires over 2.4-inches.)
Gravel bikes have been the SALES LEADERS for nearly every brand.
The sales of traditional road bikes had been declining for many years. This decline was stalled during the "Pandemic" period when people had added income and the time to pursue outdoor recreation. But the bicycle industry was its own worst enemy.
Newcomers to cycling were NOT interested in expensive road bikes that required monthly payments!
Cycling gained new (and renewed) enthusiasts who were seeking recreation, fitness, and family time away from the crowds. Both the solo rider and families needing multiple bikes were put off by expensive road bikes with delicate tires and components targeted to wannabe racers. They also weren't looking for the off-road performance of mountain bikes.
In contrast, the lower price point, more rugged designs, and all-road capability of the gravel bike was a perfect fit.
To learn more about the rising interest in these all-purpose bicycles, I turned to Nick Legan, the author of Gravel Cycling.
Nick is a former road bike racer, who then became a mechanic for professional road racing teams in the Grand Tours of Europe, World Championships, and the 2008 Olympics. Most recently, Nick has been the Technical Editor for VeloNews and Adventure Cyclist. Nick is someone who has LIVED road racing and cycling and has now become a gravel cycling enthusiast.
Nick summaries: “Gravel cycling is a glorious return to the purest roots of two-wheel adventure. From farms roads and miner’s paths to the high passes of the Rockies and Alps, gravel cycling will set you free to explore, persevere, and discover.”
Selene Yeager is another convert to gravel cycling, having years of experience as a road and MTB racer, Ironman triathlete, USA Cycling coach, and personal trainer.
Selene is a writer for Bicycling magazine and a contributor to many others including Outside, Women’s Health, Men’s Health, and Runner’s World. She has also authored or coauthored nearly 30 books, including her recent book, Gravel: The Ultimate Guide.
Selene writes, “Gravel remains largely undefined, which is exactly the point. It’s supposed to be an adventure.”
“Gravel cycling” means different things to different riders, in different regions of the U.S. and around the world. The general category includes:
Any unpaved road. For some, this means the great network of “B-roads” throughout farm country.
“Gravel” may include dirt Jeep trails also used by motorcycles or ATV’s.
Some “gravel” riders enjoy single-track trails normally the domain of mountain bikers.
All these sub-categories may include steep climbs, hair raising descents, creek crossings, unrideable “hike-a-bike” sections. In general, "gravel" starts where traditional road riders turn around.
But “gravel” also includes a mix of paved roads, bike paths, and city streets. “Gravel” can start at your front door, take you everywhere, and bring you back home. You don’t need to haul your bike to the trailhead and back home after the ride.
Most importantly, your route PRIORITIZES unpaved roads - which often have the best scenery and least traffic.
Selene Yeager sums it up by writing, “Gravel is: Unpaved roads, trails, tire-swallowing sand, singletrack, rocks, snow, puddles, streams, peanut butter mud, digging deep, getting lost, getting found, exhilarating, amazing, and occasionally, absolutely freakin’ sadistic. Gravel is LIFE.”
Doesn’t that explain the appeal of gravel bikes and all-road cycling?
While many road cyclists may fall into weekly routines and complain about boredom, gravel riders glow when describing freedom and exploration, even if it includes rocks, mud, and hardships. Their rides aren’t dull, but “exhilarating”, “amazing”, and “freakin’ sadistic”!!!
Nick Legan agrees. He writes, “With a strong emphasis on fun, gravel may be the shining light in cycling’s future.”
Nick continues, “For new cyclists (and I would include returning cyclists after years or decades of absence), riding gravel and solitary dirt roads is a natural solution to the problems of road riding or mountain biking."
"Traffic on paved roads scares many new cyclists, and the absence of a safe shoulder or the threatening presence of a gutter strewn with broken glass and debris can be paralyzing. The technical skills required for mountain biking are also an impediment for many. Riding gravel and dirt roads, on the other hand, offers a quiet cycling experience with only a minimal amount of cycling prowess required.”
What defines a “gravel bike”? What makes a “gravel bike” the best choice for travel on paved roads, then transitioning seamlessly onto unpaved roads and lighter trails.
Bicycle riding used to automatically include sections of gravel roads. The vintage 10-speed bikes from the “Bike Boom” of the 1970’s and 80's were outfitted with 27-inch x 1.25” tires. These bikes logged MILLIONS of miles on unpaved, rural roads. This was a full decade before the first “mountain bikes” were conceived and marketed.
In his book, Nick Legan states, “Gravel cycling is the original form of cycling. Modern gravel riders are simply rediscovering the sport’s roots.”
In addition to rural roads, the Rails to Trails Conservancy has tallied over 24,000 miles of multi-use trails across the U.S. which are mostly unpaved and ideal for gravel bikes.
The wider tires and longer wheelbase of gravel bikes travel effortlessly as your planned route traverses a mix of paved roads and unpaved segments. Then also, bike touring in the summer almost guarantees that you will encounter road construction. Fragile road bikes are not designed for stretches of loose gravel, but “gravel bikes” remain stable and efficient.
Event organizers and rural communities are also taking notice of the explosion of interest in gravel cycling.
Casual group rides and competitive “gravel grinders” are springing up everywhere. And cyclists are buying bikes and signing up for competitions in droves. Many competitive events now have waiting lists or lotteries for the limited entries. This viral, organic growth has created a community of competitors (both hard-core and casual) who travel across the country to ride new routes - much to the delight of rural businesses!
Selene Yeager interviewed many riders and racers, one of whom summarized her passion, “Gravel racing changed my life. It made me fall in love with the bike all over again. We can just be this crazy community of like-minded people. We can just ride bikes. We can just embrace the adventure.” Selene agrees and writes, “Gravel is the Wild West of bike racing.”
But gravel cycling isn’t booming only because of racing. (Although competition is a natural byproduct any time you line up two or more riders.)
Riders seeking new destinations as well as exercise are choosing gravel bikes. Nick Legan writes in Gravel Cycling, “For those who prefer solitude to competition, gravel roads offer escape from the increasingly busy paved roads around the world. Cyclists are discovering that riding on dirt lanes and gravel roads is the calmest form of cycling, a way to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life.”
Nick Legan covers both gravel grinders and bikepacking in Gravel Cycling. Bikepacking is basically ultralight backpacking but letting the bike carry your camping gear. A gravel bike is perfect for the new discipline of bikepacking. When you to extend your explorations overnight or over many days, you expand your horizons exponentially.
Selene Yeager calls this new generation of gravel bicycles: “sport utility bikes”.
Gravel bikes are designed for a wide range of wheel and tire sizes and treads, suitable for almost any road or trail. Selene also states, “A good gravel bike is fast on pavement and is never boring.” I agree! My lightweight “gravel bike” is fast and nimble. The same bike can swap from wide 650b wheels with 2-inch tires on a gravel grinder or bikepacking trip to a fast Century road ride with 700c wheels with 30mm slicks.
The versatility of a gravel bike will uncomplicate your route choices.
Many rural roads change from pavement to gravel and back. While road bike riders go out of their way to avoid unpaved roads, you can take more direct routes and enjoy whatever road surface you encounter. Similar to dual sport motorcycles, the best scenery is normally beyond the end of the pavement.
Here are more views on the versatility of gravel bikes, on and off the paved road from our friends at Bike Radar:
Has your bike riding gone stale? Are you longing for new challenges, new horizons, and more solitude in less traveled surroundings? Then an all-purpose, gravel bike should be in your future. Gravel bikes really are the “SUVs” of the bicycle market. Commuter bike or extended bikepacking bike, a bike for casual riding on rail trails or a “monster cross” trail bike – there is a gravel bike with a wheel and tire combination that will satisfy.
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