The gravel bike is maybe the discipline that federates most in cycling in the last decade. It brings together all cycling fans of all ages, it combines all terrains: it links all cycling disciplines a single unique concept for everything and everyone. Its origins come from the core of cycling, where paved roads did not yet exist, where time has already been forgotten. Liberating, detachment, or excitement are words often put forth to describe the feeling after a gravel bike ride. New horizons appears, barriers open, motivation is awakened with the growing curiosity to discover a whole new world of possibilities, of new routes. Come with us, plunge your hands into the soil to find those roots where a new reason can be born and grow within you.
Driven to create new adventures
The Gravel bike does not challenge any other discipline of the bike industry. It unifies them, and all cycling fans along by creating unintentionally a community around its versatility and fun. A one-concept bike, with no terrain preference or textile codes, that attracts all cyclists from all disciplines. Indeed, gravel cycling possesses a social vibe that stirs people to ride and spend time together to socialize before, during and post-ride. This makes it much more accessible to people who are new to cycling in general. Why? Because there are no codes, no barriers. It is an inclusive discipline where women, men, and cultures mix nicely. A grassroots spirit that inspires people to join a strong and vibrant community. A value that gravel wants to keep intact. We can only hope so. Through those values, nature becomes again a playground as it existed in our childhood, where innocence and playfulness attributed to the joy and freedom that this discipline can offer. Without effort, contagious smiles and innate mood spread in the air, gravel cycling transports you to endless fun to rediscover sensations sometimes forgotten in mountain biking or road biking with machines fueled with technology. Above all, a gravel bikes are reliable, comfortable and enjoyable. Moreover, it dares you constantly and awakens curiosity for discovery. It incites you to turn right on that trail sinking into a pine forest, it challenges you again when the asphalt appears under your tires and encourages you to lift your butt out of the saddle to give it up a higher rhythm, it provokes you once more, hands down on its drop bar, with a beautiful single that follows the crest of a hill swinging your body from left to right in a magical dance with your machine and the meandering path. You will not see the time fly on gravel! You never know if you’re leaving for a 2 hour ride, 4 hours, or more.Denim shorts, a cotton t-shirt, cycling shorts, a lycra jersey, baggy shorts, gravel breaks that often colorful dress code brought by professional road racing. Wear what you feel best. Anti-conformism is part of this gravel atmosphere.
The Swiss knife of cycling
It allows versatility of use, terrain, and position: commuting to work, riding with family, climbing mountain passes with friends, or even going on a bike packing adventure for several days. A gravel bike is a bike with a little less than all specifics bikes to which it stoles something in each discipline but is able to do fully a little of all specialties. Is that clear enough?Its versatility of use has no limit but you. Instead of speed, the pace is tuned down to acquire a full connection to your environment. You relearn how to approach difficulties, how to perceive in a different way how to choose the right trajectory. We all have our favorite rides around our home with which we are extremely familiar. On our mountain bikes or road bikes, each mark, branch and tree, rock, or difficulty alongside those places, we recognize them, we even fear them sometimes but we also get used to them. Covering these known paths with a gravel bike, you will be reborn with new challenges, new pleasures tackling the same exact obstacles in another manner, discovering new ones.Some people may find its drop handlebar uncomfortable at first. Although, like with everything, we adjust to it. You will find a diversities of hand positions you can put yourself on a drop bar: the hoods, the drops, the tops or the ramps are delivering such a variety of hand positions. If it doesn’t come naturally to you, choose a flat bar handle. You’ll still be riding a gravel bike and it won’t make you unacceptable. Anti-conformist, I’m telling you!
A whole new community
All the elements are there to catalyze gravel fans into a community: nature, fun, openness, and friendship. The social aspect is maybe the most important link in the whole gravel universe. A discipline that transmit its emotion and its flavor to events, gran fondos, or races. So much so that tons of events are gradually emerging around the globe. As always, when a new discipline is born, new challenges rises. Human beings love to be confronted to each other and to face these challenges. Compared to other gatherings, all gravel bike events release a dose of friendliness, tolerance, compassion, solidarity, a space of exchange, a connection to nature. A bit of everything we tend to loose at work sometimes, in life often and in the world of rivalry and competition we re confronted with every day.
You have now all the elements of emotions that gravel cycling provides. Such a treasure is to be explored, shared, and enjoyed. The scope of gravel biking is staggering and mesmerizing, believe it. It is certainly the most remarkable new cycling discipline since the advent of MTB back in the ’80s. Epic rides, laugher moments with your friends and a lots of fun are the symptoms waiting for you. You could get infected with gravel fever forever and there is no vaccine.