What is Gravel and what you need to know to get rolling

What does "gravel" exactly mean? Originally it was a road surface, it became a type of bike capable of much more than just riding on gravel. Above all, "gravel" is a way of cycling: discovering new places & people and the fun on the journey rather than just getting to the endpoint. 

Originating in North America, gravel biking was borne out of cyclists heading off of traditional routes to explore the likes of forest roads, old ridgeways and long-forgotten trails.

Combining elements from road and mountain biking. Gravel riding aims to open up the land around us for adventure. Essentially, wherever you find an unpaved road or trail, you'll likely find gravel riders. And because most unpaved roads are located outside of urban areas, the discipline naturally requires you to step into the wilderness and literally off the beaten track.

Gravel ultimately is a sub-section of cycling driven as much by the joy of discovery as by the thrill of getting your heart rate up on two wheels.

The Bikes

Gravel bikes have become increasingly popular in recent years, many find it difficult at first to distinguish them from ordinary road bikes. You can think of a gravel bike as a mixture of a road bike and a mountain bike. The ultimate enduro machine with which you can tackle any terrain.

What makes gravel bikes different?

1. More room in the frame

Perhaps the defining feature that sets gravel bikes apart from road bikes is the amount of clearance in the fork and rear triangle, which accommodates much wider gravel tyres for hitting the trails and dirt roads.

The width and tread on these tyres will depend on the conditions and the type of terrain you'll be tackling. Wider tyres give more grip on more technical terrain, and more aggressive tread patterns help in the wet with mud, although they will slow you down a little on smoother sections.

Unlike cyclocross's 33mm limit, gravel doesn't have this restriction, so clearance is usually the only issue. And the introduction of smaller 650b wheels means that even mountain bike tyres can be used with some gravel bikes.

2. The Geometry

Typically, gravel bikes' headtube angle is less aggressive. Just like the range available in mountain bikes, this design makes them more suitable for steeper and more technical riding, giving more stability when it gets rough.

A longer wheelbase refers to the overall bike length: gravel bikes are longer and more compact than road bikes, giving better tracking over loose and unpredictable surfaces.

Wider bars are also usually offered for the same benefit of improved stability, and flared bars are trendy in gravel riding. These give you the same position yet a wider stance when descending on tricky trails.

3. The Gearing

The gearing for gravel bikes is another area where you'll need to select based on your chosen terrain. Mountainous riding requires a much greater gear range, especially when taking technical or loose trails into account. If you want to add additional weight with luggage for bikepacking, consider even lower gears still.

Single chainring setups (also known as 1X) are incredibly popular among gravel riders for their simplicity.

These days almost all big bike manufacturers have a gravel offering. We can highly recommend the Gravel range offered by Specialized. (The standard Specialized range starts at just CHF2,200). These bikes combine a streamlined, sporty silhouette with hefty tyre clearance, and some even offer integrated suspension. Specialized Future Shock suspension up front provides 20mm travel, allowing the bike to cut through technical sections. There's clearance for up to 47mm tyres. Check out the offering at specialized.com

Let's Ride!