Gravel cycling is so popular even the 2024 Tour de France has a gravel stage. Here are eight reasons why every road rider should try it too.
Discover new adventures
Getting a gravel bike will unlock a unique range of off-road adventures, from atmospheric forest tracks to glorious mountain trails. “Most of us are very familiar with our local roads, club routes and rides, but they can get a little repetitive,” admits London-based cycling, triathlon and strength coach Phil Paterson (@Coffeecarbsandcarbon), who has taken up gravel racing.
“Gravel bikes open up a whole new world of places to ride, so you can explore new routes from your doorstep and keep it fresh. Remember, not every route has to be off-road, and sometimes just a few sections of gravel can be used to weave some great road routes together, too.”
Improve your bike-handling skills
If you want to know what off-road cycling can do to your on-road racing performance, just look at the bike-handling and descending skills of the multi-talented Tom Pidcock and Mathieu van der Poel. “Some of the best bike handlers in the pro peloton are people who also have a background in off-road disciplines like cross and MTB,” says Paterson.
“When riding off-road on gravel, you’ll be making far more manoeuvres and adjustments than you do on the road. That means avoiding obstacles, picking better lines around corners and just being much more wary of what your wheels are doing at all times. This can help improve your reflexes, bike-handling skills and general confidence on the bike. Getting used to a little bit of wheel slip off road is normal too, and it means you’re less likely to freak out if it happens on the road.”
Raise your body conditioning up a level
Gravel riding will also enhance your strength, balance and physical fitness, making you a much more diverse and gifted road racer. “Gravel riding places different demands on the body because of the varied terrain,” explains Paterson. “It’s more demanding on your upper body as you absorb larger bumps and vibrations.
Even your trunk works harder, with your back and core muscles helping to stabilise and balance your body and absorb all the bumps on the trail. Your legs work harder too, as just maintaining speed off-road requires constant pedalling to overcome the added resistance. You will also get used to arriving home with more leg fatigue than on a road ride.”
Boost your climbing power
Gravel riding helps to develop raw climbing power, because you often have to perform high-torque seated climbs. If you climb off-road on gravel trails, you can’t get out of the saddle or your unweighted rear wheel will slide on the slippery surface. So you are forced to perform high-power seated climbs – a valuable weapon to have in your armoury when racing up climbs on the road.
“Riding on looser surfaces such as gravel, grass and mud means you’re more likely to lose traction, especially when out of the saddle, since you’re taking weight off the rear wheel,” explains Paterson. “This means you’ll need to get good at putting out high power at a range of cadences, especially on the lower end, on often much steeper inclines than you would find on the roads. This will help you develop strength that will carry over to the road.”
Have more fun with friends
Maybe it is the beauty of the dramatic off-road terrain, or maybe it’s the slower speeds you achieve when riding on gravel, but gravel riding can be a uniquely fun, joyous and social way to ride a bike. “For starters, there’s the ethos behind it, which is all about leaving the roads and data behind and just going for a ride,” explains Paterson.
“Secondly, the lower speeds make conversation easier, and gives you more opportunity to ride side-by-side with a friend, without fear of enraging motorists. Plus, while crashing on the road isn’t funny, watching your mate misjudge a muddy puddle and end up knee deep in it usually is!”
Relax on your ride
Even the most passionate road cyclists will enjoy the chance to get off the busy roads and enjoy a more peaceful training ride on gravel once in a while. “There certainly are more road users, both in cars and on bikes, than there were ten or 20 years ago, and they’re all going faster,” says Paterson.
“Gravel riding takes you away from all that, and people you meet on the trails, whether other riders, runners or dog walkers, are generally friendly. The other benefit of being able to take your route off-road is that you often have more options for avoiding busier roads that circle towns and cities. I live in London, but on a grave bike I can take routes out of the city via a canal, or on trails that allow me to bypass some of my least favourite roads.”
Enhance your technical knowledge
Riding a bike off-road means you pay more attention to things like tyre size, tyre pressure, brake use and navigation – all of which will make you a more knowledgeable rider on the road, too. “With the recent trends in ever increasing tyre widths, lower pressures and tubeless set-ups, it can be hard to get your head around running different tyre pressures,” says Paterson.
“But with gravel and off-road riding, you get to play around a little more with this to suit the terrain and conditions. Testing out lower pressures for more comfort and shock absorption, and seeing how it affects your ride quality and control, can be a useful experience for road racers. Since getting into gravel, it’s certainly made me think more about my road set-up, and how I can change pressures for different conditions on the road too.”
Top up your confidence
Road riders can often get freaked out by poor road conditions, bad weather or the chaos of a racing peloton, but riding on gravel builds up your confidence so you feel like you can handle anything. “While in training on the road, we can choose to shy away from the less desirable riding conditions for the comfort of the turbo, but in events and races you have to deal with whatever the weather throws your way on the day,” says Paterson.
“Keen gravel riders know that you must face mud and changeable conditions but get on with it. In fact, it can be fun out there. Soon you’ll wonder why you were bothered about wet roads at all.”
