When gravel bikes first hit the shops, nobody was sure what they were for or if they would be a big hit. We soon realized not only did we now have perfect machines for gravel riding, but we also had the best do it all bikes ever. If you’re ready to jump on the trend, learn how to start gravel biking in this article!
Gravel bikes have brought a new audience to cycling. Not only from other disciplines but also lots of people that had never been interested in the sport before. We are often asked, “How do I start gravel biking?” In this article, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know when we speak about:
Table of contents
What is Gravel Biking?
There are a few different opinions when it comes to what people think gravel biking is. In its simplest form, gravel biking is riding a bike on gravel, but many cyclists soon realized they had much more ability than just dusty tracks.
Many cyclists see gravel biking as a mix of road and light off-road riding. Gravel bikes were seen more as a do it all bikes, and the riding was seen as lots of different mixed terrains and not just gravel roads.
Are gravel bikes hard to ride?
Gravel bikes are easy to ride. They are very similar to road bikes but give you much more control as the geometry is much more relaxed. Once you get the hang of how the drop bar shifters work and settle into the position, you completely feel in control, and it becomes a lot of fun.
Why is gravel biking so popular?
There are many reasons why gravel biking has become so popular. Here’s why we think it shook the industry so much;
- A gravel bike was perfect for people who just wanted to own one bike
- It gave people the ability to ride on and off-road in the same ride comfortably and quickly
- Gravel bikes were and still are very affordable
- It gave mountain bikers and road bikers common ground
- Gravel bikes were the perfect choice for adventure cycling on light rough terrain
- It went professional and became a UCI-approved discipline
Gravel biking was the discipline that cycling didn’t know it needed. Seeing so many riders challenge themselves on mountain biking trails and still be fast on the roads is amazing. A lot of cyclists have sold most of their bike collection and invested in a single gravel bike.
Related Reading: What is a Gravel Bike Frame?
What Do I Need For Gravel Biking?
Before you learn how to start gravel biking, you will need a few basic things. Thankfully, you don’t need a lot of stuff when it comes to gravel biking. In this next section, we will tell you what you need essentially and what is optional but can really improve the experience.
Essentials
Here are our suggestions for gravel cycling, which is essential.
A Gravel Bike Or Similar
Obviously, for gravel rides, you are going to either need a gravel bike or a bike with similar ability. You could use a road bike with larger tires or even a hardtail mountain bike if you didn’t have a gravel bike. The best tool for the job will be a gravel specific bike, which will give you the best experience.
Clothing For Gravel Cycling
We highly recommend wearing the right clothing when it comes to gravel biking. Wearing a good pair of padded shorts and a cycling jersey with some pockets will make the gravel biking experience much better. If you want to know more, check out our article on gravel cycling clothing.
Tools And Spares
You will also require some tools and spares to ensure you stay on the road in case of mechanicals. We recommend taking inner tubes, a patch kit, tire levers, a multi-tool, a pump, and a small tire boot. Rougher terrain typically will give you more issues, especially on gravel tires.
Food And Water
So many cyclists head straight out the door for a gravel ride without taking any food or water. Although you might save yourself a few minutes in the long run, it’s not good to go out riding without. Anything over an hour, you should have some nutrition to ensure you will get back home without burning out.
Safety Equipment
We highly recommend wearing safety equipment when gravel biking. A helmet, lighting, and some high-visibility clothing goes a long way to keeping you protected and also seen by other road users. You might even want to consider a radar system like the Garmin Varia.
Related Reading: How to Convert a Mountain Bike to a Gravel Bike
Optional
Now let’s speak about the optional goods. Although not essential, they will hugely add to the gravel biking experience.
Frame And Bike Bags
Frames bags come in all shapes and sizes. They are a great way to carry all your tools, spares, food, and spare clothing. They come in very handy when it comes to gravel riding, as it means you can explore further and carry a lot of extra kit while on remote dirt roads.
GPS Computers
GPS computers are fantastic devices when it comes to gravel riding. It can lead the way and help you navigate, you can use it to track your heart rate and power to see your fitness progress and alert your family if you fall off.
Mini First Aid Kit
When you go gravel biking, there’s much more chance of you falling off the bike. Dusty trails and forest paths are much more challenging terrain compared to the road. We highly recommend taking a small first aid kit with some cleaning wipes, plasters, and anything else you think you might need.
Related Reading: Best Gravel Bike Trails in Canada
How Do I Choose My First Gravel Bike?
Choosing your first gravel bike can be very difficult, and there’s a huge amount to choose from, making it even more complicated. We feel the best way to go for your first gravel bike is to consider going for a budget model.
Buying a budget gravel bike gives you the opportunity to experience gravel biking without having to invest a huge amount of money. Then if you take to gravel, it will be worth investing more in the future. For the best budget gravel bikes, check out our recommendations.
If you want to invest a little more, then we would say to go with a well-known brand, look for a bike with good components, and pick 650b wheels if you plan a lot of off-road and 700c wheels if you plan a lot of road riding.
How Do You Train For Gravel Riding?
When it comes to training for gravel riding, a lot of new riders don’t know where to start. If you’re a road cyclist, you might need to build your off-road riding skills. If you are a mountain biker, you might need to increase your fitness and technique.
In our opinion, a good way to train for your gravel riding is to break it down into three types of training you can do to improve your riding:
Technical Ability
To improve your technical ability, typically off-road, we recommend riding on trails and challenging yourself as much as possible. The best off-road riding comes from experience, and the more riding you can do off-road, the better you’ll get at it.
We also recommend not just riding gravel but going on many different types of terrain, such as muddy trails, rocky paths, and even washboard gravel. Not only do you get experience to make you a better rider, but the confidence goes a long way too.
Fitness Training
Gaining fitness is very important if you want to excel at gravel riding. The best way to improve your fitness is to push your body to make the adaptations. There are a lot of different sessions you can do to help make these adaptations.
You have power sessions, which are short high intensity sessions that will raise the heart rate high and push your body outside its comfort zone. Then you have endurance sessions that are much less intense but much longer and help your base level of fitness.
Basic Bike Knowledge
When you think about training to improve your gravel biking, the first things to come to mind are technical ability and fitness for many, but many people don’t know that to be a great gravel rider, you need to have more skills.
Learning how to fix your bike from common mechanicals, setting up your bike properly with a bike fit, and learning how to fuel yourself properly are great ways to help train to be a better gravel rider.
Are Gravel Bikes Just A Fad?
Many cyclists said the gravel bike would be a fad, but they couldn’t have been more wrong. Gravel bikes are here to stay, and we think gravel riding will go from strength to strength over the next few years.
In the future, we’ll see more gravel bikes, better technology for riding gravel, and more cyclists heading in this direction too. We hope you enjoyed our article and are equipped with everything you need to know to learn how to start gravel biking!
Read More: Gravel Bike vs Road Bike