In just a few years, gravel cycling has gone from a fringe pursuit to the hot style of riding and racing, with current and former WorldTour professional jumping in the mix. Gravel cycling has many attractions: escaping traffic, noise, and congestion – whether rolling solo, riding with friends, or racing with competitors. At VeloNews, we cover all the major events and many of the small, quirky ones, bringing you the inside stories from the riders at the front and the back of the back. We also test a wide variety of gear, often in races like Unbound Gravel or The Mid South, and give you our unvarnished feedback here.
Dirty Kanza winner Colin Strickland is not your average pro cyclist, as we found when we visited him in Austin in late 2019. Strickland's constant tinkering is pushing American pro cycling in a bold new direction.
Across much of North America, spring makes a fickle bedfellow to gravel racing. We found six races where the weather shouldn't be a problem, but your early season fitness might.
Youth riders have been offered an opportunity to participate in the sold-out short course edition, free of charge.
I started cycling after getting shot by a sniper in Afghanistan. Dirty Kanza's challenge lured me in, and the family bonding has kept me coming back.
Two-time Dirty Kanza 200 winner Amanda Nauman and partner David Sheek launch event, with registration opening February 21.
Think you want to put on a gravel race? There's a lot more to consider than a cool course and a fun afterparty. We spoke to Chelsea Luttrall, founder and "one-woman show" at Colorado's The Crippler race to find out what it takes.
Force eTap AXS works quite well for gravel when it's warm and dry. But what about in snow, ice and sub-zero temps?
American Ironman record-holder Heather Jackson will race gravel in 2020 as she builds towards the world championships in Kona.
Inside the DIY life of gravel pro and WorldTour refugee Pete Stetina.
On the heels of complaints from riders and teams, the cycling governing body demands more transparency on unpaved sectors in road races.
Do you attack straight through, stop for a sandwich, or take advantage of neutral support? There is no standard across gravel races.
Versatility is the name of the game, and dirt is the playing field. The players are battery-operated, too.
The gravel season kicked off this weekend with Colorado's Old Man Winter Rally, a 100-kilometer trek across dirt roads in Boulder County. Heavy snowfall greeted racers on the morning of the event, and by the time they left the start line in Lyons, Colorado, several inches had accumulated on roadways. And then, just 15 kilometers in, the Colorado Department of Transportation made the decision to stop the event. That wasn't before VeloNews Photo Editor, Brad Kaminski, snapped some images of the snowy action in Colorado.
There are two main ways to tell Force eTap AXS apart from Red eTap AXS: with a scale (~300g) and with your wallet (~$1,000). If you like SRAM's wireless shifting style, this is a great group with a wide gearing range.
It seems every brand has a gravel bike these days. These gravel rigs are the 20 that we're most excited to ride in 2020.
In its ninth year, BWR is expanding its mixed-surface race outside of California.
From limited edition colors, to new tread patterns and widths, here's what's hot in tires, for 2020.
Let's make something clear: This isn't a retirement; I am training as hard as ever, and I am stoked to race.
Evil Bikes sought to upend conventional thinking about what a gravel bike should be. With some unique geometry choices, the Chamois Hagar did just that.
Gravel riders and race promoters are wary, if somewhat curious, of UCI boss David Lappartient's comments that the governing body may hold a gravel world championships.
Katie Hall, Kate Courtney, Alison Tetrick, and Amity Rockwell will all line up at this weekend's Grasshopper Adventure Series. What makes the gravel series so popular amongst female riders? We asked the experts.
Pearl Izumi’s X-Alp Gravel Shoes attempt to take the best characteristics of mountain bike shoes and tailor them to the needs of gravel riders.
Left-only power meters now available for Shimano GRX, plus new options for XT and XTR.
Slack geometry and a dropper post mean you can shred it like a mountain bike or grind it all day like a gravel bike.
USA Cycling invited promoters from the Dirty Kanza, SBT GRVL, and other gravel events to meet in Bentonville, Arkansas to discuss the future of off-road racing.
Indoor trainer company Wahoo launches the Wahoo Frontiers gravel racing team with Ian Boswell, who has stepped away from the WorldTour in 2020 to race off-road events.
On this week's episode we discuss media reports of Chris Froome's recovery, the changing shape of U.S. pro racing, and we hear from road pro TJ Eisenhart about why he's moving to gravel racing.
A decade ago gravel racing was an oddity for cycling's hardest core riders. Today, it's a movement for the masses.
As the decade comes to a close, tech editor Dan Cavallari and editorial director Ben Delaney reflect on what tech developments changed the bike industry in the last ten years — for better and for worse.
What's the best tire for the course? What should gravel racing be in length and format? And what causes this gravel madness, anyhow? We will be digging into all this and more in The Grind.
From issue 88
Check out Dan Cavallari's author page.
Check out Dan Cavallari's author page.
Check out Dan Cavallari's author page.
Check out Dan Cavallari's author page.
Check out Dan Cavallari's author page.
When the Leadville 100 MTB and SBT GRVL races were scheduled on back-to-back days, organizers decided to create a new endurance event called the LeadBoat Challenge.
We discuss Peter Stetina's decision to race gravel instead of WorldTour road; plus, writer Patrick Redford talks about covering cycling for Deadspin.
Words and Images by William Tracy
The mystical gravel roads surrounding Bentonville, Arkansas will play host to Big Sugar, gravel's newest epic challenge in October 2020. Dan Cavallari test rode the course.
The new Salsa Cutthroat gets more compliant and adds more cargo options
The RX8 cuts down on weight and banks on a snug fit for gravel race performance
Words by Yuri Hauswald, Images by David Oh
Words by Yuri Hauswald, Images by David Oh
Words and Images by William Tracy
By Yuri Hauswald | Images by David Oh
What's Dropping at Eurobike
Check out Peloton Magazine's author page.
From issue 82
Words and Images by William Tracy
Check out Peloton Magazine's author page.
Words and Images by William Tracy
Check out Neal Rogers's author page.
Check out James Huang's author page.
There’s no such single thing as gravel riding – it exists on a kind of shifting scale, defined by where you live, what your appetite for adventure is, and the capabilities of your bike and the tyres it runs. So how can we better define this broad category?
Words and Images by William Tracy
Check out Peloton Magazine's author page.
Images: Ashley and Jered Gruber
Check out James Huang's author page.
Check out Dave Rome's author page.
Check out Matt Wikstrom's author page.
Check out James Huang's author page.
Check out Brad Roe's author page.
Check out James Huang's author page.
Check out marshall opel's author page.
By Ryan Steers and Al McWilliams
The 200-mile race is making efforts to attract women to ultra-distance cycling. Our columnist reflected on the female experience at the Dirty Kanza
The Crockett 4 and 5 add more versatility and value to the aluminum ‘cross bikes
Check out William Tracy's author page.
Check out James Huang's author page.
Check out CyclingTips's author page.
Words by Brad Roe with Images by Jake Hamm
Check out James Huang's author page.
Check out Peloton Magazine's author page.
Check out Sarah Lukas's author page.
Words by Clive Pursehouse, with images courtesy of the Slovenian Tourist Board
Check out Dave Rome's author page.
Check out Dave Rome's author page.
Check out James Startt's author page.