Parcours Alta gravel wheelset review: An enjoyable year in all conditions
This reasonably priced, impressively light gravel wheelset has a lot going for it. But is it all upside?
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.
This reasonably priced, impressively light gravel wheelset has a lot going for it. But is it all upside?
Check out Betsy Welch's author page.
A week after BWR, results aren't published, riders are upset, and complaints are piling up. We spoke to promoter Michael Marckx about what went wrong.
My view of exactly how this hard event played out, from the pre-race pressure until the post-race beers.
The RW23 joins the Revel Wheels family of recyclable, US-made carbon rims.
Laces are back for Specialized with the high-end, technicolour S-Works Recon Lace gravel/MTB shoe.
From my personal gravel bike to a beaded Maasai good-luck charm, these are the things that made my race.
Scott has finally split off a gravel offering from the Addict CX with dedicated geometry and features.
The high-altitude leg burner Crusher in the Tushar gravel race is back with a stellar lineup and the same challenging terrain.
Check out Betsy Welch's author page.
The Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder was such a great event, for so many reasons.
Svein Tuft is back to his roots, and still blowing our minds.
What an incredible adventure; I'll be thinking about this one for many months to come.
My arms hurt more than my legs; should I have brought a mountain bike?
Sometimes the after-the-ride is even better than the ride. Especially when the ride is this long and punishing.
Betsy Welch learns that headwinds, rough roads and an – almost – lost phone cannot match the majesty of riding in Kenya.
Unbound Gravel champ Ian Boswell sees himself as a cycling ambassador at Kenya's Migration Gravel Race, where many riders hail from Africa.
Kenya's 650km Migration Gravel Race begins on Wednesday, June 23 in the country's Maasai Mara. We will be there to cover the event.
Surprisingly good value for an experienced US builder with lots of custom options.
Made in the USA, these new wheels drop US$750 compared to the GC3 Pro.
Wide internal rims are nothing new for HED, which built the Ardennes in 2007 around a wide-stance rim.
The Kenyan pro has had WorldTour dreams for a decade. Now, he sees gravel as a different path to professional cycling.
A close look at the first bike across the line for the 2021 women's Unbound Gravel 200 mile race.
Built for cross country mountain bike or gravel racing, Specialized claim this is the lightest and most comfortable off-road shoe they've ever produced. And in many ways they're right.
Make a plan, keep it simple, and thoroughly over-communicate it.
Gran Fondos and gravel races offer amateur cyclists challenging routes on some of the world’s most beautiful roads. Here are nine to add to your bucket list.
The inaugural gravel stage race is bringing possibility - and prestige — to Africa's professional cycling hopefuls.
Another Pinarello Grevil from the women's field, but with an entirely different build to what Amity Rockwell raced.
A look at the unique Ibis Hakka MX belonging to the former American pro road racer.
What tire pressure are you running?
The Canyon Grizl that Pete Stetina hopes will take him to Unbound glory.
A look over the bike belonging to the previous winner of Unbound Gravel.
Schwalbe's new offering promises souplesse, speed, grip, and puncture protection in 40 and 45mm sizes.
Shayna Powless, Jen Luebke, and Natalia Franco explain their bike, gear, and hydration choices for 206 miles of Kansas gravel.
The 25-year-old Californian brings depth to an already profound level of women's talent.
A new video from Pinarello gives an intimate look at why Rockwell rides.
A sub-800 g frame, generous tire clearance, and internal routing even mechanics won’t hate.
Colin Strickland argues that gravel should keep its spirit of self reliance by steering clear of road racing tactics and pro team structures.
The founders of the Spirit World 100 and The Gravel House have a new vision - to restore and remodel an original building into a hub for cyclists, locals, and visitors.
Laurens ten Dam belongs on the short list of favorites for Unbound Gravel after his impressive win at Gravel Locos.
If Type 2 fun is what we call these events in retrospect, what do we call the anticipation of them? Type 2 excitement?
The 2019 DK champ wants to win Unbound Gravel, and he has his own way of getting there.
Lauren Stephens, Kristen Faulkner, and the other North Americans on the squad will be familiar faces at races like Unbound, SBT GRVL, and Gravel Worlds.
Check out Ben Delaney's author page.
A new wheelset that saves US$1,100 from the top-end option while retaining the identical carbon rim.
Results from Rule of Three, Gravel Locos, Co2uT, Huffmaster all show strong competition.
From Arkansas to California, start lines are stacked and organizers are ready to bring gravel racing back.
The men's and women's fields for the 200-mile race will see a mix of familiar and new faces.
Check out Matt De Neef's author page.
On May 22, 1,100 gravel riders will descend on little Hico, Texas. Here's how promoter Fabian Serralta turned a dream into reality and the hurdles he encountered along the way.
Check out Ben Delaney's author page.
Here's what's making the cycling tech headlines on Tuesday, May 18.
Lighter, sleeker, and much better looking than the original.
Two new products from Ratio Technology that provide more options to existing SRAM users.
A look at three yet-to-be-released bikes from Curve Cycling.
The stoke is growing. While connecting online has been great, many of us are looking forward to coming together in person for the Super Bowl of gravel in Emporia.
FKT competition continues to gather momentum, with Geoff Kabush, Pete Stetina and a rider named Timon Fish posting fast times on Kokopelli recently.
New fork features a dedicated lightweight chassis and hopefully much better performance than the original.
More tire clearance, capability, and mounts than the Grail — and an almost completely normal handlebar and stem, too.
This is an excellent chunky-gravel bike for the money. Period.
The effort had heat, headwinds, and emotional breakdowns - exactly the obstacles that Strickland excels in overcoming.
Check out Ben Delaney's author page.
A stiff casing, smooth center tread, and aggressive side knobs make for interesting performance.
The Scuderia Pinarello teammates are trading tips that will benefit each other, both on and off the bike.
The pocket guide will feature routes, historical information, and links to digital maps of curated gravel rides in southeastern Colorado.
A new premium version of the well-loved Aspero gravel racer.
The wind tunnel meets the windswept plains in Cervélo's hyper-aero gravel racer.
Easton Cycling partners with Shimano, Castelli, and Schwalbe to bring eight athletes to the gravel races in 2021.
After she won the 2019 DK — now Unbound Gravel — Rockwell was ready to race professionally. Then, the pandemic shutdown forced her to examine the social side of her new career.
Check out Yuri Hauswald's author page.
The May 15 sportive is sold out, so put this Roll Massif event on your 2022 calendar.
Check out Ben Delaney's author page.
Check out Ben Delaney's author page.
Four days of camaraderie and head-smashing competition with Colin Strickland and Ian Boswell on California's Lost Coast.
Aerodynamics are a thing, even in gravel. After years at 3T and Campagnolo, Grappone is now driving wheel design at Hunt.
Home to the Spirit World 100, the Gravel House, and, this year, a lot of VeloNews gravel bike testing.
A course preview of Life Time's newest gravel race in southern Colorado.
Ribble Cycles has four new gravel bike options featuring titanium, carbon, and alloy frames plus an e-bike option. Best of all, some of these bikes are available now.
The October 2-3 event will feature three distances on the bike, plus half- and ultra-marathon running races.
Tiny Trinidad, Colorado hopes to become the capital of gravel cycling. What goes into creating a gravel destination, and does Trinidad have what it takes?