Traveling by gravel
More and more cyclists enjoy “travel by gravel.”
Gravel riding, as it’s called, takes them off the pavement and onto unpaved back roads and other byways.
You can try it next weekend when SweetWater Bicycles in Ambridge puts on the first Whiskey Rebellion Gravel 50K and 100K rides in Washington County on May 21. The routes cover the literal ground where Colonial farmers grew rye and turned it into whiskey that the federal government taxed, leading to protests and the Whiskey Rebellion in 1791.
“Our ride traverses many of the original roads and three covered bridges that link the farms to the Colonies’ spirit markets,” says shop co-owner Don McKee, who wants to make this new ride — not a race — an annual adventure.
Gravel riding is off-road but “not too far,” he says, challenging but not as technical as some mountainbiking trails and with much less car and truck traffic than riding on smooth paved roads. It’s one of the fastest-growing styles of cycling. You can find organized gravel and other “adventure” rides on websites such as gravelcyclist.com and ridinggravel.com.
There are races and rides in West Virginia, but most “grinder” action is out West. “We wanted to bring it closer to home,” says Laura McKee, who bought the shop with her husband early last year. He chose Washington County for this event after consulting a Pennsylvania State University map of the state’s unpaved roads.
Their shop sells gravel/adventure bikes made by several brands — Jamis, Felt, Salsa, Fuji and Masi — that start at $579. The bikes are built to handle rougher terrain, with wider wheels and tires and wider, more upright handlebars.
“They tend to be very comfortable, sturdy bikes,” says Ms. McKee, who rides a carbon-fiber one that weighs less than 20