READY, SET, GRAVEL

While working at a cycling pro shop in Toronto during the past months, I have sold every kind of bike imaginable. Hybrids were the first to disappear from our stock, especially those under a $1,000. As I write this, at the end of July, the most “cost-effective” bike you’ll find in Toronto’s Bloor West Village starts at around $1,400.

Not only is the new bike market hot right now, the high-end used market is also booming. When I’m asked, I encourage those looking for a new bike to look at purchasing the most versatile bike that fits their budget that’s also upgradeable in the future should they fall in love with the sport. For anyone who tells me they are looking to get into cycling and ride over 30 kilometres, I always show them a gravel bike.

So what is gravel riding? It is hardly a new concept – think about what people rode on before we had asphalt roads. The cycling world has recently adopted a new craze by creating gravel-specific bikes designed to be versatile enough to tackle almost any terrain.

It’s important to realize that gravel riding can be done on almost any bike – I used to ride a road bike with 25-mm tires on a gravel rail trail from Hamilton to Brantford, Ont., covered in an inch of snow. Now I’m riding a bike with carbon frame that can take up to 40-mm tires that weighs just a few hundred grams more than my road bike. I always push those shopping for a new bike to look at something that will allow them to ride the most roads, trails and paths possible. It is so much fun to get outside these days on roads with fewer cars.

For triathletes who only own a race-day aero TT bike, I strongly encourage you to give a gravel-capable bike a try. Not only is it nice to push through a workout without the constant buzzing of traffic on the road, but it opens up an endless number of unique cycling routes.

During my years of training full time around the world, my fondest memories are those rides that took me off the beaten path, including gravel roads and dirt paths atop plateaus at almost 3,000 m in Mexico, to similar roads in the mountainous regions of Europe and Asia. While many of those gravel excursions were on team-issued road racing bikes, it’s a thrill to step over my gravel bike at home here in Canada.

Equipment

What do you need to get onto the gravel roads and paths? Basically you just need a bike that you are comfortable riding over rougher terrain, and the ability to change a flat while in the middle of nowhere. Look for a bike that can handle 28-mm tires at the minimum. Thicker tires will provide a lot more comfort and stability. Brakes are also an important factor. While racing, I was always on rim-brake bikes, but my current gravel machine features hydraulic disc brakes. Although disc brakes aren’t a necessity, I would suggest finding a bike that can handle at least 32-mm-wide tires if you’re going to stick with a rim-braked bike.

You also need to make sure you can repair more than one flat on a ride – bring a few tubes with you and you’re probably better off with a small pump than a CO2 cartridge in case you have to deal with multiple flats.

There are lots of frames on both the new and used market that could be the core of your next gravel bike. If you do buy a used bike, make sure it is safe and in working condition. Since I spend a lot of my time now selling bikes, I always joke that you can never have too many bikes. If your first bike is not a gravel-capable ride, the second one better be.

Sean Mackinnon was a top junior triathlete before he turned his focus to cycling and became part of the Canadian national cycling program.