It's the return of Gravel Week on Cyclingnews, and that means we're looking at all things off-road - rocks, ravines, singletrack, creek crossings and mud pits - in one of the most popular disciplines of cycling.
Anyone who tuned into our coverage of Unbound 2022, and there were a lot of you, will have noticed that a once small gravel race in a sleepy town in Kansas now attracts thousands of entrants, alongside star appearances from WorldTour pros like Peter Sagan.
Indeed, in the past few years gravel cycling has exploded into an industry with hundreds of races and thousands of new products. Those races, which were clustered across the United States for the past decade or more, have now expanded. A new global series is underway for the first time, the Trek UCI Gravel World Series, which is separate from Gravel Worlds in Nebraska (we’ll explain that), and several multi-race series now offer a treasure chest of prize money, like the Life Time Grand Prix series.
During our Gravel Week, we'll explore all corners of the discipline, with interviews, in-depth features, photo galleries, Instagram takeovers, and tech news.
Nathan Haas gets the wheels turning with another blog instalment, looking closely at his his choice of tech and clothing at Unbound, while Alexey Vermeulen will share his top 10 tips for riding gravel and Amanda Nauman will take over our Instagram feed. Unbound Gravel 200 women’s champion Sofia Gomez Villafane will discuss the trend to use aero bars in events, and Sophie de Boer will talk about her move from cyclo-cross to gravel.
The tech side of gravel is an ‘hors categorie’ subject with tons of information, from the best deals out there for the discerning rider to the debate about 1x vs 2x gearing, and a look at bikes from the pros at Unbound Gravel.
So join us as we go off-grid and take a deep dive into the world of gravel.
The stories
News
- Money, rules and going pro in gravel - ‘Not all change is bad’ says Sophie de Boer
- How to be a gravel pro - Vermeulen's top 10 tips
- Hitting the sweet spot of gravel race growth in Australia
- 2022 UCI Gravel World Championships to be held in Veneto region of Italy
- Gravel Worlds vs Gravel World Championships - What's in a name?
- Aero bars in gravel - 'Gentleman's agreement' is not enough
- Why has gravel racing become so popular?
- Revealing the hidden gravel talent of Adam Blazevic
- Gravel gains traction with juniors at Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24
- Nathan Haas blog: Misunderstanding heritage at Unbound
- Rach McBride blog: One of the proudest moments of my life
Tech
- Bikes of Unbound - Before and after
- Shimano RX8 vs Specialized S-Works Recon: Which gravel shoe is best for you?
- 1x vs 2x – The great gravel bike gearing debate
- Should I buy a gravel bike? The pros and cons
- Park Tool PRS-25 bike repair stand review
- Canyon Grail CF SL 7 eTap review
- Deals for the discerning gravel rider – some of the best gravel discounts
- However you gravel, HUNT has got you covered [Advertisement feature]
UCI Gravel World Series calendar 2022
- April 3: UCI Gravel Philippines, Bongabon, Nueva Ecija (Phl)
- May 15: Seven, Nannup (Aus)
- June 5: Wish One Gravel Race, Millau (Fra)
- June 18: Gravel Adventure, Świeradów-Zdrój (Pol)
- June 25: Highlands Gravel Classic, Fayetteville, Arkansas (USA)
- August 6: Jingle GX Gravel Race, Amana, Iowa (USA)
- August 20: Gravel Grit n Grind, Halmstad (Swe)
- August 27: Houffa Gravel, Houffalize (Bel)
- September 3: La Monsterrato-Strade Bianche Monferrato, Quattordio (Ita)
- September 4: Gravelista, Beechworth (Aus)
- September 17: Gravel One Fifty, Veenhuizen (Ned)
- September 18: Ranxo, Ponts (Spa)
Life Time Grand Prix Series 2022 schedule
- April 9: Fuego 80K XC MTB, Monterey, California
- June 4: Unbound Gravel 200, Emporia, Kansas
- July 9: Crusher in the Tushar (70 miles), Beaver, Utah
- August 13: Leadville Trail 100 MTB, Leadville, Colorado
- September 17: Chequamegon MTB (40 miles), Cable, Wisconsin
- October 22: Big Sugar Gravel (100 miles), Bentonville, Arkansas
