Gravel Wasted: San Diego Discovery with Topher Riley
Words and Photos by Topher Riley
When I think of adventure I rarely think of walking out the front door of my home. My mind wanders to the next vacation, getting on an airplane, going on a road trip, in search of new experiences, meeting new people, trying new food, taking photos of everything I see because it’s new and exciting.
I’ve scrolled through Instagram and seen images of beautiful countryside adventures on gravel bikes. I’ve enjoyed gravel adventures in Portland, Boulder, San Francisco, Vancouver BC, I always thought we just don’t have that type of riding out of our front door, until you start searching for it.
I’ve never been more excited and happy to get off the road in search of new. New adventures that create everlasting memories. The thrill of riding singletrack one-handed with a camera, taking photos as I smile and laugh then I quickly ditch the camera to my back to refocus my attention to the bike. The mixed terrain from fire roads, single track to rock gardens, tree tunnels, navigating through boulders and deep pockets of sand and rarely touching the road. Gravel does exist in San Diego. The feeling of joy created by these routes brings excitement for the next adventure in search of connecting these gravel sectors into one epic journey with friends. I avoided falling in love with gravel for a long time. I just drank a large batch of the gravel kool-aid and I’m gravel wasted...