Aiming to Enhance Your Gravel Cycling Experience in 2024? Try These 6 Ideas to Get Started
Whether you’re just starting to explore the joys of gravel cycling, or your a seasoned drop bar rider that enjoys getting in the dirt, turning the page to 2024 presents an opportunity to experience gravel in entirely new ways. In my own cycling journey, I’ve consistently found that making goals and finding ways to broaden my riding experiences has consistently enhanced my love for cycling. So whether you’ve made a resolution to ride more gravel in 2024, looking for motivation to get out of a cycling slump, or open to exploring ways to refresh your love for cycling in the new year, here are 6 surefire ways to enhance your gravel riding experience moving forward…
1. Plan a New Gravel Route
A great way to round out your gravel cycling skills is to become more proficient at route making. Once you find yourself becoming more familiar with maps of your local area and the best trails for drop bar riding enjoyment, it’s a very rewarding experience to create a great route that perhaps no one else has thought of yet. Tools like Ride With GPS make route making easy and fun, allowing you to plan and create custom routes by simply clicking through waypoints on the map. Find popular roads and trails to incorporate in your route with the Global Heatmap feature. You’ll be amazed by how much you can learn from exploring different map types like Google Maps and Open Street Maps. There may be several gravel routes already established in your area, but they may not be ideally suited for you or your equipment. Try designing a new course incorporating your favorite roads, gravel and singletrack and ride it this year!
The route editing tool on Ride With GPS makes it easy and fun to create new gravel routes in your area.
2. Join a Gravel Group Ride
Connecting with other local riders on a group ride can be a great way to find your people, support local businesses, and take your riding skills to the next level. Call your local shop to see if they have any gravel rides scheduled, or search for a nearby club that hosts open rides. Here in San Diego we host lots of fun gravel rides throughout the year at various locations, and they can typically be found on our Strava Club or via our newsletter. Riding with others can provide motivation, support, and the opportunity to share experiences and tips. Look for rides that offer multiple routes to choose from depending on skill and fitness for your best chance of finding other riders to hang with.
Gravelstoke Great Western Reroute start 2023 PC: Jussi Okasanen
3. Set Milestone Goals
If you are a Strava subscriber like myself, the application makes it super easy to set weekly, monthly, annual, segment, and power goals on Strava. At the start of the year I’ve typically set weekly goals for myself, then extrapolate that to an annual goal. For example, in 2023 I set myself a goal of riding 7 hours a week and 360 hours for the year. If your preference is riding dirt, I recommend avoiding mileage goals as you may cheat yourself out of what you love most about cycling and being outside. Strava Challenges have also been helpful for me, especially the monthly Gran Fondo Challenge that pushes me to complete a 100k ride at least once a month. Establish achievable milestones for your gravel journey in 2024 to keep you fit and focused. If you have found other goals or tools that have been helpful let us know in the comments below.
The Revel R+ titanium gravel bike in Escondido, CA
4. Upgrade Your Gear
Not that you need to buy a new bike (although it can certainly help), even making a small upgrade or refresh to your bike or kit can boost motivation and make all the difference. Any time I wrap on some new bar tape, change out my tires, or purchase a new bib short, I find myself more eager to ride to test out the new thing. This kind of inspiration can be helpful when I’m stuck in a rut, offering a little extra anticipation for the next spin. Investing in high quality gear, or the right tool for the job, can also make the overall experience a whole lot better. Remember the first time you rode a 40mm+ gravel tire off road, found the perfect saddle, or strapped on your favorite handlebar bag? Upgrading equipment can enhance your overall riding experience.
5. Explore Bikepacking
Bikepacking has exploded in popularity over the past couple of years and it remains one of the best ways to experience cycling in a completely new way. If you’ve never tried bikepacking before, the best way to experience it the first time is with the gear you already have. Don’t go out and spend hundreds of dollars on fancy bags or new equipment if you don’t absolutely have to. One of my first experiences bikepacking was a fully supported overnighter with small group to a farm where we hung out, ate a farm-to-table meal, and camped overnight. That tradition continues into 2024 with an all-inclusive overnighter called Bike to Farm that will be rolling from Patagonia Cardiff this Spring and Summer here in San Diego. Good preparation is key to a successful overnighter. Check out this gear list we published last year for an example of things you may need to pack. There’s no better way to combine your love for gravel biking with a sense of adventure by exploring bikepacking.
Here in San Diego, Patagonia and Enjoy the Farm host fully supported overnight bike packing adventures that are great for first time bikepackers. Visit Enjoy the Farm
6. Sign Up for a gravel race
Perhaps the best way to enhance your motivation to ride more gravel in 2024 is to sign up for a gravel event that will require some consistent training to be fully prepared. As gravel races have continued to flourish in recent years, attending an organized event not only adds a competitive and social aspect to your riding but also introduces you to new routes and like-minded individuals. The anticipation of a scheduled event can serve as a powerful incentive, encouraging you to consistently train and explore similar terrain that you expect to see on race day. My personal favorite 3 events from 2023 included the ENVE Grodeo in Ogden, UT, Macedonia Gravel in New Milford, CT, and our very own Great Western Reroute in Alpine, CA.
Macedonia Gravel in New Milford, CT was a fantastic event in July of 2023 with 3 route options and plentiful aid stations.
Words and Photos by Dave Malwitz | Follow
A long-term review of the Saris MHS 1 Bike Package—a versatile bike rack that combines the functionality of popular dual-arm systems with the adaptability of a modular design.