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Check out these 2 videos produced by participants attending the 2019 Hunt of the North. The first comes from our friends at Veloworthy, who not only covered the event but was able to ride the entire course. The other comes from Postproduction Cycling Team who said about the day, “This was an amazing event, I hope every race will be like this.”
Read MoreIt was a perfect day in Carlsbad, California for the 2nd annual Hunt of the North. Riders gathered early at the CANYON Bicycles USA headquarters in the heart of coastal North County San Diego on Sunday June 9, 2019. The event was not your typical gravel event, and not a race in the traditional sense.
Read MoreGravel races and events have their unique characteristics. Nearly all test riders in distance and climbing. Some events merge elements of bike packing, cyclocross, and even straight up road racing. Most gravel events grow out of the local riding culture and are often dictated by terrain. By any measure, this year’s running of the Hunt of the North in Carlsbad, California was unlike any other gravel grinder you will find.
Read MoreThe challenge with developing a gravel tire is a reflection of what the category entails. Try selecting a tire for all conditions and all roads. There always seems to be some compromises in tire selection, a balance between traction on dirt and minimal resistance on road. Additional variables like mud, sand and rock can further complicate things.
Read MoreEvery spring the cycling world gathers in the coastal city of Monterey, California for a four-day event considered the largest bike festival in the world. Hosting nearly 10,000 athletes and over 70,000 fans, the Laguna Seca Raceway becomes the focus of brands and consumers alike. In making the trip north from San Diego I wanted to take advantage of all there was to explore on my way to the event. The plan was set to camp at two spots, with a good measure of gravel exploration mixed in.
Read MoreOur entire photo gallery from the 2019 BWR plus bonus content from our friends at Veloworthy.
Read MoreIn case you hadn’t heard yet, handlebar bags are finally cool. It wasn’t long ago that this accessory was something you wouldn’t even consider as part of your setup. Fortunately the days of “rules” in cycling are finally behind us, now that function and utility have its rightful place as a priority. There are loads of handlebar bags available today, each offering unique styles and functionality. We got our hands on this one from Topo Designs, called the Bike Bag.
Read MoreMatteo Pistono’s account of The Stagecoach 400 multi-day bikepacking race in Southern California.
Read MoreThis is how the 2019 Belgian Waffle Ride weekend would begin. With another SoCal breakfast favorite, the burrito. The brainchild of Brandt Furgerson, aka Uncle Tio, the 2nd annual Breakfast Burrito Ride (BBR) would take place on the cloud covered morning of May 3. Hosted by Canyon Bicycles USA, the BBR is a no-drop, all smiles coastal roll to the top of Torrey Pines and back. Just 35 miles in distance, the ride covers perhaps San Diego’s most popular strip of pavement. While not much dirt in sight (that will come on Sunday), the views and vibes through Carlsbad, Encinitas, Cardiff, Solana Beach and Del Mar can’t be beat.
Read MoreDuring a recent trip to the Bay Area we stopped by the Outer Shell workshop to see what Kyle and Jim were up to. Last Fall we met up with these guys for a #CoffeeOutsideSF ride to Battery Wagner, followed by some sweet gravel shredding around the Marin Headlands. With no bike, and no time to ride, this time we opted for a quick visit to see what was new in the land of extremely dope bike gear. Here are a few shots we took that beautiful afternoon in the Mission District.
Read MoreIt was shortly after a friend’s birthday road ride to the top of Palomar Mountain in February of last year that we first had the idea for our own ride of a similar theme. With little time to plan we reached out to our friend Roman for help in crafting a memorable route that would take riders on a gravel adventure in late March of 2018. The concept was simple, yet true to our ways. The Great Western Reroute (GWR) was born.
Read MoreOur very first time to the Sea Otter Classic was quite the spectacle. While this is traditionally a mountain bike event, it has increasingly featured numerous large and small brand gravel bikes from all over the world. We visited numerous booths to bring you our favorite gravel bikes from the show.
Read More#BestBikeGameEver. That is the hashtag for the Croatan Buck Fifty (CBF) race held in Swansboro, NC. Matt Hawkins and Gordon Wadsworth, the two race directors, set out to make that hashtag more than just a few words though.
Read MoreA few shots by Explore With Chris at our team event this week at The Lost Abbey San Marcos. Eliel Cycling custom Gravelstoke kits were distributed and team sponsors announced. More details coming soon!
Read MoreI have ridden numerous styles of Class 1 and Class 3 pedal assist bicycles over the past few years and have found them to be a lot of fun. So when Yamaha reached out with an opportunity to try out their new gravel adventure bicycle known as Wabash, I was very intrigued. And what an eye opening experience!
Read MoreGravel riding in San Diego’s north county offers a combination of urban shard-ladened tarmac connecting hard packed sand and rollers on washed out and rutted mountain bike loops. In these conditions, for traction and stability, I prefer to max out the tire size to 38 mm on my Foundry Overland. But with the Belgian Waffle Ride date quickly approaching, and other adventures like the SBT GRVL, where I will likely run a smaller tire choice, I thought I would test out Ere Research’s 32 mm Tenaci.
Read MoreAn interview with Vince Colvin of Chumba USA, Podcast by The Gravel Ride.
Read MoreRuta Del Jefe’s name represents ‘El Jefe’, who is a Jaguar that has roamed the region widely recognized as Sky Islands in southern Arizona. The recent appearance of another long-time friend of the region has provided our hosts, The Appleton Whittell Research Ranch, with hope of El Jefe’s return after his disappearance.
Read MoreWhat is the best gravel race bike? I don’t know, man; what is the best beer? Beyond your personal taste preference, where you live and what you like to race largely determines what’s best for you. But Dave asked me to put down The Best Gravel Bikes on digital paper, so here we are.
Read MoreWe covered the Rock Cobbler on a previous post here, with a full write up and (almost) all of our photos from the event. With this post we bring you some bonus coverage with 15 gravel bikes from Rock Cobbler 2019. Sam Ames crafted a challenging course with a bit of everything, even some mud!
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