Welcome to RECON where you will find all of our latest stories including gear reviews, ride recaps and industry news.
Just like last year, for the 2019 holiday season we crafted a special gift guide that includes some of our favorite hard and soft goods from the year that are sure to please all the gravel cyclists in your life. This year we focused on smaller items that we feel offer a uniquely good value, while still meeting our standards for quality, design and/or proven durability.
Read MoreFounded in 2012, Sage Titanium Bicycles may be a relatively young brand in the bike industry, but has steadily grown a solid array of MTB and drop bar bikes in its lineup. Based in Portland, Oregon, a region well known for its cross culture and love for adventure, it’s not surprising that Sage has excelled at bringing premium drop bar gravel and cross bikes to the market.
Read MoreAfter getting multiple requests we finally put together a list of some of our favorite gravel routes in North County San Diego. These are all moderately difficult routes ranging from about 40-50 miles. Terrain is a mix of road, hardpack gravel, singletrack, bike path and fireroad. As such, we recommend a cross or gravel bike with tires at least 40mm in width. In most cases we’ve marked at least one water stop on course, and the dirt sections are labelled in blue. In general, these rides can take anywhere from 4-6 hours.
Read MoreAfter the last couple of years I’ve steadily increased the volume of my tires, following the trends of wider offerings while seeing where I might land in terms of personal preference. The hesitation for many of my friends to try 650b is understandable, requiring a new set of wheels while also potentially moving away from what their bike was designed for. Thus far we’ve reviewed two 650b gravel tires, the Panaracer GravelKing and WTB Venture at 48 and 47mm respectively. Slightly wider, while still well within the the clearance limits of the 3T Exploro, we now offer a long term review on the Donnelly Strada USH in 650b x 50mm.
Read MoreHere at Gravelstoke our dedication to finding, testing and sharing the best gravel cycling gear and bikes remains at the core of who we are. 2019 was a busy year for us on all fronts, with new opportunities and connections that bring us closer to the original vision for the site. Creating original and inspiring content for the adventure cyclist, with a focus on high quality goods from the brands we love. We’re excited to share with you our top 10 gravel cycling gear picks from 2019. As always, thanks for sharing and subscribe here for more content like this in the weeks to come.
Read MoreDuring my recent visit to Downieville for the Roval Terra wheel launch, I had the opportunity to chat with custom frame builder Cameron Falconer, and appreciate up close one of his recent works. Cam was invited to not only give the new Terra CLX wheels a spin, but share his knowledge of the local terrain with two rides during our stay. Northern California has a rich history in frame building, so I was curious to learn more about his philosophy as a builder, the benefits of steel and why someone might consider going custom.
Read MoreWell known for its history off-road, the gold rush town of Downieville is perhaps most recognized today for the downhill mountain bike race that bears its name. The “Classic” descends 5000ft of singletrack over 15 miles, covering just a slice of what this mountain town and the surrounding buttes have to offer. With an invitation to join the crew from Roval Components on a 3-day gravel adventure in the Lost Sierra I jumped at the opportunity to experience the more supple side of Downieville.
Read MoreSunday September 15 marked the start of #DirtChurch Season 2, with a kick-off ride and celebration. Here is our photo gallery from the day.
Read MoreMy own introduction to gravel started in Southern California with an old Trek 1200 road bike on 25c tires. The bike was primarily used for commuting on the occasional weekday, a 30 mile round trip from Carlsbad to La Jolla. My true riding interests took me off-road, exploring local open spaces and linking together trail systems on a hardtail mountain bike. As my knowledge of rideable dirt grew, so did my curiosity on what was possible with the road bike on evening commutes. With good reasons to escape traffic-heavy roads and an ideal climate year-round, these interests only grew. What failed to grow in parallel was the suppleness of my Trek, ultimately limiting the potential for adventures I knew were there. My first gravel bike in 2015 would change all that.
Read MoreIn mid-August, The ENVE Builders Summit brought 20 of the world's top custom frame builders to ENVE's Ogden, Utah headquarters for a multi-day event that also included the inaugural Grodeo gravel ride. We pulled together photos of the 8 gravel bikes from the event, all bike images courtesy of John Watson.
Read MoreAt the recent SBT GRVL event in Steamboat Springs we caught up with GCN Presenter Simon Richardson. This being his very first gravel race his Canyon Grail setup wouldn’t be complete without a little help from us at Gravelstoke. We offered him a “Gravel is the Future” bike sticker and he slapped it right on the hover bar.
Read MoreIn the ethereal mountain town of Steamboat Springs, an event known as SBT GRVL would bring in a new era for gravel cycling. On the weekend of August 17-18, 2019, some 1,500 riders representing every US state made their way to northern Colorado’s Yampa Valley. With promises of a welcoming community, pristine gravel roads and a star-studded field, SBT had seemingly everything one would expect from a world-class gravel event.
Read MoreMore than 600 riders, including a number of current and former U.S. professional national champions, descended on Utah’s Tushar Mountains for the ninth annual Crusher in the Tushar gravel event. After one of the fastest races to date it was professional mountain bikers Alex Grant (Gear Rush) and Evelyn Dong (Pivot-Stan’s No Tubes) who crossed the finish line first ahead of their respective Pro/Open fields that were particularly stacked this year with notable road cycling talent.
Read MoreI got pretty excited when I first heard about the inaugural Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder, an epic gravel adventure set in the Cascade Mountains of the Pacific Northwest. Traversing through Central Oregon’s high desert, the course included places like Sisters, McKenzie, Oakridge, Gilchrist and Bend. The race would merge two of my favorite disciplines - gravel racing and stage racing. Even better, the event registration included camping and food, making the 400 mile point-to-point gravel race arguably more of a bike-vacation.
Read MoreCheck 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.
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