Welcome to RECON where you will find all of our latest stories including gear reviews, ride recaps and industry news.
At 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 MoreThe inaugural SBT GRVL race took place on August 18, 2019. Just a day later the organizers released this thank you video, giving us a preview of some of the content captured at the event. Stay tuned for more of our coverage and a full race report from SBT GRVL.
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 MoreThis OPEN and ENVE Collaboration celebrates the breathtaking views of the high mountain scapes with their glacial granite peaks. Spec’d and designed for dirt with an idyllic dusty colorscape this OPEN U.P. pays simple homage to the wandering unpaved roads of the Swiss Alps where OPEN was born, which when covered in dust and dirt, improves the frames monochromatic aesthetic.
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 MoreAll new Gravelstoke Purist bottles are now available, limited run and selling in pairs.
Read MoreSee the video by ENVE Composites on their equipment and riders at the DK200.
Read MoreRumored for some time, Andy Kessler and Gerard Vroomen have been hard at work at their “small” company to bring the 3rd drop bar adventure bike to the world. That day has finally come with the announcement of the all new OPEN WI.DE.
Read MoreVideo captures the all new Allied Able Gravel Bike.
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 MoreIn preparation for Hunt of the North we invite you to test your gravel route making skills. Create a route that hits all 5 marked checkpoints on dirt shown on the map using Ride with GPS. Our top 5 favorite routes will win a pair of our latest edition Gravelstoke custom Purist bottles!
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 MoreThe official video of the 2019 Breakfast Burrito Ride.
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 More
