My biking palmares started with a Schwinn Stingray. Along the way I had a 10-speed, then a hybrid Miyata, moved to a mountain bike, then a tri bike, before retiring to roadie status for the last 15 years.
I’d been contemplating gravel for about a year before finally taking the plunge. I bought an Obed GVR.
Researching the philosophy and technology behind gravel was fun. The two major differences were drivetrain and tires. Digging into whether to go 1x or 2x and determining what size tires
and pressure to ride was an interesting twist on the traditional road cycling mentality.
Leaving the predictability of the pavement was initially a little less fun than I’d imagined. There was a sacrifice in speed that I wasn’t immediately thrilled about, and the instability of riding on rocks wasn’t at first that crazy enjoyable.
But as I continued riding, I started to get more comfortable and at ease with it all. I actually dug riding some single track and getting to know the different kinds of gravel. Literally learning different rock sizes and types.
Eventually settling back into some old bike handling skills from my mountain biking days.
I’d lined up a bunch of races to do but missed the first two, one due to weather, the second due to a family issue.
Then came SBT GRVL. Turns out, even with scoping the course the previous year, and multiple training rides this year, I’m still not that fast on gravel. Yet. To be fair, back in January I was just looking for when I'd be able to get back on my trainer and do a simple spin. And, with that weekend's weather conditions, I'm not sure anyone was fast, really. I'm not making excuses, though. Reality is that, despite a lifetime of cycling, gravel is a new beast entirely.
I have a lot to learn. Can't wait!
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