There are a number of Team Atomica athletes and TTrain riders gearing up for Paris to Ancaster, a 75km ride (with shorter options available) that is part gravel, part road, part farmer’s field, and lots of mud, which takes place every April. It is among the most popular event of its kind around here, but the number of our own athletes racing P2A speaks to a growing interest in off-road events specifically among triathletes. So, what is a gravel bike and why might you want to incorporate gravel riding into your already full training schedule?
For starters, gravel riding (sometimes referred to as “gravel grinding”) combines many of the best things about road riding with those of mountain biking. Off-road riding can do wonders for developing your road cycling. It can help improve reaction time and bike handling, and build functional strength, forcing you to work your core while you try to absorb vibrations from uneven terrain, or navigate lower cadence bursts of power over elevations. The variety of environment and equipment (not to mention racing vibes) can shake things up when motivation in triathlon-specific training wanes (as it can when you train as hard and long as many of us do).
image: www.trekaurora.ca
Gravel Geometry
Because they must be adaptable and versatile over a number of surfaces, gravel bikes double as amazing commuters. They have a more relaxed geometry than a road bike (certainly than a tri bike) and are heavier, prioritizing stability and comfort. This is thanks in part to a taller head tube with a shorter top tube (allowing the rider to be more upright) and longer wheelbases. While the gravel bike shares a lot with a cyclocross bike, there are important differences. The latter features a higher bottom bracket (to clear obstacles), a shorter wheel base, and because it’s built for shorter bursts of speed, it is more aggressive in its geometry (including shorter chainstays and a lower stack height). Both usually feature disc brakes and wider tires. However, most cyclocross bikes are fit with 33mm tires, whereas gravel bikes tend to run between 35mm and 45mm.
Ontario has a whole circuit of gravel races to check out. There’s even a Gravel Cup series. If you’re looking to add a bit of variety to your training, a gravel race might be just the thing!