When it comes to two-wheeled adventures, enthusiasts have typically identified as either mountain bikers or road cyclists. Gravel biking, however, is where everyone comes together.
Providing the sleek and efficient setup to cover long distances, yet also equipped with nubby skinny tires to travel off-pavement, gravel bikes created a groundswell of popularity about 10 years ago and are still having a moment, in part because the community feels more inclusive of all kinds of riders than road cycling or mountain biking.
In fact, outside of e-bikes, gravel biking is the fastest-growing type of two-wheel adventuring in Colorado, and a handful of event organizers have transformed their gravel races into weekend-long festivals. Here are three to pay attention to.
Steamboat Springs SBT GRVL; June 28
With the tagline “Bike Town USA,” it’s no surprise that Steamboat Springs is the unofficial epicenter of gravel riding in the Centennial State. Routt County is home to more than 600 miles of dirt roads, much of which cyclists jokingly refer to as “champagne gravel,” in reference to the ski town’s trademarked snow.
In 2019, a group of riders decided it was high time to turn those miles into an event, which they called SBT GRVL. The goal was to offer inclusive gravel racing on stunning, scenic courses for all levels of riders.
“I’m a classic roadie that struggles on mountain bikes,” said Amy Charity, who cofounded SBT GRVL with Ken Benesh and the late Mark Satkiewicz. After taking a break from cycling, though, Charity took part in the Unbound Gravel 200-mile race in Kansas in 2018, and her love for the sport was renewed. “The challenge, the grit, the support out there brought me back to wanting to ride my bikerprip>In 2019,ape-po2m
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