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 bike again … I thought, we have so many insanely good gravel roads here, and they’re endless.”
Charity ran into Satkiewicz, a fellow avid cyclist, and shared her gravel experience. “We both said, ‘We should have a gravel race here.’ On a napkin, we mapped out SBT GRVL.” Then Satkiewicz called his buddies in the industry, while Chartity called her contacts in the pro racing scene. “We had 2,500 riders our first year. We sold out in six days,” Charity said.
SBT GRVL has since become one of the country’s most coveted gravel biking events, and the one-day ride — capped at 2,750 riders — is once again sold out this year. It kicks off June 28 with four course distances:108, 73, 53 and 25 miles. The competitive long course draws a stacked national field, with a $22,000 prize purse split among the fastest top five male and female finishers.
Previously a competitive road cyclist, Charity wanted to ensure that SBT GRVL provided participants with an invigorating but inclusive experience with every possible comfort. “I want coffee, Porta Potties all over the place. I want aid stations; I don’t want to carry food. I want to be taken care of when I finish. We put together all those things that stress you out, that the SBT could solve.
“Historically, racing is the opposite of inclusive. It’s intimidating,” she continued. “Your sunglasses need to be a certain type, socks need to be a certain height, and you need to know what you’re doing. What I found with gravel is your kit could be anything — baggies, Camelbacks. Anything goes. Just get to the end and have an adventure.”
The gravel rides are the culmination of a weekend-long festival that includes a downtown expo, a new trail running race, a toddler bike race, live music and more. “It’s a blast,” Charity said. “The idea is to set the tone. Many people compete for money, but we want to set the tone that this whole weekend is intended to be fun. That’s what we’re here for.”
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Fort Collins FoCo Fondo; July 19
Pre-dating SBT GRVL, Fort Collins’ FoCo Fondo has grown every year since its inception in 2015. Offering about the most relaxed vibe of any high-ranking gravel event, the July 19 Fondo starts and finishes at New Belgium Brewing with five distinctive courses – the classic 118-miler that climbs almost 7,500 vertical feet through the mountains and around Red Feather Lakes west of town, as well as 100-, 60-, 32- and 12-mile courses that meander through surrounding farm country.
Co-founded by Fort Collins locals and former pro cyclists Whitney and Zack Allison, the Fondo is truly a welcoming event with BIPOC, non-binary and para race categories as well as childcare available during the race.
With the homestretch lined with beer handoffs, hose-sprays and a DIY bike park ride-through, the Fondo promises to be an “excellent adventure with as much guidance as you wish, pushing limits, keeping things fun and a little weird,” Whitney Allison said.
The weekend festival launches July 16 with the Bike and Lifestyle Expo at New Belgium Brewery, which also offers special tours and talks throughout the weekend. Registration remains open leading up to the event. It’s not out of the question for participants to show up on mountain bikes or even e-bikes.
The Salida76; Sept. 20
Newer to Colorado’s gravel scene, The Salida76 was masterminded by Shift Events, the nonprofit behind the famous Triple Bypass road ride from Evergreen to Avon. Since the Salida76’s inception in 2022, the organization has donated $65,000 to other nonprofits.
Definitely more of a grassroots undertaking, The Salida76 is comprised of two races, a 76-miler and a 76-kilometer course, the winners of which will be awarded “sweet swag” presented by “somebody’s kid,” according to the website.
This year, the 76 morphs into a full-blown weekend event – the Salida Bike Fest – with 1,300 participants in the 76 gravel races on Sept. 19 and the Banana Belt 35-mile mountain bike race on Sept. 20.
“We thought it’d be fun to play off the old dirt-bagging Colorado rider days of the late 70’s … think jean shorts and aviator glasses,” said Shift Events CEO/ED Jen Barbour.
That said, neither course is easy, the 76-miler climbing for nearly 7,000 feet and the 76K course for almost 5,000 feet, 3,500 feet for both courses thrown at riders over the first 13 miles.
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