What makes a good day on GRAVEL ?
It all begins with a map - in this case this one was stored on my Strava for more two years - it was actually my first gravel ride in LYON - back when I wasn’t living there yet.
I had memories of it but it was a different season, different bike and it was a good excuse to do it again - just to keep you ming fresh.
Then I always say that “life is better when shared” so I texted Julien the night befor and he happened to love Gravel lately so he was easy to convince. We figured out a plan (well he did, he is way better at mapping than me) - start at 9:45 it is the next morning.
Julien enjoying the view
It will be a 130km ish for me - a good time to test out some gear and nutrition for the next “long” events comming up !
I’m riding a Specialized Diverge 4 Comp Carbon with some upgrades :
OUT the stock wheels (DT G540) for my beloved ROVAL Terra CLX EVO
OUT the Hoover Handlebar for a Terra Carbon one
OUT Specialized Pathfinder tires in 38mm for my lovely Tracer in 50mm
Just this makes such a difference and having the right gear is so important especially on the type of terrain we have here, very bumpy and it can be rocky from time to time.
My Diverge brings me confort and my upgrades provide a much more versatile bike all over !
Current setup on the Diverge 4
Since it’s a long ride, plan an option to have a bit of a snack and break if you’re tired.
The more I spend time of the gravel the more I feel it can be more exhaustive mentally, what I mean is: 1km on gravel feels almost like 2km on the road so be aware of that when you plan a route.
We didn’t plan it on this ride but we knew that the mao was goign through small villages and we will find a bakery or a petrol station to eat something, a slice of pizza, a “Quiche”, a Coke and Orangina, it feels great to stop even for 10 min !
Try not to look at the numbers (power / speed) enjoy your ride, have fun with your mate, speed up for no reasons, stop if you want to enjoy the view, lower your tire pressure or take pictures ;)
© Julien POULENARD
And finally, don’t be too serious about it ! Especially if you are not racing !
Graveling is about reconnecting with your bike without the noise of the road and the cars, it’s about not following the map just because that path looks nice and maybe you’ll have to turn around. If you are a roadie, it’s about having fun with fat tires and developping different skills.
But above everything else, playing outside alone or with your friends !
Thank you cycling !
