Wanna Ride Bikes?
by Todd Downs
Remember when it was all just that simple? You had a bike. Your friends had bikes. You all wanted to go somewhere, but it didn’t matter where. It was all just riding bikes.
Then you got “into” bikes. You started comparing specs. You argued over claimed tire weight. You justified ceramic bearings and had discussions about threshold and picked your route based on a workout plan. Let’s be honest - you got a little out of hand. We all have.
And that’s totally cool. Passion is key to a life well lived. But what if you could turn that passion back toward the experience? What if there was “just riding bikes” again? Could that be gravel?
Of course it could be gravel.
Frankly, it could also be mountain biking or road riding or a rattly old balloon tire bike from the 50s, but let’s talk about what’s so cool about this gravel thing.
Basically, you can’t do gravel wrong, because nobody knows what gravel riding actually is. It's what
you
want it to be.
You get on your bike - it might be from your own front door or it might be a parking lot somewhere. After that, you pick a direction and pedal. Are you on pavement? Totally fine. Is it a graded fire road? Terrific. How about a rutted out jeep trail? Maybe some scrabbly double-track? Stone dust hike-and-bike-way? Power line easement? They can all take you somewhere. Not sure where exactly that is, though? Even better.
The whole point is: the points don’t matter. A gravel ride isn’t about having somewhere to be. It’s about already being somewhere. You’re out there. You’re adventuring. You’re
rediscovering
the joy of the route. That’s the key...
