Keep an eye on your map’s contours, otherwise this might happen Mick Kirkman / Immediate Media Gravel riding in the Peak District “But I find it best to combine maps and websites to work out the best routes.” “Komoot is great for off-road routes because it shows all the local trails which make gravel riding so much fun,” says Nick.
The Komoot app harnesses the input of local riders to provide a detailed analysis of routes, elevations and profiles. New gravel riders can use route-planning tech such as Strava and Garmin Connect, which list many off-road trails, as well as the OS Maps app which includes aerial 3D imagery. You can also explore unsurfaced roads, Forestry Commission tracks and easier mountain bike trails, which are graded green or blue. Whereas road cyclists are limited to riding the pink and orange road lines on an OS map, gravel bikes enable you to explore the dotted green and orange bridleways, footpaths and byways, as well as any trails running through the green and brown smudges of moorland, forests and mountains. “You just connect them up to make your own route.” “As well as normal roads, you can ride on gravel trails, bridleways, mountain bike trails, disused railway lines and towpaths,” explains Nick, tracing our planned route with his finger.
How to prepare for a mtb ride how to#
The bike may be ready, but I have no idea how to plan a gravel adventure, which is why Nick and his OS map are here to help. What’s more it has an adventure-ready 11-34 rear cassette, which, since the biggest sprocket on my road bike is a 28, feels huge in comparison. Its 35mm Schwalbe G-One Allround knobblies are a whole 12mm wider than my road tyres, and its confidence-boosting Shimano hydraulic disc brakes, should give me all the stopping power I’ll need. To fuse adrenaline with adventure – blasting along a road at 40km/h then darting off-road to explore some trails – sounds like something that I could quickly embrace.Ĭanal towpaths are one of the tamer strands to gravel riding in the UK Mick Kirkman / Immediate Media Scott Addict Gravel 30 When I first read about gravel bikes – which combine race-ready road frames with thick tyres and disc brakes, liberating you to tackle tarmac and trails on the same bike – I was intrigued.Īs a road cyclist I love epic 100km rides and the thrill of speed, but I instinctively seek out scenic spots and quieter backroads. “Road cyclists will find gravel riding a lot of fun because gravel bikes open up a whole new world of interesting places to ride,” he insists. Having won three national cyclocross titles and four national mountain bike titles, he is the perfect guide to gravel riding.
How to prepare for a mtb ride professional#
The kitchen belongs to Nick Craig, a former professional cyclist who lives in the old mill town of Hayfield, which sits just beneath the iconic gritstone cliffs of Kinder Scout. Roadie Mark Bailey explores narrow towpaths, bumpy bridleways, muddy climbs and stony descents Mick Kirkman / Immediate Media
0 kommentar(er)
