It's time for the final episode in our seven-part podcast series covering all things gravel.
Over the course of the past seven weeks on the BikeRadar Podcast, we've covered everything from how to choose a gravel bike and how to plan the perfect ride, to the gravel racing scene and whether this is all actually just a reinvention of 90s mountain biking.
You can find all seven episodes below. Otherwise, make sure you subscribe to the BikeRadar Podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your podcast provider of choice, so you don't miss a beat.
Episode seven | What is the future of gravel?
To help us gaze into our crystal ball of gravel riding, we chatted to a number of industry experts, riders and racers to discuss where we think the future of gravel will lie.
Could we come up with a consensus? Absolutely not, but there are certainly some bright ideas about the different directions that the gravel world could be heading in.
Thank you to racers Dalila Lecky and Amanda Nauman, JP McCarthy from SRAM, Canyon’s Matt Leake, James Heaton from WTB, Louis van Kleeff from Rapha, Ian Carter from Specialized, Tailfin’s James Bracey, and Kitty, Alice, Pau, Freddie and Taylor from the Steezy Collective for contributing to this episode.
Episode six | How to get into gravel racing
Bringing together both competition and community, gravel racing creates a unique atmosphere across a range of different race formats the world over.
To discuss the proliferation of gravel races and how you can get into racing off-road, we’re joined by American gravel racing star Amanda Nauman, who has twice won Unbound Gravel, as well as London-based multi-discipline racer Dalila Lecky. To round off our panel, BikeRadar's Jack Luke brings his experience of UK and European gravel races, from Grinduro to Dirty Reiver.
We demystify the different types of gravel events, explain why we love these novel races and share our top tips for new racers on both sides of the Atlantic.
Episode five | Is gravel riding just mountain biking from the 90s?
The cause of much debate for riders who fondly remember the early years of mountain biking, we call on two of our in-house experts to debate whether gravel riding is just mountain biking from the 90s.
Both Robin Weaver and Warren Rossiter rode and raced mountain bikes across multiple disciplines in the 1990s, but today enjoy riding and testing modern gravel bikes alongside their usual helpings of 21st century road and mountain bikes.
Has gravel riding backfilled the void left by the progression of mountain biking trails and tech? Or are we looking at something new altogether?
Episode four | How to plan the perfect gravel ride
Planning a gravel ride well can make the difference between a mega day out and a disastrous one. In this episode, we chat about route planning, nutrition, tools and spares, sharing some of our past mistakes to help you prepare better than we did.
BikeRadar’s Robyn Furtado and Jack Evans join host Katherine Moore for this episode, along with multi-sport adventurer, Komoot global community manager and Hammerhead ambassador Gaby Thompson.
Episode three | Our gravel bike setup tips
Last week we looked at how to choose the best gravel bike for you, and this time we’re taking a deeper dive into gravel bike setup.
To help us navigate this topic, we’re chatting to Vera Ngosi-Sambrook, an avid adventure cyclist who was thrown in at the deep end last year when she was awarded the 2021 Ultra Distance Scholarship, BikeRadar’s Felix Smith, a fellow long-distance cyclist and gravel enthusiast, and mountain biker turned gravel convert Tom Marvin.
From gravel gearing to the choice between 650b and 700c wheels, via dropper posts and gravel bike suspension, join us to delve into the intricacies of bike setup.
Episode two | How to choose the best gravel bike for you
For episode two, join us as we tackle what can seem like a really tough decision: how to choose the best gravel bike for you.
With an overwhelming number of gravel bikes on the market these days, with offerings from every bike manufacturer, plus more niche brands and custom frame builders, we'll help you drill down on the best machine for your budget and riding style.
Your host, Katherine Moore, is joined by two of BikeRadar's gravelliest bike testers, senior technical editor Warren Rossiter (or 'Woz') and deputy editor Jack Luke.
Between them we’d be willing to bet that they’ve swung a leg over almost every gravel bike going, from the new generation of bling aero gravel superbikes to some rather retro niche builds.
Make sure you also check out our list of the best gravel bikes for more buying advice and our pick of the top machines reviewed by BikeRadar.
Episode one | Why is gravel riding so popular?
For episode one, we're starting at the beginning: why is gravel riding so great, and how did we get into it?
With gravel expert Katherine Moore as your host, she's joined by two of BikeRadar’s keenest multi-terrain riders, Jack Luke and Tom Marvin, along with cycling photographer, bikepacker and ultra-racer Tom Gibbs.
They discuss their journey into gravel riding, why it's proved to be so popular and what you’ll need to get you started on your trail to gravel enlightenment.
