Gravel riding is becoming more and more popular, but what draws people to it? Gravelling converts Blake and Anna decided to go for a spin and work out what the ‘Spirit of Gravel’ is, and why they find it so much fun.
Useful Links:
Watch The UCI MTB World Series Elite Racing On GCN+ 👉 https://gmbn.eu/mtb23
NEW GMBN XC Kit! 👉 https://gmbn.eu/XCKit
Racing Highlights & More On GMBN Racing 👉 https://gmbn.eu/GMBNracing
Watch Shorts on GMBN 👉 https://gmbn.eu/GMBNshorts
Ride with us at the Global Bike Festival 👉 https://gmbn.eu/GBF2023
Submit your Photo and Video to us 👉 https://upload.gmbn.com/
Sign-up to our newsletter 👉 https://gmbn.eu/newsletter
Have you ever tried gravel riding? What do you think is ‘The Spirit Of Gravel’? Share your thoughts below 👇
Watch more on GMBN…
📹 MTBers Go Gravelling! 👉 https://gmbn.eu/MTBersGoGravel
📹 Watch our Editor’s Choice Playlist 👉 https://gmbn.eu/EditorsChoice
📹 Watch our weekly show, The Dirt Shed Show 👉 https://gmbn.eu/dirtshedplaylist
🎵 Music – licensed by Epidemic Sound 🎵
Weird Uncle – spring gang
The Whistle Funk – Tellsonic
Record Scratch 1 – SFX Producer
Acid Streets of Brazzaville – El Flaco Collective
Whip Whoosh Coax 6 – SFX Producer
Funky Rock Dawg – Def Lev
Lock Stock – The Big Let Down
Enter the Realm of Shadows – Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen
Something’s Telling Me (Instrumental Version) – Niklas Gabrielsson with Martin Landstrom & His Orchestra
Spring Is You (Instrumental Version) – Niklas Gabrielsson with Martin Landstrom & His Orchestra
#GMBN #GlobalMountainBikeNetwork #MTB #MountainBiking
The Global Mountain Bike Network (GMBN) is the world’s largest and fastest-growing online mountain bike channel and community – and your destination for the best mountain bike content in the world.
GMBN is dedicated to inspiring and unlocking your riding potential. Our videos cater to fans of every mountain bike discipline: from mile-munching cross-country (XC) riders, through adrenaline-fuelled dirt jumpers, gravity-hungry downhillers or aspiring enduro racers, and beyond.
Every day of every month, our ex-pro presenting team are on hand to entertain and inspire you while also providing a uniquely qualified insight into the world of mountain biking. Every week we deliver original daily videos that include:
Adventurous and entertaining features
Mountain bike skills coaching
Technical advice and guidance
Mechanical know-how to keep you rolling
A place for the riding community with our weekly Dirt Shed Show
Thanks to our sponsors:
Canyon Bikes: http://gmbn.eu/Canyon
Nukeproof Bikes: http://gmbn.eu/nukeproof
Orbea Bikes: https://gmbn.eu/Orbea
Park Tool: http://gmbn.eu/ParkTool
Smith Helmets & Eyewear: https://gmbn.eu/Smith
Crankbrothers Pedals: http://gmbn.eu/crankbros
Shimano Footwear: https://gmbn.eu/ShimanoShoes
Ergon: http://gmbn.eu/ergon
Vittoria Tires: https://gmbn.eu/Vittoria
FSA: http://gmbn.eu/fsa
Spank: https://gmbn.eu/Spank
Topeak: http://gmbn.eu/topeak
Garmin: https://gmbn.eu/Garmin
Peaty’s Products: https://gmbn.eu/Peatys
Wahoo: https://gmbn.eu/WahooTraining
Worx Power Tools: https://gmbn.eu/Worx
CamelBak: https://gmbn.eu/CamelBak
Watch our sister channels:
GMBN Racing – https://gmbn.eu/GMBNracing
GMBN Tech – https://www.youtube.com/gmbntech
Electric Mountain Bike Network – https://www.youtube.com/embn
GMBN auf Deutsch – https://www.youtube.com/c/gmbnaufdeutsch
Global Cycling Network – https://www.youtube.com/gcn
GCN Tech – https://www.youtube.com/gcntech
GCN Racing – https://www.youtube.com/gcnracing
Global Triathlon Network – https://www.youtube.com/gtn
GCN Italia – https://www.youtube.com/gcnitalia
GCN en Espanol – https://www.youtube.com/gcnenespanol
GCN auf Deutsch – https://www.youtube.com/gcnaufdeutsch
GCN en Francais – https://www.youtube.com/gcnenfrancais
GCN Japan – https://www.youtube.com/gcnjapan
GCN Training – https://www.youtube.com/gcntraining
46 Comments
Have you ever tried gravel riding? What do you think is 'The Spirit Of Gravel'? Share your thoughts below 👇
Surrey hills ❤️✌️
I will never get on, totally not my world 😂😅
Seems the "Spirit of Gravel" is mostly a fashion statement.
Fashion peer pressure in the cycling world is so weird.
😂 I just don‘t grow enough beard for „the spirit of gravel“ but what Anna did, riding into random routes, getting lost and somehow finding back out is pretty much what the spirit of MTB was for me when I started out.
Full gravel Blake looking like he's about to take his chainsaw and go build some jumps in the woods!
I think gravel biking is for the roads where you get boared on your mountainbike. I probably get board on these roads whirh a gravel bike too. 😂
Was this filmed in the Surrey hills?
bugger the 35mm forks, get a proper29er fork in there, 100mm, sag it to 30mm still leave 70mm of travel and lots of neg travel to keep that tyre in contact. weight won't be much more
02:31 That's the exact thing i like to do when riding my full rigid bike, aAaAaaAaAaAaAaAAAAAAHHH so much fun
I just don't get the gravel concept. I mean, if you want to ride on dirt or "gravel", just freaking ride the bike that's meant for off-roading and at a faster pace…. the XC bike. Again, this just another pointless bike category that the industry spun up to sell more bikes. And if your argument is "but I can also ride on road!". Ok, but so can XC bikes. I've got a light XC (Scott) that I hit the pavement on.
What a couple of jokers……Thanks for the fun….But I've been riding Mt Bikes since the mid 80's when EVERYTHING was full rigid!!!
I was just wondering having both and mostly using the gravel as a road bike so good to have this
If there's the category of "downcountry", maybe what Blake has can qualify as downgravel…………. omg 😀
Drop bars and brifters don't belong off road. I'll be happy when this "gravel" bike fad goes away.
I don't see point of gravel bike over an xc bike. Is it just the handlebars?
lol Anna
I think Blake is not gravel biking. He is just underbiking those trails.. 🙂
“Full gravel” 😂😂
Reminds me of the early days enduro
100 psi and no suspension, my bones hurt
not certain that i buy the "Damsel in distress Anna" routine. She's way more capable than that
I love exploring and I love having my gravel bike for that! Even if the Iron Age fort is still dug in.
Can't believe this video just popped up. I just bought a gravel bike!
LMAO, "Too much spirit of gravel." Anna was hilarious in this video.
Yeh, still super lame.
I don't know about gravel bikes, I am not sure about the riding positions, I will stick with the mountain bikes, BMX's, dirt jumper and cruisers for now. I reckon that would be a fun video, Blake and Anna do comparison tests of their XC bikes vs their gravel bikes on a set route. Which bike do they find feeling better for the job.
The GMBN Comedy Double Act does it again! Anna and Blake always leave me in stitches!
Stigmata
Hmmmm.. gMBn
Great vid
I'd take an XC bike any day.
Never underestimate the buying power of spenders who are bored with their hobby.
I took a gravel bike for a test ride to see what it was like. The only advantage I found was the ability to sprint over smooth roads. I prefer a hardtail for comfort, stability, and fun.
I just bought a gravel bike this week – Marin Four Corners. The best investment. Before that I had a mountain bike and a road bike. The gravel bike is a road bike with just enough off-road capabilities. I'm normally not the kind of person who rides mountain bike trails… road bikes are the fastest but you always get stuck in off-road sections.
Don’t care to see gravel riding on the mountain bike channel. Just get an xc bike. I love your channel but this just turns me off.
Just say yes to No Lycra…..
The spirit of gravel is a hardtail mtb! 👊🏻🤙🏻
Just riding trails . Laughing , having fun . Seeing things you wouldn’t see on the road . Finding places that you never knew existed . Wearing whatever you like . Having a bar bag . Taking way too many pictures . Enjoying that freedom . Jumping from road to trail to canal to woods all over n one ride . Feeling 12 again
I liked how Payson McElveen put it in rob Warner's podcast. The spirit of gravel is mountain biking.
The spirit of gravel riding is long distance rides in all kinds of weather and just having fun outdoors.💯👌🏻🚴♀️
Gravel bikes are especially nice for bike fishing, got my rig hooked up nicely to handle any terrain and look forward to hooking up the front carbon forks equipped with salsas low rider front racks packed with Ortliebs petrol blue sport rollers with gear up to 7 1/2 kg on each side.. sick. "
Can I order a cup of Blake please.
Bought into the hype, bought a gravel bike, thought it was great for a while until I realised that for everything except tarmac a hardtail is better. Gravel bike gathered dust for a while until I sold it.
Full gravel 😂😂😂
so , gravel in two years is gonna be classic 70ish hardtail mtb with drop bars.