Ride Headquarters

Gravel Riding:  So Much Terrain To Cover On Just One Bike

Gravel riding, mixed terrain riding, dirt road riding, adventure riding, bikepacking, cyclocross.  There are as many names for this kind of riding as there are places to ride.  Whatever you call it, it's lots of fun!

We're devotees of this expansive category of bikes and all the ways to ride dirt.  Read on to find out how much so.  We hope you'll become an enthusiast, too.  If you already are loving the dirt, that’s awesome! Join in the New England Expedition Riders rides, they offer a lot of interesting dirt routes and group ride options throughout the year. We sponsor their rides and encourage you to connect with others who are a part of NEER!

Why Read This Page?

We promise you'll learn something.  If we're wrong we'll buy you a cappuccino.  It's not that we're smart, it's that we've been riding road bikes on dirt for more than 30-years. We have been hosting rides and building gravel bikes with Seven Cycles long before “gravel” was a term. Gravel riding evolved from riding road bikes on dirt. 

We are gravel and dirt.  We eat gravel, drink mud, and dream in dirt.  So, we've collected many of our experiences with progressive dedicated gravel bikes on this page.  And we have a lot more to share if you're interested.

We've built bikes for riders all over the country and in a number of other countries in the world.  We're sought after for our dedication to building purpose built-bikes that excel in the gravel space.  Bikes we've designed have been ridden in the harshest and best rides around.  From Unbound Gravel to Kazakhstan.  From Paris-Brest-Paris to the Paris Roubaix Challenge.  If there's gravel, dirt, or cobbles involved, count us in.

When we're not designing and building bikes we can be found riding the gravely dirt.  We might see you at D2R2, the Maneha 250, and just about every other mixed terrain ride in the area. 

Clarifying what you mean and how you'll use the bike are the first step in determining the best setup. 

The term "Gravel Riding" and "Gravel Grinding" covers so much territory that it's almost meaningless.  In a broad sense, it means not riding solely on pavement but this, in itself, does not necessarily mean gravel.

In our area, we don't have much actual gravel to grind.  Sure, there are a few hundred yards here and there -- we're happy to show you some secret spots -- but we don't really have the same gravel like you'll find in some Midwestern areas. 

• Mixed terrain riding:  In eastern Massachusetts we don't have true gravel, so true gravel bikes aren't actually all that great for the majority of our dirt riding.

• Dirt road riding:  Dirt roads were created with the intention of cars traveling on them. These are typically packed and not too rough since they are meant for cars. The joy of these is that they often offer nice scenery, shade from trees, and little traffic since cars will prefer to take the paved nearby roads.     

• Endurance riding:  If you ride long enough, you'll get to dirt roads.  Head north and you'll find some beautiful, well-groomed dirt roads in New Hampshire.  Head west, and you can find some hidden rough roads.  Head south and you'll find a bit of everything.  And this is just dirt roads.  Put singletrack and doubletrack into the mix and you can ride forever from sector to sector.  Our point is that endurance riding often becomes mixed terrain or dirt road riding if you do it right.

• Class IV roads, access roads, and fire roads:  These offer much more challenge, rougher terrain, and can be harder to find. The range of riding varies from what you could handle on a 28mm tire all the way up to needing a fat bike to traverse the terrain. Sometimes mixed terrain riding means walking the bike through tricky sections.

• Easy singletrack and doubletrack:  This is the most common terrain you'll find in eastern Massachusetts. There are countless miles of these trails woven through our communities. They are perfect for gravel bikes: fast, fun, not that technical, and when they're connected together with paved roads, one can ride all day long hardly seeing traffic or anything very familiar. 

• Harsh weather riding:  It may seem odd to include weather conditions in a conversation about gravel but once you have a gravel bike you'll want to riding ALL the time.  So, harsh weather, we're ready.

• Bikepacking:  A gravel bike is often ideal for a bikepacking trip. Bikepacking is, literally, just like backpacking - bringing your stuff for at least one night of sleeping under the stars - and taking trails to get to wherever you want to go. 

• Cyclocross Racing:  We put this at the bottom of the list because it's really not like gravel riding at all.  However, lots of companies offer their cyclocross race bike as a gravel bike.  Don't fall for this.  A gravel bike can make a decent cyclocross race bike but a true cross bike makes a poor gravel or mixed terrain bike. 

As you can see, there are many ways to define a gravel bike.  Oddly, in Eastern Massachusetts, we don't really want to ride a classic gravel bike because we don't have classic gravel here.  So, stripping it down to its simplest form, here are the qualities of a gravel bike. 

Eastern Massachusetts mixed terrain bike:

Points to consider in order of what we find to be most important.  Some of this is obvious and some of it may be counter-intuitive.

1. Tire size and wheel size.  These are clearly two points mashed into one, but we see them as closely linked.  For gravel, you can't talk tire size and tread pattern without including wheel size.  There are two primary wheel sizes and dozens of tire patterns and approaches.  Then there's the dilemma of using tubes or tubeless. Read below some of the ways we approach tire choice and the never-ending wheel size conundrum to ensure you are riding the best possible bike for all conditions.

2. Handling. The best handling bike is designed well with proper headtube angle, fork rake, seat tube angle, bottom bracket height, and tubeset selected for the rider in addition to simply having the bike fit the rider properly. Having the rider’s weight balanced over both wheels without too much of the riders’ weight over the front wheel makes a big difference in how the bike handles. A great handling bike offers confidence to the rider, keeps the rider fresher longer, and the bike feels like it’s actively participating in the ride rather than fighting the rider. It shouldn’t take too much input to keep the bike going the direction the rider desires. If it does, this fatigues the rider. A bike that handles too quickly isn’t going to ride any faster, and a fatigued rider is slower.

3. Designed for distance:  This may be the biggest factor.  A well-designed mixed terrain or gravel bike should be designed for multiple hours in the saddle.  This means a bike that takes the edge off fatigue-inducing factors. These include everything from the effort required to keep the bike riding in a straight line to how much jarring is translated to the rider's body from the roughness of the terrain. Major emphasis is being placed on tire size in the market. Stock frames are being built way too stiff (most stock frames are designed for 280 pound riders), so bike companies don’t have warranties to deal with. The tires are being looked to as the answer to mitigate the vibrations and roughness that result. A well-built frame does a lot to keep the rider comfortable in the saddle and is properly lively, making the ride much more fun and ride pleasant for the rider. The frame and fork can allow clearances for huge tires, that’s fine for future proofing the bike. But offering a rider a smooth ride with both narrow and wide tires gives the rider so many more options.

4. Climbing:  Real world gravel riding means short, steep grades in New England. Low gearing is important. A bike that allows traction on loose terrain in steep climbs offers a much more pleasant riding experience. It's also faster when the tires stay connected to the earth, thus allowing the rider's power to propel the bike up.  

5. Descending:  Descending on various terrain can be terrifying if the bike wasn't designed to be stable descending. Having a sure-footed bike while navigating a steep, loose descent is worth the cost of the bike alone. A descent gone wrong can translate to injuries or fear that didn't need to be experienced. Descend with confidence and the game changes. Your joy of riding is so much more without worry of the next descent.  

6. Cornering:  You probably want a bike that doesn't jack knife or dig into a corner too fast.  You probably also benefit from a bike that doesn't fight you as you try to get into a tight switchback.  Frame and fork geometry, rider fit and position, tire choice, and even tire pressure all factor into the way a bike behaves as you push it to its limit.  We specialize in bike fitting that optimizes rider position while ensuring the bike is perfectly balanced under you.  If you haven't experienced this yet you're in for a treat.  We can accomplish this because we partner with the most experienced custom frame builder in the world:  Seven Cycles.  They understand fit and how it impacts the handling of the bike in ways that many rider term, "magical."  Ask us and we'll explain how this is possible.

7. Carrying equipment for longer rides:  The balance of the bike allows you to carry gear and you'll hardly notice the weight of everything you’re carrying. This is one of the surprises of loading a well-balanced, properly designed bike: it feels stable, and the pleasant ride of the bike remains. Properly strong, stiff forks are available now that offer mounts for Anything cages to carry stuff more effectively. This greatly enhances the carrying capacity of drop bar bikes.

8. Gear ratios.  There are so many ways to achieve perfect gearing on your gravel or mixed terrain bike.  Accepting the standard off the shelf gear ratios pushed by the big stock bike companies is a pale offering of what is possible. Single chainring and double chainring options offer better gear ranges than ever before and they are both compelling depending on how a rider wants to interact with the terrain.

   Low gearing is for everyone, even the strongest riders are going lower than ever, since fresh legs translate to faster and longer riding. We advise as to the best gearing for you based on how you ride and where you’ll be riding. There are a lot of options for future-proofing the bike, too, since you expect your frame to feel great and keep on going, but component manufacturers introduce new components and yours wear out over time. We think about the future when we work with you on your bike today, since you get to look forward to the future with your new bike!

9. Brake type.  At this point nearly every off-road bike has disc brakes. Most bikes are offered with hydraulic disc brakes. Hydraulic brakes are great 80% of the time, but there are very strong cable-actuated disc brakes that offer the rider ease of adjustments on the fly without ever needing to have a brake bleed or having to rely on a bike shop. Depending on where you’ll be riding and if you’ll be traveling a lot with your bike, you have options on brake type.

10. Durability: Gravel bikes go through so much more than your road bike ever did. Road riders don’t need to think about durability in the same way. So many bike frames have been destroyed by the abrasion of mud getting stuck between chainstays and tires at Unbound. A durable frame withstands mud. A durable, threaded bottom bracket can get ridden through water and mud puddles. Think that you won’t be subjecting yourself or your bike to these sorts of conditions? Just wait until you start gravel riding and finding yourself in these sorts of situations with friends. The sky might open up during a ride. You’ll get surprised, it’s all part of adventure riding. Knowing your bike will be fine in such conditions and not needing to worry about it getting dirty, wet, gross, well, that adds to the fun and experience. Not getting creaks, pops, and other annoying sounds not only doesn’t annoy you when in nature, it also doesn’t detract from the confidence you have in continuing to push your bike hard to get through!

You may think that these are details and not likely to influence your enjoyment or performance.  Each of these elements influences the ride and when you stack them all together you get a multiplying affect that is the difference between smiles and groans. It’s not just a matter of being more comfortable and having more fun, it’s also related to safety. If your bike stops working far from civilization, that’s a problem. Being able to load your bike, and know that it’ll support you riding it for many miles, that extends your range, your ability and enjoyment to explore and just keep going.

Why aren't stock gears best? 

If stock gravel bikes come with this gearing why wouldn't it be best?  There's a number of reason stock bike gears may not be ideal for you.  Some of the important reasons include:

• The vast majority of stock bikes are designed for west coast riding -- fast fire roads and long steady climbs or Midwest riding -- long dirt roads with slow rolling hills.  Shimano North America and Specialized are located in California.  Trek and SRAM are in the Midwest.  It's no wonder that the industry's offerings are heavily influenced by these two locals and terrains.  The gear ratios for this kind of riding are sub-optimal for our east coast MA riding where we have punchy short climbs with rocky, rooty trails and roads and tight technical singletrack that requires endless low-speed accelerations.  Did we mention the weather?  Totally different.  We have mud, slush, rain, and ice.  All of these factors influence gearing and component optimization.  Do you ride like you're on the west coast?  Then your off the shelf gears might be fine.

• Stock bikes focus on price points.  Believe it or not, cassette pricing varies widely by size and length.  The more teeth, the higher the price.  Longer cage derailleurs are also more expensive as are longer chains.  Big bike companies focus on price points over component optimization. The price can easily exceed $100.    Don't skimp on the things that matter.

• Big component companies don't make smart progressive parts kits.  You can see this in nearly every part they make.  Sometimes there are options and sometimes there aren't.  When there are better options, we offer them.

• Stock bikes buy parts kits in bulk in order to receive preferred pricing. 

• In order to get preferred pricing they purchase full sets of what the big component brands offer.  Big brands are heavily incented to buy complete drivetrains from a single source rather than choosing the optimal part for a specific bike job.

What gearing do we recommend and why?

Our recommendations are tailored to your riding style, preferences, your major riding plans for the season, etc.  A few minutes of assessment of your riding will provide us everything we need to make the right recommendation.  

Why not just ride what comes with the bike?  Aren't stock tires and wheels best?

Well, not so much.  As with anything, the right choice of hoops depends on how, where, and how much you ride gravel.   The vast majority of stock bikes come with 700c wheels.  But, you'll notice a lot of riders preferring 650b wheels recently.  So which is better?  Probably even more important than wheel diameter, is tire size and tread.  There are literally dozens of gravel tires that companies want to sell you.  Which width, tread, air containment system, and tire pressure is best?

Big companies choose wheels and tires just like everything else they decide.  Usually it's some combination of price, discount opportunity, and trying to persuade you that whatever you bought last year is no longer any good.  You don't see anything about targeting certain kinds of riding or focusing on your interests. 

Most big bike companies offer one gravel-specific bike with a couple of kit levels and a few color options with 5-7 sizes total.

Don't take a bikepacking Swiss army knife solution either.  That might be the right bike for you, but if you're looking for a bike that will make you love gravel and dirt, a jack of all trades bike is unlikely to be it. At best it will be mediocre at everything.  If you do want a best-in-class jack of all trades utility bike, Seven does exceptionally well building such a bike. Quite a few of our riders have two wheelsets for their bikes and love their gravel bike as their road bike and gravel bike too.

What tire size options do you want?

Tires are getting bigger and bigger, so you might want your frame to take huge tires. This is an option. You ask for the tire sizes you want and that’s what you’ll get. The fork will allow for your max tire size and Seven will build the frame to allow for max tire sizes as well. Want your gravel bike to take mountain bike tires? It’s an option. Want a suspension front fork? Also an option. We may suggest that your frame will do a lot of the work in keeping you comfortable if you’re looking to tires for this purpose. But if you think Class IV roads are in your future, serious off-road adventures, go for it with the huge tires!

Here are some of the most popular gravel style rides. 

These rides all benefit from purpose specific bikes.  We can help you design the optimal bike for each event.  It's worth the time.

We offer a lot of amazing gravel bikes. It's nearly impossible to choose just two favorites.  But if we had to pick our two favorites for the most popular kind of eastern Massachusetts riding we'd go with:

Next Steps

If you've it this far on the page, congratulations!  You must be interested in gravel and mixed terrain riding.  So, let's get you on a bike!  

Here's a special offer:  Fill out the form below, set up a time to demo ride one of our bikes if you want to demo ride. If you order a bike from this, you'll receive:

We'll cover the cost of your entry fee for any domestic single event ride this year -- up to $200 from Unbound Gravel to D2R2 or any other event on your ride list. Please mention this deal when you order the bike so we know to give you the event credit when you take your bike home!

To take advantage of this offer fill out this form, tell us when you'd like to ride some bikes, and we'll set you up to have a great ride.