Gravel Riding in the Quad Cities

Looking back… As a kid, did you hop on your bike and ride for hours?  The sense of freedom and adventure the bicycle provided us as kids was like no other.  There is a newer trend in biking called gravel riding or gravel cycling.  It can be a great way to recapture those same feelings of freedom and adventure.

So what is gravel riding?

Gravel cycling is simply when you ride on gravel roads. The Quad Cities region has some of the best gravel cycling in the country. In fact, Iowa is ranked fourth in the nation for having the most gravel roads.

The most important piece is the bike.

A gravel bike looks like a road bike, except with slightly wider tires. If you don’t already own a gravel bike, you can use a mountain bike to get started. If you don’t have a bike at all, I would recommend going to your favorite local bike shop and talking to them about purchasing or renting a gravel bike. While you’re there, you will also want to purchase a helmet. A cycling computer or gps watch is optional, but it will make your life a lot easier. Using this, you can download one of these routes as a great way to get started gravel riding in the QC.

• https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40688111
• https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39060172
• https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37936306

To take it one step further, there is a relatively new type of competitive cycling called gravel racing. This is where participants race their bikes on a course varying in distance. To keep the sense of adventure, most races require the rider to download a route to their cycling computer. This type of racing is about the physical strength to compete and the mental strength to successfully navigate the course.

To paint a better picture for you, think of a marathon. There are elite pros all the way down to weekend warriors just trying to finish. The awesome thing about this range of capabilities is all the participants experience the same course and have to overcome the same trials and tribulations during the race. This allows a large group of people with varying fitness and skill levels to come together, have the same experiences, and then be able to share stories of their day at the end of the race.

Speaking of the end of the race, gravel racing is known to throw some of the best post-race parties around. For example, the Big River Gravel Series purchases Casey's pizza, cookies, fruit, and a variation of beer for their participants. There is music playing and stories being shared between old and new friends. 

Check out bigrivergravel.com on how to sign up for a gravel event in the QC.

Luke Guyton is a Quad Citizen and the founder of the Big River Gravel Series. He has been racing bicycles competitively in some capacity since he was 8 years old.