Homegrown Gravel Adventure, Franklin GA - February 22nd 2025
United States | Southeast | Virginia >> Making Gravel Standard

Making Gravel Standard

Well known West Coast cyclist Neil Shirley formulates a standard, as the U.S. born Gravel Grinder phenomenon continues to grow at an alarming pace - worldwide

The Gravel Grinder, aka the Gravel Fondo in Europe, from the dirt roads of Colorado’s Haute Route Rockies to the unforgiving Flint Hills of the Dirty Kanza 200, the popularity of events that take riders away from the comforts of the pavement just keeps growing. As more mixed-surface and gravel events continue popping up all over the globe, the question of which tire size, and in some cases, what kind of bike is suitable for the event, often arise.

Picture Below: Ex-professional cyclist Neil Shirley raced on the road at National and International levels, is an veteran World Champion on gravel too.

Ex-professional cyclist Neil Shirley raced on the road at National and International levels, is an veteran World Champion on gravel too.

Unlike the pavement, which has little variance in equipment needs regardless of where you’re at geographically, gravel and dirt roads are not all created equally and each place very different demands on equipment. In order to help end the confusion around the terminology and how unpaved road conditions might differ from one region or event to the next, the Industry Standard Guide to Gravel (ISGG) offers an easy reference to help define what equipment should be considered for each category of gravel difficulty.

Picture Below: Gravel - where the pavement ends

Gravel - where the pavement ends

As this is only a guide, there will be a number of other factors to think about when considering your setup. Things such as rider skill level and percentage of dirt to pavement are two notable considerations. Riders that are not as comfortable or new to riding a drop bar bike off road should opt for a more conservative approach and go up one category in equipment setup. The ratio between off-road and on-road is also a notable factor. Take the Belgian Waffle Ride for example where a number of the off-road sections would fall under Category 3 and 4, yet due to the overall percentage of pavement and lesser category gravel sections, the recommended equipment setup for a competitive rider would fall under Category 2. It’s about striking a balance between efficiency off-road with efficiency on-road–it’s a true dichotomy.

Category 1 Gravel

Smooth, well maintained dirt roads that have either very small gravel chunks, or none at all, and are very much road bike-friendly. These roads are in better condition than many paved roads in the U.S. and are hard packed, offering little more difficulty than riding on tarmac. There are a number of roads like this in Colorado that have a magnesium chloride treatment to keep the dust down and harden the top layer of dirt. Roads like these are often found in a number of Gran Fondos to add a little more adventure to the event.

Ideal bike: Road bike
Tire size: 25-28mm
Event examples: Haute Route Rockies, Battenkill Roubaix

Picture Below: Category 1 Gravel - Smooth, well maintained dirt roads that have either very small gravel chunks, or none at all, and are very much road bike-friendly. 

Category 1 Gravel - Smooth, well maintained dirt roads that have either very small gravel chunks, or none at all, and are very much road bike-friendly.
 

Category 2 Gravel

Expect potholes, washboard and probably loose, blown out corners. There is likely to be gravel outside of the main tire tracks that could cause an extra challenge if one was to come off their line. A road bike is just fine, but more skill is needed when cornering at speed. Going up in tire size compared to an everyday road setup is recommended in order to benefit from the reduced risk of pinch flatting and pneumatic suspension a higher volume tire allows.

Ideal bike: Endurance road bike
Tire size: 28-32mm
Event examples: Gravel Worlds, Dirty Devil, Boulder Roubaix, Belgian Waffle Ride, Grapes Of Wrath

Picture Below: Category 2 Gravel - Expect potholes, washboard and probably loose, blown out corners.

Category 2 Gravel - Expect potholes, washboard and probably loose, blown out corners.
 

Category 3 Gravel

Infrequently maintained roads that require a high level of skill when tackling on a road bike due to exposed rocks, tire eating rain ruts, sand bogs and any number of other unexpected challenges that could arise around the next corner. Unless a Category 3 Gravel section is added merely as a short connector, a gravel bike with 33-38mm tires that offer side knobs is the recommended equipment to achieve both speed and safety.

Ideal bike: Gravel bike
Tire size: 33-38mm
Event examples: Rebecca’s Private Idaho, Landrun 100, Crusher In The Tushar, Rock Cobbler, Gravel MOB, SPNDX Stampede, Chino Grinder

Picture Below: Category 3 Gravel - Infrequently maintained roads that require a high level of skill when tackling on a road bike.

Category 3 Gravel - Infrequently maintained roads that require a high level of skill when tackling on a road bike.
 

Category 4 Gravel

Non-maintained Forestry roads common in California would be considered Category 4 due to deep ruts, rock gardens, and potential landslides left for the next gravel rider to stumble upon. Going with high volume tires will help provide pneumatic suspension, reduce the risk of a pinch flat, and provide greater traction is in the corners and on steep, loose climbs.

Ideal bike: Gravel bike
Tire size: 38-42+mm, or Road Plus (650b wheels with 42+mm tires)
Event examples: Dirty Kanza, Grinduro, Lost and Found

Picture Below: Category 4 Gravel - Non-maintained Forestry roads common in California would be considered Category 4 due to deep ruts, rock gardens, and potential landslides.

Category 4 Gravel - Non-maintained Forestry roads common in California would be considered Category 4 due to deep ruts, rock gardens, and potential landslides.

Thank You

This article was kindly reproduced with Lyman Agency's permission. All credits to Neil Shirley and the Lyman Agency.

Picture Below: Course planning and tyre selection are important in Gravel races

Picture Below: Course planning and tyre selection are important in Gravel races

 
Tag: granfondoguide
 
Dec 27 2022 - NEWS: Over 2,500 event organizers events confirm dates and details
Aug 23 2022 - NEWS: Strong Steady Growth Predicted for the Cycling Events Industry after Rapid Pandemic Recovery
Dec 31 2021 - NEWS: Over 2,000 events confirm their dates and details for 2022!
Jan 22 2021 - NEWS: Top 13 Most Popular Gran Fondos Globally in 2020
Jan 13 2021 - NEWS: Top 10 Most Read Cycling Articles on Gran Fondo Guide in 2020
Dec 28 2020 - NEWS: 2021 Gran Fondo Calendar with thousands of events Worldwide
Dec 29 2020 - NEWS: 2021 Gravel Ride Calendar with thousands of events Worldwide
Dec 29 2020 - NEWS: Top 10 Bold Predictions for Cycling in 2021
Dec 30 2020 - NEWS: A Tale of Two U.S. Rides that Absolutely Crushed COVID in 2020
Dec 29 2020 - NEWS: 2021 Century Ride Calendar with hundreds of events across the USA
Jul 10 2020 - NEWS: Top 11 Toughest Climbs Used in Professional Cycling
Nov 27 2019 - NEWS: 2020 Gran Fondo Calendar with Thousands of Events Globally
Dec 31 2016 - NEWS: Top 10 Cycling Tips for the New Year
Nov 29 2017 - NEWS: Top Ten Craziest Switchback Cycle Climbs in the World
Jul 14 2019 - NEWS: Switzerland – Europe's Best Kept Cycling Secret!
 
Tag: gravel
 
Nov 29 2024 - NEWS: Heathland Gravel is back in 2025
Aug 03 2024 - NEWS: Homegrown Gravel Adventure heads into fourth year
Nov 21 2024 - NEWS: Brutal Paris to Ancaster joins 2025 UCI Gravel World Series
Nov 15 2024 - NEWS: 2025 Trek BC Gravel Series Announced on Vancouver Island
Oct 18 2024 - NEWS: Gran Fondo World Tour® Series lands in Iceland with Cycling Westfjords
Oct 09 2024 - NEWS: Robert Gesink to participate in the KARUKINKA Gravel Race in Chile
Oct 06 2024 - NEWS: Mathieu van der Poel wins the 2024 UCI Gravel Fondo World Championships
Oct 05 2024 - NEWS: Marianne Vos sprints to 2024 UCI Gravel World Championships Title
Oct 02 2024 - NEWS: Forests of Brabant ready to welcome the 2024 Bolero UCI Gravel World Championships
Oct 02 2024 - NEWS: UEC Gravel European Championships in Asiago will be a qualifier for Nice 2025
Sep 01 2024 - NEWS: Arzuffi and Vakoc fastest at UCI Gravel Monsterrando race in Italy
Aug 22 2024 - NEWS: Registration for the 2024 Belgian Waffle Ride Mexico is Open
Aug 25 2024 - NEWS: Kasper and Schonberger take Victory at the 3rd editon of UCI Houffalize Gravel Fondo
Aug 22 2024 - NEWS: Registration for the 2024 Belgian Waffle Ride Mexico is Open
Nov 15 2023 - NEWS: Go “All In On Adventure” at TransRockies Gravel Royale
Feb 01 2016 - RESULTS: Texas Chainring Massacre
Dec 27 2024 - EVENT: Franschhoek 500 Gravel Ultra Bikepacking
Dec 28 2024 - EVENT: Lumberjack Gravel Ride Winter Edition
Jan 04 2025 - EVENT: Ouachita Gravel Grind
Jan 11 2025 - EVENT: Normandicat Gravel
Jan 18 2025 - EVENT: Gravel and Wine
Jan 22 2025 - EVENT: RADL GRVL
Jan 25 2025 - EVENT: Smithville Gravel Weekend
Feb 09 2025 - EVENT: Attck Unrstrktd Gravel
Feb 15 2025 - EVENT: La Santa Vall
Feb 15 2025 - EVENT: Gravel Worlds Winter Endurance
Feb 23 2025 - EVENT: Great Otway Gravel Grind
Feb 23 2025 - EVENT: Sahara Gravel
Mar 08 2025 - EVENT: McCormick Mayhem
Mar 08 2025 - EVENT: Shasta Gravel Hugger
Mar 08 2025 - EVENT: Cannock Chase Gravel X
 
Tag: whatis
 
Dec 27 2022 - NEWS: Top 10 North American Gran Fondo Awards 2023
Dec 27 2022 - NEWS: Over 2,500 event organizers events confirm dates and details
Dec 27 2022 - NEWS: The Top 10 Most Popular Events Worldwide
Dec 14 2022 - NEWS: 22 Percent Increase in the Number of Century Bike Riders
Aug 23 2022 - NEWS: Strong Steady Growth Predicted for the Cycling Events Industry after Rapid Pandemic Recovery
Dec 31 2021 - NEWS: Over 2,000 events confirm their dates and details for 2022!
Jan 09 2021 - NEWS: Training Tips for Your First Gran Fondo
Dec 28 2020 - NEWS: 2021 Gran Fondo Calendar with thousands of events Worldwide
Dec 29 2020 - NEWS: 2021 Gravel Ride Calendar with thousands of events Worldwide
Dec 29 2020 - NEWS: Top 10 Bold Predictions for Cycling in 2021
Dec 30 2020 - NEWS: A Tale of Two U.S. Rides that Absolutely Crushed COVID in 2020
Dec 29 2020 - NEWS: 2021 Century Ride Calendar with hundreds of events across the USA
May 30 2020 - NEWS: Gravel Stars and Promoters Come Together for the first Gravel Summit
Nov 27 2019 - NEWS: 2020 Gran Fondo Calendar with Thousands of Events Globally
Dec 03 2017 - NEWS: Making Gravel a Standard by Neil Shirley