The spirit of gravel is in adventure. Right ? Gravel is often spoken about as the discipline that brings back the cycling bug. That reminds you why you fell in love with cycling in the first place. The freedom, the exhilaration, pushing you to your limits and then breaking them. A sense of adventure does wonders for the soul. That is the spirit of gravel.
Gravel is also the road, if you can even call it a road, that’s going to give you the most stunning views of the mountains you’ve ever seen before. The road less travelled is gravel for a reason; it’s for the very few to venture and only for those that answer the call to uncover its beauty.
After a fantastic time spent in the mountains and supporting the Morzine-Montriond-Avoriaz Triathlon, it was time to say goodbye to Morzine as we were meeting new friends at Lake Annecy for a gravel ride before we began the journey back to the UK. Lake Annecy, is for the most part, beautiful. For the rest, a haven for activities. Driving to the campsite on the most Southerly part of the Lake, we saw people sailing across the lake, paragliding above it, swimming in it’s crystal clear waters, and lots and lots of cyclists riding the length of the lake in their own designated cycle path. Nate went for a ride on the cycle path, he said it was the most competitive (in a safe and gentlemanly manner) he’s ever felt.
Jake and Gina met up with new friends Louisa and Rob (who were actually originally Nate’s friends), to go for a gravel ride. Birthday gravel as it was Louisa’s birthday at the time (Happy Birthday Louisa). Gravel unites and reunites people with one goal in mind: where too today ? A route of Rob’s choosing, having been to the area many times with stunning views and classic white gravel in mind. There were originally some gnarly sections that, quite sensibly, we turned away from (descents of 30% and rocks that would make a downhill MTBer blush).
The spirit of gravel is in fresh cheese from the farm on top of the mountain. The spirit of gravel is riding up a path, that so far only hikers have ventured near, to find a running stream to dip your feet, hands, and splash your face on a super hot day. The spirit of gravel is riding a road, waiting for the man to finish cutting down the tree and then continuing because we need to know where this road goes. The spirit of gravel is the trail that goes on forever, but no matter how much you ride towards them, the mountains in the distance don’t seem to be getting any closer. And there's no noise. It's quiet except for the cow bells in the distance, the wind cascading through the valleys. The Vittoria Terreno tyres chip away at the gravel, gears clicking, and Louisa and Rob’s experiences from their last trip on this very road, fill the air to take away the peace, but once we're gone, it's back to serenity - that's the spirit of gravel.
The On&On Adventure is the bike that perfectly encapsulates the spirit of gravel. It Knows no Bounds, so you really can get #MoreLife out of your bike. Whether that is taking on a gravel adventure with some friends, or pushing the boundaries of your local woods. Do more, and get more life out of your bike. The On&On Adventure is the only bike you’ll ever need.
