Steven Rindner Provides a Brief Introduction to Gravel Biking
No matter whether one is a seasoned road cyclist or simply someone trying to find a new outdoor hobby, trying out gravel biking would be a good idea. As per Steven Rindner, gravel biking provides people with a new way to exercise, experience nature, as well as bond with other cyclists. Much like its name suggests, gravel biking involves riding on gravel roads, dirt trails and other unpaved surfaces.
Steven Rindner offers an introduction to gravel biking
Gravel biking may encompass serene rides on scenic trails or even endurance races on rugged terrain. While this cycling style is fairly adventurous and versatile, it also is not as technically challenging as mountain biking. Gravel biking is considered to be more welcoming than road cycling and more accessible than mountain biking, which adds to its appeal. As per the U.S. Department of Transportation, there are about 2.2 million miles of unpaved roads in the country, which range from logging routes in the Rocky Mountains to rural farm roads in the Midwest. One can also find converted railway tracks along the East Coast and forgotten oil roads in the desert Southwest. No matter where one chooses to ride, gravel biking can surely provide unique and memorable experiences. Cyclists may choose to power up steep climbs to wildflower-strewn meadows beneath snow-capped peaks or cruise for days on the smooth, rolling back roads outside of Pittsburgh, depending on their preferences. There are dozens of gravel races popping up in every state these days, which one may participate in as well. As opposed to intensely competitive and hard-to-enter road races, gravel races typically have more casual participants.
Aerobic exercise like cycling is very good for health. Gravel biking, in particularly, is good for cardiovascular endurance, while being less impactful on the joints than running. While a challenging gravel ride would require more work than road cycling, this effort results in increased heart rate, ventilation and oxygen consumption, which can be great for cardiovascular and muscular endurance. The majority of people consider cycling to be a lower-body workout. However, after a gravel ride, cyclists may also find soreness in their triceps, biceps, core and back. Certain types of gravel rides have more upper body work. On steep climbs, for instance, the upper body of the cyclist works to manoeuvre and balance the bike. On the other hand, on long bumpy descents, the cyclists have to engage their arms to stay balanced, and use the muscles without shortening or lengthening them.
As Steven Rindner mentions, cyclists engaging in gravel biking oven invest in gravel bikes. These are somewhat a “jack-of-all-trades” bike. They have compact frame shapes like road bikes and are also relatively lightweight which helps with the speed. Gravel bikes even have the low gearing of mountain bikes that helps cyclists to climb steeper hills without working so hard. The majority of gravel bikes tend to be equipped with drop bars and are fully rigid, which makes them fast. The frame of gravel bike allows for widertires, though not as large as the tires seen in mountain bikes. Such features allow gravel cyclists to ride efficiently and handle rugged terrain even over long distances.