Gravel riding checklist

Tuscany can certainly be described as one of the best locations to ride your gravel bike in Europe. Endless dusty roads cresting hills with scenic views and lines of cypresses are in the imagination of many of us when someone mentions the name of this region. We do Guided Tours here and Gravel is surely one of our focus. But which are the important things to know, in relation to your bike or your gear that might make your gravel ride from nice one to great one?

Let’s start from your tyres. Despite Pro’s are racing the Strade Bianche with 30mm tyres on their road bikes, we strongly advise to have mounted at least 35mm, with the opportunity of getting to 47mm in case of 650b wheelset. Generally speaking a 38 or 40mm tyre width is the ideal size to enjoy in all safety on our roads and trails. Higher volume tires (the 650b) can feel much smoother over rough terrain, when loaded, or riding on sand. The classic 700c ones instead will give you higher rolling speed. In terms of brands Ultradynamico, Vittoria and Pirelli are the ones to chose between.

Riding gravel off road can feel quite similar to riding a mtb. Of course it doesn't get that technical but on a gravel bike you most likely won't have any suspensions. For that reason it is important to mount good water bottle cages where you won’t risk losing your bidons on a bumpy descent. Another thing to consider is perhaps a double wrap of your handlebar or a choice of a 3mm thick tape for a better and softer grip.

Talking about handlebars, the ones with a little bit of flare are preferable. There are plenty of options in the market, with flares from 12° to 30° degrees and width up to 54mm.  It all depends on your style of riding and use of the bike. By choosing a handlebar with flare you will improve the control of the bike and also gain much more space in the front between the levers to attach any backpacking bags. If you are riding your gravel bike as a commuter, going wide with the bars won’t probably be a great idea, especially for moving in the traffic between lines of cars. The one mounted on the photo aside is a PRO Discover Medium Flare 12°, 42 mm.

We were mentioning the tyres size earlier on, but what is the pressure we should ride off road. All depends on a few factors like the quality of the gravel, how humid the ground is, how technical the route is, the size of your tyres and as well, the weight of the rider. Riding tubeless no doubt will allow you to run lower pressure without any risks of incurring in flats.

Anyone surely has a preference in this regard, and as always, choosing one pressure instead of another it is a compromise between the rolling resistance & the comfort.  A good advice can be probably to start with a higher pressure and little by little deflate the tires in order to find the right balance for you. After some practice you could eventually become capable of going by feeling using pumps without a dial, immediately understanding what is right or not for you.  As a rule of thumb we can say that for tyre width going from 35 to 38 mm we should look at 35-40 PSI, for 40-45 mm a little bit lower pressures 25-35 PSI. In cases where the course is very muddy and wet we can afford to go down up to 20 PSI to gain some grip.

Seems obvious, but is worth remembering that, while choosing to ride a gravel bike we also need to chose specific pedals. The advice is to go for mtb spd pedals or the flat ones. There are people that keep preferring the road Shimano or Look ones but the reality is in case of dismounting or sudden stop, on mtb pedals the disengage is a lot quicker and safer. As well, even walking won’t let you to damage the cleats anymore. Luckily in Tuscany every rental is well equipped and when you will get in touch with us booking your tour we will go through also pedal preferences.

Another great topic worth explaining is what to wear during a gravel ride. The most important thing to look at is a pair of bib shorts with a quality chamois and perhaps cargo pockets. Comfort is crucial on these occasions. You might find yourself sliding forward and backwards on the saddle looking for the best position and balance on your bike, so investing on a great pair of bibs is a must do. Is worth mentioning as well that nowadays, companies like Posedla are making your life easier by producing 3D printed saddles ergonomically designed on everyone's measurements to fit the needs of a gravel position. If you want to get into more detail about their process please visit this website and you will get to understand all the thinking behind it. 

If you prefer wearing a merino or cotton top instead of a classic tight cycling jersey you eventually realize you have lost the back pockets and some fundamental storing spaces. For those still preferring this solution and the comfort that might bring, bum bag (or hip pouch bag) like the one in photo from Vaude, to secure on your waist is a great idea for taking your essentials and phone, perhaps a camera too.

Riding off roads means adventuring more than what we could do on a road bike. We might find ourselves in the middle of a wood or the countryside without much opportunity of encountering a cafè or a place where to buy food. For this reason, equipping your bike with a frame bag is a great idea. You will be able to fill it with chocolate bars, gels and any sort of snack you might need. 

And because we said we can really go wild with a gravel bike, please remember to bring with you all the repairing essentials. Things like a multitool, a good pump, plugs( if you ride tubeless) or spare inner tubes, an extra chain link and a chain tool are always useful to have with. Maybe a few extra grams to carry but you will feel a lot more relaxed and less worried in case you run into a mechanical problem while in the middle of nowhere.

On top of that, having installed on your phone a great navigation map that works without internet data can make a big difference. Between the many available I am a big fan of Mapy.cz (available in english too). Once you have downloaded the map of the area you are in, it can help you in real time finding alternative routes, water fountains or shops in case you ever need them.

And if you want to be sure to have all the points ticked on your checklist why don’t consider hiring a guide. Asimismo is here ready to help you. During our gravel tours here in Tuscany we really look after our clients, we bring them to the most spectacular places, we choose a route that best suits their taste and skills and we make sure it will be an unforgettable experience.

So if we made you feel like wanting to ride a gravel bike now, please have a look at the tours we are offering and feel free to get in touch if you need something even more bespoke. And don’t forget, bring a bandana or a buff, it might get dusty!