I’m shocked–STUNNED–by each the amount and the standard of your submissions to the Bike Snob One thing Spirit Of Gravel Free Lubricant Contest or regardless of the hell I known as it. STUNNED, I inform you. I imply right here I’m looking out and looking for the mysterious and elusive Spirit of Gravel, one thing no human has as of but been in a position to efficiently outline, after which somebody simply sends me the reply in an electronic mail asking just for a bottle of chain lube in return:
Towards a Unified Framework for the Spirit of Gravel
The Spirit of Gravel (hereafter, SPOG) is a multidimensional assemble—one which resists definition whereas concurrently demanding it. Whereas generally related to bicycles, gravel, and using bicycles on gravel, SPOG is healthier understood as an expertise layer that overlays these actions.
Researchers (and by researchers, we imply riders with opinions) usually agree on a number of core attributes:
- Intentional inefficiency — selecting routes which might be slower, rougher, and extra narratively satisfying
- Curated authenticity — showing unconcerned with appearances whereas optimizing them aggressively
- Gear minimalism — achieved by maximal gear
- Transcendence through inconvenience — mechanical, meteorological, or existential
Importantly, SPOG shouldn’t be about racing—until racing is framed as “not racing.” In such circumstances, aggressive habits might happen, supplied it’s accompanied by disclaimers.
The Spirit of Gravel emphasizes freedom—although not infinite freedom. Quite, it’s a bounded freedom, outlined by tire clearance, acceptable colour palettes, and the shared understanding that pavement is an ethical failure until rebranded as “connector.”
A key paradox emerges right here:
- Gravel is about escape
- Escape requires documentation
- Documentation requires stopping
- Stopping undermines circulate
- Stream is optionally available
Thus, SPOG exists most absolutely after the journey, throughout reflection, caption-writing, and light-weight self-mythologization.
In abstract—although summaries could also be untimely—the Spirit of Gravel is much less a factor than a course of. A means of turning into barely dustier, barely slower, and considerably extra sure that this was the right method to journey.
P.S. FRTHR STDY N GRVL MNY LRN THS: GRVL ≠ RD; IT ≠ JMP; SPD ≠ GUD; DUST = ESSNTL.
Unbelievable. That is like somebody casually texting you the answer to a type of nice unsolved mathematical issues whereas they’re sitting on the bathroom:
[I have no idea what this means but it looks pretty intense.]
Look, I could not have achieved it myself, however I nonetheless deserve full credit score for fixing the issue that has been vexing the biking media since a minimum of 2013 when gravel was invented. In any case, it was I who supplied the spark by beginning this contest, which can quickly be often known as the biking world’s equal of the Nobel Prize. And but all these different bike publications will proceed to behave like we haven’t found out gravel since they should proceed to justify their existence, and to that finish they’ll maintain pushing nonsense like this:
Right here’s the speculation:
Like a frog in a pot that’s slowly heated to boiling, tires began getting wider and knobbier. Then got here suspension, a bit bit at first and solely within the entrance, till finally, many gravel bikers had been saying, “Yeah, rear suspension may clean issues out much more.” Now, it’s solely a matter of time till a vital mass of those contemporary grime disciples uncover what a game-changer dropper posts are.
In fact, as mountain bikers, we knew all of this was coming. Nobody wants a particular bike for using on gravel — “Simply journey a mountain bike!” we cried. In any case, we’ve been slogging up hearth roads actually because the starting, mixing surfaces and having the instances of our lives within the woods, far-off from the din and hazard of site visitors.
NO NO NO NO NO.
No.
Foolish, delusional mountain bikers.
Gravel bikes weren’t invented to “flip roadies into mountain bikers.” Gravel bikes had been invented as a result of mountain bikers are LITERALLY THE WORST and turned completely good bikes into freakish articulating excessive sports activities equipment that have to be shuttled to trailheads in pickup vans and which have extra in widespread with ATVs than they do bicycles–particularly now that they’ve motors. MOTORS. So the bike trade needed to journey again 30-plus years into the previous like Bruce Willis in “12 Monkeys” to earlier than the virus acquired launched so as to re-learn what bikes ought to be like, then they needed to re-introduce the so-called “mountain bike” below a brand new identify since that time period had lengthy since turn out to be tainted by the Watermelon Humpers:
And make no mistake: the truth that “gravel bikes” now more and more have suspension and dropper posts is not an indication that the bicycle trade is in some way coming to its senses; fairly, it’s merely proof that they’re making the identical mistake but once more, since doubling down is their specialty. [To wit: pretty much every bike boom.] They didn’t flip roadies into mountain bikers; they turned mountain bikers into electrical motorcyclists, and they also needed to reinvent the mountain bike with a brand new identify, solely now that’s additionally turning into an electrical bike:
[Only Twelve Thousand Nine Hundred and Ninety-Nine American Fun Tickets!™]
This implies in 10 or 20 years they’ll must reinvent the straightforward all-around bicycle but once more with yet one more identify impressed by yet one more floor everyone’s at all times ridden on and by no means gave a lot thought to till it grew to become a advertising and marketing time period. Perhaps they will name it a “Soil Bike.”
Jesus, even GCN has figured it out:
All-terrain bicycles that had been designed to be ridden over lengthy distances? Wow, what an idea! The truth that the bike media in 2026 is blown away by the idea of a rideable mountain bike actually says all of it.
Talking of soil biking, it appears to be like like that New Hampshire bicycle registration legislation isn’t going to occur:
Although not everyone is happy:
Not all of the testimony was against the invoice. Harmony-area farmer Don Ross has a number of hundred acres of his land in conservation easements that permit public entry by foot however not bicycle or horses. He mentioned mountain bikers often journey throughout his property and trigger crop harm and he wish to see the laws create sources for authorities to implement the ban on bikes, together with some form of registration that allowed riders to be recognized. He famous that components of his property seem on Strava maps of mountain bike routes.
“We now have no method of figuring out these folks; they received’t give us their names. There’s no registration sticker on their helmet, on their bike or something for me to simply snap an image of with out confrontation. It places the burden on the landowner and that’s unfair. … how will we defend the non-public land house owners which might be offering trails for the general public? We want your assist. It has been ongoing for years and years,” he testified.
Wait a minute. Can’t you simply shoot at them? Appears simple sufficient. Hey, I’m not saying I’m in favor of it, however as an inveterate urbanite it was my understanding from motion pictures and TV that if somebody was a-trespassin’ in your property you might a minimum of shake your fist then take a pot shot or two at them. I do know once I’m using upstate I see scary indicators with bullets on them and I can guarantee you that’s sufficient for me. It definitely appears simpler than making an attempt to name in some form of helmet quantity–although perhaps the Sensible Hat was an concept forward of its time:
Australia actually is probably the most superior helmet nation on Earth.