{"id":1320,"date":"2021-11-19T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-19T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/guides\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\/"},"modified":"2025-05-09T09:10:02","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T09:10:02","slug":"beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/guides\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\/","title":{"rendered":"Beginner&#8217;s guide to gravel riding"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t<header id=\"block_49b6fe069dad16fd9b5c40a300e1306a\" class=\"SingleHero skip-lazy default\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"container\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"SingleHero__categories\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/activities\/cycling\/\" class=\"category\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCycling\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/activities\/beginners-guides\/\" class=\"category\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBeginner&#8217;s guides\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/activities\/off-road-cycling\/\" class=\"category\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOff-road cycling\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"SingleHero__title\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\tBeginner&#8217;s guide to gravel riding\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row justify-content-center align-items-center SingleHero__author\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-auto name\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBy Gravel Kings\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p class=\"SingleHero__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPublished on \t\t\t\t\t\t<time datetime=\"2021-11-19T00:00:00+00:00\" itemprop=\"datePublished\">November 19, 2021<\/time>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dot\"><\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t6 min read\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"SingleHero__thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"585\" src=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/guide_gravel_biking_hero1.d635ad0f1f03d16ac80ae9884a3c9df0.jpg\" class=\"attachment-hd size-hd wp-post-image\" alt=\"guide_gravel_biking_hero1.d635ad0f1f03d16ac80ae9884a3c9df0\" srcset=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/guide_gravel_biking_hero1.d635ad0f1f03d16ac80ae9884a3c9df0.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/guide_gravel_biking_hero1.d635ad0f1f03d16ac80ae9884a3c9df0-300x91.jpg 300w, https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/guide_gravel_biking_hero1.d635ad0f1f03d16ac80ae9884a3c9df0-1024x312.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/guide_gravel_biking_hero1.d635ad0f1f03d16ac80ae9884a3c9df0-768x234.jpg 768w, https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/guide_gravel_biking_hero1.d635ad0f1f03d16ac80ae9884a3c9df0-1536x468.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/guide_gravel_biking_hero1.d635ad0f1f03d16ac80ae9884a3c9df0-1376x419.jpg 1376w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/header>\n\n\t\n\n\n\t\t<article id=\"block_7b142c2304a6fab0a5bc1960d6b9f52e\" class=\"Universal Universal--post c-small default \" >\n\t\t\t<div class=\"container\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"InnerBlocks\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"lead\"><\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">All you need to know about gravel bikes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Gravel riding fuses the best parts of road cycling, mountain biking and trail riding. You can ride a gravel bike on any terrain making them perfect for exploring from your front door. This guide to gravel riding will explain what it is, where to do it and how to get started. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is gravel riding?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Gravel riding fuses the best parts of road cycling, mountain biking and trail riding. You can ride a gravel bike pretty much anywhere; road, gravel, dirt, mud, canal towpaths, disused railway lines, woodlands. It&#8217;s incredible how adaptable these bikes are. However, you can still ride gravel on a hybrid bike or mountain bike with a pair of gravel tyres which can be easily fitted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gravel riding offers a sense of freedom knowing you can go anywhere without being restrained to just the road. What&#8217;s more, they are far speedier than a mountain bike on tarmac so you can ride both road and trail with ease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"images-with-captions\">\n    <figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/site\/uploads\/images\/2018champs\/Blog%20imagery\/Guide_Gravel_Biking_GravelKings.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Ariel view of gravel cyclists&nbsp;&nbsp;\"><\/figure><div class=\"image-with-caption\">\n        \n        \n        \n        <p><\/p>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is gravel riding so popular?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Gravel riding is gaining popularity as people are discovering trails local to them that they never knew existed. Exploring and linking these sections together on a gravel ride is a fun combination of road and off road. You can pretty much just follow your nose and follow trails as they come up! There&#8217;s a rise in people commuting on gravel bikes during the week and jumping through a section of woodlands on the way to work\u2026\u2026.I can&#8217;t think of a better start to the day!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"images-with-captions\">\n    <figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/site\/uploads\/images\/2018champs\/Blog%20imagery\/Guide_Gravel_Biking_Trails.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"New Forest gravel trail\"><\/figure><div class=\"image-with-caption\">\n        \n        \n        \n        <p><\/p>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where can you go gravel riding?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You can take a gravel bike almost anywhere! There are some areas that are seen as gravel \u2018go to\u2019 spots but you&#8217;ll be surprised at how many trails there are local to where you live. In Birmingham, for example, you can hop onto the canal network and before you know it you&#8217;re onto gravel tracks and bridleways galore. From Central London you can jump on the train to Surrey where you have some incredible gravel trails around the North Downs area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> The popular <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclinguk.org\/king-alfreds-way\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">King Alfred&#8217;s Way<\/a> is a circular route you can hop onto from many train stations like Winchester, Reading and Farnham. Many riders do this in a multi-day loop but there&#8217;s nothing stopping you from tackling smaller sections when it suits you.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"images-with-captions\">\n    <figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/site\/uploads\/images\/2018champs\/Blog%20imagery\/Guide_Gravel_Biking_Map.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"OS Map for gravel bikes\"><\/figure><div class=\"image-with-caption\">\n        \n        \n        \n        <p><\/p>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>There are plenty of gravel \u2018sportive\u2019 style events happening across Britain (and even the world!). These are a great way to try out gravel riding and meet like-minded people. The courses will be sign posted so you won\u2019t need to navigate and you will see the best trails in the area.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you would like to travel further by bike then there are plenty of long-distance cycling routes all over the world. The terms cycle touring and bikepacking are used for multi-day cycle adventures and gravel bikes lets you do both, with a bikepacking set-up usually preferred. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"blog-buttons\">\n    <a class=\"btn\" href=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/guides\/10-best-british-long-distance-cycle-routes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">10 best long-distance cycling routes  <i class=\"fa fa-arrow-right\"><\/i><\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"images-with-captions\">\n    <figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/site\/uploads\/images\/2018champs\/Blog%20imagery\/Guide_Gravel_Biking_GroupRide.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"group gravel riding&nbsp;\"><\/figure><div class=\"image-with-caption\">\n        \n        \n        \n        <p><\/p>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What do you need?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bike <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As a rule of thumb most modern \u2018gravel specific\u2019 bikes will have disc brakes, wider (and flared) handlebars, tubeless tyres with gravel style tread (file, intermediate or mud). Some may also have drop down bars like a road bike but they will have a slightly more relaxed feel. There&#8217;s a huge range of gravel bikes available on the market from as low as \u00a3500 right up to \u00a312,000 plus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Within the range of gravel bikes, some are more suited to bikepacking and multi-day trips and some more suited to fast single-day trips, your local bike shop will be able to advise the best style of bike for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the flip side, there&#8217;s a trend for converting older (1990s) mountain bikes in to gravel bikes by adding drop bars and swapping the wheels for 700c from 26\u201d. Hybrid bikes are also a good entry point if you have one already. A gravel tyre will help things along or even a mountain bike with a gravel tyre would work too. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whatever bike you choose (or can afford) the important thing is to get out and explore on a bike! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"images-with-captions\">\n    <figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/site\/uploads\/images\/2018champs\/Blog%20imagery\/Guide_Gravel_Biking_GravelBike.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"gravel bike in woodland\"><\/figure><div class=\"image-with-caption\">\n        \n        \n        \n        <p><\/p>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What to wear gravel riding?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Gravel clothing is evolving in different directions. Some riders are wearing denim and checked shirts whilst some are wearing full team-style road lycra. In between the two sits \u2018gravel specific\u2019 clothing which is performance based, but a looser cut than road gear and not always made from lycra. At the moment, clothing seems to be whatever works for you but like with most sports, breathable technical gear will often be more comfortable on longer rides. If you don\u2019t want to invest in cycling-specific clothing then most sports clothing will do the trick.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However you dress on a gravel bike there are some items that are a given &#8211; and the same goes for most styles of cycling.  A helmet is strongly recommended along with protective eyewear (the gravel has a nasty habit of flicking up when you\u2019re group riding) and gloves in case you wash out on a corner! It&#8217;s also a good idea to take a puncture repair kits and bike tools just as you would on any bike. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can anyone do it?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Many road cyclists are starting to turn towards gravel riding as they are enjoying the peace and quiet of off-road trails. You don\u2019t need to be especially fit to ride on gravel trails as it&#8217;s about the exploration rather than the pace, so if you have not ridden a bike in a while it&#8217;s a good place to start. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"images-with-captions\">\n    <figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/site\/uploads\/images\/2018champs\/Blog%20imagery\/Guide_Gravel_Biking_GroupRide_NewForest.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"group gravel riding&nbsp;\"><\/figure><div class=\"image-with-caption\">\n        \n        \n        \n        <p><\/p>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to try gravel riding<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are some excellent bike rental businesses throughout Britain and as time goes on the standards of the bikes get better and better. Most good rental shops now have a selection of gravel bikes you can hire from \u00a340\/\u00a350 upwards for a full day. Many of these will have suggested routes for you to follow too. If you already have a bike then you can use <a href=\"https:\/\/explore.osmaps.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">OS Maps<\/a> to find popular routes or plot your own and follow it with your GPS cycle computer or directly from your phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At Gravel Kings we offer a nice combination of guided rides with rental bikes (or you can bring your own) in The New Forest which we think  is one of the best areas in the UK for \u2018pure\u2019 gravel riding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"blog-buttons\">\n    <a class=\"btn second map\" href=\"https:\/\/explore.osmaps.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Find and plot gravel routes in OS Maps <i class=\"fa fa-arrow-right\"><\/i><\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"images-with-captions\">\n    <figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/site\/uploads\/images\/2018champs\/Blog%20imagery\/Guide_Gravel_Biking_NewForest.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Gravel riding new forest&nbsp;\"><\/figure><div class=\"image-with-caption\">\n        \n        \n        \n        <p><\/p>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"MetaShare\">\n\n\t\t\t<button id=\"likeButton\" data-nonce=\"3a030de084\" data-postid=\"1320\" class=\"Button Button--default Button--icon likeButton\"><span class=\"likeButtonText\">Like this guide<\/span><svg width=\"21\" height=\"20\" viewBox=\"0 0 21 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M10.4947 3.09742C8.5448 1.39335 5.66108 1.04464 3.42166 2.95804C0.999337 5.02773 0.647396 8.5134 2.56291 10.9783C3.29002 11.9139 4.70917 13.3196 6.07302 14.6069C7.45283 15.9092 8.82946 17.1399 9.50834 17.7411C9.51258 17.7449 9.51691 17.7487 9.5213 17.7526C9.58512 17.8092 9.66457 17.8796 9.74074 17.937C9.83194 18.0057 9.96286 18.0909 10.1377 18.1431C10.3701 18.2124 10.62 18.2124 10.8524 18.1431C11.0272 18.0909 11.1581 18.0057 11.2493 17.937C11.3255 17.8796 11.405 17.8092 11.4688 17.7526C11.4732 17.7487 11.4775 17.7449 11.4817 17.7411C12.1606 17.1399 13.5373 15.9092 14.9171 14.6069C16.2809 13.3196 17.7001 11.9139 18.4272 10.9783C20.3353 8.52288 20.0377 5.01032 17.5597 2.95074C15.2954 1.06872 12.4424 1.3927 10.4947 3.09742Z\" fill=\"#186571\"\/>\n<\/svg>\n<\/button>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row justify-content-center MetaShareSocial\" aria-label=\"Share\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-auto\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"X\" class=\"Button Button--default MetaShareSocial__button MetaShareSocial__button--x\" id=\"share-twitter\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><g transform=\"translate(-173 238)\"><path d=\"M18.9.75h3.68l-8.04,9.213L24,22.5H16.594l-5.8-7.6L4.156,22.5H.474l8.6-9.854L0,.75H7.594L12.837,7.7ZM17.61,20.291h2.039L6.486,2.843H4.3Z\" transform=\"translate(173 -237.625)\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-auto\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"  class=\"Button Button--default MetaShareSocial__button MetaShareSocial__button--f\" id=\"share-facebook\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><g transform=\"translate(-89 238)\"><path d=\"M14.186,24V13.2h3.279L18,8.4H14.186V6.062c0-1.236.032-2.462,1.759-2.462h1.749V.168A19.34,19.34,0,0,0,14.671,0C11.5,0,9.508,1.989,9.508,5.64V8.4H6v4.8H9.508V24Z\" transform=\"translate(89 -238)\" fill=\"currentColor\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"\/><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div id=\"likeCount\" class=\"likeCount\">Liked by <span id=\"likeCountValue\">8<\/span> users<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<hr class=\"MetaShare__hr\" \/>\n\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"MetaShareAuthor\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"MetaShareAuthor__name\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBy Gravel Kings\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"MetaShareAuthor__desc\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>\n<p>Gravel Kings offer quality guided gravel bike rides in the New Forest with rental bikes available<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/article>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gravel riding fuses the best parts of road cycling, mountain biking and trail riding. You can ride a gravel bike on any terrain making them perfect for exploring from your front door. This guide to gravel riding will explain what it is, where to do it and how to get started. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1319,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"activities":[44,9,11],"locations":[],"class_list":["post-1320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","activities-beginners-guides","activities-cycling","activities-off-road-cycling"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>All you need to know about gravel bikes | OS GetOutside<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Gravel riding fuses the best parts of road cycling, mountain biking and trail riding. You can ride a gravel bike on any terrain making them perfect for exploring from your front door. This guide to gravel riding will explain what it is, where to do it and how to get started.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/guides\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Beginner&#039;s guide to gravel riding | OS GetOutside\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Gravel riding fuses the best parts of road cycling, mountain biking and trail riding. You can ride a gravel bike on any terrain making them perfect for exploring from your front door. This guide to gravel riding will explain what it is, where to do it and how to get started.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/guides\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"OS Maps Discover\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/osmapping\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-11-19T00:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-09T09:10:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/blobgetoutside5db8a681d3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/guide_gravel_biking_hero1.d635ad0f1f03d16ac80ae9884a3c9df0.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"585\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"midasiak\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Beginner&#039;s guide to gravel riding | OS GetOutside\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Gravel riding fuses the best parts of road cycling, mountain biking and trail riding. You can ride a gravel bike on any terrain making them perfect for exploring from your front door. This guide to gravel riding will explain what it is, where to do it and how to get started.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@OSLeisure\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@OSLeisure\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"midasiak\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/guides\\\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/guides\\\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"midasiak\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/abfca1c9c41ce63cb71ac53069c320ac\"},\"headline\":\"Beginner&#8217;s guide to gravel riding\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-11-19T00:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-09T09:10:02+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/guides\\\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1083,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/guides\\\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/guide_gravel_biking_hero1.d635ad0f1f03d16ac80ae9884a3c9df0.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Uncategorized\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/guides\\\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/guides\\\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\\\/\",\"name\":\"All you need to know about gravel bikes | OS GetOutside\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/guides\\\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/guides\\\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/guide_gravel_biking_hero1.d635ad0f1f03d16ac80ae9884a3c9df0.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-11-19T00:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-09T09:10:02+00:00\",\"description\":\"Gravel riding fuses the best parts of road cycling, mountain biking and trail riding. You can ride a gravel bike on any terrain making them perfect for exploring from your front door. This guide to gravel riding will explain what it is, where to do it and how to get started.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/guides\\\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/guides\\\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/guides\\\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/guide_gravel_biking_hero1.d635ad0f1f03d16ac80ae9884a3c9df0.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/03\\\/guide_gravel_biking_hero1.d635ad0f1f03d16ac80ae9884a3c9df0.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":585,\"caption\":\"guide_gravel_biking_hero1.d635ad0f1f03d16ac80ae9884a3c9df0\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/guides\\\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Beginner&#8217;s guide to gravel riding\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/\",\"name\":\"OS GetOutside\",\"description\":\"The outdoors are for everyone and we want to help you discover the best Britain has to offer and the benefits that outdoor activity can bring.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Ordnance Survey\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/os-logomark-colour_rgb.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/11\\\/os-logomark-colour_rgb.png\",\"width\":872,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Ordnance Survey\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/osmapping\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/OSLeisure\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/ordnancesurvey\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tiktok.com\\\/@ordnancesurvey\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/abfca1c9c41ce63cb71ac53069c320ac\",\"name\":\"midasiak\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/800dd7c92f0bc74c4cb861cc72891102f3f9057fbe8fa8b1b6b52de70d566b77?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/800dd7c92f0bc74c4cb861cc72891102f3f9057fbe8fa8b1b6b52de70d566b77?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/800dd7c92f0bc74c4cb861cc72891102f3f9057fbe8fa8b1b6b52de70d566b77?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"midasiak\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/osmaps.com\\\/discover\\\/author\\\/midasiak\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"All you need to know about gravel bikes | OS GetOutside","description":"Gravel riding fuses the best parts of road cycling, mountain biking and trail riding. You can ride a gravel bike on any terrain making them perfect for exploring from your front door. This guide to gravel riding will explain what it is, where to do it and how to get started.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/guides\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Beginner's guide to gravel riding | OS GetOutside","og_description":"Gravel riding fuses the best parts of road cycling, mountain biking and trail riding. You can ride a gravel bike on any terrain making them perfect for exploring from your front door. This guide to gravel riding will explain what it is, where to do it and how to get started.","og_url":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/guides\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\/","og_site_name":"OS Maps Discover","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/osmapping","article_published_time":"2021-11-19T00:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-05-09T09:10:02+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":585,"url":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/blobgetoutside5db8a681d3\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/guide_gravel_biking_hero1.d635ad0f1f03d16ac80ae9884a3c9df0.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"midasiak","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Beginner's guide to gravel riding | OS GetOutside","twitter_description":"Gravel riding fuses the best parts of road cycling, mountain biking and trail riding. You can ride a gravel bike on any terrain making them perfect for exploring from your front door. This guide to gravel riding will explain what it is, where to do it and how to get started.","twitter_creator":"@OSLeisure","twitter_site":"@OSLeisure","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"midasiak","Estimated reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/guides\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/guides\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\/"},"author":{"name":"midasiak","@id":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/#\/schema\/person\/abfca1c9c41ce63cb71ac53069c320ac"},"headline":"Beginner&#8217;s guide to gravel riding","datePublished":"2021-11-19T00:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-09T09:10:02+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/guides\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\/"},"wordCount":1083,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/guides\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/guide_gravel_biking_hero1.d635ad0f1f03d16ac80ae9884a3c9df0.jpg","articleSection":["Uncategorized"],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/guides\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\/","url":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/guides\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\/","name":"All you need to know about gravel bikes | OS GetOutside","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/guides\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/guides\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/guide_gravel_biking_hero1.d635ad0f1f03d16ac80ae9884a3c9df0.jpg","datePublished":"2021-11-19T00:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-09T09:10:02+00:00","description":"Gravel riding fuses the best parts of road cycling, mountain biking and trail riding. You can ride a gravel bike on any terrain making them perfect for exploring from your front door. This guide to gravel riding will explain what it is, where to do it and how to get started.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/guides\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/guides\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/guides\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/guide_gravel_biking_hero1.d635ad0f1f03d16ac80ae9884a3c9df0.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/guide_gravel_biking_hero1.d635ad0f1f03d16ac80ae9884a3c9df0.jpg","width":1920,"height":585,"caption":"guide_gravel_biking_hero1.d635ad0f1f03d16ac80ae9884a3c9df0"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/guides\/beginners-guide-to-gravel-riding\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Beginner&#8217;s guide to gravel riding"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/#website","url":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/","name":"OS GetOutside","description":"The outdoors are for everyone and we want to help you discover the best Britain has to offer and the benefits that outdoor activity can bring.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/#organization","name":"Ordnance Survey","url":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/os-logomark-colour_rgb.png","contentUrl":"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/os-logomark-colour_rgb.png","width":872,"height":512,"caption":"Ordnance Survey"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/osmapping","https:\/\/x.com\/OSLeisure","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ordnancesurvey\/","https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@ordnancesurvey"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/#\/schema\/person\/abfca1c9c41ce63cb71ac53069c320ac","name":"midasiak","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/800dd7c92f0bc74c4cb861cc72891102f3f9057fbe8fa8b1b6b52de70d566b77?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/800dd7c92f0bc74c4cb861cc72891102f3f9057fbe8fa8b1b6b52de70d566b77?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/800dd7c92f0bc74c4cb861cc72891102f3f9057fbe8fa8b1b6b52de70d566b77?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"midasiak"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/"],"url":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/author\/midasiak\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1320","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1320"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1320\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14446,"href":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1320\/revisions\/14446"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1320"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1320"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1320"},{"taxonomy":"activities","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/activities?post=1320"},{"taxonomy":"locations","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osmaps.com\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/locations?post=1320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}