I’m surprised–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 let you know. I imply right here I’m looking and looking for the mysterious and elusive Spirit of Gravel, one thing no human has as of but been capable of efficiently outline, after which somebody simply sends me the reply in an e 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
Tools minimalism — achieved by way of maximal tools
Transcendence through inconvenience — mechanical, meteorological, or existential
Importantly, SPOG is just not about racing—until racing is framed as “not racing.” In such instances, aggressive conduct could happen, supplied it’s accompanied by disclaimers.
The Spirit of Gravel emphasizes freedom—although not infinite freedom. Slightly, 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 move
Move is optionally available
Thus, SPOG exists most absolutely after the journey, throughout reflection, caption-writing, and lightweight 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 technique to journey.
P.S. FRTHR STDY N GRVL MNY LRN THS: GRVL ≠ RD; IT ≠ JMP; SPD ≠ GUD; DUST = ESSNTL.
Unimaginable. That is like somebody casually texting you the answer to a kind 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’ll not have performed it myself, however I nonetheless deserve full credit score for fixing the issue that has been vexing the biking media since at the least 2013 when gravel was invented. In spite of everything, it was I who supplied the spark by beginning this contest, which is able to 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 discovered gravel since they should proceed to justify their existence, and to that finish they’ll hold 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, slightly bit at first and solely within the entrance, till finally, many gravel bikers have 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 recent filth disciples uncover what a game-changer dropper posts are.
After all, 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 spite of everything, we’ve been slogging up fireplace roads actually because the starting, mixing surfaces and having the occasions of our lives within the woods, far-off from the din and hazard of visitors.
NO NO NO NO NO.
No.
Foolish, delusional mountain bikers.
Gravel bikes weren’t invented to “flip roadies into mountain bikers.” Gravel bikes have 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 must be shuttled to trailheads in pickup vehicles and which have extra in widespread with ATVs than they do bicycles–particularly now that they’ve motors. MOTORS. So the bike business 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” beneath a brand new title since that time period had lengthy since develop into tainted by the Watermelon Humpers:
And make no mistake: the truth that “gravel bikes” now more and more have suspension and dropper posts is just not an indication that the bicycle business is in some way coming to its senses; quite, 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 title, solely now that’s additionally turning into an electrical motorbike:
[Only Twelve Thousand Nine Hundred and Ninety-Nine American Fun Tickets!™]
This implies in 10 or 20 years they’ll must reinvent the easy all-around bicycle but once more with one more title impressed by 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 time period. Possibly they’ll name it a “Soil Bike.”
Jesus, even GCN has figured it out:
All-terrain bicycles that have 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 regulation 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 stated mountain bikers usually journey throughout his property and trigger crop harm and he want 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’ve got no manner of figuring out these folks; they gained’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 shield the personal land homeowners which might be offering trails for the general public? We’d like 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 possibly can at the least 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 actually appears simpler than attempting to name in some form of helmet quantity–although possibly the Sensible Hat was an concept forward of its time:
Australia actually is probably the most superior helmet nation on Earth.
