The Four Kinds of Gravel Races That There Are

Gravel is just gravel, unless it’s — you know — GRAVEL.

A few lifetimes ago, I wrote a little ride journal from the now-defunct Haute Route Rockies in VeloNews. I compared the range of gravel road surfaces to the 31 flavors of ice cream, from smooth sorbet to rough and chunky rocky road. Even though I made this comparison in an era when I was still riding a rim-brake road bike on gravel, I stand by the concept.

This variety makes gravel riding interesting and unexpected, based on where you are in your region, state, and country. And now that you can find a gravel events most anywhere, you get a similar spectrum of routes and challenges.

So, I’ve taken it upon myself to catalog what I believe are the four major types of gravel events. These are broad strokes. I won’t make ice cream comparisons, although would a melted cheese analogy work? … Ah, nevermind.

Why did I bother with these categories? Well, first off, I needed something to write about. But seriously. I think people are bound to have more positive experiences if they know what they are getting into. And with gravel attracting many new riders, we should do our best to keep them around. Here goes nothing.

Corn-Fed Gravel

Let’s start off with the big one, the type of events that, by most accounts, paved … er, un-paved? … the way for gravel’s rise to prominence. As my cheeky, unimaginative name suggests, a lot of these events are held in the Midwest.

These routes are mostly flat or rolling through endless expanses of prairie. Distances are pretty long — 100+ miles for the “main event.” Wind, heat, and racing dynamics can play a big role in these events.

Examples:

Unbound Gravel. Yup, big surprise here. I did this Kansas classic in 2019, and it is overwhelming how far out into the middle of nowhere you can venture on those rough gravel roads. That year we had a tailwind in the final 20 miles to town, mercifully. However, the terrain is always difficult with undulating climbs that are deceptively steep.

SBT GRVL. Steamboat, Colorado? That isn’t the Midwest! True, but I’ve always found this event to ride like Corn-Fed Gravel. This part of north-central Colorado has topography that starts to look more like Wyoming with fewer above-treeline peaks and more rolling hills. It makes for wonderful riding. That’s why SBT is very fast for a gravel event. In 2021, I averaged 20mph on the 140-mile course, which is mostly gravel! Needless to say, finding the right group for drafting plays a big role here.

Roadie Gravel

I don’t mean this to be pejorative — road riding is part of the same family tree as gravel, whether we like it or not. It just so happens that some gravel events are smoother, faster, or include more pavement than others. In fact, some are perfectly doable on road bikes … Inclusivity win!

These events can be appealing to new riders because they might not have the intimidatingly chunky roads like Unbound or the harrowing climbs like Crusher in the Tushar (more on that in a sec.) But Roadie Gravel events certainly tap into the competitive vibes that carry over from paved events, for better or for worse.

Examples:

Belgian Waffle Ride. When I rode the San Diego BWR in 2018, it was easily one of the hardest days I’ve ever had on a bike. There were sections of trail and gravel roads interspersed throughout the 150-mile route. But there were extended paved sections, including some long climbs, one of which was cruelly included at the very end of the route. I rode 32mm file-tread tires and felt that was a great compromise for the generally fast and smooth terrain. Some were so bold as to run 30mm road tires.

Rough Road 100: Back when I was spending a little time in Chicago, I hopped into a cool local race west of the city and got promptly smashed on the flat, windy roads and occasional section of gravel. This event was 100 kilometers, so certainly more favorable for those with pure speed (a.k.a. Pure roadies). I did this one on a Cannondale SuperX I was borrowing at the time, but honestly, a true road bike would have been best.

Mountain Gravel

Like actual mountains or mountain biking? Yes. Layers on layers, people. Mountain Gravel is regionally specific. Sorry Kansas, but you can’t really have a Mountain Gravel event. I’m talking about a day out that requires thousands and thousands of feet of elevation gain. Long climbs and long descents are a must.

And wouldn’t you know it, when you end up in those mountains, you usually ride some pretty dicey “roads” and trails. In some instances, a mountain bike is a good ride for a gravel race that falls into this category. Most often, though, these end up being “wrong tool for the job” races — whatever bike you show up with will be utterly horrible at some point, but on the flip side, it’ll shred on other sections.

Examples:

Crusher in the Tushar. Credit where it’s due: Burke Swindlehurst was way ahead of his time, starting this Utah event way back in 2011. Back then, it was a very reasonable idea to ride a mountain bike in this 70-mile race that climbs 9,200 feet to a summit finish. Nowadays, most gravel bikes are capable enough, but the hair-raising descent down Col de Crush and the Sarlac Pit make you think twice about even the chunkiest 42mm tires.

Ned Gravel. Unlike Crusher, I’m not sure if any gravel technology will be fully up to the task of my local gravel race, just up the road in Nederland. I’ve done it both ways, on a gravel bike in 2021 and an XC mountain bike in 2022 … can’t tell you which is least worst. This course just has a ton of chunky Jeep road to negotiate, which makes skinny tires a rough, flat-prone way to ride.

Wild Card Gravel

One of the best things about gravel is that organizers bring a ton of creativity to the table. Now more than ever, they need to stand out, so they pitch some curveballs, whether it’s the race route, time of year, or something else you never even expected.

Sure, I’ve boiled down gravel racing into four general types, but conformity is very un-gravel. The Wild Cards really embody this spirit.

Mid South Gravel. I’ve only raced Mid South in dry conditions, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d class it as a Corn-Fed Gravel event. But I do know better. There are times when the late-spring prairie weather rears up on Oklahoma and this race turns into a muddy battle of attrition. Plus, organizer Bobby Wintle is the wildest of wild cards with his musical pre-race meetings and full-throttle finish line enthusiasm, from first to last place, mid-afternoon to midnight.

Old Man Winter. Here’s another one where I’ve managed to avoid gross weather. Maybe I haven’t fully accepted the Spirit of Gravel into my life. Either way, as the name suggests, this Boulder-area event is held in February, lending itself to very wintery conditions, like the time it got cancelled in 2020 due to a blizzard. But even during the balmiest of winter thaws, this event climbs a short, treacherous carriage road called Rowena, and it’s always snowy, so get ready to run.

What Do You Think?

If I had to choose one type of gravel event, it would probably be Corn-Fed. I know, so basic. But I love covering all of that ground, and there’s something special about being out in the wide-open plains with nothing for miles. Plus, I get my fill of Mountain Gravel riding every day from my house. Now I’m just sounding spoiled.

Let me know what you think, or chime in with another category of gravel event that I didn’t even consider!