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VIDEO: Grasshopper Adventure Series U19 Women’s Mentorship Program

The Low Gap Hopper, which kicks off the Grasshopper Adventure Series season, is a formidable 48-mile mixed surface route with over 6,000 feet of climbing. While many of the girls who participated in this year’s mentoring initiative are part of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), races like Low Gap can seem intimidating due to the length, difficulty, and also the race culture. Riding with mentors gives girls on-the-ground support in real-time…

Hutchinson Caracal Race: Are Gravel Racing Tires Just Road Tires?

Radar

Hutchinson Caracal Race: Are Gravel Racing Tires Just Road Tires?

Hutchinson just announced its latest drop bar tire: the Caracal Race and it has us asking ourselves, when will gravel racing tires just be completely bald? When a tire prioritizes performance and lightness and features a bare center tire pattern, at the expense of grip, durability, and puncture resistance, it feels more road-racing-oriented. It’s almost like gravel racing has become road racing. Or another question is, do you even need tread on a gravel racing tire? Let us know in the comments.

Wolf Tooth GnarWolf Chainguide rev2

Radar

Wolf Tooth GnarWolf Chainguide rev2

1x drivetrains don’t require a chain guard but on some bikes and in some terrain, the extra assurance is nice. For those wanting to ride with a chain guard on their gravel or mountain bike in rough terrain, there are a number of options out there, including Wolf Tooth’s GnarWolf Chainguide which just received some updates since its first launch in 2016. Let’s check out the features of the GnarWolf Chainguide rev 2 below.

Oregon Timber Trail Gravel Edition

Radar

Oregon Timber Trail Gravel Edition

Oregon Timber Trail just announced a “gravel” route that takes riders off technical backcountry terrain and points them down forest roads instead. Travers north to south from outside of Portland all the way to the California border on this new route:

“A rider of the Oregon Timber Trail will spend well over half of their time on singletrack trails.  Some of that singletrack is technical, isolated, and comfortable only on a bike with some give or suspension.  Riding the trail portions of the OTT takes some grit and a level of comfort riding single track for hours a day. For those with a similar sense of adventure but who want to avoid trails, we’ve mapped a gravel version of the OTT, albeit it’s only a beta version.  It roughly parallels the original OTT but sticks mostly to dirt and gravel roads that have little vehicle traffic.  Short stretches of easy trail and pavement tie it all together.  The scenery is just as striking but the chance for misadventure is less.”

Check out more at Oregon Timber Trail!

Marin Four Corners 2 First Ride Review

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Marin Four Corners 2 First Ride Review

We recently highlighted the return of the Marin Four Corners 1 model, and today the brand released the more premium version, the Four Corners 2. This version features the same updated geo but with a few more modern amenities including: upgraded thru-axles, hydraulic brakes, and a 1x drivetrain while only clocking in at $1999 for a complete bike. Below, Spencer Harding offers a first look at Marin Four Corners 2…

Radar

VIDEO: The Rock Cobbler 2024

Check out this recap video from the 11th edition of The Rock Cobbler gravel event. Despite looming mud threats, riders experienced near-perfect conditions for one of the toughest editions yet. Check out what it’s like, along the Pebbler route, spanning 60 miles with over 5,000 feet of climbs through Bakersfield’s rolling hills…

Leatt 2024 Edurance Collection

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Leatt 2024 Edurance Collection

Leatt started as the game-changing neck brace for moto in Cape Town, South Africa has evolved into a complete line that now serves XC and gravel riders. For 2024, Leatt partnered with Gregor Egger and Lukas Baum from
Speed Company Racing (winners Cape Epic 2022, and 2nd 2023) to develop best-in-class helmets and apparel.

Road to Desolation: Gravel Racing Across the Karoo

Reportage

Road to Desolation: Gravel Racing Across the Karoo

The Karoo is not flat, both in personality and profile. The Road to Desolation gravel race seeks to capture the essence of the Karoo—the idiosyncratic small towns, the solitude of its expanse, and the way the bicycle represents the ideal vehicle for navigating the internal and external challenges of the terrain. Simon Pocock photographed the inaugural edition of the event in 2023 and writes about the Karoo’s imposing appeal.

Radar

VIDEO: Three Dashes – The 2023 Dirt Dash Film

The Dirt Dashes are grassroots bikepacking and gravel events in the UK. Join us in 2024 by signing up on Dirt Dash ‘Three Dashes’ features footage from all three 2023 Dirt Dash events and feedback from the riders – who range from an experienced bikepacker from the US to another participant from Glasgow, who had not ridden a bike further than on his 20-minute commute. Film by Markus Stitz with music from Epidemic Sound.