Desire: Why grovel when you can gravel?

Before diving into our gravel gallery, we should say that it was nigh impossible for us to decide which, of the bikes we had the pleasure of shooting, was the nicest.

We have top of the range, all-road steeds from no fewer than 9 different brands. With different builds, different identities and different strengths, we’d be spoilt for choice for any off-road escapade.

Festka Rover: handmade carbon fibre from the Czech Republic

Let’s take a minute instead to discuss gravel riding. Firstly, it’s not strictly speaking a new discipline, but has largely come from rebranding cyclo-cross with, admittedly, a more defined raison d’être. ‘Cross bikes, with their aggressive geometries, are tempered for stability; gearing is widened for versatility, while tyres are bigger, slicker and as capable on-road as off.

Incredible paint job on this Titici Flexy Gravel

Paint jobs are jazzier too. Not only are brands and customers alike getting braver, but the risk of covering your all-road steed in copious amounts of mud is lessened. Take the burnished copper finish on the Reilly Gradient. This customer request was jaw-dropping in the flesh, and Titici’s iridescent blue paint is a far-cry from the black stealth machines of 2018.

Drop dead gorgeous copper finish on this Reilly GradientArguably the draw of off-road nouveau is the limitless potential for adventure. There are no taped courses or un-ridable tarmac sections on a gravel bike – almost everything is fair game with the right set-up. We, as indeed you, are embracing gravel riding as an opportunity to ride where before we may have baulked at the risk, or the unfamiliarity of the terrain.Top-of-the-range build on the Open U.P.P.E.RAt this year’s Rouleur Classic, grip experts Panaracer, are putting together a world-beating selection of gravel bikes for your viewing pleasure, bringing the outdoors to heart of London at the the world’s finest cycling exhibition. Super early-bird tickets are now on sale. 2019: A Desire Odyssey – Condor’s latest all-road frameLike what you’ve seen? Rouleur’s first Desire special issue, is on sale from May 7th or you can get it for free as a Rouleur subscriber. 180 pages of the best in bikes kit and tech all shot in Rouleur’s inimitable style. For more on the bikes we shot, stay tuned to Rouleur.ccThe post Desire: Why grovel when you can gravel? appeared first on The world's finest cycling magazine.