Cyclo-crossers ride off-road (on grass, sand, mud.) on a variant of a road bicycle, on a closed circuit during a relatively short time (1 hour), and jump or carry their bikes over obstacles or on steep climbs.

In autumn and winter in a few European countries, cyclo-cross is a popular professional sport. Next to road bike racing, separate off-road cycling disciplines emerged. Racing bikes got narrow tires and were no longer fit for off-road usage. In America the use of paved roads was largely influenced by a group of cyclists called League of American Wheelmen, who advocated for improving road conditions. ĭue to road infrastructure improving with time, road bike racing shifted almost entirely to paved roads. In the early days of road bike racing, most roads were not paved, so most races were held primarily on unpaved/dirt/gravel roads.

History of gravel racing End of 19th century - beginning of 20th century The bicycles and courses in gravel racing vary widely, from road bicycles with wide tires used on smooth gravel roads to bicycles that are similar to mountain bikes used on courses that include technical trails.

The distinguishing features of gravel races, also called gravel grinders, include long distances, often 160 to 320 kilometres (100 to 200 mi), mostly on gravel roads, and mass starts that include all categories of racers, similar to Gran Fondo rides. While a small number of road races embrace long stretches of unpaved and gravel roads, notable the prestigious Italian classic Strade Bianche, gravel racing as a discipline has its own global series and world championship. Gravel cycling bridges the gap between road and mountain biking, combining the higher speed and efficiency of road cycling with the capability and freedom to ride on rough and loose terrain. Sometimes, specially designed gravel bikes are used in other cases, any bicycle capable of covering the terrain can be used. Gravel cycling, gravel biking or gravel grinding is a sport, or a leisure activity, in which participants ride bicycles mostly on gravel roads. Since beginning of cycling modern era began around 2006. Waiting for Dirty Kanza (now Unbound Gravel) bike race to start at sunrise

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