Gravel Bike Riding
Gravel riding combines the best of two worlds: a road bike with a mountain bike. Wider tires open up the possibility of riding along unpaved roads and thanks to the lightweight construction, it is also possible to travel at higher speeds than with a conventional MTB. Gravel bikes are ideal for long-distance routes and bikepacking.
The best regions
What is a gravel bike anyway?
What kind of cyclists use a gravel bike?
The Gravel bike is best suited for cyclists who like to ride off the beaten track, but who also want to be fast on the road. It offers significant advantages and flexibility when tackling long-distance rides and bikepacking.
The other side of the coin is that it is not as powerful as a road bike on asphalt and loses a lot of stability on trails compared to a mountain bike. Technical MTB trails are out of the question.
In short, a gravel bike is a good choice any daytrip that involves sections on the road, a classic cycle paths, and dirt roads where you cover a lot of kilometers.
In terms of finding and planning routes, the flexibility of gravel biking means that you can be a lot more creative with your trips and that conditions suited to a gravel bike are the world-over.
Trail, gravel and easy trails - these gravel tours throughout Europe offer you everything that makes gravel bikes so special: variety, flexibility and speed! Included are short and long one-day tours ...
Finding and planning your route
The Outdooractive Route Finder is a great place to start looking for your next gravel bike route. It also offers various filter options that let you narrow down search results to meet your requirements and skills.
Our Travel Guide also hosts information on gravel bike routes all over the world. Simply enter the region of your choice in the search field.
Due to the different types of trails you can ride on a gravel bike, you might like to also plot your own route using the Outdooractive Route Planner. Just remember as a general rule of thumb that the more sections you ride on gravel and dirt roads rather than on asphalt, the slower you will travel and the more strenuous these sections will be. This is something that should not be underestimated, especially on long bikepacking trips.
Gravel bike riding with Outdooractive
- Interactive maps: The Outdooractive map provides you with all the information you need for your gravel ride including terrain, trails, way types, and elevations. In addition, with a Pro or Pro+ subscription, you can save all routes offline and then access them anywhere, any time.
- Navigation and tracking: Find your perfect gravel route and use the app for navigation. You can also record tracks, and plan and publish your own routes to help inspire others.
- Skyline: Our augmented reality technology lets you explore your surroundings even more. Identify neighboring peaks, lakes, towns within a 30 km radius simply by pointing your smartphone at the horizon.
- BuddyBeacon: Your safety is paramount. Share your location with friends and family in real time so that you can quickly be found in an emergency.
- 3D previews: Get a contextual perspective of the route and its surroundings with our 3D animated preview that uses map-based data and satellite images. Great for gravel bikers who are looking to journey long distances!
- 3D videos: At the end of your adventure, you can create a unique video using our 3D mapping technology and your photos. Relive your adventure over again and share it with your friends.
Offers and discounts from our partners
Benefit from exclusive offers from our partners
As a Pro and Pro+ member not only do you have access to additional features and the best maps at your disposal, but you can also benefit from exclusive offers from our partners, ensuring you are always fully equipped for the outdoors!
Explore all benefits and discounts