Gravel Cycling

Long-distance cycling on unpaved gravel roads — the fastest-growing cycling discipline of the 2020s.

👥1 per team🌤outdoor

What is Gravel Cycling?

Gravel cycling is a long-distance mass-participation cycling discipline on unpaved gravel roads, using drop-bar bikes with wide tyres. It exploded from the American Midwest in the 2010s. Signature events include Unbound Gravel (200 mi Kansas), the SBT GRVL and Traka; the UCI Gravel World Championships have crowned annual world titles since 2022.

Quick facts

Category

Adventure & Extreme Sports

Type

Individual

Players

1 per team

Where played

outdoor

Country of origin

🇺🇸 United States

Estimated origin

2000s American Midwest; UCI Gravel World Championships since 2022

Olympic

No

Popularity

global

Sources & provenance

Last verified 2026-08-24.verified