Gravel Cycling: An Off-Road Addiction
IT BEGAN WITH MY FATHER enthusiastically pushing me towards a steep and dirty precipice. My lanky legs were spinning. My bottom lip was wobbling. And everything inside me believed I was heading for disaster.
We’ve all a story to tell about learning to pedal. It usually involves a parent and an off-road place you’ll never forget.
Having learnt to ride over 30 years ago local cyclist Bev Shroot now teaches new roadies how to handle the bike in bunches. During her own formative weeks, Bev recalls “Our local park had red gravel. My Dad would run behind me…shouting words of encouragement.” Affectionate stories of off-road expeditions are aplenty. Taking to cycling again as an adult, Vibeke’s vivid memory involves her Mum supporting her two wheeled escapades. “Riding down a dirt road, my mum had a fixed broomstick behind the saddle helping with the balancing act.”
“I was 6. Along the grass footpath my Mum ran alongside me.” says Ange, who’s by now travelled multiple continents and routinely explores cities by bike. Many of us,
