The Rouleur Longreads Podcast: The rise of gravel

Looking for a more portable way to enjoy your favourite cycling magazine? You’re in luck, as this week sees the launch of the Rouleur Longreads Podcast: selected long form articles from the magazine, especially recorded for Rouleur. Don’t stop what you’re doing – do it while listening to the world’s best cycling writing.

We begin with ‘The Rise of Gravel’ by Hugo Gladstone, from Rouleur 20.1. Read by George Oliver.

Once the scourge of cyclists, today we glorify in gravel sectors. Strade Bianche, one of the most looked-forward-to races of the spring, owes its success in no small part to the penchant of audiences for the untarmaced white roads and clouds of dust kicked up in the riders’ wake, all framed by “the lyrical Tuscan landscape.”

Perhaps it speaks to a certain yearning for authenticity, and back-to-basics bike riding that the Tour de France cannot cater to. It can’t be a coincidence that bike-packing’s popularity has risen at the same time. Whether or not the road scene’s dominance is actually under threat remains to be seen, but we’ve already seen a few roadies abandon the WorldTour for the off-road circuit.

How we learned to take the rough with the smooth.

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