If you are looking for some gravel inspiration this summer then Marcus Stitz has you covered with his new book, Great British Gravel Rides. The book features 26 different gravel routes across the UK, each route has been chosen by prominent gravel riders and bikepackers from Scotland, England and Wales.
The book showcases the broad spectrum of riders and routes with background information about each rider and why they choose their particular route. Great British Gravel Rides features detailed descriptions of each route, a map, local attractions to explore, and cafe and pub recommendations. It also offers guidance on local bike shops, bike hire, and public transport links to make the rides more accessible to everyone. You also get downloadable GPX files to load to your GPS computer to easily follow each route.
Stitz commented: ‘I was curious about the places gravel bikes take us to, but I was even more interested in the people whose infectious enthusiasm makes gravel riding as vibrant as it is. I am very grateful for the time and enthusiasm of the people who kindly shared their favorite gravel routes with me. Everyone I interviewed and photographed for this book, and captured in moving pictures for the documentary accompanying it, is representative of how colorful and diverse gravel riding in Britain is. While we still have a long way to go to make cycling more inclusive and diverse, I hope this book portrays the gravel riding community as one which has made a good start towards a journey in which neither race, gender or age present a barrier to participation.’
Marcus has curated a broad range of routes too, featuring rides between 20km and a whopping 600km if you want to really test yourself. The routes themselves don't just cover popular gravel destinations like Aberfoyle (otherwise known as Gravelfoyle) and the Cambrian Mountains, but also areas that are not as well known.
Explore round-the-world cycling men’s record holder Mark Beaumont's local gravel route in East Lothian, Josh Ibbett and Gail Brown show you a different side of East Anglia, round-the-world cycling women’s record holder Jenny Graham takes you on Scottish coast-to-coast, and diversity in cycling champion Aneela McKenna shows you the best of the Scottish borders.
Great British Gravel Rides is published on 7 July 2022. More information can be found at greatbritishgravelrides.com.
