5 Reasons Why I love my Gravel Bike
I didn’t want one at first, but now, I’ll never look back.
A cycling-fanatic friend of mine messaged me one day with an offer: “hey bud, check your WhatsApp.”
I took a look and saw a listing he’d forwarded for a lightly used gravel bike selling for a decent price (although I didn’t know it yet) in a rural location hundreds of kilometers away.
My friend was starting to pressure me and said, “You gotta pick up this bike, it’s practically a steal. It says here that it’s got less than 200 kilometers on it.”
We went back and forth talking about whether or not it would be a good buy for me. While I had cycled before, I hadn’t ever done any serious cycling. Nevertheless, I decided to purchase it and replace my vintage steel road bike. A few weeks later, the bike was shipped from Chatham, Ontario to Toronto. I was now the proud owner of a 2018 Norco Search.
I’ll admit, it was the heavily discounted price that intrigued me. I’m known for being quite frugal. After I gave it a little 12 kilometer test drive, I was not disappointed. The like-new bike was top-notch.
Despite owning this gravel bike for about 2 months now, my excitement has not faded. Here are the 5 reasons why I love my gravel bike.
1. It’s Super Light
There’s really no comparison to my old 80’s steel road bike. It was clunky and a pain to lift, even for a brief second.
My new gravel bike however is remarkably light thanks to its’ aluminum frame and carbon fork design. I’ve had to carry my new bike over my shoulder on many occasions, whether to climb over a gate or to make it up a set of stairs. With my new set-up, obstacles are not a problem. The bike’s light weight makes it easy to lift and take a shortcut. This ability alone has allowed me to access more places and has completely changed my riding style.
2. It’s Flexible
With a gravel bike, you have the ability to customize your ride the way you want. The bike can accommodate various tire styles for cycling down asphalt roads, gravel terrain or completely off-road trails. Right now, I’ve got some Delta Cruisers on my bike for handling road and occasional gravel terrain. This set-up works for me because I mostly ride on city roads, and occasional gravel trails in the city’s ravines. However, I’ve already sensed the urge to put on some ultra-skinny road wheels and give the bike a spin. With a gravel bike, switching out the tires is simple because the bike’s design features plenty of tire clearance.
3. The Bike is Well-Built
What can I say? My 80’s steel bike had seen its’ best days. Even with all the fixes here and there, it just wasn’t built well so everything seemed like a Band-Aid solution. Of course, it was to be expected. I mean after all, it was an average consumer-grade bicycle from a very common home and garden store here in Canada.
In contrast, my 2018 gravel bike, despite being lightly used is built like a tank. Yes, I know it is still relatively new and time will eventually take its’ toll. However, my Norco’s build quality and reliability has already encouraged me to push further, because I am not worried about something breaking or coming loose during my ride. As a result, in the last month I’ve ventured out to neighboring municipalities on multiple occasions, a feat which was unthinkable on my old bike.
4. It’s Improved my Physical Fitness
I suppose any decent bicycle could do this and in that regard the Norco Search is no exception. One of the side effects of being well built, is that I ride more often. When it becomes a pleasure to ride, you challenge yourself to go further and push yourself. When I just purchased the bike, I struggled to do a 12-kilometer loop in my neighborhood. Now I’m clearing 55-kilometer circuits with hardly any stops. Since owning the bike, I’ve noticed my stamina increase substantially, I have better control over my water intake and I’ve even lost a little weight. All of the above are welcome changes all thanks to my gravel bike.
5. It’s Added Richness to my Social Life
Look, the pandemic has had an effect on everyone, and people have found plenty of ways to adapt. Many have begun cycling as a way to pass the time. I’d like to think I’m unique, but in this regard, I’m not. I didn’t just buy my bike because of its’ attractive price, I also wanted to move around and see my city while remaining physically distant from others.
Recently, my city, Toronto and many other’s worldwide have opened up more streets for recreation and especially cycling. I welcome this trend. I have already made use of the pedestrianized roads in the neighborhood on many occasions.
I’ve also become part of a bi-weekly ride with two friends of mine, one of which, I haven’t seen in years. I suppose cycling has brought us together again. The three of us have recently cycled along the lakeshore (thanks to the closed down streets) and deep into the expansive suburbs all while remaining comfortably distant from one another and out in the open air. I know that someday soon, the pandemic will be behind us. However, our new cycling tradition will continue.
I took a risk buying a gravel bike. I didn’t know much about them at first and I didn’t know if I would like to own one. Moreover, I had anxiety parting with my money on a big purchase because of my cheap nature.
Nevertheless, after a couple months, and many benefits later, I’ll admit, I made a good buy. My friend was right, it was “a steal.”
