The first step to pledging your devotion to gravel riding and its many nuances involves getting started. The second step is embracing its free-spirited reality, ditching the prescribed gravel stereotype, and riding whatever or however you like. Thirdly, turn around and bring more friends to the party so that we can continue to diversify the field.

In honour of International Women’s Day 2022, Emmie caught up with four Gravel Union friends to get their take on how best to get off the beaten track and into gravel riding.

"I have so much advice I would love to give to any female thinking about trying gravel for the first time but here are the key things I wish I had been told when I first started gravel riding: 

 Learn some basic bike skills as soon as you can when you start riding.  Simple but very important skills like bunny hops and trackstands have proved very important for gravel riding—especially because you never know what to expect on a trail. The sooner you learn this, the sooner you will be able to incorporate these skills into your riding. Eventually they’ll become as natural as unclipping in a freaky situation."

“Learn some basic bike skills as soon as you can when you start riding”

"Don’t forget the essentials—and I don’t just mean tools. Whenever I go on a ride, I always carry an extra tube, some extra sealant, tubeless puncture repair kit, a pump, chain lube, chain repair kit and food. Only two things will cut your ride short very soon: either your bike gets a mechanical, or you bonk. You also need to look after yourself, so eating before and during your rides should become a habit – get used to it now, otherwise it’ll be tougher to adopt these habits later. The same applies to carrying tools and knowing how to use them – start getting used to it as soon as you decide to start gravel riding in the woods. 

 Remember, habits are formed from a consistent repetition of an action. So, you want all these things to become a natural part of you."

"My advice is go for it. Me and many other women I know have a bad tendency of thinking too much, thinking we aren’t skilled enough, fit enough, or capable enough. These are all lies and just a product of our own imagination. You learn by doing and that’s why you need to just do it. Don’t worry if you don’t know about bikes that much, I still don’t understand half of the gibberish but it doesn’t matter because I’m eager to learn and slowly I’m building up my knowledge. Most importantly, have fun learning and getting out of your comfort zone with your gravel bike because that’s where the real fun begins! "

“Bring more friends to the party so that we can continue to diversify the field”

"Not everything is rideable. A bit of hike-a-bike is just part of gravel riding. Everyone has their limit where they have to get off and walk, you have to accept that or you'll probably fall over (I would know, I fall over quite regularly whilst trying to push my limits). Maybe next time you'll make it a little further along before dismounting."

"You learn by doing and that’s why you need to just do it"

A lot of people will tell you that you need this or that to ride, but actually, any bike can be a gravel bike! I’d say just go out and try it and see if you like it, before deciding to commit to a whole new bike and set up. If it feels like a big project you might not dare to try. Gravel riding is fantastic - less cars and great views! I say - just do it! 

And what’s the view from here at Gravel Union? Distinctly average gravel rider Emmie gives her input to round out International Women’s Day: 

"As a kid, I rode without really thinking about it, but as I got older, fears started to leak in. I now question whether I can ride a certain section or keep it upright after rainfall. Social media feeds bring me face to face with my ego as I scroll through what feels like an endless feed of strong, and more experienced women. But then I remember how much I love riding my bike and how much I hate being amongst cars—and how petty it is to fall into social media’s trap."

"Don’t ever be intimated when the conversation turns to tyre width, pressures and gear ratios – it’s boring anyway"

"My top tip involves finding a community-run group for the much-needed social element and expertise sharing. There are more and more great groups springing up across the world, led by more experienced riders who are keen to share their knowledge and skillsets with those dipping their toes in gravel – shout-out to London School of Rocks, who’ve been sharpening my big sister’s gravel skills for the past 12 months. Have a search on the internet, find your local crew and they’ll be stoked for you to join them in the never-ending hunt for grip. Oh, and don’t ever be intimated when the conversation turns to tyre width, pressures and gear ratios – it’s boring anyway."