As the name suggests, the Volkswagen R Gravel Bike Experience is more of an experience rather than a race - in fact, there’s no competitive element at all. Held over three days, it sees riders cross the Alps from Biberwier in Tyrol, Austria to Bolzano/Brixen over the border in Italy’s South Tyrol. Unless you count your own Strava hunt for trophies, you won’t find any clock-watching here where the organisers have zoomed in on enjoyment, exploration and getting better acquainted with gravel bikes, even ensuring the availability of Scott test bikes for participants.

“As soon as I heard about the event, I knew I had to be there”

Broken down into three stages, we cruised along in groups of ten led by an experienced guide along pristine gravel tracks and through Alpine meadows blanketed in wildflowers, covering a total distance of 346 km with more than 5,400 metres of climbing in three days.

We set off in front of picture-book mountain scenery on the first stage, which was largely flat as we cut around the edge of the Plansee lake and skirted along the German-Austrian border. Being so close to my home, I had some intel on what the 83 km with 1,500 metres of climbing had in store for us, but I soon learned there are drawbacks to knowing somewhere like the back of your hand. Lesson number one - don’t ride blindly along the tracks you’re most familiar with, as they might not appear on the actual route - at this point, I should apologise once again to my group and our guide! I got overly confident as a local, leading us on a slight detour until the two gravel access roads rejoined a few kilometres further on and the group was reunited. 

“The best thing was arriving directly at the event on my gravel bike as the start in Austria is only an hour from where I live — I was riding in my own backyard to begin with, basically.” 

Once back on track, we were about to get our legs tested on a gravel climb at the foot of Germany’s highest mountain, the Zugspitze. No matter how many times I see this mountain, I think it’ll always take my breath away. We rode up and up on a steep track until we reached the mountain hut where lunch was laid on. After a quick breather, it was time for mellow descent down the side of the mountain, followed by one snappy bonus climb just before the stage finish in Seefeld. All ten of our group made it, pretty exhausted and ready for a beer. 

On paper, day two stood out as the Queen’s stage with 2,100 metres of climbing. Given that this isn’t a grand tour and we’re not fighting for position on the general classification, the dial was still turned in favour of the fun factor. The stage started with a chilly descent before we began the first long climb of the day, which would take us all the way up until lunch. The organisers had picked a great spot with beautiful views over Innsbruck, where the 2018 UCI Road Cycling World Championships had been held. They’d also picked a sensible moment to refuel as we had still the day’s biggest challenge to go - the climb up to the Götzner Alm. 

It took about an hour to reach the top, where we were rewarded with a cool beer and an even cooler descent. One of the riders in my group unfortunately punctured despite being tubeless and even the sealant wasn’t up to task, so we had to put in a tube and change the tyre. A fine demonstration of teamwork, within minutes we were taking the corners hot on the towards the stage finish in the Stubai valley, known for its impressive glacier. 

"It was the sort of experience that reminded me of being a pro cyclist"

Despite having grown up around high mountains, I don’t think I’ll get ever bored of riding in this sort of postcard-perfect scenery. Other than the views, the day’s highlights involved tucking into kaiserschmarn (the local specialty of deconstructed pancakes) at the finish line and having our bags laid out for us at the hotel that was just metres away. The evening was rounded off with talks and a hearty dinner. 

The conditions weren’t ideal as we started the longest stage of the event, totaling 110 km from Neustift in the Stubai Valley to Brixen/Bolzano. Knowing that the sun was waiting for us over the border in Italy kept our motivation high, so we got our heads down and set off, riding like a well-trained team towards the border. From here, it was mainly downhill for the rest of the stage and the mercury was rising as the same speed as we were dropping in altitude. Stoke levels were high as we reached the town and everyone agreed on what a cool experience it had been. We rewarded ourselves with one or two more beers and a sociable evening, with everyone commenting on the well-chosen route and smooth logistics.

It was the sort of experience that reminded me of being a pro cyclist, where all your needs are catered for and the only thing you have to think about is pedalling (although this time, you had to concentrate a bit more on line choice seeing as it was a gravel event). You were never short of support while out on the bike and you’d reach the hotel to find your bags waiting for you inside before being fed and watered like royals. 

Knowing the terrain, I was happy that I rode my Scott Addict Gravel Tuned with Shimano GRX Di2 2x drivetrain. The gear range meant I was never short on the climbs and didn’t spin out on the long descents. 

If you’re put off by the thought of organising a DIY multi-day trip yourself, this sort of event takes away the headache by taking care of everything. It’s an event that does ready-made for the gravel generation, featuring tough climbs, amazing descents, great food and jaw-dropping views.

Images courtesy of VW R Gravel Experience/Yvonne Lesewa