Original story published on Cycling Tips.
We rationalise our bike purchases by claiming they’re about enabling creativity. But in truth, when it comes to justifying spend in the emerging adventure cycling / gravel grinding segment, it’s really about reconnecting with childhood. A childhood spent exploring the outer limits of your neighbourhood on the pegs of a mate’s trusty Huffy.
We’re still aiming for puddles, the only difference is we’re not being called back in for dinner anytime soon.
When it came time to plan our CyclingTips roadtrip into the lesser-ridden roads, tracks, and trails of the Victorian High Country, there were two things we were keen on.
Firstly, if these ‘gravel grinder’ bikes are vehicles to discovery, then we’d best be hitting routes listed on analogue topographic maps, rather than being limited by a Strava heatmap. Secondly, it was important that in addition to exploring new terrain, we wanted to have our cycling horizons broadened.