Searching for the most Epic Road and Gravel Rides

Follow Safa Brian as he returns to the megapolis of Mexico City, the place where he intended to stay for vacation and ended up living for six years. Along with a friend, Safa endeavors on a high paced bike ride on his SCOTT Foil RC, leading him from the buzzing street canyons of the city up to a volcano and back again.

Pfeiffer Georgi started riding when she was only 4 years old at her local loop – the mythic Herne Hill Velodrome in London. From those roots, she’s set out to prove herself winning multiple junior National Titles and now sporting the British National Champs jersey while riding for the WorldTour team, Team DSM.

Thomas Frischknecht is a cyclist through-and-through. From road, to cyclocross to mountain biking, Frischi has excelled at them all. But with the emergence of Gravel bikes, it feels like stepping back to the exciting times of the first off-road cycling and delivers the same joy. With a rapid evolution in bike design and the opening of new ways of travelling, Frischi and wife Sibylle are enjoying the freedom brought to them by their SCOTT Addict Gravel Tuned.

Romain Bardet is arguable one of the best grand tour riders of his generation and well known for his superb descending skills. It is no surprise that the French man trains more off road then most of his competitors. We head out on the gravel bike with the former Tour de France runner up on his favourite rides in his home region the Massif Central.

The Scottish Highlands are an unexplored network of dirt and single-track roads winding up, down and around the Munros (mountains that are found across Scotland over 914m) in the Cairngorms National Park. It should be on every bike packers bucket list as it really is a dreamland for gravel grinders. Head out with Scotty Laughland in the latest series of The Escape to discover the incredible beauty of his home region.

If you had to name, the most epic Gravel race in Europe then Badlands would probably come top of mind. The breathtaking unsupported bikepacking race in the south of Spain makes the heartbeat faster for every Gravel rider. With its spectacular desert mountain ranges, Andalucía reminds you more of the Rocky Mountains. No surprise that it was the scene of countless western movies such as Indiana Jones. We visited with Carlos Mazón, the founder of the Badlands gravel race, who tells us more about the race and exploring its unique location.

Nino Schurter is arguable the best mountain biker of all time. What many people don’t know is that the Swiss rider is also a keen road cyclist and does almost half of his training on a road bike. Follow him on his favorite road ride in his incredible scenic home region.

If you speak about road cycling hubs these days, you can’t get far in the conversation without mentioning the Catalonian town of Girona. Primarily know as one of if not the most popular European base for many professional cyclists, it has also become a a cyclo-tourism hotspot in recent years. Its amazing landscapes, quiet roads and world-famous cuisine attracts riders from around the world. Head out for a ride with Mireia Simó and Kathrin Schafbauer to get the low-down on this cycling reference.

Colombia is arguably one of the world’s greatest hotspots when it comes to road cycling. With its enthusiastic fans and perfect riding conditions, it is no surprise that it is home to some of the best cyclists in the world. Perhaps the cyclist who represents the Colombian cycling lifestyle better than everyone else is Esteban Chaves. We head out with the “always-smiling” former Giro d’Italia runner up takes us on his favorite ride in the Eje Cafetero in Colombia. 

The Stelvio Pass is arguably one of the most iconic climbs in the world of cycling. With its endless switchbacks and breathtaking scenery, it is on the bucket list of every road cyclist. No surprise that current time trial World Champion, Annemiek Van Vleuten and 2014 Ironman Hawaii winner, Sebastian Kienle picked it for their mid-season training camp.

Svein Tuft has always been an atypical professional road cyclist. He’s someone who prefers the simple life, in the mountains with little luxury. An explorer who fell in love with the sport through a bike trip with his dog when he was in his mid-twenties. Now he takes us on his favorite 3-day adventure gravel ride around his residence in Andorra.

If we were to ask you for the first mountain range that comes to mind when thinking of Europe, we wouldn’t fault you for saying, “the Alps.” Though they are omnipresent, the Alps aren’t alone. Further south, the Pyrenees reign supreme. Less crowded, wilder some say, better weather and at least as stunning – this mountain range can certainly hold its own. Someone who knows them inside and out is Carlos Verona, who today will take us on his favorite ride.

The Grosse Scheidegg is the most beautiful climb you’ve never heard of. Follow Alain Rumpf as he climbs this hidden gem with Dan Patitucci starting from the lovely town of Thun in the Swiss Alps.