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gravel rides south west england - katherine moore. vertebrate publishing softback. 221pp illus. £25

while my affections for gravel have grown not one whit over the past few years, it often seems that the genre has had a disproportional influence on cycling as a whole, even for those who, like me, didn't see anything wrong (or different) with cyclocross bikes. all of a sudden, road bike tyre widths have been extended to alarming proportions, adding, in the process, another string to the marketing department's bow, in the shape of the all-road version. not quite a road bike, but neither a fully-fledged gravel or cyclocross machine. and then there's the same disproportionate effect on the sport of cyclocross, where bicycles once designated thus, are now sold under the gravel moniker.

witness dutch cyclocross racer, ryan kamp's, colnago gravel machine, and the fact that 'cross and gravel links on the specialized website, both lead to the same page. interestingly, in her introductory paragraphs, the author claims that "...most gravel bikes are woefully under-geared", alluding to the mountain bike as one possibly more appropriate for several of the included routes, while acknowledging that an actual gravel bike is not necessary to undertake the two-dozen adventures. it's not the first time i've come across this particular state of affairs, which does, once again, call into question the need for a separate category, particularly if not completely suited to the terrain signalled within the bike's designation.

however, to a greater or lesser extent, it's not all about the bike; the rough stuff fellowship, in existence from the 1950s, undertook many considerably harder travails on bicycles that more usually resembled road or touring bikes. i appreciate that gravel is currently flavour of the month, with its highlighted benefits eager to be embraced by those who may recently have purchased just such a bicycle. ultimately, on whichever type of bicycle you opt to ride gravel, ms. moore claims these particular routes were designed for "...a well-maintained gravel bike with hydraulic disc brakes, a wide range of gearing and gravel-specific tyres of 40 millimetres or wider."

on such matters, i will say no more.

for those of us who will admit to being geographically challenged, south west england comprises cornwall, devon, somerset, dorset, wiltshire and gloucestershire. the number of rides listed for each region varies between three and five.

the author, not unnaturally, conjoins the gravel meme with that of bikepacking, alongside the suggestion that those more experienced in carrying their luggage with them, might enjoy stringing a few of the rides together, to create a multi-day expedition. though most individual routes extend from 35-50km, the included east devon trail reaches an impressive 180km, with a profile that resembles an oscilliscope readout.

each route offers an introduction, followed by pertinent details of the local area. this is accompanied by a sidebar with graphic representations of the level of gravel to be discovered, distance, elevation, map references, start/finish locations and ordnance survey details. all these are followed by a route overview, handy tips, and local facilities. the route pages continue with a detailed map, bike shops, public transport and a blow-by-blow description of the route. i'd imagine that katherine moore is eager to please the more enterprising of gravel riders, several of whom may find this type of cycling to be very much to their liking, by highlighting nearby routes that might prove of interest.

there is, of course, the not altogether unlikely scenario that even brief perusal of this comprehensive volume will prove of great attraction purely on the basis of the excellent included photography. march may not be the ideal time of year to undertake such gravellous perambulations, but it sure as heck makes excellent sense to begin planning a trip for spring or summer. if, like me, you have no knowledge of this corner of englandshire, ms moore has made a superb job of guiding the intrepid as well as the potentially unwary. the book's publication effectively makes vertebrate publishing the one-stop shop capable of satisfying your gravel desires, whether they're just beginning, or the subject of great familarity.

gravel rides south west england

monday 10 march 2025