Pictured: SBT GRVL The 2025 gravel race season kicks off in March. As the sport evolves and the community and events experience shifts for a new era, here are the story lines we're watching most closely. These all started showing up in the spotlight in 2024 and continue to gain global attention moving into 2025. Pro gravel racing is entering a transformative era. From skyrocketing prize purses to growing competition between race series and the growing international appeal of the sport, the gravel scene is evolving in many ways. These story lines are sparking spirited conversations, challenging traditions, and creating new opportunities for both elite athletes and amateur racers. As the gravel calendar fills with high-stakes events, here are the storylines shaping the sport this year: Rapidly Increasing Prize Purses More and more races are competing for elite athletes to participate in their events followed by the online engagement of audiences following along with races, series, and the sponsors that support those races. Lauf Gravel Worlds announced that 2025 would include a $100,000 prize purse, the largest single day prize purse in gravel history. Life Time Grand Prix also increased their total prize purse to $380,000 across their many events. Shortly after, Gravel Burn announced a record breaking $150,000 prize purse, the largest for a single event. Competition for attracting elite races is heating up. Some say the prize money is ruining gravel, others say it's making it more exciting while giving elite athletes the ability to make a legitmate career of this. [ Local Storyline ]: Can Chase Wark Fight His Way Back Into the Life Time Grand Prix? Chase Wark was a surprise late addition to the 2024 Life Time Grand Prix. Chase is from Minnesota and is a self-proclaimed aero-dork with the most unique bike setup at Unbound last year. During the Grand Prix last year, he didn't attend Leadville and then crashed out at Chequamegon which hurt his Grand Prix total points and he finished the season in 24th place overall. For 2025, the field shrunk to just 22 racers each for men and women and Chase did not make it back in to the Grand Prix. But there are 3 men and 3 women 'wild card' spots for the best results at Sea Otter and Unbound and Chase plans on racing both of those events to see if he can sneak back in the back door of the Grand Prix through one of those wild card spots. Follow along with his season on Instagram to see if he can fight his way back in. Competing Series & Competing Dates for Big Races Massive events that are part of massive race series are competing more and more for pro and amateur attendance. Life Time Grand Prix is on it's 4th season while the Gravel Earth series is on it's 3rd season trying to build a following of races all round the world without such an exclusive cast of riders. Meanwhile, the long standing Belgian Waffle Rides also started the Quad Trippel Crown of Gravel with a yet to be announced prize purse. Dates for 2025 are already packed with major rides competing for overlapping weekends. SBT GRVL, the inaugural Montana Belgian Waffle Ride, and Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder all taking place on the weekend of June 28. The SBT GRVL Drama SBT GRVL , in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, has faced several challenges in recent years, primarily stemming from tensions with local ranchers and community members. Concerns have been raised about the event's impact on rural roads, disruptions to daily life, and instances of public misconduct by participants. In response to these issues, organizers have implemented measures such as altering race routes, adjusting start times, and eliminating organized pre-rides to mitigate conflicts. Despite these efforts, local authorities, including the Routt County Sheriff and Colorado State Patrol, have recommended significant changes. These include reducing the number of participants from 3,000 to between 1,500 and 1,800, eliminating prize money, and transforming the event into a non-competitive gran fondo on Saturday, followed by a closed-course circuit race on Sunday. For the 2024 event, organizers introduced new courses featuring more remote and rugged terrain to address community concerns. The Black course, for instance, was shortened from 141 to 125 miles. Additionally, SBT GRVL has continued its commitment to inclusivity by partnering with organizations like Ride for Racial Justice and All Bodies on Bikes, aiming to create a welcoming environment for all participants. The 2025 installment of SBT GRVL will include a non-competitive gran fondo-style event for up to 1,800 riders on Saturday, June 28, and the Sunday race takes place June 29th on a brand new spectator friendly 37-mile rolling champagne gravel loop. The elite race will consist of 3 laps with top pros competing for their share of a prize purse, and amateurs will do 2 laps and compete for age group podiums and prizes. Separate Starts for Elite Women (And No Drafting Rules?) To illustrate where we are on this one, take SBT GRVL. It's one of the most famous gravel races in the world but even in 2024, elite women didn't have their own start times. Lauren Stephens won the women's category while riding alongside and drafting with a group of men, including her husband, Mat Stephens, for over half the race. This led to discussions within the gravel cycling community about the fairness of such race dynamics. In response, SBT GRVL organizers announced that, starting in 2025, they will implement separate start times for elite men's and women's fields to ensure fair competition. Last year, Life Time Grand Prix introduced separate start times for all 7 events which marked a significant step toward promoting fairness and inclusivity in gravel racing. It also directly led to one of the most epic finishes ever, a 9 up sprint, for the women's Unbound finish. Expect more races, like SBT GRVL to follow suit this year and in years to come. While women are are finally getting the separate start times they've been asking for, there continues to be heated debates around the idea of women still being able to draft behind men in these races. Sofia Gomez Villafane has been one of the most vocal proponents of a 'no drafting' policy for women drafting behind men. Interestingly however, she took 2nd place at the 2024 Rad Dirt Fest by drafting behind men for several miles to get ahead of Cecily Decker who had been sitting in 2nd place. When Sofia crossed the finish line, she held up a number 3 with her fingers indicating she quickly recognized she didn't feel like she fairly earned the 2nd spot which goes to show that if it's legal, people who will do it even if they feel like it should be officially against the rules. Accelerating Global Growth Gravel cycling's global appeal is accelerating, with series like Gravel Earth expanding from 12 events in 8 countries in 2023 to 25 events in 15 countries in 2025. The UCI Gravel World Series is expanding from 18 to 33 races in 2025. These series show not only localized growth of international gravel communities but the globalized collective expansion of the sport's interest. Kenya’s Migration Gravel Race and Australia’s RDL GRVL (new in 2024) and Seven are drawing elite riders from around the world as well. Life Time Grand Prix also saw a record number of international athletes in 2024, reflecting a growing trend of riders traveling to compete in marquee events like Unbound Gravel and Big Sugar.

Plan a gravel adventure in Minnesota's beautiful Brainerd Lakes and Cuyuna Country areas with our newest Gravel Guide. The guide has 13 of the region's best routes in addition to all the favorite local eating, drinking, and lodging options. Browse the guide for everything you need to plan an entire gravel weekend exploring Brainerd and Cuyuna. View the Gravel Guide .

The Northwoods is really lucky to have 17+ official bikepacking routes across The Nxrth, bikepacking.com, and Bikepacking Roots. It's a special region with deep, dense, expansive forests, endless miles of gravel roads, and the most lakes and rivers anywhere in the lower 48. Here we share a few more beautiful nooks of the Northwoods that we'd love to see get an official bikepacking route. MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

The 3rd annual Rough Stuff Rally , a non-competitive mountain bike festival, is scheduled for August 1-3, 2025, in Copper Harbor, Michigan. The event features two days of riding on renowned trails. On Friday, shuttles will operate from 4-8 PM, providing access to trails such as Overflow and Danimal, followed by a sunset gathering. Saturday offers participants a choice between a 22-mile or 43-mile loop, showcasing a variety of singletrack routes. The day concludes with a family dinner prepared by Chef Adam Blake, accompanied by refreshments, music, and a bonfire. Registration is priced at $100 until March 1, after which it increases to $120. Participants will receive shuttle service on Friday, a t-shirt, a sticker, access to an aid station on Saturday, the post-ride family dinner, and complimentary beverages on both Friday and Saturday nights. The event is designed for experienced mountain bikers and offers routes suitable for various skill levels. Riders should be self-sufficient, as there is no cell service in the area. Camping is available at Trail's End Campground, the central hub for the event. For detailed information, including gear recommendations and the event schedule, please visit the official event page. Learn more at Bike Jerks .

I've been testing the Borah cross country ski pants in combination with the thermal cycling jacket this winter. Both pieces are full of performance features that keep you comfortable in freezing temperatures. Here are our thoughts on this winter combo for biking. Learn more about Borah XC ski pants and thermal cycling jacket . Borah Teamwear makes handmade custom team cycling and ski apparel in Coon Valley, Wisconsin. 100% of their apparel is made in house at their solar-powered facility. Every year, Borah makes The Nxrth's summer cycling jerseys and winter long sleeve jerseys. But for the first time, we're testing out their XC ski pants in combination with their thermal OTW long sleeve cycling jerseys for our fat bike rides. Curious about the idea of using ski pants for fat biking, I've had fun rambling through the woods with this unique performance combo. Let's dive into the ski pants and then the bike jacket. Thermal XC Ski Pants & My Favorite Features When I first got these pants, I wondered if cross country ski pants are really the best idea for winter fat biking. I normally wear some kind of thermal tights or an over pant that's a little more baggy. Using pants that are purpose built for cross country skiing ended up being a perfect option (and now my go-to option) for fat biking. The crossover from xc skiing to fat biking is a natural fit with similar thermal, mobility, and access needs in both skiing and fat biking. Here were my favorite features. Designed for Super Cold Weather These pants are marked as being ideal for 0 - 40 degree weather. Skiers obviously spend hours on end skiing deep into the northwoods frigid temps. I used them in below zero windchill with ~15mph winds and never felt cold wearing them with both tights and bare skin underneath and never got cold while riding. 4-Way Stretch for Mobility The knees are made from 4-stretch fabric and feel great riding. Again, like skiing, the motion isn't that different and these pants have a great fit that also flexes with your motion while riding. Blocks Wind in the Front, Breathes Freely in the Back I've had a hard time dialing in my pants in the cold and I can get a little numb in my sensitive region. Windproof options keep all the wind out but the cost is that they're not breathable when you work up a sweat. But fully breathable pants are freezing when it's cold and windy. These cut out the wind in the front and are breathable in the back. Long Pant Leg Zippers A lot of pants have ankle zippers but these ones are long . They go on easy and then when you're done biking and overheating indoors they slip off super fast. These make layering with tights, warm socks, and boots really simple. Thermal Cycling Jacket & My Favorite Features Top & Bottom Zippers Even in the freezing cold, I usually end up overheating when riding long enough. The bottom zipper is my favorite way to ventilate. The bottom zipper lets you loosen the jersey tension and get some ventilation without opening all the way and flapping all over the place. Raglan Sleeve Design (And What the Heck is a Raglan Sleeve?) Again, these are not just cold-weather jerseys, they're built for all-day peformance and comfort. A raglan sleeve is a sleeve made from a single piece of fabric all the way from the collar to under the armpit. This gives a better fit that's made for movement. Light But Warm Layering can be such a gamble. Warm layers end up overheating and cold layers are...well...cold. This is a lightweight fabric with a brushed inner lining. So the fabric has some stretch, warmth, and breathability which helps you stay warm in freezing temps but ventilate when you start to cook. Triple Rear Pockets Not too much needs to be said here but it's easy to just look for a warm jacket and forgo the cargo needs of long bike rides. Toss your gels, liner gloves, and cellphone in your winter jersey pockets just like you're used to shoving stuff in your summer jersey pockets. Bottom Line: Ski Pants & Bike Jacket Combo The Borah XC ski pants and thermal cycling jacket are a winning combination for winter fat biking. With thoughtful features like wind-blocking fabrics, 4-way stretch, and ventilating zippers, these pieces deliver comfort, warmth, and performance in freezing temperatures. Whether you're tackling icy trails or cruising snowy paths, this gear is built to handle it all.

The Arrowhead 135 winter ultra race is starting on Monday January 27 at 7am in International Falls, Minnesota. The race includes a ski, run, and bike category with racers required to complete qualifying events prior to registering. Follow along live with the 2025 race on the Track Leaders map below. To learn more, visit the Arrowhead 135 .

We recently polled Nxrth readers in our annual reader survey and asked you what you think is the Northwoods' worst natural disaster. We gave you 3 options that Northwoods bikers are all too familiar and here are the results. First, here were your choices: Black Flies That You Can't Out-Bike There's a certain speed threshold that you need to maintain in order to stay faster than black flies that want to murder you in the woods. For a variety of reasons, sometimes you simply can't out-bike them no matter how hard you try. Going up really long hills, traversing soft and slow gravel, or carrying heavy gear on a bikepacking trip are just a few reasons you may not be able to out bike them. Or sometimes they're just freakishly fast and our legs are no match for them. Is this the absolute worst part of riding in the Northwoods? Mosquitoes That Kill You If You Stop Biking Thankfully, mosquitoes are MUCH easier to out-bike than black flies. They don't have quite as much horsepower in their wings and don't have the same physique as flies. But unfortunately, as soon as you stop biking, they attack you by the thousands and even if you're on full on splatting mode, their are just too many and there's no way you're going to get out of the situation unbitten. Are mosquitoes the absolute worst part of riding in the Northwoods? Cold, Cold, Miserably Cold Winters As a publication that enthusiastically enjoys and promotes fat biking, should this really have been an option? Shouldn't we just pretend that the cold never bothers us and that the snow is always just a joy and a delight? Yes, winter can be magical, wild, and adventurous, and yes, the sight of fresh snow as you wake up to pour a cup of hipster espresso in the morning can take your breath away. But is it also possible that we also acknowledge that sometimes winter kinda sucks? Well we're not going to officially go on record saying that but we did give our readers the opportunity to voice their opinion if that's how you feel. No judgement. Are miserable cold winters the worst part of riding in the Northwoods? Survey Results We emailed our readers to get your insight and these were the results. Our pick for worst natural disaster is mosquitoes but the actual winner is black flies. Then 17% of you weren't ashamed to admit the winters are in face the worst thing about the Northwoods. Northwoods Worst Natural Disaster:

Last fall, we launched The Nxrth+ a brand new website membership that gives you access to deeper resources, master maps, and better adventure ideas than ever on The Nxrth. Since then, we've been able to build out more and more resources to help you plan incredible bike experiences all year long. Interested in The Nxrth+ here our the top 5 everyday benefits of becoming a member. Join the Nxrth+ HERE . 1. Master Map of Every Gravel Guide Destination Northfield, Minnesota Gravel Guide Every route, restaurant, brewery, and breakfast recommended by local riders, all in a single map for each of our Gravel Guide destinations. Want to spend a weekend (or just a Saturday) experiencing the best of La Crosse gravel roads or the deep woods of Cable? Use these master maps to visualize the entire Gravel Guide to make planning a gravel getaway fast and memorable. 2. Member-Exclusive Guides & Resources All Year Make every bike season more memorable with deep plan resources for making the most out of seasons, destinations, races, routes, and more. We're regularly publishing top-to-bottom planning resources to help you discover the best adventures all year long. 3. Exclusive Bikepacking Routes The Nxrth is the number one resource for bikepacking routes in the Northwoods with 17 official bikepacking guides. Members now have exclusive access to several of those route such as Itasca Lakenights, Chasing the Train, the Coon Fork Overnighter, and Following the Gandy Dancers. Join The Nxrth+ and explore wild places with fully documented route guides. 4. View the Gravel and MTB Race Calendars as a Map Map of the 2025 Gravel Race Calendar Plan your race season around the parts of the Northwoods you want to explore. The master event maps for Gravel and MTB lay out all the events in an easy to use format. 5. $50 Off a Professional Bike Fitting from Paulie at GO PHYSIO Address knee, neck, or back pain and perform at your very best with a professional bike fitting from certified physical therapist, Paulie Glatt. Members of The Nxrth+ get $50 off a fitting. Don't wait feel better on your bike. Get Unlimited Access to Guides, Routes, Maps, & Stories on The Nxrth+

Photo: Las Cruces, New Mexico Want to plan a winter biking getaway in warmer temps? Check out these southern towns, parks, and regions that are perfect for gravel or MTB vacations to taste some warmer riders during frigid Norhtwoods winters. Holy smokes, the Northwoods winter gets long and cold. Fat biking our winter wonderland is a total delight but sometimes the numbing cold or a lack of snow make the winter something we just wish we could escape a little while. You may be surprised to find out that not all of the USA experiences half a year of freezing temperatures and lifeless blankets of snow. If you want to escape the cold winters and a gravel or MTB getaway is calling your name, here are several great spots to check out and add to your itinerary. Map: Best Winter Biking Destinations San Diego, CA San Diego offers a diverse landscape for gravel biking, with a mix of rugged hills, open canyons, coastal trails, and inland valleys. The terrain ranges from smooth hardpack to technical singletrack, with fire roads and bike paths weaving through scenic natural areas. Riders can enjoy a variety of environments, from coastal views to remote, hilly backcountry. The climate is mild and sunny year-round, making it an ideal winter escape for cyclists. Temperatures are comfortable, and the region rarely experiences extreme weather, ensuring consistent riding conditions. San Diego’s gravel routes are generally well-maintained and accessible, catering to different skill levels. They often combine road segments with off-road trails, creating diverse and engaging rides that highlight the area’s natural beauty and outdoor appeal. Explore some San Diego routes HERE . Tuscon, AZ Tucson, Arizona, is an excellent and popular winter destination for road and mountain biking with tons of varying terrain, a nice climate, and a vibrant cycling community. The region has a mix of desert landscapes, rugged mountains, and scenic canyons. MTB riders can explore a huge network of hard-packed dirt trails that see rolling hills and open desert, providing both challenging climbs and leisurely routes. Also enjoy trails ranging from smooth singletrack to technical, rocky descents, particularly in areas like Mount Lemmon, which offers significant elevation changes and varied trail difficulties. Winter temps have daytime highs typically ranging from the mid-60s to low 70s and a whole lotta sunshine. Patagonia, AZ Patagonia, Arizona, is a high-desert winter destination for gravel and mountain biking almost to the Mexican border. Nestled between the Santa Rita and Patagonia Mountains, the area features diverse terrain, from riparian corridors to open grasslands, with unpaved roads and trails suited for all skill levels. The mild winter climate ensures comfortable, sunny riding conditions. Popular routes include loops through the San Rafael Valley and events like “The Spirit World” gravel ride, showcasing the region’s stunning landscapes. Patagonia’s rich cultural history and welcoming cycling community make it a unique and rewarding destination for winter biking adventures. Explore more winter cycling ideas with a Patagonia Gravel Guide here . Austin, TX & The Texas Hill Country Austin, Texas, and the Texas Hill Country offer variable terrain and mild winter weather, making them ideal for gravel and mountain biking. Gravel riders can explore routes like the Texas Hill Country Loop, a 316-mile tour of rolling hills and scenic backroads, while mountain bikers enjoy urban trails like Walnut Creek Metro Park or more rugged options like Flat Rock Ranch near Comfort. The area features a mix of smooth dirt roads, rocky trails, and scenic countryside, with minimal rainfall ensuring great riding conditions. Austin’s vibrant cycling culture and the Hill Country’s natural beauty make this region a top winter destination for cyclists. Check out the Austin MTB trails and scene here . Las Cruces, NM Las Cruces, New Mexico, is a nice destination for both gravel and mountain biking with hundreds of miles of unpaved roads and trails set against the backdrop of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. The Monumental Loop , a famous bikepacking route, connects four sections of the national monument, providing a comprehensive exploration of the Chihuahuan Desert landscape. Events like the DangerBird 250, held annually in late October, celebrate the area's terrain and foster a growing community of bikepackers. With its combination of natural beauty, cultural richness, and favorable climate, Las Cruces invites cyclists to embark on transformative journeys through its desert landscapes. Link to the Gravel Adventure Field Guide for Las Cruces here . Trinidad, CO Trinidad, Colorado, has rapidly become a hot destination for gravel biking, with over 1,600 miles of gravel roads that travel expansive eastern plains and the rugged western mountains. This network gives cyclists with a unique, Old West-inspired rural experience, characterized by scenic landscapes, rich history, and minimal traffic—often encountering more cattle guards than cars Additionally, events like The Rad Dirt Fest highlight the region's growing reputation in the gravel cycling community. Note that Trinidad still has the coolest temps in this list with January highs of just 49 degrees and February highs of 51 (and lows below freezing). Learn more at Visit Trinidad . Joshua Tree National Park, CA A renowned destination for rock climbers and hikers, Joshua Tree National Park boasts one of the most distinctive landscapes in the United States. Located in California’s eastern desert, the park is named after the iconic Joshua Tree—a unique species that thrives in specific conditions and attracts visitors from around the globe. For gravel biking enthusiasts, the park offers a fantastic experience with nearly 100 miles of dirt roads. While these roads are open to both bikes and vehicles (many requiring 4x4), they provide plenty of route options for adventurous cyclists. Campers can choose from designated campgrounds within the park, with Jumbo Rocks being a popular choice that fills up quickly, thanks to its prime location among stunning rock formations. The quiet, expansive desert roads and the chance to witness breathtaking sunrises and sunsets make gravel biking here an unforgettable way to experience one of California’s most remarkable national parks. Check out this 2-3 day bikepacking route in Joshua Tree here . Central Florida Central Florida provides an excellent setting for gravel biking, with trails that wind through diverse landscapes, including forests, wetlands, and rural countryside. Riders can enjoy a mix of terrain, from packed clay roads to sandy stretches, offering both scenic beauty and physical challenge. The area’s mild weather makes it a year-round destination for gravel enthusiasts, whether you prefer a relaxed ride through nature or a more demanding adventure. With its variety of trail options and peaceful surroundings, Central Florida is well-suited for riders of all skill levels. If you're heading that way, make sure to check out Florida Gravel Biking . They have a huge collection of well curate gravel routes all over Florida.

If you love gravel and dreaming about adventures and gear or following along with national and international gravel races, these are some great websites to follow. Listed in a loose order of some of our favorites, these sites will cover a very wide spectrum of everything in the gravel world. In compiling these gravel websites, I thought pretty hard about what attracts me to these sites and what makes the best sites stand out. Here's what I love about any online publication and what makes many of these websites shine. Beautiful designs: An attractive design and an intuitively organized interface make these sites come alive in a really interactive way. Seasonally relevant, and timely news: Seasonal adventures change fast and race season unfolds rapidly. So we love sites that deliver high quality stories and gear updates right in the middle of all the excitement of the season. No affiliate links: Honestly, I don't know that there is a single website on this list that doesn't use affiliate links (besides The Nxrth 😉. We don't publish affiliate links so our recommendations are what we love, not what we get paid for you to click on). It's hard to find genuinely helpful recommendations from websites that use affiliate links but some sites use them less than others. Gorgeous original photography: Beautiful shots from places I want to visit and gear I'm interested in are what inspire a lot of my adventures. Regular, high-frequency content, with an in-depth, and thoughtful POV. Yeah, that's a no brainer. There is a lot of junk on the internet, and these are the websites that stand out. Here are some of our favorite gravel sites, loosely in order of the ones we visit the most often: Bikepacking.com The original bikepacking website and almost exclusively responsible for the original global growth of the activity. Bikepacking.com was founded in 2012 and since then has been a gold mine of global routes, gorgeous trip photography, captivating stories, and community of adventure seekers on winding unpaved paths. Bikepacking.com . Bike Gear Database Boutique design with hyper in-depth reviews and resources. Bike Gear Database is a site to be bookmarked and explored. It covers gravel, bikepacking, and mountain biking with an emphasis on gear reviews. It also has occasional stories and planning resources. Bike Gear Database . Velo News - Gravel Collection Probably the most mainstream outdoor news outlet on the ole web. Velo News covers the biggest and most popular gravel races. It closely follows the Life Time Grand Prix and Belgian Waffle series and has regular coverage and speculation of the highest profile athletes. Velo News is 100% paywalled behind an Outside+ membership but easily bypassed by accessing your browser's "Reader" version of any page. Velo News . The Radavist What can be said about The Radavist? Full of beautiful bicycles, alternative bike culture, fixies, gnarly gravel creations, and a diverse community, The Radavist news cycle is a pretty fun place to cruise around. If you're looking for a unique take on the people, places, and gear that make up the gravel community, head on over to The Radavist and look around. The Radavist . The Nxrth We can't leave The Nxrth off this list ;-). If you live in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, Minnesota, or the Upper Peninsula, this is the go-to spot for gravel news, events, stories, community, and resources. Rolling around since 2022, our goal is to connect gravel bikers with incredible experiences and deeper community. The Nxrth . GRVL Magazine Originally a Substack called GRVL Troopers, it became GRVL MGZN in 2024 and has regular information, tips, advice, tech updates, and more from the realm of gravel racing. Expect interviews and news from high profile gravel athletes on an independent site. GRVL MGZIN . Gravel Union Want to follow the European gravel scene? This is a good place to start. It has a lot of stories and event recaps from the European gravel community. They don't chase the big stories and celebrity gravel racers but focus on covering small events and everyday storytellers. Gravel Union . Gravelstoke This one is really a grab bag. I've been following it for some time and enjoy the variety. It focuses especially around California gravel but also covers gear reviews and occasional industry news, updates, and culture. Gravelstoke . Cycling News - Gravel Collection A pretty even mix of gear roundups and pro cycling news and event updates. The gravel section is a sub-section of the main site with good dives into the world of pro gravel behind the scenes. You can get free access to 5 articles per month or open any article on your browser's "Reader" to bypass the pay wall. Cycling News . Gravel Cyclist If you're doing a Google search of reviews for a specific gravel bike that you're considering, the chances are good that you'll end up on Gravel Cyclist. Lots of reviews and product announcements on a basic blog format website. Gravel Cyclist . Bike Radar & Bike Rumor Competitor websites, these two operate in nearly identical ways providing early gear announcement and in depth reviews. Both websites are almost exclusively filled with paid affiliate links in all of their 'Best Of' gear roundups which gives low credibility in favor of them being compensated if you buy a product they recommend. Affiliate links aside, these are the places to go for gear lovers and early industry announcements. Bike Radar & Bike Rumor . Off-Road.cc A partner website to Road.cc, Off-Road.cc is a gear focused site that covers mountain biking, bikepacking, and gravel. It is based in the UK and definitely has a focus on the European scene but covers news from all over. Expect a heavy emphasis on gear roundups and reviews. Off-Road.cc . CX Magazine - Gravel Collection As the name suggests, Gravel isn't the primary focus but it is the secondary focus of the site. Alongside a whole bunch of cyclocross content, they keep close coverage on gravel news and gear. Focused primarily on gear, you can also find coverage of events, adventures, and destinations here. CX Magazine .

Pictured: The "Seeley Hills Chalet", a friend's new cabin and Airbnb in the Seeley/Cable area. Do you ever lay awake during the dead of winter and dream of owning a cabin in a place where crunchy gravel, endless MTB trails, and the buzz of lovely killer mosquitos are around every corner? Here we discuss some of the best places to own a cabin in bike country as well as getting an insider's look at the Cuyuna area and Marquette/Ishpmeming area. Whether you're looking for a vacation escape, a rental investment, or a permanent retreat near the trails you love, this guide is your starting point. From the serene beauty of Minnesota's Cuyuna Lakes Area to the rugged charm of Michigan's Marquette County, we’ll explore the unique vibes, trail access, and cabin-buying tips in some of the best biking destinations in the Northwoods. Let’s dive into the possibilities of owning your own slice of bike country paradise! Jump to Section Cuyuna Marquette & Ishpeming Cabins in Places You Already Love Visiting With Bikes We're all drawn to different types of trails, towns that fit our vibes, and being surrounded by land and water that we connect to at a deeper level. The Northwoods is lucky to have a lot of variety in the land, trails, towns, and waterways that make up the areas many of us spend time biking. Some are looking for a vacation home to regularly escape to while others are attracted to owning a place that they can Airbnb for additional income while also have a place to personally visit in bike country. Here are just a few popular bike destinations that might included in your short list of dream cabin destinations. The Cable, Seeley, & Telemark area is a quickly growing bike destination with the development of Trek Trails and Mt. Telemark village. The area has an enormous network of sprawling MTB trails, gravel roads, secluded lakes, and bike and ski events all year long. Marquette County, Michigan with Marquette & Ishpeming have incredible MTB trails, a beautiful downtown in Marquette, Lake Superior's breathtaking coastline, and is a popular area for adventures of epic scales. Cuyuna Lakes Area is "Adventure Town USA" with world class flow trails and pristine deep mine lakes. The area continues to develop with 70+ miles of trail wrapping around 25 miles of natural shoreline. The North Shore is famous for adventures and vacations of all kinds and has a rich supply of MTB trail destinations and a vast network of winding gravel and double track roads to explore. "Trapper Lake Cabin", a friend's new place in the Cable, WI area Get to Know the Cabin Scene in Cuyuna Lakes Area, Minnesota By Amanda Lumley, Realtor Amanda Lumley's Website amanda.lumley@sir.com I think the best way for potential buyers to start the process of buying a home/cabin in the Cuyuna area is to drive around….take it all in! There are so many beautiful areas, within the area, and by taking the time to “tour” the local towns and neighborhoods it will guide you naturally in the direction of your preferences. I have clients that want to be in the heart of Crosby, close to the parks and lake, and within walking distance to all of the new restaurants and shops. I have other clients that want acreage, but close to the trails with easy access. The searches range from large properties that can be family owned, to one bedroom studio style, to weekly rental home ownership. Once you have a good feel for the town, then you need to take the day and jump on the trails! This area is incredibly unique in the scenery that it offers unparalleled views with the mine pits, and the overall up north feel as you ride. The area offers the most breathtaking views, rural areas that overlook water and have wildlife everywhere. There is a trail for every level biker. Must sees are Yawkey Mine Lake or Miner’s Mountain Rally Center. The town has Friendly people, great food, and small town love. The relaxed, tranquil environment that people are in search. An escape for the daily grind, but all of the accustomed amenities at your fingertips. The trails are so majestic, they speak for themselves…there are 20 lakes within 3 miles of Crosby, downtown provides coffee shops, breweries, shopping, rentals, restaurants, antique stores and more! Its an excellent getaway in the winter with miles of single track trails, many of them groomed all winter. There’s snowmobiling, snowshoeing, cross country skiing ,ice skating, skiing and tubing. There is no storage of gorgeous AIRBNB cabins if you just want to read a book in front of the fireplace all weekend… Overall the community is very active. The medical facilities top notch. Property values have continued to increase and the infrastructure is growing with the population. Truly the area is something out of a Hallmark movie. Get to Know Marquette & Ishpeming Cabin Living By Melanie Oliver & Jason Pabian, Realtors Melanie : Melanie@nexthomesl.com  | 906-236-3346  | Website Jason : Jason@nexthomesl.com | 906-362-6865  | Website Trails! Trails! Trails! The Marquette and Ishpeming area are full of year round outdoor activities! Marquette boasts miles of pristine Lake Superior Shoreline, natural beauty, vast wooded areas and forests, punchy hills, inland lakes, all of which make for some amazing riding. In Marquette County, Marquette, Negaunee and Ishpeming are primary locations for bike enthusiasts. But there are also those who prefer to live a little further outside of these cities and townships. The Marquette market can be quite competitive and properties are generally more costly compared to the Ishpeming market. But both locations have some great properties. What About Buying a Cabin for a Vacation Home or Airbnb Around Marquette? There are a number of regulations in place for each city and township in Marquette county. Owning a vacation rental may not be a timely option in areas like Marquette with a lengthy wait list. The neighboring city of Negaunee currently requires owners to live on property (primary residence) if they intend to rent out a unit or room. Regulations can change at any time. Knowledge is key to making an appropriate purchase. You Had a Cabin Before Launching Into Various Other Vacation Rental Projects. What Was That Like? Jason and I would park on the snow and ice covered dirt road, strap on our snow shoes and start unloading the vehicle, packed full of items we will need for the weekend. The air is so cold it hits your lungs with a punch at first. A smack of cold on our exposed cheeks is invigorating. We comically climb the 6 foot tall snow/ice mound the plows have created and start breaking trail into our camp in the woods. The moon and stars are so incredibly bright we don’t use our headlamps. We are lured into camp by the shadows of the moonlit trees on the snow. We pull our sled behind us filled with food, water, supplies and warm clothing. We finally arrive and begin shoveling feet deep snow in front of the entry door to access our camp. Once we are inside, our immediate attention is to start a fire in the wood burning stove, our only source of heat. Once the fire is stoked, we return to shoveling the deep snow and breaking off ice dams which have formed on the roof, which also helps warm us up. We return indoors and begin cooking our dinner on the wood stove. No food has ever tasted better than the meals we made on our camp stove. Camp is remote and quiet. Very quiet. No highway or road noise, no hum of electronics, without phone service there are no phone notifications alerting us of the outside world. We have entered our own world now. We have to rely on ourselves and each other for the next few days. We have friends in a camp a few miles away, down the snow and ice covered dirt road. They have traveled from Wisconsin for a weekend at their camp as well. We ride our fat bikes to our friends camp. It's so cozy and familiar. Always welcoming. A true Yooper camp. What Kind of Project Did You Turn Your Cabin Into? Our camp is a one room cabin, hand built in the 1920’s. We transformed the one room cabin from its former Deer camp status into, what our friends would call, Pier Camp (Pier One) status. We furnished our camp with our delightfully chosen antiques with modern luxuries, like a new mattress and bedding and even hand soap! When this camp was purchased the realtor showing the property, now our broker and dear friend, would not set foot inside the dingy, overcrowded cabin much less walk the overgrown property in his new suede shoes. What Other Home, Rental, and Real Estate Projects Have You Gotten Into? We sold our camp about three years ago. We got busy designing, rehabbing, renovating, renting, buying and selling various properties. Our camp may have been a catalyst in helping us recognize our talents and ambitions. The Crusher bike event passes through about a quarter mile from our former camp. The nearby roads make for a gravel rider’s dream. Hundreds of miles of camp roads surrounded by woods, passing waterfalls, ponds, inland lakes, beaver dams, rocky outcroppings, deer and other wildlife. Prior to selling the camp, we discussed making tree house type small cabins throughout the property for use as short term rentals. Logistically, without electricity, a steady heat source, running water, flush toilets, laundry, etc the concept never came to fruition. We focused our sites on properties in town. The UP and all it has to offer comes in many forms. In town as well as in the seemingly remote wilderness this area offers. As realtors, as well as when we are not realtoring, Jason and I love the opportunity to explore and see new things. Being realtors allow us the opportunity to show and walk properties. We thoroughly enjoy the outdoors. Jason and I enjoy XC and enduro biking, trail running, hiking, flying, snowshoeing, exploring, traveling and adventuring.

Ride With GPS and Komoot are two mapping tools used to discover, plan, organize, and share bike adventures. In this story we compare them head to head and share our thoughts on which one may be a better option for each type of riding and planning. Jump to Section 1. Overview 2. Pricing 3. Route Editing 4. POIs & Highlights 5. Social Sharing & Adventure Discovery 6. Unique Features: Ride With GPS 7. Unique Features: Komoot 8. Ride With GPS Wins if you... 9. Komoot Wins if you... OVERVIEW: Ride With GPS vs Komoot White both tools target the same overall goal of planning adventures using a map, the focus of Ride With GPS and Komoot are pretty distinct. Let's break down the focus and audience of each platform which will translate into the unique features they offer. Ride With GPS Ride With GPS is for map creators who want more advanced tools to create and organize highly detailed rides and routes. It's an incredibly powerful too for those who spend hours drawing lines, cataloging POIs, analyzing rides, and take pride in architecting detailed routes using many different routing tools at the same time. You simply won't find this level of detailed organization and customization in Komoot. Komoot Komoot is focused on crowd-sourced adventuring, deep social sharing, and photo-centric story telling around the globe. For those looking to follow the stories and adventure highlights of explorers all over the world and then plan the adventure yourself using the community's favorite highlights as your guide, Komoot is your best friend. NOTE: Many of the strengths of Komoot are heavily dependent on user volume. Komoot currently has a massive presence in Europe but has a significantly smaller base in the USA which makes the benefit of user generated content less significant in many places. Pricing Ride With GPS has 3 monthly tiers: Free, Basic, & Premium. The Basic plan is $7.99/mo and gives you advanced route planning on the mobile app. The Premium plan is $9.99/mo and gives you the full suite of web-based tools. The Free version allows for basic route planning and ride recording. Komoot has two pricing models: Komoot Maps and Komoot Premium. Maps are all one-time payments and give you permanent access to voice navigation and offline maps for the geographies that you pay for ($3.99 for one region, $8.99 for a region bundle, or $29.99 to permanently unlock the entire world). Komoot Premium is $5.99/month and includes World Map access, personal collections, live-tracking, multi-day planner, on-tour weather, safety contacts, and more. Route Editing We'll get deeper into this section with each platform's "Unique Features" but for now I'll just say that this is an area where Ride With GPS dominates. Both the desktop and mobile route planner are extremely easy to use and are packed with high powered advanced tools unmatched by Komoot. Komoot's route editor is much more tedious and and has a significantly simpler toolbox to use when trying to meticulously plan perfect routes. It's a slower process with fewer options to customize. Points of Interest (POIs) & Route Highlights Ride With GPS's Points of Interest (POIs) are created for each individual Ride With GPS account. You can add POIs to any of your maps for any reason to mark anything you want. They are uniquely built into the maps that you choose (or dynamically available in a POI library if you use a Club account) and they won't show up in the map building tool for the general public unless they're viewing your unique route. Komoot calls these "Highlights" and they're 100% crowd sourced and built on community generated content for everyone to use. The downside is that you can't add private POIs such as "Camping in my uncle's backyard" or temporary POIs like "Race day headquarters" but the upside is that the entire globe is covered in the adventuring community's best route highlights, photos, and tips for anyone to go exploring. Every Highlight and photo is rated by the community which makes planning incredible adventures significantly easier. Social Sharing & Adventure Discovery Komoot owns this category. The entire platform is built around photo-first adventure discovery, community generated map highlights, and ready-to-ride collections of the world's best places to explore. The social feed is deeply inspirational and the biggest names in gravel biking and bikepacking are constantly sharing their ride galleries, map libraries, and tips to take their adventures and do them yourself. While Ride With GPS is a really powerful planing tool, its strength is less in discovering new adventures through community sourced mapping highlights. Ride With GPS's tools like "Inspect" and "Heatmaps" are really great for finding new places to ride, but they end at drawing great lines on a map. Trail level photo content is sparse and community sourced tips are non existent outside of individually created maps. Similarities We don't dig into every feature in this article. Several features exist in both platforms and are at least comparable. "Surface Types" is a feature of both platforms and I haven't found it to have any accuracy in the region that I live in either platform. Both platforms have Safety Tracking and Privacy Zones which are an important part of staying staying safe on and off the bike. There are many other features they both share. Now let's break down their unique features they each have. Ride With GPS Unique Features Ride With GPS has an extensive toolset for advanced route editing, adventure planning, and deep organization. Let's break down the main features are exclusive to Ride With GPS. Global & Personal Heatmaps Heatmaps are indispensable for finding out where everyone else rides (Global Heatmap) and seeing a live log of where you've ridden (Personal Heatmap). If you're exploring a new area, there's no better way to find some of the most popular routes than seeing where the community is doing the most riding via Heatmaps. Inspect Tool Touch a point on a map and see the most popular routes going through that spot. Without the context of community generated photos and tips, I don't find it very useful as it only shows personally created routes that get a lot of engagement but this doesn't actually aggregate any crowd sourced information about that route. Ride Metrics If you like analyzing post-ride data, you're going to love Ride With GPS's deep stack of metrics. There are over 26 metrics that are fully customizable during your ride and their post-ride metrics are going to give you a lot of data to pour over when you're done. Bike Maintenance Log A fun way to keep track of maintenance, repairs, and upgrades for each of your bikes. Custom Cues Create cues that say whatever you want them to. These are supported in TCX files for Garmin devices, Wahoo devices, and the mobile app will read them aloud just like a normally generated turn left turn right cue. Clubs & Organizations If you're an organization or club, this is the clear winner for organizing, customizing, and embedding various route libraries and POIs that can dynamically be pulled into maps of your choosing. Colors, layers, images, categories, routes, links, and POIs can all be fully customized to your needs and the ability to give free navigation and offline use for your members/customers. Plus a Lot More Both the deskop and mobile applications have a lot more tools and custom configurations at every point of your process from planning, to riding, to organizing and they're regularly adding more. I don't expect them to slow down adding new tools and features in the future as they're hyper focused on helping map lovers and organizers plan using as much data and efficiency as possible. Komoot Unique Features Komoot's strength is less in mapping tools, metrics, and organization and more in social and community tools. Tools that inspire users to explore the world and have the most fun getting from point A to point B. Trail View This is the "Google Streetview" of off-grid trails. If you've ever studied satellite images trying to guess what the surface is like and if the trail is actually passable , Trail View is going to be a life saver. Komoot uses artificial intelligence to pull all public photos of trails and pin them to where they were taken on the map for everyone to use. The result is trail-level photos of any place any Komoot user has taken a public photo of a trail on a route. No more guessing whether that obscure line on a map is a hidden gem or a total bust. Pioneer & Expert Gamification Base on community cues and up-votes on Highlights, photos, and tips, Komoot gives points for all the activities and regions that you've recorded activity. This is a fun way to build your expertise and social influence within the app as well as finding the best adventurers to follow Sport-Based Route & Highlight Searching Use the Discovery tool to select routes and highlights based on the sport you're interested in such as road cycling, gravel riding, and bikepacking On Tour Weather Plan daylong or multi-day adventures and see temperature, precipitation, wind direction, and sunshine for any point in time on the map. Crowd-Sourced Highlights This is mentioned earlier in the article but i's worth repeating here because Komoot Highlights isn't just a similarity to Ride With GPS's Points of Interest, it's a it's really a unique feature that makes Komoot stand alone. Highlights is a rich user generated global library of the best places to ride, stop, and explore. They're all filterable by sport type, voted on by the community at large, and logged with rider tips so that you have the easiest time having the best experience from point A to point B. Personal Collections This is another feature that does exist in Ride With GPS but I think Komoot does it much better. Personal collections are a way to show off your rides, routes, highlights, story, and photos all in one beautiful place for the world to see in their Komoot social feed (or embed on your website). For other users, these are an incredible way to discover new places to explore and be inspired by brilliant photography and gorgeous bikescapes. So Which is Better, Komoot or Ride Withg GPS? Cut to the chase...you want to know which is better right? Well of course it depends. Their features and tools are built for similar but different audiences and the best platform is going to be the one that meets your planning and riding goals. Ride With GPS Wins If... You want to build a library of personal (or organizational) mapping assets that you can customize and organize however you want You care about advanced planning and analyzing using the most data available You prefer customization, tweaking, and analyzing over social sharing You are a club or organization who needs advanced organizational and embedding tools for your members. Komoot Wins If... You want to use the community's favorite crowd-sourced highlights, tips, and photos to plan your routes. You're looking for ready-to-ride collections of routes, highlights, and photos from other users' libraries Sharing the best parts of your ride and discovering the best parts of others' rides is more important than personal customization tools and metrics You only need offline maps and voice navigation and don't want to be locked into a paid subscription