Gravel. This word is the one you should know if you want to be up-to-date in the cycling world. Those who ride a bicycle regularly will surely know the term, and I would say more, already have a Gravel bike, and those who do not, will discover it with us. For this we approach CicloLodge,

the center dedicated to cycling that the adventurer Antonio de la Rosa has created in the Lozoya Valley

, in the Sierra Norte de Madrid, and in which it offers all the services for lovers of pedaling: routes marked, refreshments, accommodation, bike rental and workshop, transfer, wellness area ... In its Bike Club there are

routes for Mountain Bike, Road, E-Bikes

and of course, given the rise of this type of cycling in recent years , for Gravel.

«Gravel is an adventure cycling modality that allows, with the same bicycle, to

go easily from asphalt roads to tracks and paths of gravel and dirt,

this opens a world of infinite possibilities, to discover new places, landscapes and wonderful corners », Explains Clara Palenzuela, head of routes, marketing and communication at CicloLodge.

And that boom?

“I think it's basically because

it allows you to go where the road bike can't go

and make those tracks that are very easy with mountain biking fun.

It is a very versatile concept that allows you to discover corners, towns, gastronomy, mixing different terrains, and even for daring people, areas that are a little more complicated ”, explains Palenzuela

“It allows you to travel in self-sufficiency without carrying a bike as heavy as a mountain bike and to

go faster on the famous compact gravel tracks

.

But if you want to keep a calm rhythm it is ideal to spend long days on it, since the geometries are comfortable and relaxed.

And for the most purists it is a modality that has been reborn, which takes you to the same old cycling where the roads did not exist, where the great cycling legends were forged, Coppi, Bartali ... climbing the mountains of the Tour de France with their bikes and the unpaved Giro d'Italia, "he adds.

A cyclist on the gravel bike through the Sierra de MadridE.

M.

Already calmer knowing its meaning, the next thing is to try a Gravel bike: they share the style of the handlebar of a road bike but with more open tips at the bottom, and

a more relaxed and stable geometry than the road one for pedaling on trails

. They also have different threads in the frame to install what they call bikepacking (the old saddlebags) and

their wheels give you the security of not puncturing as soon as you get off the asphalt

. To pedal!

In Territory Gravel they have marked

more than a thousand kilometers in eight circular routes,

with infinite combinations: «The Sierra Norte is ideal for practicing Gravel, there are kilometers of tracks between oaks, birches, ferns and pine forests, at 1,800 m.

high or along riverbanks, the roads do not get muddy and the range of possibilities is infinite », continues Clara, who guides us through the Lozoya Valley.

"All our routes start from CicloLodge El Nevero, and from there we have

QR codes for customers to download the tracks through Wikiloc

."

A cyclist with the Gravel bike through the Sierra Norte.EM

And of course there are options for all levels, although another advantage of the Gravel is that it allows cyclists of different levels to pedal together, since it is not too complicated technically. We have at our disposal from simpler routes, such as the 3 Nature Trail, ideal for those who are just starting out or want to make a tourist and monumental route that is not very demanding; Route 2, which runs through the Lower Valley and is perfect for colder days, to more demanding routes, such as Route 8, which departs from Lozoya and goes around the Pinilla reservoir, or Route 6 between Morcuera-Canencia, which

goes up to the mythical ports where a Tour of Spain has been sentenced.

As you can see, a Gravel Territory full of possibilities:

routes of one day, two, one week,

or that can even be planned to measure, sleeping in different parts of the Sierra de Guadarrama, in self-sufficiency or assisted.

Gravel is here to stay and we too are hooked!

Gravel territory routes

Route 3 Nature Trail: 29 km.

Positive slope: 200 m.

Difficulty: low.

Route 6 Morcuera-Canencia: 56 km.

Positive slope: 1,200 m.

Difficulty: Medium.

Info: Territogravel.com / Cyclolodge.com

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