Physical activity, especially outdoor activity, exploded during the pandemic, with big jumps in participation in many sports, including cycling. But even before the pandemic, one category of cycling was far outpacing all others. “Gravel grinding,” riding on unpaved roads on beefier versions of road bikes with slightly thicker tires and sometimes shock absorption, has become by most accounts the fastest growing part of the bicycle industry.

It’s closer to road riding than mountain biking in technique and style, but physically more challenging due to increased rolling resistance and often heavier bikes. The chief appeals are the relative absence of cars, the big danger and negative for most road riders, and the escapism, the ability to get closer to nature and more in touch with bucolic surroundings.