Gravel Bike Adventures: Tips for Maximising Fun and Performance
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past five years, you’ll have seen a gravel bike or two either on social media or in real life. They’re not just drop-bar mountain bikes, they’re specifically engineered to be fast and smooth over multiple distances and types of terrain.
Want to ride the gruelling ultra-distance Transcontinental Race? A racier gravel bike could be the perfect bikepacking rig. Fancy a new steed for your commute? Get yourself off the beaten path and feel mentally refreshed before you get to your destination. Wherever you want to ride, a gravel bike could be the perfect do-it-all machine.
Granted, ‘gravel bike’ is a term that gets thrown around a lot in bike marketing fluff, but our range is designed to be as flexible and varied as you are as a rider. From bikepacking to the morning commute, let’s explore the many ways you can enjoy a gravel bike.
So, how can you get the most out of your Gravel Bike?
Take a Ride on the Wild Side
Bikepacking in the wilderness is certainly popular right now, and for good reason! What better way is there to reconnect with nature and relax from the stresses of daily life than stripping everything back to basics with a bikepacking trip? You don’t necessarily need a gravel bike to bikepack, but you’ll certainly see better sights and avoid the traffic if you head off-road.
Our Crosshill bikes come with plenty of mounting points for racks and other frame bags, so you can carry everything you need for a successful trip. The Crosshill 3.0 is also equipped with a compact chainset so you can be sure you’ll be able to get up even the steepest of inclines on your adventure.
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The World’s Most Fun Commute
Riding fast on canal paths or bridleways no longer has to be something you can only do at the weekend. A gravel bike opens up so many more possibilities for route creation when it comes to your commute. Why not spice it up and see how many off-road sections you can hit?
There’s surely no better way to feel refreshed and ready for the day than an off-road adventure before work. We’d just suggest you make sure your workplace has shower facilities if you’re going to go puddle hunting in the winter…
The Lapierre Crosshill range is ideal for commuting, with a tough aluminium frame and internal cable routing, these bikes are built to last and look good for years to come. And, if speed without over-exertion is your thing, why not consider an electric gravel bike?
The e-Crosshill uses some of the most seamless electric bike tech on the market – the MAHLE Smartbike System X35+. It comprises a 250W rear hub motor and an integrated battery in the downtube to provide smooth power assistance when you pedal (up to 15.5mph of course).
E-bikes are ideal for those who want to arrive at work less sweaty and tired – if you live in a super hilly area, for example, having that bit of assistance can encourage you to ride more and feel better for it!
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Race Alternative
Gravel racing is becoming more popular as more former professionals turn their legs to the off-road scene. But for us amateurs, it’s still a friendly and alternative way of scratching that competitive itch. In the UK there are more races being founded every year, and there’s even a national championship title to compete for.
The Lapierre Crosshill bikes are easily adaptable for racing, with wide tyre clearances, compact chainsets and hydraulic disc brakes – they’re built for speed just as much as they are for getting you to and from the office.
It might be the first gravel bike for Lapierre, but we’ve taken everything we know about mountain and road bikes to create a comfortable yet race-ready geometry in the Crosshill. They’re available at budget-friendly price points too. We don’t believe you should need a mortgage to be competitive at racing, or just to take a different route to work. That’s why the Crosshill is so versatile. It’s quite simply a do-it-all bike for anyone and everyone.
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Gravel Bike Adventures are for Veterans and Newbies Alike
Gravel riding and racing is still a relatively new phenomenon, despite having been prominent in places around the world for some time now. If you aren’t ready for racing on the gravel or just want a bike that can provide the ultimate balance between an everyday road bike and a high-level gravel racer, the Lapierre Pulsium SAT may be the option you’re looking for.
The Pulsium SAT has been designed as a road bike – there is no getting away from that. It benefits from an endurance-appropriate frame that has been specifically crafted to strike a balance between comfort and efficiency. However, it also features really generous clearance that can be useful when riding on mud and hard-packed gravel sections… in fact, despite looking like a road bike, the Pulsium SAT 6.0 AXS is engineered to be adaptable to a much broader set of terrains than just the tarmac.
Few bikes have the versatility of the Lapierre Pulsium SAT, it’s a road-and-more bike, a passport to adventures and an alluring invitation to find out what’s down that dirt road you always ride past on your training rides.