Why gravelle.life Exists

Gravel + elle (she/her) = gravelle

Jess (left) and I are so stoked you’re here! Photo: Jussi Oksanen

By Julia Polloreno
@juliapolloreno

I have been riding bikes (at a fairly mediocre level) for a long time. I bought my first road bike in 2002, when I was starting to get into triathlon, and was later introduced to the thrill (and periodic terror) of mountain biking by my husband Lance, also an avid cyclist. A couple years ago, we jumped on the gravel bandwagon and have never looked back. For me, cycling, in all its forms, lets me venture farther out into the world while drawing closer to my self. And gravel cycling in particular combines the best parts of road riding and mountain biking—there’s the freedom and satisfaction of covering lots of unpaved miles but without the requirement of Kate Courtney-level technical skills (all hail, Queen Kate). I love the versatility and choose-your-own-adventure quality of gravel riding. I recently went all-in with a gravel bike set up, and am constantly seeking out my next two-wheeled adventure.

Recently while scrolling Instagram, I came across an announcement of a new gravel ride in the Midwest. The post clicked through to an article produced by a main media source for gravel cycling enthusiasts. After outlining all the cool course features and event details, the article ended with a line to the effect of, “So why not bring along the wife and kids for a weekend of fun?”

I sent a screenshot to my friend, Jess, a badass pro cyclist and major advocate for women’s gravel cycling (I’ve done one of her excellent gravel camps) and her response mirrored mine: ‘Seriously?’ That recruiting language may seem like a minor misstep by one person, but it struck a chord because it reflects a broader, implicit exclusion of women as competitive counterparts. Someone at that media entity hit “publish” without thinking twice about a very large audience of athletes.

After venting with Jess about it for a few minutes, the best course of (re)action became obvious: Create an inclusive, intentional resource for women gravel cyclists. Our goal is to deliver quality content that will equip and inspire you to pursue your own gravel goals, whether it’s to have more fun, get fit, explore more or compete at a higher level (it’s all of the above for me).

It’s time to finally ditch the dated bro culture in cycling.

Welcome to gravelle.life—we’re thrilled you’ve joined us for the ride.

Feel free to reach out with article ideas and things you’d like to see here. The “Contact” tab at the top of the page is the best way to get in touch.