PEDAL POWER! Josh Rizzo (pictured here) wants bikers to explore the area’s out-of-the-way gravel roads. (Submitted photos)

Gravel biking on low-traffic, off-grid, unpaved gravel roads has been growing in popularity in the last several years. More and more cyclists have been drawn to it because it offers a different kind of biking experience. While gravel roads and bikes have both been around forever, the appeal of specifically seeking out gravel routes begs the question “Why?” It’s not a dumb question. Isn’t gravel a step backwards? Isn’t it less comfortable? Isn’t gravel slower?

I think there are a few things that contribute to the growth in gravel’s popularity. First, gravel roads are almost always quieter with significantly less traffic. You’re in the middle of nowhere with almost no cars, which is more peaceful and lowers your risk of getting hit by a car. Second, it gives a deeper connection with nature. It’s like hiking on a sidewalk in the woods versus a dirt path in the woods. The crunch of dirt and gravel under your tires just feels right. Third, riding gravel bikes simply gives you the freedom to explore areas that were previously inaccessible with road bikes. Riding largely forgotten fire roads, dirt ATV trails, and intimate single-lane roads through woods where cars don’t (or can’t) go can be a really fun experience. Gravel bikes are more versatile and comfortable on a much wider array of road types. Where skinny road bike tires can’t go, gravel bikes thrive.

Do I Need a Special Bike?

No! Well … maybe. Road bikes with skinny tires are about the only kind of bike that isn’t very well suited to gravel. But that old mountain bike in your garage? Go for it! The hybrid bike from college that you keep meaning to put on Facebook Marketplace? It would be perfect! Sure, you could buy an actual gravel bike, but “gravel bike” is just a marketing term. Any bike with slightly wider tires should work fine.

Other Things to Keep in Mind

Let’s cover a few more things, then hit the road. Make sure to tell someone where you’re going. You’re unlikely to get a cell signal on those off-grid woodsy gravel roads, and if something goes wrong you’ll be waiting a very long time before a car comes by. Speaking of things going wrong, make sure to bring a spare tube. Those chunky gravel roads can occasionally pop a tire, especially if you’re trying gravel biking on an old bike for the first time. Lastly, be careful on the corners. Gravel is slippery and you can’t turn as tight as you can on a road bike. That’s about it! Now let’s talk about where you can ride gravel around the Chippewa Valley.

Riding Gravel Near Eau Claire: Four Options

While the immediate Eau Claire area has pretty minimal gravel, there are several options that are just a short drive away. You’re either driving 40 minutes north or east or driving 30 minutes west or southwest to get on our region’s gravel roads. A little bit of driving simply means there’s a whole bunch of variety within the Eau Claire area. If you don’t mind a short drive, all four ingredients to great gravel biking live right here near Eau Claire: deep woods, tangled waterways, classic Wisco farms, and a slice of the Driftless Region. You can find more details on these and other local routes online at thenxrth.com/eau-claire-gravel-biking-guide.)

Augusta Gravel

Augusta is your all-gravel deepwoods hideout. You could make an entire weekend of exploring the roads, rivers, cascades, and campgrounds and wondering, “What’s down this side road?”

As you navigate around curious fire lanes and grab snacks on bridges over the Eau Claire River and Horse Creek, you’ll notice that the types of gravel you’re riding on are constantly changing. Just as you’re getting used to one type of gravel, it dances away and a new partner enters for a few miles until the type of gravel all changes again.

Mondovi Gravel

Mondovi is our area’s closest slice of the Driftless Region, which means big long hills and sweeping views the entire time. There are fairly equal portions of gravel and pavement, and you’ll fall in love with these valleys. Routes in this area have long punchy climbs through rippling valleys making them a ton of fun.

Menomonie /Dunnville Gravel

Menomonie has a great riverside route with possibly the best coffee shop and pizza/brewery destinations for local gravel rides. It might be disingenuous to call this a “gravel area.” To be fair, it’s a lot of things but it’s not a typical gravel area. You’ll be riding on gravel, pavement, sand, and grass and you’ll always be close to the river.

Hickory Ridge & Chippewa Moraines

Park at the Hickory Ridge mountain biking trailhead and go explore some really beautiful gravel roads in these county forests. This area is known for the moraines, sediment left behind by glaciers, which makes for a lot of really fun rolling hills. Hit these gravel roads up in the fall, the lakes and forests will be bursting with color.

Josh Rizzo of Eau Claire is an avid, year-round biker and founder of TheNxrth.com, which covers gravel, fat, and bikepacking in the Northwoods of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the U.P.