Gravel - A Love Letter
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- čas přidán 25. 02. 2022
- 'Gravel - A Love Letter' is a documentary film that captures the essence of gravel cycling by sharing what it means to riders, including three PEARL iZUMi athletes, Hannah Shell, Marley Blonsky and Angela Naeth. The film explores the origins of gravel racing and the impact it has on the communities and people’s lives it touches.
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While I'm not a racer, and may never be, gravel cycling is where my heart is. It's absolute serenity on two wheels. Just my bike crunching away, mile after mile. It's adventure. There's days where it's exhilarating with perfect conditions, and you're just taking it by the horns. There's days it feels like the worst ride ever and you're getting gored by the horns. Either way, it beats not riding at all. My worst rides make my best rides even better. My best rides feel like I can't top it, and I always find a way to top it somehow.
Whether you race or not, gravel really is for everyone! The community within gravel is a positive and welcoming place. You're right, any ride beats no ride at all. We hope to see you out there! Enjoy the ride :)
Very well written!!
Crazy to think I wrote this a year ago because I literally just raced my first two crit races Friday and Saturday. Literally the hardest 2 rides I've ever done, but I seriously loved every single minute and was beyond ecstatic that I finished both!
well said!
This is a love letter to this film: thank you.
I bought a MTB because I love the outdoors. Living in rural Nebraska, I realized there aren't any mountains. I still rode my MTB all across the gravel roads around me. I love it. Its good for my health. Seeing all of hog barns, creeks, beautiful farm houses, cemeteries, and combines that I share the road with, I am truly fond of gravel cycling.
Thank you for the document. Gravel bike brought me back to my childhood, where we only have one universal bike, crappy of course, but we drive everywhere. And gravel is the same. You do not have to think about the quality of the road. Nothink can stop you. Great feeling.
O what joy riding gravel bike gives... Brings tears to my eyes while watching this!! ;-)
Howdy! Thanks for the watch and we're grateful for the kind words and your involvement in the cycling community. Hopefully we can catch a ride sometime!
I don’t do a lot of gravel riding but I loved every moment of this. More please. I think gravel to me is what mountain biking was 20 years ago, when you didn’t worry about how many clicks of high speed compression you had or if you need tire liners or what strava time you did on a one minute segment.
I’ve started riding the gravel trails near my house and it’s been liberating. I hope everyone else gets the same feeling for riding.
Howdy John, Justin here that directed the film. Thanks SOOOO much for the watch and your kind words. Gravel roads are a breath of fresh air. I absolutely love connecting open spaces around my house with urban bike paths and single track. Welcome to the gravel family. We hope to see you out there!
Love it John! It's amazing how many great routes open up when you start to see gravel roads as great place to ride.
Your story sounds like mine, I started riding gravel on a trail bike then moved onto an XC bike and longer gravel rides, just finished up building a gravel bike I have come full circle as to why I started mountain biking. I have some of the best gravel all around my area and I never even realized how great it was. But now I do. cheers
Very similar to MTB’ing. More about building relationships, a sense of community, and sharing the stoke and positive vibes, rather than sock length or making sure your helmet straps are inside the arms of your sunglasses. Great video. Currently training for my first legit gravel race (unPAved Susquehanna). Thanks for putting this film together!
Howdy 302! You are spot on. Thanks for watching and sharing the stoke. Best of luck on your journey!
Feels like gravel rides are even more chill. Usually just start from your house instead of loading a MTB on the car, less specific gear (especially safety) than MTB, and you aren’t worried about specific grades of trails, just riding around potentially getting lost.
You're spot on about the gravel vibe, but we don't see any reason not to bring that to the road too! Good luck on your race!
See you at UNPAVED! Hopefully no rain this year. Last year I looked like I rolled around in mud all day :)
@@fraji1 haha, it was crazy!
Great video. I'm and avid cyclist, Mtn., Road, & Gravel. Out of all three, gravel is fast becoming my favorite. Simply love being able to ride on any surface and being out in the middle of nowhere, either solo or with friends. After watching this video I'm now eager to participate in an organized gravel event.
I got into gravel bikes by way of road biking on lousy back roads that my 25s were not fit for. Now I can go anywhere! It’s so much fun. Bikes are good for the soul. 🙏🤘
What a wonderful influence the gravel community has on the world!!
Wow. What a beautiful film. Love the human connection and community that this cycling film captures.
Just thank you for all the reminders that just going out having fun all day long in the saddle and out is the most important of it all! ❤️
Just going out right now for a big ride stay safe everybody!!
Howdy, thanks for the watch and sharing your thoughts. Enjoy your ride and maybe we can catch you on a back road someday!
Hi! Thank you for taking time out of your day to watch the film. You're right, it's a solid reminder to always have a little bit of fun along the way. Keep on riding and we hope to see you out there!
I started riding road bikes as a teenager in the late eighties and early nineties riding fast and mostly sport touring to augment long distance running. My passion was trail running and cycling, to me, was always a alternative to running. I had a couple of minor injuries and decided to buy a gravel bike this summer (Kona Rove DL) and discovered how much I misssed cycling. Running is my passion but I like cycling just as much. So many memories riding my BMX bike as a kid then road cycling as a teenager and young adult now as a middle aged man an all purpose bike, gravel. I’ve come full circle.
This was a good video.
I’ve got a Crux and this awesome film makes me want to go ride it! Community, adventure, freedom, a bit of suffering- so good for the soul.
That's RAD Michael! We're looking forward to seeing you out there on the gravel roads!
Getting back out there is always good for soul! We hope to see you there!
@@pearlizumi I live in Iowa in my youth, but didn’t cycle then. I live in Phoenix, AZ now and have been cycling the last 8 years. I’m surrounded with good trails, roads, and gravel here, but would like to check out the Midwest and ride.
@@pearlizumi Oh and btw, I’ve been rocking Pearl Izumi shorts and gloves for all of those 8 and will continue to do so!
Do it Michael, you'll look at the state in a whole new way.
I'm about to buy my first bike for a more healthy lifestyle and not just a weekend/commute bike. My question was: road or gravel bike?
I've been researching for a while now and this video just made my mind. That was exactly what I needed. This is my kind of tribe.
This was such a beautiful video. It made me reflect on the special connection of freedom and joy and biking. It gets lost on you when you are mostly biking as a means of commute. Loved the video. Thank you for spurring all the amazing emotions that we associate with riding our bikes, taking our hearts to the sheer limitlessness of how we felt when we started.
This brought tears to my eyes. I hope to be part of these epic events in the future.
Amanda nailed it: Like being a 5 year-old riding anywhere! THAT is the essence of gravel riding. But, hey, I'm a kid from Western Montana; where gravel is life.
Yeah she did! Thanks for the watch and the sharing your thoughts. Sounds like there is some great riding up there. Hope we can catch a ride soon!
We will need to come to Montana sometime for a ride! Thank you for the kind words about the film. We are so stoked you enjoyed it.
@@pearlizumi My pleasure! I’m a riding buddy of your rep, Tim Wisner (TWiz) here in South Florida where I’ve lived the last 15 years. I met Amanda at the 2020 Sugarcane200 here (when she passed me with Jamie Bestwick 130 miles in!) - Amanda is a beast! Come to Florida and ride the endless, flat, windy humid, beautiful gravel. You can learn to gatorhop!
Thank you for such an amazing film!
Why worry if international governing body of cycling enters gravel cycling?
This is our country. We will have our races how we want to conduct them! We don't need some outside organization telling us
How to run them. This is a great video by the way. I love it.
Love This ! ❤
2010 - " you just show up and do events". ..... 2022 - $140 to register.
Awesome Movie, thank you very much!
This is how I ride. I don't use Strava or whatever else because of the disruption they bring into my ride. I ride old mtb, just ride to wherever I want and explore. If I got lost, then whip out the electronic map and find my way back :). I can always just track back my ride, but, where is the fun in it? Thank you for the film. This captures the spirit of freedom that a lot of riders nowadays have lost. Too much emphasis on look and performance, just ride and have fun.
Thanks for watching and we are so glad you liked it! We hope to see you out there, enjoying the ride :)
Super work Pearl - nice to see it’s not all about the race, but the ride.
This is awesome on so many levels!
Represent! 🇵🇭
Mahirap pero masaya. 🤙🏻
Beautiful, what a feeling this community brings to each-other…thank you for sharing this film, I smiled all the way through….
Beautiful beautiful documentary !!
Really blown away with how it’s for everyone. I’m new to cycling living in small town Iowa and this is encouraging to take my leisurely riding and try an event! Just really seems like no one cares what you look like or what you ride just as long as you have fun and push yourself! Thanks for the amazing video and great content!!! You have a new subscriber and a fan of the brand.
This could very well be the best gravel dedicated film created thus far. So awesome!
Howdy Edwin. That is such a compliment. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts. It really means a ton when others appreciate it after we've worked so hard. Enjoy your day and hopefully catch a ride soon!
Too kind, we had fun making it!
@@justinbalog my sincere apologies for the delay in reply. I would so enjoy catching a ride some day! Cheers!
Man that was a great watch. I felt a lot of those testimonials in my soul. New to bike scene as of 4/22/22. An I’m all in with my gravel bike. Thank you for this video🙌🏾🙌🏾
Great to see so many familiar and smiling faces
Right? The community is sooooo tight. Thanks for the watch and the love!
Thank you for making this film. It was wonderful! Words can’t express the depth of my gratitude for gravel riding. It’s brought a dimension of joy into my life that I haven’t anywhere else.
What a great story,cheers from indonesian graveller 🍻
I signed up for my first Gravel World's this year. I can't wait for the challenge. Keep gravel pure, you guys are awesome.
Thanks so much Henry. Congrats on your entry, maybe I will see you out there. Josh Scott (the person who wrote the soundtrack) and I will be at worlds working on a photo project together. Keep being #RAD!
You will enjoy it. I love doing them and I'm an old fat dude.
@@DaveCM I'm down 20lbs since October, hopefully another 30 by GW in August. Hoping to be faster and ride further at 40 than ever before.
@@justinbalog inspirational video man. Made me feel the same wanderlust I get when I'm in the middle of nowhere listening to the wind blow through the fields in Nebraska. I had to share it with my wife and kid immediately. I think it opened their eyes a bit about the world of gravel riding, and just what kind of challenge I signed up for this summer.
@@mrhankbotful that's so cool to hear. Maybe you'll make the gravel thing a family affair. So stoked for you and I think I will be out there this year with the JHS band. We'd love to meet you!
You guys captured it! Really nice work here!!!
The last shot at 27:30 was amazing. Great video and a better message about gravel. Long live the unpaved roads.
thank you this is what I'm looking for. Im not fast anymore, but would love to participate in events, even if I can't keep up with the fast guys
Most of us can't keep up with the fast guys Doug. We'll see you out there!
Very inspiring film. Beautiful. I loved it! That's why I'm into Gravel.
Very nicely done! Great narrative nice b-rolls, high quality documentary! Thank you for the experience. I'm 32 and searching for my first gravel bike for about a month now and this video just convinced me that I really want to do this. Thank you!
Represent! 🇵🇭😃
Oo!
Fantastic vid. You captured the spirit and love of people and cycling and people cycling. Bravo!
WoW que bueno 😃
Me encanta el gravel y me emociono con los ciclistas, buen video 👏👏
4:24 I just want to say let this man know, a fellow Filipino, if he ever come to watch this video, that the inaugural uci gravel world series race will be happening here in the Philippines on April 3, 2022. Cheers sir.
Super fun to watch!😊
Excellent! Thank you!
Howdy, thanks for the watch and reaching out. So glad you liked it!
Thank you! Stoked you enjoyed the film!
Love I Soo cool, yeah Bro 😎 I started gravel riding about 2 years ago and love it!!!!
Nothing but love RUDY! Stoked to see you out there!
That's awesome! Keep on riding and we will see you out there.
AMAZING!! molte grazie per aver spiegato con il cuore cosa significa per voi Gravel. Immagini stupende.
These are the same type of sentiments that people had when mountain biking was beginning to get big in the early 80's. The attraction then was that you could go off roads, paved or gravel, and see new places and scenery. The vibe was similar among cyclists then. As soon as the UCI steps in, it tends to kill the grassroots feel of the sport.
Nobody cares about the UCI. I live in Belgium and there are still plenty of no rule road events here. If you aren't racing the UCI doesn't effect you. I just drive gravel and mountainbike because I like being away from busy traffic and out in calm beautiful nature. The UCI is not preventing anyone from having a good time on a bike or take away a 'grassroots feel' whatever that may be.
@@Iron883Man they do. At least indirectly. Why do you think brands are so hellbent on making race specific bikes?
@@Migstsukoleyts No they don't. Race specific gravel bikes have been around for longer then the UCI dug into gravel.
a) Competitive gravel racing came with popularity of the sport. The more people get an interest, the more sponsors these events get and that's what created the opportunity for professional athletes to enter the sport. This is a natural evolution regardless of what the UCI would have done.
b) I anything the UCI holds back the evolution of the bikes used in cycling races. Just look at the insane triathlon bikes that are being used in the Iron Man where there are no rules and compare them to time trial bikes used in UCI events. If there was no regulation in cycling the bikes would be vastly more extreme then they are now and most likely not as (relatively) affordable as they are now.
c) Virtually every brand out there is still making bikes that are more focused on comfort and less on aero and racing. If you don't want to buy a race specific bike...then simply don't. There are more bike models that are comfort oriented around then race specific ones. Yes, brands advertise their race specific bikes vastly more because it's simply the bike most people 'want' and very often the bike that brings the most profit to the manufacturer. But no one is forcing you to buy the most expensive top model and the catalogs are still full of more casual bikes.
So no, as long as you aren't racing, the UCI doesn't effect you in the slightest. And if you are racing, the UCI is holding you back more often then they let you go bananas on technology.
Loved this so much, and the opening clip is the best vibe
Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts!
This was awesome! 🤘🏾
Wow, this short film spoke to my soul--it invoked this desire for something, almost like heaven. I really wish my bike (which was a gravel bike) hadn't been stolen earlier this year :( Watching this inspires me to just get out there and see how far I can go. I hope one day I'll get a new gravel bike and be able to pursue after that taste of heaven!
Thank you for sharing! We hope you are able to get a new gravel bike so you can get back to riding!
Brilliant video and so true
Thanks Dave, we really appreciate it. Keep being #RAD!
Love the video all this is what we said abut mountain bikeing back in the early 90's
This is beautiful
Perfect!!! ❤❤❤❤
This video convinced me to keep my gravel bike. Got it at the beginning of the pandemic, it's too heavy (steel frame) and probably a couple cm too large a frame..but it does allow a certain freedom that the road bike I got last April won't. It was down to my mountain bike or my gravel bike, for the "chopping block" and better to keep a 2 year old gravel than a 25ish year old mountain bike. I'm no spring chicken, so the riding surface I will choose won't be something I absolutely NEED a mountain bike for. I won't be jumping anything, not anymore. Yep, Fuji Jari 2.5 is back. Have to clean her up a bit and maybe work over the disc brakes but she's not going anywhere
Have you thought about storing your MTB in your bedroom, or maybe you have a formal dining room? Hate to see you sell a bike...
Great job with this Pearl iZUMI! - really love how it came across :)
Thanks for the watch and the shout. We really appreciate it!
Thank you so much!
Excellent!!!!!!
Thanks Kent, so glad you enjoyed it!
Great work! Loveit!
Thanks a lot!
Fukengruven video! Gravel is just another paved road with lots of dirt! Awesome Pear Izumi! Do more!
Beautiful! A Justin Balog masterpiece!
Too kind Amanda, thanks so much for the watch and sharing this. It means a ton! Keep being #RAD and we'll catch a ride soon!
Yep, he crushed it!
Well, it’s 30 degrees and snowing but looks like I’ve got to get out the bike! Great video, good inspiration, looking forward to nice summer rides!
We are too Mike!
love to hear tagalog is this video. love it!
This is a pretty great short film -- seems to capture the spirit
Howdy! Thanks for watching and reaching out. We're so glad you liked it!
Love it👊🏼
Back at you Andy, thanks for the love! Catch a ride soon?
Thx PI…. Awesome video…
And, let’s all just ignore the UCI…. If organizers and racers and sponsors ignore them, they’re irrelevant - and it seems to be working up to now…
Howdy! Thanks CC. We really appreciate the watch and the kind words. Have a great day and hope to catch a ride soon!
Awesomeness 👌
Great video. 👍 I'm happy to wear your clothing when I put my kit on.
Thank you! We're thrilled you enjoyed it!
Succinct and great advice! Thanks
Very nicely done!
Thank you! Cheers!
Can attest, SBT GRVL is a fantastic event. A lot of great events growing on the East Coast as well.
Agreed, SBT is beautiful. I'd absolutely love to get out to the east coast to capture what's going on out there!
"Gravel is 'matindi,' it's so 'mahirap'. But it's fun"
"matindi" = intense
"mahirap" = hard
Cheers from the Philippines 🇵🇭
Its like a symphony for my mind..... i love this gravel film.... its really deep for me. Hope soo some ride in Czech republic..... hope soo;-)
Oh man this is a great movie!
It reminds me sooo much off ultra running. It’s basically the same. The community, the spirit, everything. I ride my bike due to cross training for running and skiing, but when I look at this I definitely need to sign up for this ✌🏼
Please, Please UCI don’t take that away!!!
Well said!
Awesome😍
Beatiful! Saludos! ❤️🇨🇱
Thank you!
Damn! How are there not more people on bicycles than there are?!
Gravel is community, friendship.
Road race is competition and rivalry
minute 15 and more seeing everyone at their lowest but knowing it only gets better.
I wonder what % of cyclists are ultrarunners too. The views the people expressed in the video of what gravel is to them are 100% the same you’d get from interviewing participants of an ultra trail race. There are areas in this world where bikes can’t (or shouldn’t due to laws) go and having the same mentality but taking the adventure to foot is such a unique experience.
That's a great point. We'd be curious to know too. Thanks for watching!
Coming from Triathlon Iron-man, 10 years ago My Daughter start racing Mountain bike and I follow her and fall in LOVE with MTB. few days ago I purchases Gravel bike for my wife as I would do the same. with additional chapter on 2 wheels.
Nice one!
Thank you! Cheers!
Best thing I have done recently is get back on a bike. I'm sssso happy I choose a gravel. Instead of a pair of Louboutin's my midlife crisis got me a Cannondale Topstone 1....I'm in love : )))))
What a great video. Just awesome....it gives a feeling to me that i want to join the ride. I started cycling 10 years ago. I've did road rides, mountain biking but finally i found it with gravel rides. Does Pearl Izumi organize rides in The Netherlands?
Way to rep the scene, Corey and Marley! It’s special in LNK
#LEGENDS
The Nebraska ad campaign, "It's not for everyone" should have included the beautiful rolling gravel roads...that would have driven some visits!
Hmmm... For me, tarmac and gravel riding is beautiful because I can be ALONE, I can be out of any community. This is the most important for me in cycling, I can do what I want, my pace, my stops, as long as I want, distance is up to me, nobody tells me what to do.
BWR-SD lost it's way this year with events on different days. Hope they go back to single day eventually
Wow,Gravel is Freedom...in youself...
👏👏👏
Howdy Karllo, thanks so much for the watch and super nice emojis!
How i wish to ride with fr3dom..i use to ride my gravel bike here in phil always going solo.. Climb mountain rough roads and its fulfillment..its a dream ride and freedom....
Freedom out and about
Great
Thanks so much, hope to catch a ride soon!
Gravel is dirt that was once rock... that plus sized woman cyclist .. a darn trooper! to get out there keep turning the cranks!
😍😍😍
Glad you liked it Outerbike! Thanks for the watch and the comments.
🤙
Awesome film - just a note though,dont confuse Mountain Biking with the old skool Cross country from the mid eighties, they were very different scenes ... off on my bike now :)
Thanks and point well made! Enjoy your ride thanks for watching and sharing a note.
worrrrrd...
This is what road riding in Texas was like until the 1990s. Is the dust hard on your respiratory system?
Gravel then: "You didn't have to sign up in advance, you could just show up and be there."
Gravel now: [refresh, refresh, refresh, refresh] - $200 - [Pay Now]..."Damn, didn't get in."