Gravel Racing’s Safety Problem Isn’t Going Away
The article relates how in a recent gravel race in Colorado, first responders to a rider crash were impeded by other riders. The article goes on to highlight safety issues in gravel races overall, quoting a pro racer who no longer races gravel because "it's unsafe". Anecdotally, some cyclists I've spoken with who've raced gravel have expressed similar sentiments. The safety issue is of particular concern to me given that my worst cycling crash was on gravel.
I'm interested in the thoughts of those who've raced gravel in the last couple years.
by skepticon444
27 Comments
Every form of bicycle racing is a risk. Honestly, a really big risk. You are literally wearing underwear with a styrofoam cooler from 7-11 on your head. Sometimes going 60+ mph.
One thing that bothers me is that there often isn’t any medical support or sag vehicles in gravel the way there is in many mtb races. If it’s a free or low priced local race, then that’s understandable. But when you are paying a huge entry fee, it’s not acceptable imo. For example, when I crashed at Gravel Worlds, yeah they had a medical station, but I had to ride back there with broken ribs and significant bleeding. Whereas I have driven sag support for mtb races where I happily pick people up if there tummy is a little upset.
And this is why some we dislike races and we prefer sportive rides. No chip, no timing, no official classification, just a day on the bike discovering new roads with more people.
If someone wants to race, let’s organise a race but races are expensive and difficult to organise with road cuts and that stuff.
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pushing yourself past your comfort level and risky riding are a choice. Just go slower and be more cautious. You aren’t making a living racing, so why risk your health?
that doesn’t account for the risky behavior of others or just plain bad luck, but you can certainly mitigate your risk.
I race gravel as a personal challenge. As I’m nowhere near the front fast pack, all my experiences have been fun with a good vibe from the other racers.
Many races now have a single track section to make the races “edgier” or different from other races. Some of these get sketchy, so review the course for anything funky.
Now, if I was in the fastest 10% or racers, I probably wouldn’t do any bike racing as I’m risk averse and old enough that a crash would lay me up for a long time. A buddy of mine who is fast and competitive on bikes will ride his fat bike in races that get sketchy just so he’s not in that riskier front pack.
I’ve done unbound and I didn’t feel unsafe. Granted I think the more unsafe issues occur in the large packs of riders at the front of the race. The rest of us are scattered more throughout the route. I feel like the had a fair number of EMTs throughout the course. They could probably add more dirt bike safety riders out there on the course but it’s a lot of ground to cover.
I enjoy gravel racing despite the risk, but I also have no problem dropping myself from a group that is riding too aggressive. I had that happen at a smaller gravel race when the first chase pack got very pushy shove-y 20 miles from the finish with nothing on the line. One guy ended up taking a tumble in a turn because another guy cut him off. I’ve also seen some questionable choices on road choice at another event.
The major issue I see with the riders is riders getting into the sport without knowing good racing/pack protocol.
We’re all trying to get to the finish safely.
Pushing/shoving/cutting off people/driving them off the road/not calling out hazards and your movement has no place in a gravel race, leave that crap for the crits.
Sounds to me like the perfect cyclocross candidate! Even if you eat shit, you’re eating shit into grass or mud doin about 15
I’ve only done the enduro style races where you race in the timed sections, but party pace in between
There are those racing for Elite or Age Group awards, and then there is everybody else. Gravel seems to be far safer than road or MTB racing. Still, you have to accept responsibility of being in a race. If you feel uncomfortable, back off. I have done Unbound twice, Big Sugar once, and other gravel races. If I do not like being in a big group, or around some riders I think are sketchy, I back off. The sketchy riders I have run across are guys who are riding over their fitness level and bike handling ability. I let them go until they blow and then pass them quickly.
I mean… That makes it pretty clear that the problem isn’t gravel racing. It’s gravel racers, and the only thing that’s going to fix that is enforcement of safety regulations.
Just an extension of the new fuck you culture.
Plenty of grassroots events out there that are totally rad and a little less chaotic I’d say. 🤙
So I ride solo, mostly. I’ve done a few ‘sportives’ where there are down hill sections that the ‘racers’ bomb through that I take more caution on. As a solo rider though one of my primary concerns is my safety, especially routes I’m not too familiar with. Better safe than sorry, so to say
I think some riders get overzealous in their skill level, and go too fast through sections they end up loosing control on
Stravaaaaaaaa
These incidents are among the many reasons why I tend to enjoy small, local races. It’s way more fun to be racing with 60 people than 10,000 people, and with this article in mind I would suggest it’s much safer.
On the one hand people don’t want anything to do with a governing body (UCI, national federation) but on the other hand they expect the safety measurements that they provide.
Groadies/XC racers ruining yet another cycling discipline.
Yeah racing is dangerous. If you’re concerned about it, don’t do it.
There was a video on youtube posted a little while ago from some event where a train had stopped at some crossing, and it couldn’t get going again because like 50 idiot racers decided it was more important to secure that 342nd place by climbing over a live train than stop an let it start going again.
It’s pretty bizarre how all these events are able to run where they clearly have portions of the course go through busy, blind stop signs without traffic management from local law enforcement.
Life is dangerous. Race the gravel
Faster and faster until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death my friend
Do stuff, sometimes you get hurt. If the risk is still worth it, still do it.
Find and replace “gravel” in some of these articles with “bike event” or whatever. Its all the same. I’ve raced MTB for a long time and these “gravel” issues are nothing compared to endurance MTB chaos that can happen or even fondos or huge road rides i’ve been in.
As someone who races Mtb and rides motorcycles I really don’t feel unsafe in gravel races but that’s just me. My frontal lobe is probably damaged and I’m an adrenaline addict so there’s that lol. Broken my hip riding Mtb and regularly have absolutely insane crashes and we fly 30mph through the trees and rocks. All about perspective I guess
I’ve done a few big races and quickly concluded that riding with the fast guys wasn’t for me even on the few days when I had the watts to hang and even take my pulls with the big guns. All it took was one poorly timed flat and all hell would break loose, sometimes at 40+mph. Does this mean there is something wrong with gravel racing? I don’t think so, it just means the risk/reward ratio wasn’t for me. Nothing wrong with that. I realized this most clearly when I was dropped by the fast guys due to a mechanical and realized I was actually happy to be out of that pressure cooker.
I’ve ridden Unbound, MidSouth, and some other events and the biggest issues I have came across were the at the start of the race. Riders are in massive groups and people are trying to get to a better position before the rides transition to gravel/dirt. I just go at my own pace and usually end up passing the some of those same riders who couldn’t maintain their start pace.