I recently made a video reflecting on my "switch" from BMX to gravel riding and it got me thinking this morning about how many others might have had a similar experience.
I rode BMX competitively for years. It was everything. The community, the sessions… even the slams. But over time, I needed something different. Gravel riding (mix of road + trail) gave me a freedom I didn’t expect. No car, no driving… just clip in and ride straight from my front door. I’ve seen more of my city in a few rides than I ever did before, and it’s reconnected me to why I love bikes in the first place.
Curious if anyone else here switched disciplines and found it way better than expected? What surprised you the most?
by jasonwlorenz
14 Comments
Did switch disciplines, but added biking to the way I see cities. I used to travel all over the world, see places, enjoy them as a tourist, but you don’t get out of the main core too much. On certain trips, I now just take my bike and it allows me to see completely different areas of cities and it adds a more “fun” factor to exploring.
Fellow BMX’er to Roadie.
I appreciate the health benefits from over a decade of riding! It’s a switch I’ll never regret. I still have a dirt jumper I take to the local trails, but I’m jumping far less bigger gaps. My adrenaline now is on 3+ hour long climbs in the mountains. Can’t beat it!
I didn’t switch so much as add. Was a pure roadie. Now I ride road, MTB, gravel, CX. Why give up what you love?
Also, I actually want to try BMX. What’s the easiest way to get into the sport as a mid-30s guy?
I’ve been mountain biking for 15 years. I mainly just wanted to ride DH and hit jumps. Living in a pretty flat area made that kinda suck. Few years ago I bought my first gravel bike and it completely changed biking for me. It built up my strength and endurance and I began riding all the XC trails around me so much faster that it became fun. I still love DH and jumps but if you go fast enough any single track can be a riot. You just need the strength and endurance to do that and gravel is what got me there. I am in the best shape I ever have been now and I ride more in 1 month then I use to an entire year.
I use to make fun of the roadies in their spandex, swore up and down for years it would never be me. Here I am now with a closet full of lycra joining group rides weekly. Never say never.
I used to ride bmx and miss the community so much, even the skaters. 😉 I had to quit because of my lower back not agreeing with the bmx.
Riding gravel bikes is totally different for me since I always ride alone, but that’s how I like it.
Hmm. Went from road bike to gravel, cause roads bored me. Used gravel bike for MTB stuff, now I mostly take my MTB out the shed. Natural progression.
Your start somewhere and end up where you like it most.
Sort of. After I tried mountain biking, I crashed and shattered my wrist requiring surgery and a plate. Now I don’t bomb down hills on my road bike. I ride the brake. Buddy says I’m gun shy now
Went road to gravel because of boredom and aggressive drivers. Then picked up XC MTB to build my handling skills for technical stuff on gravel.
I’ve ridden virtually every discipline of cycling over the years, often switching back and forth every week. I don’t have a BMX any longer, but I do have a dirt jumper, and at 52, that’s as small as I’m willing to go. I’ve ridden road, trail MTBs, raced DH, enduro, XC, cross, you name it. I just like bikes.
Plus, if I ride different types of terrain/formats, I can more easily justify adding another bike to the quiver to my wife. I’m at six and counting …
it gave me a tremendous amount of flexibility
The More bikes, you ride the better you get a bike riding 🙂
I always rode a marathon mtb. When I switched place I encountered with numerous well shaped and maintained trails. A simple bike wasn’t enough for that. An trail/enduro fully opened up many new possibilietes. I have built a couple of gravel bikes, but they are kinda unsalty for me. Why would you sacrafice your comfort/suspension fork and use road handlebar on difficult terrain? They do work, but I would choose the mtb over a gravel any day.
I also came from bmx. I grew up in Texas racing bmx and moved to Utah for college. There’s a solid scene for both bmx and mtb here. Most of my bmx friends have gotten mountain bikes too.
I ride mtb and road a lot more now, but still ride some bmx. I get the same enjoyment out of training and pushing myself on longer rides that I used to get from learning new tricks.
At the end of the day it’s all bikes and I just enjoy being on 2 wheels and hanging out with my friends. Doesn’t matter what the wheel size is.
The only “racing” I have never done is downhill. I’ve done crits, road races, track, bmx, cross country, time trials, etc. I spent my teens and early 20s working in shops. Now I mostly ride gravel with a little cross country thrown in.
Bikes are fun. Gravel bikes are a jack of all trades and a master of none which makes them just about whatever you want them to be.