While often performed on a specially designed gravel bike, any bicycle capable of covering the terrain can be used.

It allows riders more freedom to choose routes than road cycling, without many of the physical and equipment-related barriers of mountain biking.

Gravel routes frequently lead riders away from paved roads and other built environment, leaving them immersed in nature.

Cyclo-crossers ride off-road (on grass, sand, mud...) on a variant of a road bicycle, on a closed circuit during a relatively short time (1 hour), and jump or carry their bikes over obstacles and steep climbs.

Mountain biking ended up taking the off road aspect of gravel to the extreme, eventually requiring a different yet similar set of skills and equipment.

The type of terrain, weather, length, and time of year all play significant roles in deciding what equipment riders use.

[2] When taking Unbound Gravel as an example, there are checkpoints spaced about 80 kilometres (50 mi) apart for longer races, and riders must carry water and food, as well as fix their own tires and bikes.

This give way to camaraderie on the trail and caters to a fun and relaxed atmosphere that is not always present in road and mountain bike races.

In June 2019, 2,750 riders lucky enough to be picked from a lottery crossed the start line of the Dirty Kanza 200 and organizers had to introduce other mileage categories.

This first edition of the Championship will be held in Veneto in October[20] and the Dutch champion, Mathieu van der Poel is amongst the favoris with Peter Sagan, Nicolas Roche and Alex Howes.

Due to a lack of paved roads in most regions, anyone partaking in an overnight bicycle ride had to prepare in a similar way to how modern gravel cyclists do.

However, since the 2010s, a dedicated type of bicycle is marketed as gravel bike to cover the new cycling discipline.

Compared to road groupsets,[25] gravel groupsets tend to have features from MTB groupsets like a clutched rear derailleur (to keep chain tension on when riding on uneven surfaces to avoid chain jumping), lower gearing options (lower than 1:1, bigger sprockets and/or smaller chainrings, like for example a super-compact 48/32T or 46/30T chainset and a 11-34T cassette), and a wider side-to-side chainline for more tire clearance.

The lower end of that range is closer to road bike tires, making them better suited for light off-road situations.

The wider side approaches mountain bike tires and is well adapted to use on trails with large pebbles, sticks, and worse traction.

Tubeless sealant's ability to effortlessly seal punctures, as well as run lower tire pressure has made it more common than traditional inner tubes in modern gravel cycling.

This allows for easy access to a mobile phone, wallet, or food, although it is limited by low capacity.

Some bags mount behind the seat and can carry sleeping and cooking equipment, but a complete dismount is necessary to access them.

It increases cardiovascular activity for youths[29] and elevates your heart rate to improve riders' circulatory systems.

[30] This makes it a viable option to burn calories, manage weight, and decrease body fat percentage.

Cycling uses every major muscle group in some capacity, providing an effective full body workout.

[33] Participating in group rides or races increases social interaction, which can lead to additional mental health improvements.

Choosing a bicycle over a fossil fuel emitting vehicle, such as a car, dramatically decreases a person's environmental impact.

Fewer harmful chemicals are released into the air, noise pollution is cut down, and carbon emissions decrease.