Why Gravel Cycling Is Growing in Ireland

A Giant Store Dublin Perspective

More Than One Type of Cycling

At Giant Store Dublin, cycling has never been about just one discipline.

Road bikes are an important part of our business and our cycling community, but so too are commuter hybrid, electric and mountain bikes. Every day we meet riders using bikes for very different reasons — from commuting to work and everyday transport to weekend road rides, mountain biking, fitness, leisure and family cycling.

That's one of the reasons we're particularly excited about the growth of gravel. We don't see it as replacing any existing type of cycling. Instead, it's another part of an increasingly diverse cycling community and another opportunity for people to discover just how versatile cycling can be.

Whether someone comes to us looking for a Giant TCR or Propel for performance road riding, a Defy for endurance, a Revolt for gravel adventures, a Talon or Trance for the trails, or simply a dependable bike for getting around Dublin, the objective is ultimately the same:

Helping more people find the right bike for the way they want to ride.

For us, the growth of gravel isn't about one cycling discipline becoming more popular at the expense of another.

It's about giving people more ways to ride.

Gravel is becoming another part of the Giant Store Dublin cycling community, giving our riders even more ways to get out, explore and enjoy their bikes.

Another Dimension to Cycling

Gravel adds another dimension to cycling — exploring new routes, riding with friends and discovering places you might never see from the road.

One of gravel's biggest attractions is variety.

Road cycling offers speed, efficiency, distance and the fantastic feeling of covering kilometres on a great road bike. Gravel brings something different: mixed surfaces, exploration and adventure.

The two complement each other extremely well.

In fact, many of the people becoming interested in gravel are enthusiastic road cyclists who aren't giving anything up.

They're simply adding another type of cycling to what they already enjoy.

That's an important distinction.

A cyclist can love a fast Sunday road spin, train for a sportive, enjoy climbing through Wicklow and still get excited about taking a gravel bike onto a forest track.

There doesn't have to be a choice between road and gravel.

Ireland Has Fantastic Terrain for Both

We're fortunate in Ireland to have an incredible variety of cycling terrain.

For road riders, we have everything from rolling countryside and quiet country lanes to some fantastic climbing in areas such as Wicklow and beyond. 

Gravel opens another layer of that landscape.

Forest roads, boreens, bog roads, canal paths, farm tracks and mixed-surface routes allow cyclists to explore places they might never otherwise see from a bike.

Sometimes the best gravel rides are the simplest — pick a track, follow it and see where it takes you.

Sometimes the two even come together on the same ride.

You can spend part of the day rolling quickly along the road before turning onto a gravel section and discovering somewhere completely new.

That's part of the appeal.

Ireland's Growing Gravel Calendar

Ireland's growing calendar of gravel events is giving riders of all abilities new challenges to put in the diary.

Another indication of gravel's development is the number of dedicated events now appearing around Ireland.

The Gravel Ride Series (GRS) has helped introduce riders to gravel adventures in locations including the Slieve Blooms, Wicklow and Slieve Aughty.

The Lakelander Gravel Grinder in Fermanagh has established itself as another significant fixture, combining forest roads, spectacular scenery and challenging terrain.

On the west coast, the Galway Gravel Grinder showcases the variety that makes Irish gravel so interesting, incorporating forest roads, farm roads, boreens and gravel.

Then there's Gravel Grind West in Mayo, with distances ranging from approximately 65km and 100km through to a substantial 200km challenge.

Alongside these larger events, we're also seeing club rides, social gravel spins and smaller mixed-surface adventures appearing throughout the year.

It gives riders something new to put in the calendar alongside their favourite road sportives and cycling events.

One Rider – Two Very Different Experiences

Imagine two Sundays.

On the first, you're on a Giant - TCR / Langma, Propel / EnviLiv a Defy or an Avail, heading out on smooth roads with your group. You're enjoying the speed of the bike, covering distance efficiently and maybe taking on some of Wicklow's famous climbs.

The following weekend you're on a Giant Revolt or Devote, heading towards a forest road or gravel track and wondering what's around the next corner.

Both rides can be challenging.

Both can be social.

Both can take you to incredible places.

But they provide two completely different cycling experiences.

And that's exactly the point.

Gravel isn't asking cyclists to choose between disciplines. It's giving us more reasons to ride.

Why the Giant Revolt Makes Sense

The Giant Revolt — built to open up a whole new range of roads, tracks and trails.

The growth of gravel also explains why bikes such as the Giant Revolt or Devote have become such an important part of the Giant range.

Versatility is at the heart of the Revolt and Devote

It can handle significant road mileage while opening up gravel roads, tracks and rougher surfaces that wouldn't normally be suitable for a performance road bike.

For some customers, a gravel bike will be their main bike.

For others, it will sit alongside their road bike.

Someone might have a Propel or EnviLiv for outright speed, a TCR or Langma for performance and climbing, or a Defy or Avail for long-distance endurance riding — and then add a Revolt or Devote for gravel adventures.

It's not about one bike replacing another.

It's about choosing the right bike for the ride you want to do.

Gravel Can Bring More People Into Cycling

Gravel doesn't have to be about racing — sometimes it's simply about getting out, exploring and enjoying the ride.

There's another reason we're excited about gravel.

Not everybody enters cycling through the same door.

Some people are attracted by road cycling and the speed and efficiency of a road bike.

Others discover cycling through mountain biking.

Some want commuting or leisure cycling.

And increasingly, some people are discovering cycling because the idea of a gravel adventure appeals to them.

If gravel encourages somebody to buy their first proper bike, join a group ride or sign up for an event, that's good for the entire cycling community.

And once people discover how enjoyable cycling can be, they often become interested in other disciplines too.

Today's new gravel rider could easily become tomorrow's road cyclist — and vice versa.

More Bikes, More Events, More Adventures

Part of the appeal of gravel is everything around the ride — the bikes, the places, the people and the shared adventure.

From our perspective at Giant Store Dublin, the growth of gravel should be viewed as part of a much bigger positive story about cycling.

Commuter , Road racing and Mountainbike cycling remains central to what we do and to the Irish cycling community.

Gravel simply adds another exciting opportunity.

More types of bikes.

More events.

More places to ride.

More reasons to get out at the weekend.

And ultimately, more people enjoying cycling.

Whether your perfect Sunday involves a Propel on a fast road ride, a TCR heading for the hills, a Defy on a long endurance adventure or a Revolt disappearing down a gravel track, there's room for all of it.

At Giant Store Dublin, that's the cycling culture we want to encourage.

Ride road. Ride gravel. Explore more.

Talk to Giant Store Dublin

If you're considering a new road or gravel bike, call into Giant Store Dublin and talk to us about the type of riding you want to do.

Whether that's road racing, sportives, long-distance road riding, your first gravel event or simply having a bike that opens up more places to explore, we can help you find the right Giant or Liv bike for your riding.

Because ultimately, it isn't about road versus gravel.

It's about riding more. . . .