Who are gravel bike riders? Dutch study finds out
The Dutch cycling association NTFU, alongside readers of key enthusiast magazines, has explored the factors driving the rise and rise of gravel bike riding, exploring crossover with other segments, brand popularity, pricing and ride habits.
There has long held a notion that gravel is in part driven by road cyclists who are growing weary of traffic in the roads in the UK, but in Holland where the infrastructure is comparatively dreamy is there any evidence to back this idea?
The study finds that 93% of gravel riders do indeed have another bike at home and more than half of those say it’s a road bike, while 40% own a mountain bike. Around a third suggest they have both to hand. An alteration between road and gravel riding was apparently particularly popular.
The average sales price of bike purchases is notably higher in Holland than in the UK, for example, and while it’s eBikes primarily driving values higher, high ticket purchases like performance gravel bikes are moving the needle further; riders spend on average €2,776 on a bike for fire road jaunts. That is substantially higher than what the same pool said they spend on road or mountain bikes at €1,517 and €1,086, respectively. Just under 5% made their purchase second-hand, illustrating the opportunity that remains at bike retail, where 61% said they bought physically and 10% online. A further fifth bought from a pure online outlet.
As for brands sought, it is Canyon, Cannondale and Specialized that dominate the market in Holland.
As for riding habits, gravel bike riders go prepared; apparently not quite 20% go out without a pre-planned route and just under half are users of services like Komoot or Strava.
40% of respondents said that they ride their gravel bike up to four times per month, while another 40% ride 4 to 8 times per month. 10% did more.
For the tyre manufacturers reading in, most riders are seeking out fine to coarse gravel trails, flowy singletracks and paved roads. Around a third max out the gravel, seeking primarily fine and hardpack routes.
How serious is the marketplace in competitive or touring terms? The majority apparently participate in organised tours, the most popular of which are those curated by local cycling clubs, while a quarter head out to single day events.
The NTFU undertook the research in part with a view to making greater inroads on land access and when speaking with Government agencies on cycling trends. The full study is available to view here.
(Pic: Ison Distribution)
