Book Review – 'Great British Gravel Rides' by Markus Stitz

This exciting new book is the latest release from single-speed round-the-world cyclist, Markus Stitz. It is a collection of 26 gravel routes across the British Isles, curated by Markus by visiting gravel cyclists from all walks of life, and documenting their favourite off-road rides.

As a friend of Markus, and many of the local riders within this book, I was sure that this would be a fantastic read. It has not disappointed.

Each route has a detailed route description, a map of the trail, public transport details and attractions to explore, cafe and pub recommendations, and a list of local bike shops and bike hire providers. On top of this there are downloadable GPX files for all the routes – making this an essential companion for every gravel rider in Britain that wants to explore new areas.

Markus commented: “I was curious about the places gravel bikes take us to, but I was even more interested in the people whose infectious enthusiasm makes gravel riding as vibrant as it is. I am incredibly grateful for the time and enthusiasm of the people who kindly shared their favourite gravel routes with me. Everyone I interviewed and photographed for this book is representative of how colourful and diverse gravel riding in Britain is.”

The routes featured are suitable for a wide spectrum of riding abilities: ranging in length from 20 kilometres to 600 kilometres; this diversity reflects the variety that gravel offers and gives readers the opportunity to progress with the help of the book.

Route profiles include exploring East Lothian with round-the-world record holder Mark Beaumont, East Anglia with ultra-endurance racers Josh Ibbett and Gail Brown, and even a coast-to-coast trip across Scotland with round-the-world women's record holder Jenny Graham.

Great British Gravel Rides publishes on 7 July 2022. 

Pre-orders are available at www.adventurebooks.com