If you ride a gravel bike, you've probably searched Google for "gravel routes near me" at some point.

But here's the thing, you don't necessarily need to find a famous gravel route. You don't need to drive two hours to ride somewhere that somebody else has told you is good and you don't need to download a perfectly planned 80km GPX file before you leave home.

Some of the best gravel cycling routes can be found simply by riding out of your front door and asking yourself one question:

"I wonder where that goes?"

That's the beauty of gravel.

It opens up a completely different way of exploring the countryside. Roads you've driven past for years suddenly become interesting. A gap in a hedge becomes a potential trail. A woodland track you've always wondered about becomes your next adventure.

And with apps such as Komoot and Strava, combined with a bit of local knowledge and a willingness to get slightly lost, finding gravel routes near you has never been easier.

What Makes a Good Gravel Route?

Before looking at where to find gravel routes, it is worth thinking about what you're actually looking for.

Gravel cycling doesn't necessarily mean riding on endless sections of loose stones.

A good gravel bike route might include:

• Gravel roads
• Forest tracks
• Bridleways
• Farm tracks
• Woodland trails
• Quiet country lanes
• Canal towpaths
• Hard-packed dirt
• Ancient byways
• Off-road cycle paths
• Short sections of more technical trail

The best gravel rides often combine several of these surfaces.

That's what makes them interesting.

One minute you're riding along a quiet country lane, the next you're turning onto a muddy woodland track, climbing a bridleway and eventually popping out somewhere you've never been before.

That's gravel.

Search Komoot for Gravel Routes Near You

If you're looking for a little more structure, Komoot is probably one of the best places to start.

Komoot allows you to discover cycling routes created by other riders and plan your own gravel bike routes based on where you live.

The great thing about using Komoot isn't simply finding a route and following it.

It's using someone else's route as a starting point.

You might find a 70km gravel route that looks fantastic but you've only got four hours available.

No problem, shorten it.

Perhaps you find a route with 1,200 metres of climbing and you're looking for something a little more relaxed. Take out some of the hills.

Or perhaps you're training for a longer gravel event and want more distance and more climbing. Add another loop.

Make the route work for you

When planning a gravel ride on Komoot, think about:

Distance: How far do you actually want to ride?

Duration: How much time have you got?

Climbing: Do you want a hilly adventure or a more relaxed ride?

Surface: How much gravel and off-road riding do you want?

Weather: Is that bridleway going to be enjoyable after three days of rain?

Stops: Where can you get coffee, food or water?

There is no prize for riding somebody else's route exactly as they created it.

If a route is 80km, that doesn't mean you have to ride 80km.

If it climbs 1,000 metres, you don't have to climb every metre.

Avoid the lumpy bits.

Take the easier option.

Add a loop.

Cut across to another trail.

Make the route your own.

That's what gravel cycling is all about.

Use Strava to See Where Other Cyclists Ride

Strava is another great tool for finding gravel routes near me.

Strava has a huge community of cyclists recording their rides every day.

That makes it useful for discovering where other riders are going.

If you live somewhere you've ridden hundreds of times, open Strava and start looking beyond your normal roads.

Look at where other cyclists are riding.

Are there tracks you've never noticed?

Are riders disappearing into the woods?

Is there a route that keeps appearing on multiple people's activities?

Investigate it.

You might find that local riders have already discovered a network of gravel tracks that you didn't know existed.

Strava can also be useful for finding routes used for local events, clubs and challenges.

Again, don't feel that you have to follow the route exactly.

Use it as inspiration.

Ask Your Local Bike Shop

Technology is brilliant.

But sometimes the best gravel route planner is a bloke or woman standing behind the counter of your local bike shop.

Ask your local bike shop where they ride or if they know of a gravel group that rides on a regular basis that you can join.

Ask the mechanic. "Where would you go if you had a couple of hours on a gravel bike?"

You may be surprised by the answer.

Local bike shops often have years of knowledge about the roads and trails around them.

They know the good stuff.

They know which tracks are rideable.

They know where you can get muddy or avoid the mud!

They know the best climbs, the best views.

And they often know the best café stops and more importantly, they may introduce you to other cyclists.

Ask if there is a local gravel cycling club, cycling group or regular ride.

You could discover a whole community of riders simply by asking one question.

Don't Forget the Local Cycle Café

The same applies to your local cycle café.

A good cycle café is often more than somewhere to drink coffee and fuel on delicious cake.

It's a meeting point.

It's where riders exchange stories, compare routes and decide where they're going next Sunday.

Talk to the owner and other gravel riders where they have ridden.

You might get 3 or 4  different answers.

Take the information, put the routes into Komoot and start joining the dots.

You may discover a completely new gravel cycling route that doesn't appear in any guide and if the café runs regular rides, join one.

You don't just get a ride, you get local knowledge.

Go to Your Local Woods

This might be our favourite way of finding new gravel routes.

Forget the apps and the GPX.

Get on your bike and go to the woods.

Then ride down a track you've never ridden before.

We've all done it.

You're cycling through a familiar area and see a trail disappearing between the trees.

You've wondered about it before.

But you've never taken it.

Take it.

See where it goes.

Perhaps it comes out onto a road you've ridden hundreds of times.

Perhaps it leads to a farm.

Perhaps it becomes completely impassable.

Perhaps you have to turn around.

It doesn't matter.

You've explored somewhere new.

And that's the point.

Try to Get Lost

We're not suggesting you deliberately put yourself in a dangerous situation.

Take your phone and the navigation.

Tell someone where you're going if you're heading somewhere remote, but within sensible limits, try getting lost.

It's one of the best ways to discover local gravel.

Instead of following a route that tells you exactly where you're going, occasionally ride somewhere where you don't know what is around the next corner.

Turn left instead of right.

Take the track you've always wondered about.

Follow the bridleway.

Cross the field.

Explore the forest.

See where the trail comes out.

You might have to turn around.

You might end up riding an extra 20km.

You might find the best gravel route you've ever ridden.

And because you discovered it yourself, it becomes your route.

Follow Your Curiosity

Gravel cycling is fundamentally about curiosity.

Road cycling is usually about getting from A to B as quickly as possible.

Gravel gives you an excuse to forget about A and B.

You can ride somewhere simply because it looks interesting.

See a track?

Ride it.

See a trail heading into the woods?

Investigate it.

See a sign pointing towards somewhere you've never heard of?

Follow it.

Of course, not every track is legal or suitable for cycling. In the UK, always check access rights and respect landowners, walkers, horse riders and other trail users.

But where cycling is permitted, explore.

That's how you build your own mental map of the countryside.

Use Race Routes as Inspiration

Another great source of gravel routes is gravel racing.

Look for local gravel events and established cycling challenges.

Many events publish or provide their routes through platforms such as Komoot, Strava or GPX downloads.

You don't have to enter the race.

Download the route.

Study it.

Then ride it yourself.

And here's the important bit:

Don't race it.

Ride it at your own pace.

Stop for coffee.

Take photographs.

Enjoy the scenery.

Have lunch.

If a 100km race route is too long, cut it down to 60km.

If there is a particularly nasty climb, go around it.

If you're feeling strong, add another loop.

A race route can become a fantastic gravel adventure route when you remove the pressure of racing.

Build Your Own Gravel Route

Once you start using Komoot, Strava and local knowledge together, you can begin creating your own routes.

Start with something simple.

Perhaps you want:

40km gravel ride
500m climbing
Maximum two hours
One coffee stop

Build it.

Then ride it.

Next time, change it and add a new route or section

Make it 55km.

Find another trail.

Add another climb.

Eventually, you'll have your own collection of gravel bike routes near you.

And you may know the area better than any online route planner.

GRVL Has Already Done Some of the Work

If you don't want to start completely from scratch, we've created our own collection of gravel routes around the UK

The GRVL Komoot page currently includes 93 trails, giving gravel cyclists a ready-made library of rides to explore.

Explore the GRVL gravel routes on Komoot

Use these routes as inspiration. You don't have to ride every kilometre.

Take one of our routes and adapt it to your day.

Want 50km? Shorten it.

Want 100km? Add another section.

Want less climbing? Avoid the lumpy bits.

Want more?

Keep going.

The idea isn't to tell you exactly where to ride.

It's to give you somewhere to start and some amazing gravel paths to ride.

These routes are all over the UK so there is a route you can select that will be local to you. Simply choose where you want to start, decide the length and off you ride.

Join a GRVL Ride

If you want to discover some of the best gravel cycling routes in the Chilterns, come and ride with us.

GRVL runs monthly rides from Church Farm Café in Aldbury, putting you right on the doorstep of some fantastic gravel riding.

The surrounding Chilterns offer an incredible mixture of woodland, bridleways, quiet lanes, chalk tracks and hills.

It's also a great opportunity to meet other gravel cyclists and discover routes you may never have found on your own.

You can find out more about upcoming GRVL rides here:

Join a GRVL Ride Out

Bring your gravel bike and a sense of adventure.

And don't worry too much about how fast you ride as the routes are self navigated and available to all abilities and speed.

The Best Gravel Route Might Be the One You Haven't Found Yet

There is an irony to searching for "gravel routes near me".

The more you use route-planning apps, the more you realise that you don't actually need someone else to tell you where to go.

Komoot is brilliant.

Strava and Ride with GPS are good too

Local bike shops and cycle cafes are knowledgable.

But sometimes the best route is the one that isn't on any of them.

It's the track you spotted while driving to work.

The path disappearing into the woods.

The bridleway you've never ridden.

The lane you've always wondered where it leads.

So get on your gravel bike.

Ride out of the front door.

Turn somewhere you've never turned before.

And when you see a track disappearing into the trees, don't ask "Where does it go?"

Ride it and find out.

Because the best thing about gravel cycling isn't simply the gravel.

It's the adventure you find along the way.

GRVL — Better product. Better riding. Better for the rider and the planet.