Gravel Cycling Is Booming On Michigan's Backroads

Michigan's endless network of dirt and gravel backroads was always there. What's new is the crowd racing on them. Gravel cycling — a rugged blend of road racing and off-road endurance — has boomed across the state, turning quiet rural routes into the setting for one of endurance sport's hottest disciplines.

The perfect terrain

Michigan turns out to be ideal gravel country: thousands of miles of unpaved roads winding through forests, farmland, and lakeshore, with enough remoteness to make a long ride feel like an expedition. Events have sprung up statewide, drawing riders who want the challenge of distance without the danger of car traffic.

"We have the best gravel in the Midwest and most people never knew," said race organizer Hannah Virtanen. "Now they're finding out."

The culture

Gravel's appeal is partly its ethos — less about elite competition than personal challenge, camaraderie, and adventure. The events tend to be welcoming, the finish-line beers plentiful, and the emphasis on completing a brutal course as much as winning it. For a state with the terrain and the endurance-sport appetite, gravel racing was a natural fit — and it's still accelerating.