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The moment I veered off the smooth asphalt onto that first stretch of crushed limestone, everything changed. After a decade of road cycling—carbon frames, skinny tires, and an obsession with Strava segments—I found myself grinning like a kid as my new electric gravel bike floated over terrain I would have previously avoided at all costs.
If you're a dedicated roadie considering the leap to electric gravel, you're about to discover a whole new dimension of cycling. But it's not just about wider tires and motor assistance—it's an entirely different approach to riding. Here's what I wish someone had told me before my transition.
Road cycling often feels like flying—you're perched on a precision machine, skimming the surface at speed. Gravel riding, particularly on an e-bike, feels more like floating. The combination of more upright geometry, wider tires, and electric assistance creates a sensation of gliding over the terrain rather than fighting it.
During my first proper gravel descent, I kept reaching for brake levers that weren't where my muscle memory expected them to be. But once I relaxed into the bike's more stable handling, I found myself carrying speed through loose corners that would have sent my road bike skittering.
On a road bike, average speed is everything. On an electric gravel bike, it becomes almost irrelevant. My first few rides, I kept glancing down at my computer, disappointed by numbers that seemed pedestrian compared to my road rides.
Then I realized I was missing the point completely. My "slow" 14 mph average had taken me through dense forests, alongside pristine creeks, and up steep climbs that would have been miserable without assistance. The focus shifts from "how fast" to "where can I go?"
Your muscle memory will need reprogramming:
After about three rides, I stopped oversteering in corners—a common roadie habit that doesn't translate well to looser surfaces. By ride five, I was comfortably drifting through turns with a level of confidence I never expected.
If you're coming from a traditional road bike, the immediate torque of an electric motor will surprise you. A few things to expect:
I spent my first week in the lowest assistance mode just to acclimate to the feeling. By week two, I was confidently using the full power range and learning to modulate the assistance based on terrain.
My closet reflects my gravel conversion:
Perhaps the most liberating change was ditching the unwritten road cycling fashion rules. Nobody on gravel paths cares if your socks match your jersey.
The must-haves change when you leave the pavement:
The transition taught me self-sufficiency. When you're 20 miles from civilization on unmarked forest roads, that extra tube and emergency snack aren't just conveniences—they're necessities.
As a dedicated roadie, I was a data junkie—constantly monitoring watts, heart rate, and segment times. The gravel transition offered unexpected mental freedom:
Six months after switching, I still record my rides, but I often don't look at the data until days later—something my former road cycling self would find incomprehensible.
The road cycling scene can sometimes feel exclusive or competitive. The gravel community, in my experience, offers:
My local gravel group includes everyone from ex-pros to complete beginners, often riding together without the splitting that happens naturally on road rides.
From someone who made every mistake possible during my transition:
After a year primarily on electric gravel, would I go back to pure road riding? Not a chance. The freedom to explore without range anxiety, the variety of terrain, and the sheer joy of discovery have transformed my relationship with cycling.
My weekly mileage has actually increased—not because I'm training harder, but because I genuinely look forward to every ride. The electric assistance removes just enough of the suffering to keep the experience fun while still providing a solid workout when I want it.
The road bike still comes out occasionally for group rides with friends, but it now feels oddly limiting—a precision tool for a single purpose rather than the versatile adventure machine I've grown to love.
What questions do you have about making the transition from road to electric gravel? Drop them in the comments below, and I'll share more from my experience!
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The question isn't whether you need suspension on your e-gravel bike—it's finding the right amount for your riding style without sacrificing the efficiency that makes gravel riding so appealing.
