Who could resist a ride called 'The Spirit of
Gravel?' The idea had me hooked from the
moment I was invited to join a small group of
riders to scout out a new four day backcountry
gravel loop in the North East of Tasmania. Spirit
is a word with multiple meanings, each of
which had its place on this ride. It could be the
non-physical aspect of a being, entity or bike
ride, its essence, emotions, character or soul. It
could be the prevailing mood or attitude of aTHE SPIRIT OF GRAVELAND NOW FOR SOMETHING
COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
GR AVEL RIDING WITH A MTB
TWIST IN TASSIE'S NORTH-EAST.THE SPIRIT OF GRAVEL:
FOUR DAYS IN THE TASSIE WILDERNESS
WORDS AND PICS:
SCOTT MATTERNgroup or moment; five riders strung out along
a climb, hammering along in a frosty morning
paceline or bantering away the last kilometre
before morning tea. A spirit is also the product
of extraction, distillation and concentration, in
this case a ride which made something truly
amazing out of the raw beauty of this region
and its culture.
With the many senses of 'spirit' in mind I
embarked for the winding gravel roads and