We love to bust open the keyboards and speak our minds when we get pissed off. It’s human nature, and increasingly it’s the fuel that powers internet discourse. In gravel racing, the debate around Life Time’s recent ban on dropbars in key events shows just how quickly controversy overtakes conversation. Opinions scatter in every direction, but friction and conflict are usually what get the most attention.
Most of the time, we cover the good stuff through straight reporting. Those stories don’t carry a heavy editorial point of view. Instead, they’re built from quotes, context and letting the facts speak for themselves. That approach works for both good news and bad. Opinion pieces are different, though, and they’re far too often resistant to giving credit where it’s due, even when people clearly deserve their flowers.
So consider this a big bouquet for the races that are doing right by their participants and pushing gravel forward, even when the spotlight is pointed elsewhere.
Gravel Worlds makes massive changes to safety while boosting prize money, again
Every year, the original Gravel Worlds in Lincoln, Nebraska, adds another ring to its trunk. A race older than the vast majority of gravel events would be forgiven for standing still now and then. But Gravel Worlds doesn’t do that. It keeps growing and increasingly sets the tone for the rest of the calendar…