It’s not Goodbye, it’s See You Later!
Ally on an early morning in Opelika 2025.
See You Down The Road, Ally.
In case you missed our social post on Thursday:
Many of you know Ally, she's there at number pickup, she makes the prizes, the finishers gifts, she is essentially a creative and organizational wizard. She is the Bondo to the Gravel Roll's dented panels that makes us look so smooth and put together.
Over the winter Ally got a wonderful opportunity to go full time with her work at the Craig Hospital in Denver. One of Ally's great assets is her big heart to help make people the best versions of themselves, so it's only natural she would gravitate toward helping people in a rehabilitative setting. We're so proud of her, but we're also going to miss her. She'll still be helping us transition through the Okey Dokey, and will continue to help with sourcing/making/creating our podium prizes, but she'll be missed in many other aspects of our Gravel Roll lives. So make sure you give her a big send off in Opelika. No one can really replace any of our crew that we Roll with, but we will certainly try.
— The Gravel Roll Team
The Okey Dokey Is Coming — Where Are You Sleeping?
More than half of you travel to a Gravel Roll and spend at least one night in our host cities. half the fun of a gravel event is the 36 hours around the ride itself. The cramble because you forgot your AXS battery, the questionable breakfast choices, too many beers at the number pickup. But none of that happens if you don't have a bed.
We've done the legwork so you don't have to. Head over to the
We've pulled together lodging options for every budget and vibe — whether you want a hotel bed, an Airbnb with a bike room, or a campsite close enough to roll to the start line. Check out the full lodging embedfor everything you need to plan your stay on the Okey Dokey event page if it doesn’t display below.
Pro tip: don't wait. Last year's good spots were gone faster than a chicken nugget at the feed zone.
What's Trending in Gravel Gear Right Now
(And What It Actually Means For You)
What are some of the things actually popping up in the bike world that we might use. Not aero gravel or the latest and greatest tires, but things that can make our lives slightly easier. If you have new things you loved using, let us know in the comments.
Compact Electric Pumps
The trend: Even my mother-in-law (shout out Jenee!) has one of these.Pocket-sized battery-powered pumps that inflate a tubeless gravel tire in under a minute, then fold back into your jersey pocket or frame bag.
What it means for you: If you've ever stood in the rain struggling to reseat a tubeless tire with a hand pump, you understand the appeal instantly. I’ve used a C02 cartridge, but not all sealants react well with Co2.
The new breed of compact electric pumps — the Fumpa, the Topeak SmartGauge D2 Air, and others — can nail an exact pressure at the press of a button and handle multiple tires on a single charge. No more arm workout mid-ride. For tubeless riders especially, this is a legitimate quality-of-life upgrade.
Worth it? If you run tubeless (and you should), yes. End the hand pump struggle.
Value GPS Computers
The trend: Cycling computers have gotten so good now. Base units with navigation and color screens can be found at just about any price point. In my travels I routinely forget a computer. Now I’m just going to keep a GPS unit on all of my bikes no matter where they live and save the nice Hammerhead for the home bike.
What it means for you: Navigation off-road used to mean printing a cue sheet or memorizing a route on Komoot the night before. The latest Garmin Edge 1050 and the Wahoo Elemnt Ace are still a bazillion dollars. But companies like Magene and iGPSport are hitting great price points of functionality to value. For anyone who's ever made a wrong turn and found themselves staring at a barbed wire fence on a foreign gravel road — well, that still might happen, but at least you’ll know it was your ride planners fault and not your navigator.
Worth it? If you explore new routes regularly, absolutely. The navigation alone is worth the upgrade.
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