What gravel means

A bike built for gravel and road

Walkers arriving from a pilgrim trail often wonder why the Via delle Abbazie is built around the gravel bike. Not a road racer, not a mountain bike. Gravel bikes exist precisely for white gravel roads. The frame has a more relaxed geometry than a road bike. The handlebar stays drop-shaped, for more hand positions over long distances. The tyres are wide enough to absorb stones and rough ground, without a mountain bike's weight.

The tyres recommended for the Via run from 40 to 45 millimetres wide. A light tread pattern performs well on both asphalt and the compact gravel of the Apennines. Narrower tyres struggle on rough stretches. Wider tyres lose smoothness on long paved stretches. Those very stretches make up a good part of the route.

Bags instead of a backpack

Walkers carry everything on their shoulders, cyclists spread it across the bike. Bikepacking bags strap to the frame, the handlebar and under the saddle, no rack needed. They weigh less and follow the bike's centre of gravity better on gravel. For a multi-day trip with a few nights under canvas, add a frame bag for tools. A handlebar bag for the sleeping bag helps too.

E-bike, yes or no

An electric-assist gravel bike is a legitimate choice on the Via. It pays off most on the stages with the most climbing, like Vallombrosa-Camaldoli or the crossing of the Simbruini toward Subiaco. The practical limit stays battery range on the longer stages. Charging it at the guesthouse also matters, and is not always guaranteed. Riders choosing an e-bike do well to check the climbing stage by stage before setting off.

Try a touring bike, if that is what you have

You do not need to buy a gravel bike to set off. A sturdy trekking bike handles a good part of the stages described on this site. Tyres of at least 35 millimetres and a wide-range gear set are enough. On the roughest stretches, like the old Spoleto-Norcia railway or the ridge of the Casentino Forests, the pace slows. All of them still remain rideable. The general rule holds. Better a bike you know and keep in order, than a new gravel bike never tested on gravel.

Essential glossary

The words that come up most, explained in a few lines.

• Gravel: a hybrid bike between road and mountain bike, built for asphalt and gravel together
• Bikepacking: travelling by bike with light bags strapped to the frame, no traditional racks
• D+ (elevation gain): the total metres of climbing in a stage
• Strada bianca (white road): an unpaved road, dirt or gravel, typical of the Tuscan and Umbrian hills
• GPX: the file holding the stage's GPS track, to load onto a device or phone
• Foresteria (guesthouse): a monastery's building dedicated to hosting pilgrims and visitors
• Credenziale (credential): the pilgrim's document, stamped along the route at places of hospitality

The surface changes under your wheels from one region to the next, but the direction stays the same: onward, towards the next abbey.