Vélo GRAVEL semaine

A gravel bike is designed to ride on all terrain types — tarmac, gravel, dirt tracks, white roads. Compared to a road bike, it has wider tyres (better grip and cushioning on varied terrain), a more stable and comfortable geometry, and in the Crosshill's case, hydraulic disc brakes that work in all weather conditions. It's slower than a pure road bike on tarmac, but it can go anywhere a road bike can't.

The 4/5 difficulty rating reflects the potentially demanding terrain the gravel bike gives you access to — technical tracks, muddy passages, gravel descents — not the difficulty of riding the bike itself. The Crosshill is intuitive to handle. However, gravel itineraries in the Basque Country often include tracks with elevation gain and varied surfaces that require a basic level of cycling practice. If you've never ridden off-road, stay on paved roads or ask the team for advice.

The Basque Country is well known for its rainfall — and the tracks and roads of the hinterland can be wet or muddy even in summer. Hydraulic disc brakes deliver consistent stopping power regardless of surface conditions, whereas standard rim brakes can lose 50–60% of their effectiveness on a wet rim. On the technical descents of Basque tracks, this is a genuine safety difference, not just a commercial argument.

Shimano GRX is Shimano's component range specifically developed for gravel bikes — drivetrain, brakes, and derailleurs built for mixed terrain and wet conditions. GRX offers ergonomic levers for drop bars, derailleurs robust against mud and gravel, and gear ratios suited to steep gradients. It's the benchmark transmission on the gravel market — its presence on the Crosshill guarantees reliability and suitability for the Basque terrain.