This is absolute madness, and I love it. Here is an inside-the-race view of Gravel Worlds 2024, all close calls and bike racing ASMR.
A little over ten years ago, when gravel as a category was still rapidly shapeshifting into what it is now, some bike nerds and I would do a weekly throwdown ride up out of the city, into the woods, over cinder paths and through sinewy trails, and then back into town, where we’d get a pizza and feel like we’d done something magical.
This video reminded me of that vibe, pavement giving way to dirt, puddles and corners and unexpected nonsense, whooping and skidding, and trying not to die. That’s living.
A few observations: 1) That looks stressful! Not the kind of gravel riding I enjoy. 2) At 3:09 in the video they’re riding along a street with cars parked on both sides – in the world championship race – crazy! 3) The course looks like a lot of fun but I’d want to ride much slower and not as close to so many other aggressive riders.
Is this actually AI? It looks animated instead of filmed.