Gravel Bikes: A Bikeaholic Confession

Alright, we’re an MTB shop. We’re supposed to scoff at gravel bikes. Mat from ten years ago would be yelling (remember the lycra guys he locked out? #lycraracism) But here we are, talking gravel…and yes, Mat’s changed to, he can't get enough of his little lycra suit. 

We don’t really understand why, but gravel riding is bloody good fun, and we all do it. It isn’t a new category, it’s just what happens when you live in Queenstown. Gravel trails are everywhere, from Wharehuanui to Arrowtown, through the Hugo Tunnel to the old Shotover Bridge. Ride to work, ride to the shops, ride to meet mates. Half the time, you don’t even think of it as “gravel” - it’s just your everyday commute.

And relax-this isn’t a Lycra sermon. Baggy shorts and a cotton tee? We accept. Clip-in pedals? Maybe. Fancy hydration pack? Well now you’re just showing off.

All Ride, No Worries

Mountain biking can be a mission plan, drive, hurt yourself, rinse and repeat. Gravel? You roll out after work, loop through the Hugo Tunnel, and make it home before dinner. No double-black runs. No “maybe I shouldn’t.” Just pedalling, chatting, and having fun.

As Liam puts it:

"What I like about gravel is it’s not very consequential. With the boys we often do something hectic, but on a gravel bike I can just cruise, add kilometres to my commute, and still enjoy it. Shortcuts through tunnels beat sitting in traffic any day."

And your wallet will thank you. Gravel bikes rack up kilometres without whining. Forget preventative suspension maintenance drama, just do the regular: tyres, chain, done. Drop bar, flat bar, single speed - whatever works. Upgrades? Comfort first: saddle, shoes, pedals. You’re in it for the ride, not the grind.

Enter Quentin and the Gravel Zombies Group Ride

Now let’s talk about why gravel really matters - the people behind it and getting them together in a group ride.. Meet Quentin, local gravel king, and, he reckons, the reason behind why half of Queenstown now owns tyres that do everything.

The Gravel Zombies didn’t start as a ride group - they started after a rough patch. Quentin’s concussion and long recovery made riding about feeling normal again. Not training. Not racing. Just pedalling, clearing your head, and enjoying the trails. Gravel in particular - no pressure, no expectations, just moving.

Quentin explains it best: (if you know Q, you will know this story below is the abridged version!)

“Cycling, especially gravel riding, became a massive part of my healing - a way to reset, clear my head, and feel normal again. Now that I’m back riding properly, I want to bring more people along: build a community around regular rides in our little mountain village. Share the trails, share the suffering, share the bikes, and most of all, share this incredible place we’re lucky enough to live in.

The idea started small, a couple of weekly rides. Short ones in winter when days are tight, longer ones in summer when evenings stretch out and you can really explore the basin. It wasn’t meant to be a business thing: no brands, no shop agendas, no sponsors. Just riding bikes with people who want to ride. The idea was simple: there are good people here - let’s bring them together.”

So what’s a Queenstown Gravel Zombie?

“Someone who enjoys riding all types of bikes. We love bikes, old country pubs, a bowl of fries, and good vibes.
Queenstown is our home. Gravel riding is something we’ve been doing for decades, long before it was trendy. For us, it’s about getting outdoors and exploring the basin and beyond. The trails here are unreal. Central Otago has some of the best roads, cycle paths, and tracks you’ll find anywhere.
And ‘zombie’? That’s a state of mind - you’re exhausted, but you keep pushing to reach the destination. We’ve all been there.
Put those three together and you’ve got it: Queenstown Gravel Zombies.”

How It Works

The Gravel Zombies are simple: a no-drop ride where anyone can turn up. No sponsors. No commercial agenda. Just bikes, mates, and trails.

Every Thursday: same loop - roughly 35 km / 600 m climbing.

Two meeting points:

• 5:30 pm - Shotover Bridge
  

• 6:15 pm -Gantley’s
  
  

Groups merge, ride together, optional effort hills if you’re feeling spicy, regroup at the top. Sometimes 10 riders, sometimes 35. MTBers, commuters, racers, e-bikes - no one gets left behind.

What Gravel Really Is

Gravel’s the mountain biker’s second bike and the road rider’s first taste of dirt. No pressure. No categories. Just bikes, trails, chats, and maybe fries or a cheeky beer at the end. It’s the riding that happens between the big rides, or the big rides themselves -  the long way home with your mates, the extra loop you didn’t plan. Turns out, when you make something out of those kilometres, that’s where the good stuff lives. And yeh, we still don’t really understand why gravel riding is bloody good fun. Shame about the wiggly bars though…

Bikeaholic lycra coming soon…and no we are not joking.