On the back roads of Mississippi, a journey awaits those seeking adventure. Matthew Nunes, manager of Boardtown Bikes, is determined to show the way to a perhaps surprising destination: gravel roads.
Gravel or adventure riding is an ideal biking form for Mississippians, who have access to endless miles of unpaved back roads. A happy medium between road and mountain biking, it is an awesome way to exercise and explore.
“We were in this situation where as a store and as a rider, you’ve got all these people looking for new places to ride. Maybe they’re getting burned out on the few places we had,” Nunes said. “When we started realizing there were all these dirt roads, county roads in our area…It opened up this entire new scene.”
Gravel riding requires some specific gear, all available at Boardtown Bikes. Nunes suggests gravel biking with wide, tubeless tires. Lower pressure and a liquid sealant, such as Orange Seal, work together to offer durability, smooth riding and plenty of traction.
“With the right bike, our state becomes a playground for the adventurous,” Nunes said.
A gravel bike looks like a typical road bike at first glance, but the geometry is actually a bit different. These bikes have a lower bottom bracket and more slacked-out headtube angle. This provides a lot of stability on loose surfaces. They are also geared for steeper climbs.
 Boardtown Bikes offers a wide selection of gravel bikes for everyone from beginners to competitive level riders. They just started carrying Salsa, which make some awesome bikes attainable on a college budget.
Because this is adventure riding, planning is important. But riders should also expect the unexpected. Before rolling out, it is important bikers gear up with the proper equipment. To plan for break-downs, bikers should carry a flat kit, a spare chain link, and a multi tool while riding. Nunes said the store offers these items to buy, and the workers are more than happy to teach shoppers about these items.
Another essential is a GPS. Nunes said it is important to map out rides, or have a way to track your turns back to your starting point. Nunes said Boardtown Bikes is working on publishing some gravel routes to the store’s website. Riders may also consider carrying an emergency transponder or messaging device, in case they lose cellphone signal in rural Mississippi and need to contact someone.
For individuals who are interested in gravel biking but may be apprehensive of going into rural Mississippi alone, Starkville is the perfect area to take up this passion. There are also two cycling clubs in Starkville—the Starkville Cycling Club (found on Facebook) and the MSU Cycling Club. These are great resources for new riders, as they host meetings and go on group rides.
“If you’re not comfortable with taking on some of this stuff, it’s best to find someone or a group of people who have done it before,” Nunes said.
There is adventure out there for more experienced riders, too. The Mississippi Gravel Cup, co-sponsored by Boardtown Bikes, is making its way to the Starkville area Feb. 9 with the Rockcrusher Challenge. The race options include 25-, 50- and 100-mile routes. Nunes said about 190 riders came out to the last race. Because this is a sport for all athletic types, it is a very fun community to be involved in.
If you are interested in racing or volunteering at the Rockcrusher event, give the store a call and they will point you in the right direction.
Boardtown Bikes is a great resource for riders of all levels. Whether someone has been riding for years, or is just now kicking up their kickstand, they have everything to serve the Starkville community. For people who have never done gravel biking before but may be interested, Boardtown Bikes offers rentable bike options to test out.
Boardtown Bikes has lots of information on their website, boardtownbikes.com, and even more in-store. Check out their social media, @boardtown_bikes on Instagram and Facebook at Boardtown Bikes. Take a lesson from the store’s logo, and Go Play Outside.
“Our store–I would like people to consider a resource. We’re more than just a retail establishment: our shop is a meeting place and a place to talk about biking,” Matthew said.