Gravel Bike Trend

The latest development for my job situation is that I am not returning to Saudi. Such a weird situation based on a simple admin error. The Saudi authorities would not budge and I was effectively banned from entering KSA for 3 years - I will not be returning at all. The upshot is that BAE cannot employ me if I cannot be in-country. So I am back on the job hunt. Whilst I sound 'ok' with this situation, in truth, I am devastated. We had completed many domestic changes to prepare for the Saudi venture. To have everything fall through has caused so many issues. But, as I have said before, this Blog is about my triathlon journey (not really going anywhere at the moment!), not a portal to detail life in general. So enough of that. One issue as a result, however, is that I have a bike (trusty Specialized Langster single speed) and swim gear out in Saudi that I had sent out early with a colleague. Got to work on getting this stuff back! I have been watching lots of GCN - Global Cycling Network - whilst rolling along on the rollers. I had not realised the huge interest in gravel bikes (or adventure bikes) at the moment. Over time, I have become quite intrigued with these bikes. They just look like great go anywhere bikes. Good for commuting or a winter training bike. So I took the plunge and got one: This is the Merlin Cycles Malt G Gravel Bike. It isn't a top end high tech bike for sure. But it is sturdy and reliable and a great deal from Merlin Cycles. I have ridden this bike on the roads and gravel/mud/grass/tracks and it really is simply fun to ride. It does feel heavy for sure. But that is good training, right?! Where it feels best is on the gravel tracks and it eats up the uneven surface really well. The thicker tyres soak up the bumps and it is has a solid feel. Overall, I am very pleased with this bike. Those thicker tyres also make the crappy UK road surface far easier to negotiate too.