A green that
belongs outside.
It draws from wild herbs that push through rock, wind and often inhospitable conditions, growing exactly where you wouldn’t expect them to. That same instinct is baked into the design – where you take it is up to you.
Gravel riders know the feeling: tarmac gives way to dirt, the route on your device bears little resemblance to what’s actually in front of you, and somehow that’s the whole point. You planned a ride. The ride had other ideas. You kept going anyway.
Wander was made for that moment: for linking forgotten roads, for cresting climbs just to see the other side. Herbal brings that spirit to three of our most versatile helmets. For this shoot, we rode with London-based Dalila Lecky whose approach to riding gets it exactly right.
Plannig a ride
“I’m mostly looking to explore,” Dalila says. “I want to go to places I haven’t been before, down trails I’ve never ridden.” Most routes start with a direction rather than a strict plan. She looks for a decent amount of elevation – not punishing, not flat – and tries to get a rough sense of what the ground might be doing.
Maps, though, only tell you so much. “If a route goes through thick forest you often can’t see the trail on satellite view. So you’re taking a bit of a gamble. It could be princess gravel, it could be thick mud.” Tyre choice is usually her one real decision before heading out. Everything else, she figures out on the go.
What makes a ride interesting
Sometimes it’s as simple as going somewhere new. “I like just seeing something different,” she says. “But the best rides usually have a technical aspect – some trails that are a bit more challenging, something that keeps things interesting.” The goal, though, is pretty straightforward: “I’m mostly just looking to have a great day out on the bike.”
When things don’t go to plan
On gravel, they often don’t.
“The biggest variable is usually mud,” Dalila says. “You pick your tyres before you leave and you don’t always get it right. Suddenly you don’t have the grip you expected.”
But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. “To some extent I actually enjoy being on the wrong tyre. You get those little squirmy moments in corners, a small element of chaos.” She pauses. “But not too much,” before laughing. When conditions shift, she shifts with them, redrawing the route mid-ride and sending it to her device. “When you’re riding gravel you have to stay flexible like that.”
Rides ahead
Next up is Gravel Birds, a 700km event in Portugal. “It’s been a long time since I’ve done a race,” she says. “I’m not sure how race-y I’ll actually be, but it’ll be good to be on a start line again.”
There is one thing she’s less excited about. “I’ve been chased by dogs almost every time I’ve ridden in Portugal,” she says, smiling. “So I’m not especially looking forward to that.” She’s dealt with it in Ecuador and across Europe, though. She’ll manage. Later in the year, a road trip to Thailand – with, naturally, her gravel bike in tow. “I’ll bring two sets of tyres, pick a location, plot a few routes and just go wandering.”
