ON October 19-20, All Terrain Cycles held their first-ever Gravel Bike Expo, which was a spinning success, showcasing a range of products in the gravel bike market alongside others.

Sixteen years ago, Shannon Rademaker started ATC, which is now a family business run alongside his wife, Narelle.

Shannon said he has seen an emerging market in the gravel bike space for quite a few years.

"Alongside this growing market, Tourism North East is putting together some gravel routes across the North East in a few weeks, which fits in nicely with the timing of the expo," he said.

"We physically put the expo together about three months ago, pulling together resources and talking to the council.

"Then we got a local laws permit to hold the event on High Street.

"It was a simpler process than some of the larger events we’ve run previously.

"Our goal is to run more expos in the future, with additional products, and bring more people into Mansfield.

"We’ve got a very strong local riding scene, and we want to provide people with opportunities to see what’s out there as well."

On Saturday last week, cycling enthusiasts from far and wide rolled through the expo stalls set up in the median strip on High Street.

ATC’s stall featured a number of Specialized Demo Fleet bikes, available for free test rides from their market stall.

"Specialized is one of the biggest and most well-known bike brands in the world, and they’re one of the main brands we sell," Shannon said.

"They’re renowned for their innovation, research, and development.

"The main differences between a gravel bike and a road bike are the wider tyres, which make it more comfortable.

"They’re also a bit stronger and sturdier, with shock absorbers to handle bumps or potholes.

"They’re designed for adventuring into the mountains and backroads.

"Gravel riding is one of the most popular disciplines because it’s safer, there’s less traffic, and it’s more social."

The demo included a small loop from Pikes Road, onto Aldous, and back into town.

Shannon said it was a nice and easy way for people to try out the bikes on gravel roads close to town.

"We gave each rider an hour and a half to test the bikes and get a feel for what gravel bike riding is all about," he said.

On Sunday, 40 people participated in the free guided social gravel rides, which included a 45-kilometre loop and a 65-kilometre loop, both finishing on the rail trail.

"ATC provided safety, guidance, and ensured everyone had a good time," Shannon said.

"The most positive part for me was the connection of people across the community."

ATC brand ambassador Sammy McMahon joined the ATC team in 2018.

Sammy attended the expo and participated in the guided gravel ride over the weekend.

"It’s been great meeting lots of different people who are interested in riding bikes, and being with the ATC crew is always a lot of fun," she said.

Before moving to Bright in 2018, she lived in Bendigo.

"I was at university, and a lot of people were road riding," she said.

"I started road riding because I broke my hip while running and had to have a hip replacement.

"I went to the Mind Body Bike weekend at Mount Buller with a friend and met Narelle for the first time."

Five years later, she moved to Bright and started mountain bike riding and racing.

"I had a bad bike crash and broke six ribs and my sternum," she said.

"My ribs went through my lungs, and one of my lungs collapsed.

"I started doing some gravel riding as a way to stay fit with less risk while recovering from the injury.

"Then I realised I really enjoyed gravel riding alongside mountain biking.

"I also really like enduro riding, which is what we call gravity racing, where you pedal uphill untimed and are only timed on the descent.

"I kept in touch with Narelle and Shannon, and they said they’d love to have me on board."

On August 13-31 this year, Sammy completed the Silk Road Mountain race in Kyrgyzstan, one of the most strenuous and scenic in the world.

"The Silk Road race is a bike-packing race, which is similar to backpacking, but you carry all your equipment on your bike," she said.

"The time limit was 15 days, and it covered 1,950 kilometres with 33,000 metres of climbing through the Tian Shan mountain range.

"I finished it in 13 days."

The race started with 200 participants, but only 109 made it to the finish line.

"There were 24 women, and I was very lucky to be the sixth one across the line," Sammy said.

"I find bikes, especially mountain biking, to be quite an empowering tool for girls and women.

"I pay a lot of my own way, but ATC supports me by providing new gear, servicing my bike, and offering emotional and moral support."