One rider.
Twelve countries.
No brand bias.

I've been riding bikes for the better part of two decades — across Asia, Europe, and the United States. From dusty backroads in Taiwan to fire roads in California and the long, quiet climbs of the Alps, the bike has been the constant.

Somewhere around 2018 — when 40mm tires stopped feeling extreme — I committed fully to gravel. The culmination came at the North Cape 4000: an unsupported ride from the south of Europe to the northernmost point of the continent, finishing on a foggy airstrip with one finger in the air and a very dirty drivetrain.

None of it was sponsored. I paid for my own tires, my own ferries, my own coffee, and that is the only reason this site can exist.

Gravel Tread is the publication I wished existed when I was choosing my first proper set of tires. Plain language. Real conditions. No press kits. If a tire is wrong for the job, I will tell you.