Growing Pains: When Grassroots Goes Mainstream
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Show Notes
How do you embrace progress without losing the soul that made a sport special in the first place? That's the question we toy with in this episode. We are experiencing a strange déjà vu as athletes in two niche sports going mainstream. CrossFit exploded during the 2014-2018 years, which were also our most competitive as athletes. And now gravel is following a similar arc.
In this episode, we look at the parallels we’ve experienced firsthand. Both CrossFit and Gravel Biking began as a countercultural resistance to the more serious and overproduced mainstream versions of their sport.
CrossFit grew from gritty garage gyms to a global spectacle with the rise of the CrossFit Games, title sponsors, and a flood of new unaffiliated athletes. Gravel was once a quiet, adventure-driven niche and is now full of pro teams, big-money races, aero arms races, and media attention.
It's a conversation about culture, values, commercialization, and nostalgia.
We unpack why these shifts feel emotional, even when growth brings better racing, safer events, and more opportunity for everyone.
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