Hello Jean-Baptiste, could you please introduce yourself?
My name is Jean-Baptiste, I'm 44 and I'm the father of two children aged 13 and 16! I came back two years ago from Shanghai (China), where I worked for ten years as a marketing manager in the hotel and tech industries. It was there that I rediscovered sports cycling.
In 2013, I took part in a cycling rally organized by Accor founder Paul Dubrule, between Bangkok and Siem-Reap. This 400 km trip gave me a new taste for cycling. I started competing, training 25 hours a week - I was addicted! Then, one day, I lost interest in the idea of performance and comparison.
I bought myself a gravel bike and fell in love with this super versatile hybrid model. I realized that what I loved was traveling by bike.
By 2017-2018, I was touring Asia, Europe, even Morocco. I took great pleasure in discovering remote places, in total autonomy, with a feeling of immense freedom, alone or with 2-3 friends.
Is that how you got the idea for Gravel Up?
Yes, when I returned to France, I wanted to set up a sports business. I had a lot of feedback from people around me who said: "I'd like to do that too, but I don't dare". As I dug deeper, I realized that people weren't afraid of their physical limitations or of the adventure as such, but that they were held back by the logistics.
So I contacted two old cycling buddies from Shanghai, Olivier and Aurélien. Together, we teamed up and created Gravel Up**, a travel agency offering "controlled" cycling adventures. In other words, totally managed by us, with all the logistics (accommodation, catering, travel, activities) and a local guide to help us discover each unique heritage of the French territory.
"The main idea behind Gravel Up is to help you rediscover a region thanks to a guide".
What exactly does Gravel Up offer?
We offer adventures in 8 destinations. For each, we have two formats. A short 3-day adventure, based around a base camp. And a longer, itinerant format that generally lasts 5 days, but can be customized up to 10 days.
In all cases, 2 members of our team supervise the adventure. One dedicated to logistics, and a local guide who knows the area like the back of his hand. This is essential, because the main idea behind the project is to take you on a journey of rediscovery with a guide.
Who are the Gravel Up aficionados?
We have several types of customer. The first, which accounted for 50% of our business in 2023, is groups of 8 to 12 people who don't know each other and sign up individually. As soon as we have 7 people signed up, we confirm the trip.
The second is someone who wants to privatize a Gravel Up adventure with friends. So we tailor-make the adventure, adapting it to the level of riders, the number of hours spent on the bike, and why not include other activities during the day.
"70% of our customers are not keen cyclists: they just want to discover the outdoors".
What are your customers looking for?
We thought we were mainly targeting sport cyclists, but that only represents 30% of our customers. The majority are simply looking for discovery, adventure, physical activity and sport. Many don't even own a bike.
I think what they're looking for, above all,is social contact. There are even people who meet on their first trip and then leave together afterwards!
"What people come for is first and foremost a social connection".
Why the gravel craze?
Gravel bikes are the best way to travel. These bikes can traverse mountainous terrain, natural areas, trails and paths. They can withstand great distances and they're light, so you can carry them easily. If at some point you have to walk 300-400 meters, you just put it on your shoulder and keep going! Finally, it's an accessible bike, because it's not very technical and doesn't necessarily require adapted shoes like mountain biking.
How do you live this reality?
It's magical, and it motivates me even more to move forward with this brand, Gravel Up, which we wanted to be inspiring, bringing together enthusiasts who use bike travel to meet and reconnect with nature. I'm proud of my generation of 30-45 year-olds, who are at the forefront of this revolution towards more sober tourism.
Why is adventure so much in the spotlight these days?
It's funny that adventure is back at the forefront of the scene, even though we live in a society that has never been so superficial, especially on social networks. I think there's this sort of media bubble, and alongside it, a whole bunch of people who are looking for much more authentic experiences, to get back to the very essence of travel.
Most of our customers are quite urban. They work a lot, spend their day on screens, and are looking for a return to nature to disconnect and find themselves. I myself often experience this paradox, even though I spend a lot of time in the mountains.
"I'm proud of my generation of 30-45 year-olds, who are at the forefront of this tourism revolution.
Do you pass on this passion for gravel to your teenagers?
I've already taken my son on 3 expeditions and it's incredible: he's reliving it! He also learns a lot, because he helps me prepare the bikes, make the picnics, look after the customers, check the track and test the hotels when we go out scouting. And above all, it's a wonderful time for intergenerational encounters.
What was your most memorable trip?
The first press trip we did was absolutely crazy. It took us a year to prepare. It was an itinerant trip in Corsica, with a few customers, in difficult conditions because it was April and snowed a lot. We discovered the Plateau du Coscione, at an altitude of 2,000 meters, under a blanket of snow. It was sublime. So much so that the journalist wrote a beautiful 12-page report in Géo. The amusing anecdote is that this reporter, who wasn't a cyclist, never received his electric gravel and had to rearrange his article on our obsession with finding the best GPX track. And, despite the snowstorms and falls, he did the whole trip on his muscle bike and loved it!
Which trip format works best?
It's the three-day short break for 8 people in the Morvan, a magnificent and little-known destination. We're accompanied by an exceptional local guide, who knows every land and trail. We leave Paris at 1:00 pm on Friday in a van, bikes on the roof, like a big family. We take the A6, and arrive at the gîte in the evening, where delicious gratin from the restaurant next door awaits us. As soon as we enter the gîte, we can smell the soup and it's a real treat. This format, acecssible, is a hit. People are always surprised by the beauty of the Morvan, with its pine forests and little paths. Almost all our Morvan customers come back for a second trip.
How do you avoid falling into performance?
It's anything but. We leave together, we arrive together. We've created an atmosphere where people aren't there to compare themselves. There are always differences in level between participants, but the strongest are there to help the weakest. There was a real sense of solidarity, because you're out in nature, a bit isolated, and you need each other.
"Too many women think they're not up to the job, when in fact they're more resilient".
Do you have a mix of men and women on your Gravel Up adventures?
We've had 100% women's trips with groups of girlfriends, and on each of our adventures there's one, two or three women. But to my great regret, they're still in the minority. It saddens me because women love it, but they're afraid to come with us. There's a real lack of confidence, which is frankly frustrating. Sometimes, my male customers call me to convince their wives to come along. They're often stronger than the men because they're more resistant. But I'm hoping to change things little by little, with Gravel Up.
