Helmeted people of the world, unite!

Unite, unite—but how? Luckily, that part no longer needs figuring out. A few guys—each pronouncing “gravel” in their own way—found a solution. That’s how Gravgrav.cc became an international gravel and bikepacking community that anyone can contribute to. The foundations will feel familiar to the Hungarians: much like KLND, it is built on community and relies on active participation from its members. At the same time, it is further ahead in organizing and connecting this community across borders, on an international scale.

For KLND, this has long been a strategic direction: we want to open up opportunities for our members to explore the world of gravel and bikepacking not only at home but abroad as well. In fact, we want to actively encourage everyone to go, connect, and bring back knowledge—so we can learn what international experiences and standards are worth integrating into our local way of operating.

At the same time, we aim to draw the attention of international communities to what’s happening in Hungary, because we have plenty to be proud of: our increasingly high-quality events, our beautiful country, our steadily improving routes, and our rapidly growing community. As part of this dual effort, discussions between KLND and Gravgrav began last year, and this year we’ve strengthened the connection even further.

Because what KLND is on a smaller scale, Gravgrav is on a larger one—and vice versa. Even someone arriving from another planet could see that…

Here it is:

One day, the Little Prince decided to leave his planet, asteroid B-612, once again to learn more about the world of humans. After carefully watering his proud yet gentle Rose, he returned to Earth—but this time he didn’t land in the desert. Instead, he arrived somewhere in the mountains. Instead of meeting a pilot repairing his broken airplane, he encountered adventurous cyclists tinkering with curious wheeled machines. Naturally, he began observing them.

His first notes read like this:
“Adults wearing helmets must have great trust in their helmets, because they set off together to explore the ends, depths, and heights of the world even though they’ve only known each other for a few minutes. They carry no maps; instead, they rely on a device to guide them, feeding it route descriptions written by strangers.”

The Little Prince quickly noticed the strong trust these helmeted ladies and gentlemen place in their machines, in themselves, and in one another. They keep mentioning something called “gravgrav,” though each pronounces it differently. Unsure how to say it, he first asks how these adults came to know each other. One of them wrote that they were going somewhere, and that was enough—the others packed their things and joined. The Prince, still unsure, asks whether that was the only time they could go to that place. Shaking their heads, they explain that anyone can go anywhere at any time—the machine can guide them alone—but they simply prefer going together.

“But you don’t even know each other,” the Little Prince wonders. “How do you know you want to go together?”
“You can just tell. Those who do this are alike in certain ways.”
“How so?”
“They’re happy to be outside, happy to ride, and happy when they arrive.”
“You helmeted people are strange,” the Little Prince says, still not entirely convinced he understands, and continues asking questions.
“How many of you are there in the world?”
“More and more, but scattered, so we usually meet in smaller groups.”
“But if you like being together so much, why not gather all at once? You even have vehicles to reach each other… though they’re quite small, and you’re still fixing them,” he giggles.
“Because until now, we didn’t know where to write so others would come.”
“So that’s what ‘gravgrav’ means?” the Little Prince’s eyes light up. “Some kind of signal, like Morse code, saying ‘there’s a good route here—come’?”
“Yes, that’s one way to see it. Until now, everyone shared good routes locally—with unknown acquaintances, in chaotic group chats or public events—and that’s how five, ten, or twenty strangers would show up. Now people can come from other countries too. Or go whenever they have time.”

The Little Prince realizes that everyone had been doing the same thing all along—just separately, and now together. He makes another note:

“Helmeted people sit down without their helmets and choose a place on a map. The farther away, the higher, and the more winding the route to reach it, the happier they seem. Often, when they get there, they don’t do anything special—they simply return. Then they proudly show how winding their route was and encourage others to try it, and those others really do go. These carefully refined routes, shaped by many detours and mistakes, can even become legendary—especially if strange creatures live nearby, like the lynx. The lynx, which these gravgrav riders once set out to track, is at once spotted, striped, furry, and tufted. From afar it seems small, but up close it is large.”

The Little Prince spends a lot of time thinking about bicycles. Each one is different, yet essentially the same. He is puzzled that their small bags seem too tiny to hold even a proper snack, yet somehow they contain everything needed—even to repair a spaceship.

“Your gear is strange,” he says. “How can all your vehicles be the same, yet different?”
“Everyone finds what works best for them, and each bike is suited for something slightly different.”
“Different—but you do the same thing with them?”
“Yes, because what we do can be done in many ways. What part becomes the best depends on the bike, the rider, and the weather.”
“That’s good—at least no one is uncomfortable then.”
“Everyone is uncomfortable in some way. We just don’t pay attention to it.”

He continues questioning them and later writes:

“Helmeted people know this about each other, but no one else knows that their fingers can go numb for weeks. They move through the world as if everything were normal, even while their limbs tingle—but by ignoring it, it eventually fades. They sit on hard saddles instead of soft ones and try to explain to others why soft saddles aren’t good. After a while, they lose interest in explaining and instead explain things only to each other. No matter where they come from, they usually think the same way—and can talk endlessly about the same things. They always go a little faster than planned or comfortable, and to balance this, they try to invite women riders as well.”

The Little Prince is especially curious about the women, so he asks a few more questions.

“I see that women often have smaller bikes and shorter legs. How can they compete with men?”
“This isn’t a competition. That happens elsewhere. Here, the goal is balance—half women, half men at events. That’s why men’s registration often closes early, so more thoughtful or hesitant women have time to decide.”
“So do you sometimes have to wait for them?”
“Not necessarily. Some are fast and strong and ride ahead. Others prefer going at their own pace and don’t like being waited for.”

Now the Little Prince begins to understand—at least partially. Seeing the women around him nod in agreement, he decides to trust what he hears.

He spends a long time talking with the helmeted people, wanting to fully understand this world he has returned to. He closes this chapter of his journal with a list:

What one helmeted person needs for happiness:

• one (good) bicycle

• one (or more) good routes

• one good community

The photos were taken during the April 2026 “Loose at the Coast” event, organized jointly by Gravgrav.cc and Loose Cycles.

The next event organized by Gravgrav.cc, called “Loose in the Woods,” will take place between July 31 and August 2. Starting at Loose Cycles (Ljubljana) and looping through Slovenia’s beautiful forests of Notranjska region. 

It will be nothing more and nothing less than a summer bikepacking party in the land of forests and champagne gravel roads.

—

[Gravgrav.cc is a community-driven, nonprofit European platform built around gravel riding and bikepacking, created and maintained by the riders themselves. It is simultaneously an open route library, an event network, and a creative community where members not only use the platform but actively shape it: designing routes, producing content, organizing events, and collectively deciding its future. Gravgrav.cc is built on shared ownership, independence, and the principle that all incoming resources are reinvested into the community and the platform. They operate in a way familiar to KLND members: anyone can join the club. For those who, alongside the local community, are also looking for an international perspective and connections, we warmly recommend joining—and we also hope that more and more international bikepackers will start appearing in our local forests and bivouac spots.]