What Bike Should I Use for Gravel Cycling in Morocco?
The short answer: a gravel bike with 40–45c tyres and low gearing. The longer answer depends on your route and how much sand you’ll cross.
Tyre width
40c is the sweet spot for most routes. Go 45c if you’re heading into the desert or want more comfort on the rocky pistes. 38c works on the firmer valley pistes but is sketchy in sand.
Gearing
Low gearing matters more than top end. A 1× with a 40t ring and 10–42 cassette, or a 2× sub-compact, gets you up the 8%+ gravel climbs without grinding.
Tubeless
Run tubeless. The pistes are generally clean but thorns and sharp stones happen. Tubeless with sealant and a plug kit is the right setup.
Brakes
Hydraulic discs. The descents off the passes are long — you want consistent, fade-free braking.
Rental vs bringing your own
We rent well-equipped gravel bikes in Marrakech. Bringing your own is better if you’re particular about fit; we’ll help with assembly and boxes.