Plan a route with gravel and dirt roads

Some people want to avoid gravel completely. Some want nothing else. Most are somewhere in between, and a good planner lets you say which.

Three ways to plan it

• Sealed only. The route strongly avoids unsealed roads, and sticks to sealed ones wherever there is a way to.
• Gravel when needed. Gravel is allowed but discouraged, so you only get it where there is no sensible alternative. A good fit if you want a short gravel link to reach something.
• Prefer unsealed. The route goes looking for dirt and gravel. This is the one for adventure rides and four-wheel-drive trips.

In MotoRidez the setting follows the vehicle in your garage, so a car, a four-wheel drive and an adventure bike each start with a sensible default, and you can change it for a single route.

Look at what the route actually includes

After planning, check how much of the route is unsealed and where. A route that is ninety per cent sealed with one rough section is very different from one that is half dirt. Decide whether the rough section is acceptable before you go, not when you reach it.

Know your limits

Surface is only part of it. Width, steepness, water crossings and ground clearance all matter, and none of them are on the map. If you are not sure, ask someone who has driven it, or look for recent reports.

Conditions change

• Rain can turn a good gravel road into a bad one in an hour.
• Closures are common on tracks and in national parks, especially after storms and in fire season.
• Distance between fuel is longer than it looks. Plan fuel carefully on remote roads.

Before you leave

Download the route for offline use, and share a live link with someone who knows your plan. For more on the gravel decision, see how to decide before the route decides for you.