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Grit Gravel and Gear
Twenty-two stories in Grit, Gravel and Gear chronicle Dhruv Bogra’s epic solo ride on a touring bicycle named ‘Quest’. In 2016, Dhruv embarked on a journey of discovery, adventure and peril when he chose to plunge into the far end of the planet to fulfil a childhood dream to explore the lands and indigenous cultures of the Arctic, the Maya, the Zapotec and Aztec in Mexico and Central America, and the world of the Inca in Peru.
Cycling alone for 15,000 kilometres across ten countries—from the cold and barren wilderness of the unforgiving Arctic Tundra to the thin air of the Andes—he endured hardship, misery, catharsis, happiness, and unbridled joy. Riding on the saddle for thirteen months, he encountered bears, wolves and moose as also touring cyclists, indigenous peoples,artists, writers, hunters, farmers and homeless hitchhikers experiencing extraordinary kindness from people in the villages and small towns.
Grit, Gravel and Gear is about the author’s voyage of discovery and how he stumbled upon unusual wisdom, deep life lessons, an endearing love for a woman and the land that gave birth to his soul.
Cycling alone for 15,000 kilometres across ten countries—from the cold and barren wilderness of the unforgiving Arctic Tundra to the thin air of the Andes—he endured hardship, misery, catharsis, happiness, and unbridled joy. Riding on the saddle for thirteen months, he encountered bears, wolves and moose as also touring cyclists, indigenous peoples,artists, writers, hunters, farmers and homeless hitchhikers experiencing extraordinary kindness from people in the villages and small towns.
Grit, Gravel and Gear is about the author’s voyage of discovery and how he stumbled upon unusual wisdom, deep life lessons, an endearing love for a woman and the land that gave birth to his soul.
418 pages, Paperback
Published March 26, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 17, 2019
15000 km, 10 countries, 400 days and a solo ride. In 2016, Dhruv Bogra decides to embark on this unconventional voyage on his touring bicycle named quest from the Arctic to the Andes.
Facing extreme weather conditions, Dhruv describes his hardships and struggles which are accompanied with a sense of joy and freedom. He narrates about his his tryst with nature in its purest form while camping outdoors and coming face to face with bears, wolves, raccoons and elks. Simultaneously he also encounters fellow cyclists, tourists, homeless and experiences some kind heartwarming gestures from people enroute.
It is often said that a book has the ability to take the readers to exotic locales just by sitting in one place. 'Grit Gravel and gear' is one such read. The author is vivid in his descriptions as he goes on to describe the history and culture of every place that he lands in. Be it Alaska, California, Mexico or Peru. He also takes us through his feelings during his journey. Whether its showcasing phases of inevitable loneliness, handling the challenges of long distance relationships and bouts of ill health during this voyage.
Grit, Gravel and Gear emphasizes on aspects like the importance of getting out of the comfort zone and to experience the world without materialistic pleasures. This book is bound to resonate with adventurous souls who are looking to live life beyond the conventional realm. Cyclists and nature lovers especially will love this one.
Facing extreme weather conditions, Dhruv describes his hardships and struggles which are accompanied with a sense of joy and freedom. He narrates about his his tryst with nature in its purest form while camping outdoors and coming face to face with bears, wolves, raccoons and elks. Simultaneously he also encounters fellow cyclists, tourists, homeless and experiences some kind heartwarming gestures from people enroute.
It is often said that a book has the ability to take the readers to exotic locales just by sitting in one place. 'Grit Gravel and gear' is one such read. The author is vivid in his descriptions as he goes on to describe the history and culture of every place that he lands in. Be it Alaska, California, Mexico or Peru. He also takes us through his feelings during his journey. Whether its showcasing phases of inevitable loneliness, handling the challenges of long distance relationships and bouts of ill health during this voyage.
Grit, Gravel and Gear emphasizes on aspects like the importance of getting out of the comfort zone and to experience the world without materialistic pleasures. This book is bound to resonate with adventurous souls who are looking to live life beyond the conventional realm. Cyclists and nature lovers especially will love this one.
June 7, 2019
An informative start to an interesting take on a man’s journey, cycling to some of the most fascinating and historical countries, while engaging with the people and the culture.
An interesting viewpoint as the author, Dhruv Bogra narrates his journey cross-country. Visiting different locations that most people only dream of visiting. The reader connects with the author and the landscape he is travelling on. Imagery of beautiful countries Alaska, California, Mexico or Peru and beyond.
The reader is able to get a glimpse into this man’s world; his triumphs, his struggles and the amazing experiences he has.
I could read the story through his eyes, it’s not just like reading from a travel book or history book, but learning alongside the author about the places he goes, and the generous and friendly people he meets. You can get a sense one of the reasons he survived this major feat was because of the kindness of others, opening up their homes to him and his travelling companion.
At times I wished there was a bit more detail about some of these amazing countries. Sometimes I felt it was a bit brief, so it was difficult to get fully immersed and picture where he was. Some words could have provided a more descriptive view, but in the end that is the beauty of this story, he wrote what he thought.
It was great to see some of the pictures half-way through the story. That enabled a better picture of the author and the places he went.
I especially enjoyed reading about the culture and the places of great significance in history. Throughout the novel telling a little bit of history about the places he was at, and the hard reality of his choice of transport.
Going to places that really only a cycle can go, and having intimate experience with nature and the locals purely because one day to the next he didn’t know where he was going to stay.
The Author gave the feeling of been there with him. The different places and cultures. An inside view of touring on a budget and roughing it. The regular punctures, gear and spoke problems is probably simple enough but I am the person that needs the bike shop at the next corner when tragedy strikes.
I followed most of the journey looking at google maps which made it exciting from the computer desk. Where the author may of got soaked i only had to read it.
All I can say about this book is it's an incredible experience. Most people would never have had this experience, so to get a glimpse into it was great. Definitely recommended, especially for those that enjoy history and travel.
An interesting viewpoint as the author, Dhruv Bogra narrates his journey cross-country. Visiting different locations that most people only dream of visiting. The reader connects with the author and the landscape he is travelling on. Imagery of beautiful countries Alaska, California, Mexico or Peru and beyond.
The reader is able to get a glimpse into this man’s world; his triumphs, his struggles and the amazing experiences he has.
I could read the story through his eyes, it’s not just like reading from a travel book or history book, but learning alongside the author about the places he goes, and the generous and friendly people he meets. You can get a sense one of the reasons he survived this major feat was because of the kindness of others, opening up their homes to him and his travelling companion.
At times I wished there was a bit more detail about some of these amazing countries. Sometimes I felt it was a bit brief, so it was difficult to get fully immersed and picture where he was. Some words could have provided a more descriptive view, but in the end that is the beauty of this story, he wrote what he thought.
It was great to see some of the pictures half-way through the story. That enabled a better picture of the author and the places he went.
I especially enjoyed reading about the culture and the places of great significance in history. Throughout the novel telling a little bit of history about the places he was at, and the hard reality of his choice of transport.
Going to places that really only a cycle can go, and having intimate experience with nature and the locals purely because one day to the next he didn’t know where he was going to stay.
The Author gave the feeling of been there with him. The different places and cultures. An inside view of touring on a budget and roughing it. The regular punctures, gear and spoke problems is probably simple enough but I am the person that needs the bike shop at the next corner when tragedy strikes.
I followed most of the journey looking at google maps which made it exciting from the computer desk. Where the author may of got soaked i only had to read it.
All I can say about this book is it's an incredible experience. Most people would never have had this experience, so to get a glimpse into it was great. Definitely recommended, especially for those that enjoy history and travel.
July 26, 2021
Grit, Gravel and Gear is an inspirational book to think something out of the box and doing it. An autobiography of the author Dhruv Bogra on his solo journey for 400 days discovering raw beauty of the remotest parts of the world from Arctic to Andes and its indigineous culture.
I liked flow of the book (as one can well visualise his real time adventures- camping outdoors, coming f2f with bears, raccoons & elks) and found it informative as he takes us through the history and culture of every place he lands in.
He encounters fellow cyclists, tourists on the way and is stumbled upon heartwarming gestures and astounding kindness of the people enroute. I would like to applaud the author for his courage to choose such a difficult terrain to cycle and sharing his deepest feelings through this book
Would recommend it to all age groups esp those who love adventure n history.
I liked flow of the book (as one can well visualise his real time adventures- camping outdoors, coming f2f with bears, raccoons & elks) and found it informative as he takes us through the history and culture of every place he lands in.
He encounters fellow cyclists, tourists on the way and is stumbled upon heartwarming gestures and astounding kindness of the people enroute. I would like to applaud the author for his courage to choose such a difficult terrain to cycle and sharing his deepest feelings through this book
Would recommend it to all age groups esp those who love adventure n history.
June 25, 2025
Sometimes you discover good books, and sometimes, the good books discover you. This one falls in the latter category. I found it at a discounted price at a Crossword on a rainy evening, completely oblivious of the disproportionate effect its words will have on me, far exceeding the perceived value, monetary and otherwise, I put on the book.
One fine day, Mr. Bogra elects to leave his corporate job, put his money on a special bicycle whose components take 4 months to source, and leave on a 15000-kilometer trip spanning 400 days and 10 countries from the Arctic tundra to the Andean peaks. (Did I mention he's no spring chicken at the time of this crazy decision? No? Well, he's nearing 50, go figure!) To prepare himself for the Herculean task, he spends a month camping and cycling in the Himalayas in Uttaranchal. And that's just 4 pages of the prologue, by the way, the book hasn't even begun! This could've been a book unto itself (which, I discovered after completing this book, indeed exists; it's called Away). He camps in the middle of dangerous roads, forests, deserts and mountains, at night in subzero temperatures, surrounded by bears and raccoons! Unlike the Instagram-era travelers who flit from one destination to another, Bogra lingers - absorbing the whispers of the wind, the cadence of foreign tongues, the silent generosity of strangers who offer not just shelter but kinship. His bicycle, aptly named Quest, becomes more than a machine; it is a steadfast companion, a silent witness to his triumphs and tribulations.
Look, I generally shy away from using the E-word. It's done to death and lost its meaning in the Instagram era, but here, I can't stress this enough. You have to 'experience' this book, it can't be read any other way. Mr. Bogra is no professional author, there's no characteristic linguistic flair employed by writers or zappy twists of thrillers, he's just matter-of-factly describing his experiences! It's day after day after day of chats, circumambulations and crucibles. And that is enough! I am not overplaying or romanticizing things when I say I tried to live every page of it. There's no pay-off at the end, the journey itself is the pay-off.
I don't know why Indians don't teach these things to their children, but they should. I don't know why this book is not popular, but it should be. I don't know why the hell we keep ourselves chained and not try out something new, but we should. We are like those barren trees whose one branch blossoms to no end - the branch of money - but there's forever autumn on other branches. We don't partake in sports, we don't do adventures, we don't learn to play musical instruments, we don't read and we certainly don't take risks. Despite all the money and comforts in the world, how poor we indeed are!
Mr. Bogra does not recoil from pointing this out. He draws parallels between Indian roads and mindsets vis-a-vis countries he's traveling in and you can't help but put down your head in shame. The smallest of details, the kindness of strangers, the civic sense of people in the foreign lands will make you think what went wrong in our nation. It's not all hunky-dory though and he does have to go through a few (read 'a lot') inconveniences and a life-threatening situation or two. It's part of the journey, I would've been suspicious if he did not outline these incidents.
Don't let my rating of 3 stars discourage you; numbering is a necessary evil of reviewing. (It doesn't have to be though, and I've often thought about doing away with it, but that's a debate for another day.) I don't know about anyone else, but Mr.Bogra has inspired me enough to take a journey of this kind. Please excuse my public manifestation, but I swear to ride the 1400+ kilometre coastline of Gujarat on a bicycle from Narayan Sarovar in Kutch, all the way to Daman, visiting the ports of Mandvi and scenic beaches of Dwarka, Somnath and Surat on the way. Someday, my dear life, someday!
One fine day, Mr. Bogra elects to leave his corporate job, put his money on a special bicycle whose components take 4 months to source, and leave on a 15000-kilometer trip spanning 400 days and 10 countries from the Arctic tundra to the Andean peaks. (Did I mention he's no spring chicken at the time of this crazy decision? No? Well, he's nearing 50, go figure!) To prepare himself for the Herculean task, he spends a month camping and cycling in the Himalayas in Uttaranchal. And that's just 4 pages of the prologue, by the way, the book hasn't even begun! This could've been a book unto itself (which, I discovered after completing this book, indeed exists; it's called Away). He camps in the middle of dangerous roads, forests, deserts and mountains, at night in subzero temperatures, surrounded by bears and raccoons! Unlike the Instagram-era travelers who flit from one destination to another, Bogra lingers - absorbing the whispers of the wind, the cadence of foreign tongues, the silent generosity of strangers who offer not just shelter but kinship. His bicycle, aptly named Quest, becomes more than a machine; it is a steadfast companion, a silent witness to his triumphs and tribulations.
Look, I generally shy away from using the E-word. It's done to death and lost its meaning in the Instagram era, but here, I can't stress this enough. You have to 'experience' this book, it can't be read any other way. Mr. Bogra is no professional author, there's no characteristic linguistic flair employed by writers or zappy twists of thrillers, he's just matter-of-factly describing his experiences! It's day after day after day of chats, circumambulations and crucibles. And that is enough! I am not overplaying or romanticizing things when I say I tried to live every page of it. There's no pay-off at the end, the journey itself is the pay-off.
I don't know why Indians don't teach these things to their children, but they should. I don't know why this book is not popular, but it should be. I don't know why the hell we keep ourselves chained and not try out something new, but we should. We are like those barren trees whose one branch blossoms to no end - the branch of money - but there's forever autumn on other branches. We don't partake in sports, we don't do adventures, we don't learn to play musical instruments, we don't read and we certainly don't take risks. Despite all the money and comforts in the world, how poor we indeed are!
Mr. Bogra does not recoil from pointing this out. He draws parallels between Indian roads and mindsets vis-a-vis countries he's traveling in and you can't help but put down your head in shame. The smallest of details, the kindness of strangers, the civic sense of people in the foreign lands will make you think what went wrong in our nation. It's not all hunky-dory though and he does have to go through a few (read 'a lot') inconveniences and a life-threatening situation or two. It's part of the journey, I would've been suspicious if he did not outline these incidents.
Don't let my rating of 3 stars discourage you; numbering is a necessary evil of reviewing. (It doesn't have to be though, and I've often thought about doing away with it, but that's a debate for another day.) I don't know about anyone else, but Mr.Bogra has inspired me enough to take a journey of this kind. Please excuse my public manifestation, but I swear to ride the 1400+ kilometre coastline of Gujarat on a bicycle from Narayan Sarovar in Kutch, all the way to Daman, visiting the ports of Mandvi and scenic beaches of Dwarka, Somnath and Surat on the way. Someday, my dear life, someday!
July 17, 2021
I just finished reading a gem of a book, highly recommended for those bitten by the travel bug- Grit Gravel and Gear written by Mr. Dhruv Bogra. It takes all three – the reader, author & Quest (the bicycle) to a journey that is experienced once in a lifetime. The detailing and narration touches your heart and keeps you engaged right from the start to the end. After reading this book, I feel that I have travelled from Deadhorse in Canada to Peru and have experienced some amazing places such as Yucon, baja desert, rainbow mountains and have lived ancient civilisations such as Mayan and Incan. The author has discovered a big part of the world on bicycle at a slow and easy pace capturing every moment of life, nature, while exploring where he truly belongs. This book offers some unforgettable experiences of a journey of finding yourself.
Thanks for sharing your experiences through this brilliant book Dhruv BograGrit Gravel and Gear
Thanks for sharing your experiences through this brilliant book Dhruv BograGrit Gravel and Gear
August 9, 2022
This book, like most of my other books, was a spontaneous pick. All of 400 pages, I call this read a success, as I was able to read thru this at a stretch, wanting to go back for more.
It was exciting to see Dhruv, all of 50 years in age, endure that long treacherous journey all by himself and cover 25000 kms on his bike over the span of 18 months.
His journey from Alaska to Canada and then thru California and then the very exciting South America, with different landscapes, weather, culture, people and his nuanced description of it all, was what made the book a knowledgeable and enthralling read.
There are only a handful who take up what seems impossible and convert that into one very fulfilling experience. Thrilled that Dhruv could take this up after decades in the corporate world and put it out a book to present to the world, what most of us may not dare to take up !
Grit, Gravel and Gear is a worthy read !
It was exciting to see Dhruv, all of 50 years in age, endure that long treacherous journey all by himself and cover 25000 kms on his bike over the span of 18 months.
His journey from Alaska to Canada and then thru California and then the very exciting South America, with different landscapes, weather, culture, people and his nuanced description of it all, was what made the book a knowledgeable and enthralling read.
There are only a handful who take up what seems impossible and convert that into one very fulfilling experience. Thrilled that Dhruv could take this up after decades in the corporate world and put it out a book to present to the world, what most of us may not dare to take up !
Grit, Gravel and Gear is a worthy read !
May 19, 2022
The experience was adventurous, interesting and enriching. It takes immense courage to take such a daring journey. The narrative of the book is like journal entry. The author talks about the weather of the day, people he met, food he ate, the places he saw and his other daily experiences. He also talks about the history of the place. The only problem I personally felt was lack of storytelling. It is like a tedious entry of a dairy. I wish the writing had been as interesting as the journey. I felt like reading the transcript of a travel vlog. However, give this book a read. You will be amazed by the experiences.
June 21, 2025
The journey is quite inspiring from Alaska to Andes.The way the writer describes the journey, the flora, the fauna and especially the warmth of the people in the remote areas of the world is truly mesmerizing. The best part of the book is that the writer never gives up. His discipline and resolve shows throughout the journey and the need to savor the journey not just completing it as a task . I especially loved the part when he entered south America. The ancient civilizations and how people preserving their routes is truly wonderful. Loved Mexico also. After reading the book I really want to go to Mexico. Definitely recommend.
March 3, 2020
What an amazing book. Such detailed journal which gives you to the first hand experience of riding through wild, mountains, desert and various cultures. This book has induced the zeal in me to take such adventures in life to find meaning. A great treat for all the bicyclist out there.
August 28, 2019
A book which is worth to read, full review follow soon.
March 8, 2020
Nice book for the people who love to travel and like to spend sometime of their life in solitude exploring the world....
October 4, 2020
What better way to recommend this book than sharing with you that on reaching the 17th page of the book, I called my partner in crime and cyclist friend Anupam, to “tell him” that we are doing a 12 day bike tour and it was immediately written in stone (though that trip got cancelled after 3 months of planning, a day before we were to leave but that’s a story for another day).
What I loved about the book is how it’s like watching a movie. The author Dhruv Bogra, takes you from the never ending climbs and several day of riding in solitude, to his life, for a quick peak into the “why” and then brings you back to the journey and he continues to do so throughout the book, making the reader want to know more about him and understand his “why”.
What I loved about the book is how it’s like watching a movie. The author Dhruv Bogra, takes you from the never ending climbs and several day of riding in solitude, to his life, for a quick peak into the “why” and then brings you back to the journey and he continues to do so throughout the book, making the reader want to know more about him and understand his “why”.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews