Originally Posted by Rides4Beer

I think of bike handling in two categories. Basic good bike handling is being able to hold a line in a group, drink/eat while riding, avoid basic obstacles, etc. Advanced bike handling would be being able to recover from loss of traction, bunny hopping, being able to go offroad if necessary (as someone else mentioned having to go over a ditch and through a yard, something a lot of roadies wouldn't be able to do or even attempt).

I totally agree with a MTB background helping in the advanced skills section, those people are used to how the bike feels when it gets loose and know how to handle it. Gravel riding has def helped me in that aspect, you encounter a lot of situations that you don't usually see on the road, and it has made me more confident/comfortable on the road.