The Kudo Coach guide to gravel riding

Over the last few years we have witnessed the growth and popularity of gravel riding and with more events and better bikes this is only going to increase. What are the attractions, what are the training benefits and could it be the next discipline for you?

Riding and racing off road on modified road bikes is hardly a new thing and previously we all knew this as cyclo-cross. The first cyclo-cross races in Europe took place in the early 1900s and were seen as a great winter training tool for road racers, as the riding was intense, the slower speeds kept them warmer and the loose surfaces improved bike handling skills. They probably had good fun as well and the same can be said today!!

Riders have been using cyclo-cross bikes as versatile road bikes ever since and exploring off road. I personally have always used my cyclo-cross bike to ride mixed terrain and in some ways it reminds me of my basic early 90s MTB with no suspension and narrow tyres. Just like the early cyclo-cross pioneers I get a great training effect, some sliding around on the corners and the best bit is being away from the traffic or at least riding on the beaten up farm lanes I see only the occasional car.

The point when gravel bikes emerged was when road disc brakes were launched. In order to get the clearance for the bigger tyres CX bikes used cantilever brakes and these were basically awful! Ok for racing around a flat muddy field but no good on a rocky farm track descent. As the main manufacturers developed hydraulic road disc brakes then the capable gravel bike was born. With no brake limits on tyre size the 32mm cross tyres soon swelled to 40mm or so, then the options of a 650b wheel with up to 50mm tires came along for rougher off-road routes.

The key to a gravel bike is its versatility, with the correct tyre choice it will still ride fast enough on the road but can get by on muddy or rocky terrain. Be warned though that a gravel bike will meet its match very quickly on more technical off road.

Training and Gravel Rides

If you are lucky enough to live somewhere with a huge network of gravel roads then a gravel workout will not be too different from a road one. The speed will be a bit slower and you may need to stay seated on the climbs more for traction, so will do more lower cadence riding but not enough to change your plan.

If you are riding more dirt tracks and UK style bridleways then you are likely to get more changes in speed and far more short accelerations. You will get a tougher workout and less steady state riding, this will increase the training load of the ride and hit the muscles harder.

There is now a full library of gravel workouts on Kudo Coach, ranging from steady base builders to more structured intense rides. When choosing a workout the most suitable will be suggested, based on your intended goal and training cycle and then a variety of other workouts are listed that can be chosen to suit your route, your mood or the group you are riding with.

Riding off road is technically different to road riding in the fact that the surface is loose and can be unpredictable. This is especially true with gravel as it is loose on top of hard, the perfect combo for sideways slides! To ride on gravel you need to be on point with your braking, so slowing before you turn and setting your speed before the corner. This is an essential skill for all cyclists and gravel riding will make you a more confident and better road descender.

Gravel Events

With the increase in gravel riding has come some great gravel events, from sportive to full races, the most famous currently being the Unbound Gravel event (previously Dirty Kansa) in the USA raced over 200 miles.

A popular format for Gravel events is to use a rally style, with timed special stages on the route. This works really well giving a mellow start atmosphere and the ability for mixed ability groups to ride between stages and then tackle the race sections at full speed.

If you have a gravel event coming up I would advise riding off road at least once per week, twice if possible. These workouts will develop your technical skills and also muscle endurance from the low RPM/high torque efforts.

If your event is a long sportive or race then focus on building up endurance and raising your anaerobic threshold, the point where you are working inefficiently and not where you want to be on a long endurance ride! If the event has short timed stages you will need to add some higher intensity into your training with some time trial efforts at Z5 and some short hard Z5 intervals.

Depending on your event length and how serious you are taking the challenge Kudo Coach will build a plan suitable for building specific fitness for a gravel epic and suggest specific workouts for you to maximise the benefits from your gravel sessions.

Hope you can get off road soon