By Matteo Cigala | cigalacycling.com
Gravel events are becoming more popular and you can choose the right one for you based on the terrain, distance and level of competition. One great feature with gravel racing is the community - you won’t be alone. Riders are there to help each other and enjoy a new route, so it’s a great way to meet new people and start a new discipline in a supportive environment. Starting gravel racing is, of course, a step up. You need to have gained some skills and to be prepared if you’re planning to take on races. But hopefully these tips will get you started.
1 Train for the event
Gravel is a new discipline, but the training methodology required is very similar to road, for example. Preparing for your event with the correct training and periodisation is essential. Normally gravel races are three to four hours long. Therefore, endurance training is a must. Increasing your endurance means working on your FatMax to save as much energy in reserve as you can. Spend a lot of time riding at your FatMax, but also include some VO2 Max efforts, for those more hectic sections of the race. Also try to incorporate some low cadence drills into your training because gravel races tend to be lower cadence than equivalent events on the road. Finally, add some upper body and core strength training to your routine as the rough roads can be hard on the body.
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2 Improve your bike handling skills
On gravel, you’re bike handing skills with be tested. And if you want to race, these skills should be maximised and improved as much as possible. To do that, include some technical sections into your training rides or even go out with the mountain bike on some of the most challenging trails that you would not normally do on your gravel bike.
3 Prepare your bike and gear
Do some research into your planned event and choose the correct tyres - width, casing type and tread. You’ll also need the appropriate gear ratio based on the terrain, appropriate clothing, and nutrition. Additionally, make sure you have all of the spares that might be needed on race day.
4 Test and test again
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Before heading to the race, make sure you test your equipment - to the limits if you can. If you don’t put your equipment through its paces properly, it can be fine in training only to let you down on race day. So you need to put your bike, and yourself, under real stress to make sure your equipment is going to hold up to the pressures of race day. And don’t forget the all-important final check to make sure everything is in order before setting off for your event.
5 Do a course reconnaissance if possible
Knowing the course, and what expect, is essential for a good performance. If you can go to the event venue a day or two before the race to do a recce it will be in a great advantage. It can also help you select the right tyre pressure and to plan your water stops.
5 Download the route on your GPS bike computer
Even if you are unable to do a recce, you’ll still want the route on the GPS bike computer to ensure you don’t make any mistakes. It will also mean you’ll know the profile of the climbs coming up. Gravel roads are not as straightforward as paved roads. Even if you know the course, with dirt or minor distractions you can easily take a wrong turn.
6 Keep yourself hydrated and fed
Due to the surface, you will spend much more energy pedaling - even when drafting in a group. You will therefore consume more calories per mile. So keep yourself fed and hydrated. Bring extra food with you and start with extra liquids because losing a bidon while riding on gravel is likely.
7 Don’t get upset if something goes wrong on race day
A flat tyre, a chain drop, or any other mechanical issue is part of gravel game. If problems arise, stay cool, keep your chin up and try to fix them as quickly as possible without giving up. Remember, gravel races are long and there is plenty of time to recover. Always assume anything can happen to others as well. In some of the gravel races I have done, I lost a lot of time dealing with mechanicals. But I kept calm, fixed the problem and still got a great result; often even better than I expected going into the race.
