Riding on dirt and unpaved roads is similar to riding on pavement, but entirely different at the same time. \u00a0Just like pavement, you'll want to watch for the best, smoothest line of travel, free of potholes and broken surfaces. \u00a0The problem is, on unpaved surfaces, you're likely to have a higher percentage of potholes, sand, loose gravel and dirt, mud and dust. \u00a0All of those hazards can combine to make traction iffy at best, so you need to adapt your riding technique a bit to handle the loose surface.<\/p>\n

Position wise, get familiar with your drops so you can keep your center of gravity low. \u00a0It will force your bike to track a little better and any sudden sideways slide (when you hit a stone and roll to the side a bit) will be muted. \u00a0Maintain traction by sliding your butt back to the rear of the saddle and push through your glutes and hamstrings more instead of through your quads.<\/p>\n

Cadence wise, stick to a lower cadence with a nice, even pedal stroke. \u00a0A quick pedal stroke has the potential to create a lot of torque during the power phase, leading to a loss of rear wheel traction. \u00a0The lower cadence and more pedal tension will make sure the force put through the rear wheel is more even, keeping it from sliding out.<\/p>\n

On the climbs, stay seated as much as possible and keep the power evenly applied, otherwise your wheels will be slipping. \u00a0It pays to get nice and low here as well, keeping the weight distributed over the rear wheel to maintain contact with the ground. \u00a0Even the best gravel grinder riders have a tough time when their rear wheel is spinning and they lose all their momentum.<\/p>\n

Because gravel grinder routes are generally full of dirt, gravel, sand, dust and mud, rolling resistance is much higher than on smooth pavement. \u00a0That puts a significant burden on your muscles to guide you through the rough terrain. \u00a0Most first time gravel grinders find themselves getting bogged down and suffering more than they expected, mainly because they haven't prioritized their muscular endurance.<\/p>\n

Muscular endurance is simply the body's ability to continually produce sub-maximal contractions without fatiguing. \u00a0If you've ever bonked, cramped, or simply had your legs feel empty, you know what it's like when you overrun your muscular endurance capacity. \u00a0In layman's terms, muscular fatigue is caused by lack of energy molecules (ATP) in muscle cells, nervous system fatigue that causes uncoordinated and uncontrolled muscle contraction and high concentrations of acidity in muscle tissue. \u00a0This all combines to shut your muscles down when you need them the most.<\/p>\n

Since the roads of a gravel grinder offer far more resistance, you'll find your muscles under tension more frequently. \u00a0You'll need to train that ability early and often if you hope to conquer your gravel adventure. \u00a0You'll need to train muscular endurance at all kinds of intensities, from tempo and sweetspot to VO2 max and anaerobic capacity. \u00a0How would you go about this? \u00a0Typically, you'll want to ride lower cadences and higher pedal tensions, no matter what the actual FTP percentage you're riding at.<\/p>\n

3: Be prepared for varying road conditions<\/h2>\n

As I mentioned above, a typical gravel grinder ride or race like Battenkill will very likely feature a variety of dirt road conditions. \u00a0Along the way, you may see deep sand, loose gravel and dirt, hard pack, large size road gravel, mud, dust and pretty much any combination of those all in one ride.<\/p>\n

You'll want to try and experience each and every one of those conditions in training. \u00a0You don't want to be surprised come race day when you suddenly turn onto a slippery, muddy stretch of road and have no idea how your bike will handle it. \u00a0Remember that each road condition will mean different things for handling and climbing, so be prepared for each condition and learn what skills you need to apply in each situation.<\/p>\n