{"id":51681,"date":"2023-07-02T17:00:44","date_gmt":"2023-07-02T15:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/?p=736803"},"modified":"2023-07-02T17:35:44","modified_gmt":"2023-07-02T15:35:44","slug":"our-essential-training-plan-for-gravel-riding-and-racing","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/our-essential-training-plan-for-gravel-riding-and-racing\/","title":{"rendered":"Our essential training plan for gravel riding and racing"},"content":{"rendered":"

How to get fit for the physical demands of gravel riding <\/p>

By Tom Bell\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Sunday, 02 July 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

Although gravel riding and racing have exploded in popularity in recent years, compared with more established cycling disciplines, there\u2019s considerably less written about the physical demands of this cycling specialism.<\/p>\n

No two gravel rides are alike and competitive events can last anywhere from several hours to multiple days. Gravel riding<\/a> and gravel racing<\/a> can incorporate flat and severely hilly sections, with surfaces as diverse as gravel, forest trails, fireroads, cobbles, rocky bridleways and canal towpaths.<\/p>\n

In this article, we\u2019ll run through the physical abilities you\u2019ll need for gravel riding. We\u2019ll help you put together a training plan<\/a> for gravel riding and racing, and provide some handy tips for getting the most from your gravel-focused workouts.<\/p>\n

The physical demands of gravel riding explained<\/h2>\n
\""Dirty\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Gravel racing is a tough ol\u2019 gig.<\/span><\/figcaption> Mick Kirkman \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Gravel riding sits somewhere between a sportive<\/a> and a cross-country mountain bike marathon<\/a> in terms of physiological demands.<\/p>\n

Key to all of these disciplines is having a good ability to sustain power<\/a> for many hours at a time.<\/p>\n

However, sustainable power is arguably even more important for gravel riding than perhaps all other cycling disciplines.<\/p>\n

This is because the higher rolling resistance means you\u2019ll be spending less time coasting or soft pedalling than on the road.<\/p>\n

The long, sustained climbs that feature heavily in gravel rides also mean that you\u2019re likely to be plugging away for longer continuous periods than you would on a mountain bike<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Carbs are king<\/h3>\n
\""Precision\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Energy gels are often packed full of carbs to help fuel racy efforts.<\/span><\/figcaption> Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The ability to sustain power for a long time has a lot to do with your ability to use fats for fuel.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because the body largely relies on carbohydrates and fats to produce energy.<\/p>\n

Even the leanest person will store enough fat to keep riding for several days.<\/p>\n

However, the amount of carbohydrates stored in the body is only sufficient to sustain roughly 1.5 hours of all-out riding.<\/p>\n

Running out of carbohydrates is the key reason for fatigue in endurance events such as gravel rides, and is generally the cause of \u2018bonking<\/a>\u2019.<\/p>\n

If you were to derive energy purely from carbohydrates during a gravel ride, you wouldn\u2019t be able to eat and digest enough to replace the fuel that\u2019s being burnt. So a good ability to use fats is paramount.<\/p>\n

The best way to train your fat oxidation ability is by riding for a long time at a relatively low intensity (known as base training<\/a>) where fat oxidation rates are high.<\/p>\n

Muscles matter<\/h3>\n
\""Female\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Building muscle strength through weight training could help improve your fitness for gravel riding.<\/span><\/figcaption> Getty<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Another factor that plays into sustainable power is muscle strength.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s good research that suggests improving the strength of leg muscles<\/a> helps improve endurance<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not completely clear why this helps, but one theory is that, with each pedal stroke, you\u2019re having to contract the muscles at a lower percentage of the maximum contractile force, meaning there\u2019s less muscle damage.<\/p>\n

Although it\u2019s possible to work on muscle strength on the bike, this is an ability that\u2019s usually trained best in the gym, by lifting weights<\/a>. We\u2019ll discuss this in more detail later in this article.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t forget skills<\/h3>\n
\""Specialized\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
If you want to ride fast on gravel, you also need to work on your skills.<\/span><\/figcaption> Felix Smith \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Of course, there\u2019s more to gravel riding than just having a good sustainable power output\u2026<\/p>\n

When we look at the power and heart rate data from gravel rides, average heart rates for gravel rides generally range between 70 and 85 per cent maximum. Average power is between roughly 50 and 85 per cent FTP<\/a> (functional threshold power).<\/p>\n

However, riders will spend considerable time at a variety of intensities, both above and below this range.<\/p>\n

When you hit steep, slippy or technical terrain, or make a move to catch up with a group, you need to be able to put down some higher wattages.<\/p>\n

\""Basso\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Building your threshold power will mean you are less likely to be above it when riding on technical terrain.<\/span><\/figcaption> Russell Burton \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Having a decent \u2018threshold power\u2019 can help with this, because it means you\u2019ll be stepping \u2018into the red\u2019 less often.<\/p>\n

Broadly speaking, your threshold power is your maximum sustainable power. Above this power, fatigue accumulates much more rapidly than below this threshold.<\/p>\n

It can be defined in a number of ways, with the most common being \u2018functional threshold power\u2019 (or FTP).<\/p>\n

Other terms you might be familiar with include critical power<\/a> and lactate threshold. For the purpose of this article, we can interpret them as pointing to the same thing.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also wise to spend a little time training your short-duration power (e.g. abilities over 30 seconds up to 5 minutes) so that you\u2019re prepared when you need to produce some bigger watts.<\/p>\n

The shorter the ride or event, the more you should pay attention to this ability.<\/p>\n

Much like mountain biking, gravel riding is often characterised by lower cadences<\/a>, compared with road cycling, and this is something that you\u2019ll need to develop specifically in training.<\/p>\n

Recommended training plan for gravel riding<\/h2>\n

Pulling this all together, here are some of the key workouts you can use to build a good base of fitness for gravel riding.<\/p>\n

Long endurance rides<\/h3>\n
\""cyclists\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Long rides should form the basis of your training for gravel riding.<\/span><\/figcaption> Mick Kirkman \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

These sessions should be the bedrock of your training, because they help to develop that all-important sustainable power and fat oxidation ability.<\/p>\n

Ideally, you\u2019ll want to do one to three of these per week, with at least one being a duration that challenges your endurance capabilities.<\/p>\n

You should aim to keep the intensity mostly between 55 and 75 per cent of FTP, or 60 to 70 per cent of your maximum heart rate.<\/p>\n

Importantly, your breathing should be \u2018conversational\u2019, meaning that you can speak in full sentences.<\/p>\n

Sustained lower-cadence \u2018tempo\u2019<\/h3>\n

These tempo<\/a> sessions help build strength endurance and improve fatigue resistance, while also helping you become accustomed to the high-torque, low-cadence pedalling style that\u2019s common in gravel riding.<\/p>\n

Start with something such as three 10-minute intervals at 85 to 95 per cent of your FTP, or 70 to 85 per cent of your maximum heart rate, using a cadence from 60-75 RPM. Take 2 to 5 mins of recovery between each block.<\/p>\n

As you improve, you can build towards completing up to 60 minutes riding in this intensity zone (e.g. 3x 20mins).<\/p>\n

Long supra-threshold efforts<\/h3>\n

Long intervals (e.g. 6-8mins) performed just slightly above your threshold power (e.g. 102 to 108 per cent of FTP, or 88 to 92 per cent of maximum heart rate) are great for a number of reasons.<\/p>\n

They can really help lift your threshold power, as well as help improve your ability to repeat harder efforts above your threshold, which translates to better endurance on a gravel ride.<\/p>\n

They also help develop your \u2018VO2max\u2019<\/a> (the maximum rate at which you can take on and process oxygen to produce energy), which can help with short-duration power.<\/p>\n

One of our favourite sessions is five to six 6-minute efforts at 102 to 108 per cent of FTP, or ~88 to 92 per cent of your maximum heart rate, taking 4 minutes recovery between each effort.<\/p>\n

You can make this extra discipline-specific by performing it on a loose climb, to work on body positioning and traction.<\/p>\n

Race-pace gravel riding skills<\/h3>\n
\""Cycling:\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Gravel racing demands a different set of skills compared to other disciplines.<\/span><\/figcaption> Nils Nilsen \/ Contributor \/ Getty<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Skills training should not be neglected for gravel riding. Although the terrain is generally less technical than in mountain biking, the bikes are less forgiving. There\u2019s more crossover with cyclocross skills<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Therefore, it\u2019s essential to make sure you\u2019re confident handling the bike on various surfaces, particularly loose downhills and unsupported open turns.<\/p>\n

Recommended skills include:<\/p>\n