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Jan 27, 2024

6 Tips for Your First Gravel Ride

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Use these suggestions to make your first gravel experiences more enjoyable

Now that you’ve purchased your first gravel bike, let's get you onto the road and trails. These tips will help make your first gravel ride more enjoyable and safer.

Riding your bike on gravel roads and trails brings many riders peace, tranquility, and views that often go unseen. But one of the unique challenges when riding gravel roads is there is less of everything—fewer gas stations and convenience stores, no people willing to help, or even a familiar road to get you back home.

Recently, I attended Grinduro California, a three-day gravel riding festival in Mount Shasta, California. At the event, I chatted with many cyclists about their tips for new riders—plus, I added some suggestions from my experience riding gravel for many years.

While getting new riding clothes is great, the price of bibs and jerseys can be a bit steep for many riders. I always advocate for using the right equipment, but a simple pair of inexpensive cycling shorts or padded liners helps improve comfort for rides longer than just a few miles long. Pair these with your favorite activewear button-down or performance t-shirt for a lower-cost cycling kit.

Also, I highly recommend gloves. They provide extra grip on the bar and protection for your palms. And don't forget a helmet and sunglasses; both go a long way to protect your brain and eyes.

Snack on ALL the snacks!

Riding burns calories, but you must stay on top of it as you ride, or else the dreaded bonk can happen. Since gravel riding often takes place far away from populated towns or cities, you might find a convenience store mid-ride to fuel up. So, carry your snacks and hydration with you for your ride.

Mallory Creveling, Bicycling's Deputy Editor for Health and Fitness, typically recommends 30 to 60 grams of carbs per hour of riding. What your gut can sustain or intake is worth heavy consideration. Every rider's metabolic system processes food and hydration differently.

Pay particular attention to how you feel and what you eat on the bike—it makes riding more enjoyable. Welch's fruit snacks and bananas are some low-cost and easy-to-find ride snacks. Over the decade of becoming a Ride Snack Connoisseur, my favorite quick snacks found at most stores are any Clif Bar flavor (I’m not picky), banana or apple sauce, and definitely some type of candy (apologies to my dentist). Snacking should be fun and not a chore!

Many free mobile apps will help get you where you need to go and record your adventure. RidewithGPS and Strava have free features that allow you to plan routes, see trails and points of interest, and track your riding metrics and progress. Otherwise, using your phone's native navigation features or Google Maps will do the trick for short rides. For longer-distance rides, consider purchasing a dedicated GPS device.

The Hammerhead Karoo 2 and Garmin Edge series computers are both solid offerings.

Whether it is your first or your hundredth gravel ride, finding a tire that works well for you can be challenging. No one tire works flawlessly in every gravel riding situation.

If you ride exclusively on asphalt or super smooth dirt roads, slick tires are a great option. For riding on trails and very rocky gravel roads, consider picking a knobby tire. Otherwise, choose a mixed-conditions tire. Often equipped on new gravel bikes, mixed tires balance the needs for pavement and gravel riding.

When you get a flat tire, being prepared is half the battle. An unfortunate reality of riding gravel is that, at some point, you will get a flat. Since gravel rides often happen in the woods or out of cell phone reception, you can't phone a friend or order an Uber or Lyft to come to pick you up.

Whether you use tubeless or tubed tires, getting your tire to hold air after going flat is critical to getting you home. If you do not know how to install a tube, ask your local shop or a more experienced riding friend for a demonstration. The basic tools you’ll want to carry for gravel rides include tire levers, the correct size tube, tube patches, and a pump (or a CO2 inflator and cartridges). Also, carry a mini tool with the wrenches needed to remove your wheel.

Many new bikes do not come with pedals. There are two main options gravel riders use: clipless (sometimes called "clips" or "clip-in") or flat (sometimes called platform) pedals.

Clipless pedals mechanically attach with a cleat affixed to cycling-specific shoes. These are the go-to for most racers and long-distance riders. But they are not the only choice. You can also use more traditional flat pedals.

If you have previous experience riding with clipless pedals, you can usually use your mountain bike-style clipless pedals and shoes for gravel riding. Mountain- or gravel-style shoes allow for brief walks off the bike, and dual-sided pedals are easier to clip into than single-sided road pedals.

If you are trying to stay comfortable on the bike, flat pedals and bike-specific shoes work perfectly fine and are the choice for many riders. Many riders feel flat pedals allow their feet to move more naturally over the pedal body. They also allow riders to quickly put a foot down without needing to unclip. Flat pedals don't eliminate the risk of crashing, but they reduce many riders’ fears of falling over while clipped into the bike.

Whether riding a 15-mile loop or a 200-mile multiday adventure, the ride starts with the considerations you make for yourself and your bike. Every rider discovers personal tips and tricks to make their rides more enjoyable as they ride more.

What are some necessities you bring on your rides or tips you have learned?

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