This article appeared in a Road Biker Review Newsletter  For a comprehensive set of columns on various aches and pains visit Coach Hughes's website.

By Coach John Hughes

You can ride your regular road bike on gravel – I do it all the time. Put wider tires on your road bike and you're ready to roll. I ride 28 mm tires on my road bike — the maximum size that fits — and the bike handles well. Some people ride 25 mm and some 30 mm or wider.

Photo by Russ Keene from a 10/15/20 gravel ride.

Technique

The tire width is less important than good technique! Because gravel shifts under your tires your bike handles a little differently. The key is to do everything smoothly.

1. Pedal smoothly.

Practice pedaling with a round stroke. If you put too much power into the downstroke your rear wheel may slip.

2. Higher gear and lower cadence.

If I ride one gear harder, at a slightly slower cadence, the bike seems to have more traction.

3. Use momentum.

If you’re coming to a section with deeper, loose gravel, don’t cautiously slow down too much. If you do so, you may get bogged down and end up pushing your bike. Then it’s hard to remount and get going on lots of loose gravel. The same applies when the road changes from pavement to gravel. You may not want to ride the gravel at 20 mph but you don’t need to slow down to 10 mph.

4. Turn in a wider arc.

The bike has a tendency to slide out from under you when you turn the front wheel too much. By taking the long way around a curve you don’t need to turn the front wheel as much.

5. Don’t lean the bike.

On the road you lean the bike into the corner but if you do that on gravel the bike may slide out. Corner with the bike more upright and lean more with your body. Practice this first on a paved road.

6. Use a loose grip.

The front wheel is going to move around. If you’re gripping the handlebars tightly, then you’ll reflexively try to correct for each little movement of the front wheel. You may inadvertently over-correct and the front wheel will go out from under you. Hold the bars loosely and allow the front wheel to take care of itself.

7. Climbing.

Going uphill a smooth round stroke is critical to keep the rear wheel from slipping. As you shift gears try to compensate with your cadence to maintain a constant force on the rear wheel. Any sudden change in power or cadence to the rear wheel can cause it to lose traction. You will notice a difference depending on how much tread is on your tires.

8. When you stand.

Out of the saddle you’re applying much more downward force and your rear wheel may slip. Shift your weight back to find the traction point.

9. Brake smoothly.

Because it takes longer to stop, start braking earlier and gradually apply more pressure so you don’t lock up the wheels, which is easy to do on gravel.

10. Use more rear brake.

As you brake, your center of gravity shifts forward and you unweight the rear wheel, which may skid if you use too much front brake. When you're braking on gravel apply the rear brake just a little more firmly to keep your center of gravity over the middle of the bike.

11. Get your butt back.

The above works well on the flats and gentle descents. On steeper descents you need to use more front brake. To prevent going over the handlebars shift your butt to the back of the saddle or even off the back to keep your center of gravity over the bike.

Where to Ride Gravel

Before tackling an event on gravel, develop your skills on one of these:

Urban gravel trails. Many parts of the country are creating more and more multi-use paths and dedicated bike trails. Often these are gravel because that’s cheaper than pavement.

Gravel roads are far quieter than many paved roads and traffic is generally slower.

Easy mountain bike trails. Many areas have MTB trails designed for kids and new mountain bikers. These generally don’t have technical spots and are rideable on a gravel bike. If you can’t ride a piece of trail, hop off and push your bike – that’s what I do!

Rails-to-trails is helping to convert old rail lines to bike trails across the country, often through roadless areas.

Another inexpensive way to start

If you don’t feel comfortable riding your road bike on gravel, another option is a used mountain bike. Look at thrift stores, garage sales and on Craigslist, etc. Look for a bike with front suspension only, or one with no suspension at all. If your gravel roads are like washboards, then front suspension is great. Some front suspension forks have a lever to shut off the suspension if you don’t want it. If you know you’ll only ride relatively smooth gravel roads then front suspension isn’t necessary, and you waste a bit of energy each time you compress the shocks, particularly when you are climbing.

You might also initially put flat pedals on the bike so it’s easier to put a foot down until you get used to riding gravel.

Once you have a used bike, check everything is tight and works correctly. You may want to put on new tubes and tires. Wider tires will feel more stable on gravel.

Have fun and keep the rubber side down!

Related columns:

• 10 Essential  Bike Handling Skills
• On the Bike Stability Drills
• Gravel Riding is Fun for Everyone

Coach John Hughes earned coaching certifications from USA Cycling and the National Strength and Conditioning Association. John’s cycling career includes course records in the Boston-Montreal-Boston 1200-km randonnée and the Furnace Creek 508, a Race Across AMerica (RAAM) qualifier. He has ridden solo RAAM twice and is a 5-time finisher of the 1200-km Paris-Brest-Paris.

He has written nearly 40 eBooks and eArticles on cycling training and nutrition, available in RBR’s eBookstore at Coach John Hughes. Click to read John’s full bio.  

My eBook Anti-Aging: 12 Ways You Can Slow the Aging Process includes chapters on how to meet the American College of Sports Medicine’s recommendations on aerobic, high intensity aerobic, strength training, weight-bearing exercises, balance and flexibility. I include sample weeks and months for different types and amounts of exercise. I give you plans to build up to 100 km and 100 mile rides. I include a plan to increase over two years your annual riding from around 4,000 miles (6,500 km) to over 5,000 miles (8,000 km) a year. You can easily modify the plans for different annual amounts of riding. I discuss the importance of recovery and how to gauge if you are getting enough recovery. I combine the different kinds of training into programs that balance training and recovery. The 106-page is available here Anti-Aging: 12 Ways You Can Slow the Aging Process 

Alan Cantor (second from the left) led a 71 mile ride on July 4th. He was joined by several friends and we believe Photoshop was also on the ride.

This was the 15th Annual Independence Day ride. It is intended to honor American freedom. The ride begins on the Boston Marathon route and continues into Boston. It passes the State House, and Faneuil Hall then proceeds onto Storrow Drive out to Lexington where the riders stop for ice cream at Rancatore’s It then passes the Minuteman Statue and continues into Concord over the North Bridge then back over historic roads in Sudbury and Framingham.

In my declining years I think I'm becoming older but wiser (not to be confused with Budweiser, a beer I never drink). I've discovered the joys of wheelsucking.

Wheelsucking as we all know is the art of burying yourself deep in the bowels of the pack and taking advantage of the front rider who is breaking the wind. This allows you to go much faster than you could alone.

In my youth, I would take long pulls at the front, and end the century at my VOP max (Verge of Puking, a term popularized by Rick Lawrence), but still with the lead group. Later in life I would do the same and wonder why I got dropped in the last fifteen miles. Typical century scenario:

Mile 0 Blast out of the starting gate at warp speed feeling great
Mile 60 Finally stop to eat something
Mile 75 Leg cramps set in
Mile 85 Limp back wondering if any paramedics are on call

So I've changed my strategy and decided to dedicate myself to wheel sucking. I'm not proud, I'll draft anything, women, children, tandems (especially tandems), if they have a wheel, I'll suck it. I draw the line at recumbents, however. They provide less draft than a large German shepherd, so they're definitely not worth it.

Wheel sucking has a lot in common with whitewater canoeing. You find a nice eddy to sit behind, recover your composure, then dash ahead to the next one. Similarly, the adept wheelsucker can relax in the draft of one group, then when sufficiently recovered, charge ahead to find the next group to sit behind.

After a few riders have pulled off the front, you may find yourself dangerously close to that unenviable position. At this point, it's time to create a diversion. "Look, an eagle," or "dinosaur up" are among my favorites. Use the ensuing confusion to surreptitiously slip to the back of the pack. Corners and traffic lights are both good places to improve your position. The skilled wheel sucker will enter a sweeping left turn in second position, only to find himself again at the back coming out of the turn.

The key to successful wheelsucking is finding the appropriate suckees. It's no good to get behind a group that's slower than you would be if you ever took your turn at the front (which you must never do, remember). An early breakaway is often a good way to flush out the stronger riders. Blast off the front, only to be quickly chased down by a group whose wheels you will be happy to suck for the remainder of the ride. The other advantage of this is that it eliminates many of the other freeloaders like yourself, who contribute nothing to your average speed. You have to be careful with this approach, though, that you don't end up eliminated yourself.

If you must take a pull, do it on a hill. After sitting in for thirty miles you should be able to lead the pack for a minute or so, thereby impressing everyone with your hill climbing abilities. You've got to get up the hill anyway, and when you're riding at 8 miles an hour, it doesn't matter a whole lot who's in front.

This timeless article originally ran in September 1996 WheelPeople