Gravel cycling sits between road racing and ultra-endurance bikepacking, and it rewards a different kind of rider. The fitness demands are real — Unbound Gravel 200 is 200 miles across the Flint Hills of Kansas, Badlands is 700+ km self-supported through the Spanish desert — but the barrier to entry is lower than any road race. You need sustained power, the ability to eat and drink for 8-16 hours straight, and the mental tolerance for surfaces that change every five minutes. That combination makes gravel the most accessible competitive endurance format in cycling right now.
We've had some of the best gravel minds on the podcast — Dylan Johnson on evidence-based training for gravel, Rosa Kloser on the surprisingly simple plan that won her Unbound 2024, Pete Stetina on reinventing a WorldTour career through gravel, Nathan Haas on the crossover between road and off-road, and Sofiane Sehili on what it takes to survive ultra-distance self-supported racing. This page pulls together what they taught us.
In this guide:
- What makes gravel different from road
- Getting started with gravel
- Training for gravel events
- The big gravel races: Unbound and Badlands
- Equipment and setup
- Does aero matter in gravel?
- What the experts say
- Frequently asked questions
What Makes Gravel Different From Road
Here's the thing nobody tells you about gravel: the fitness is only half the problem. Road racing rewards peak power — 5-second surges, VO2max repeatability, sprint finishes. Gravel rewards durability. The ability to hold 200-250 watts for 10 hours while your body is being vibrated apart on rough limestone, while eating 80-100g of carbs per hour, while making navigation decisions on the fly.
The key differences:
| Factor | Road Racing | Gravel Racing |
|---|---|---|
| Key fitness demand | VO2max, repeatability, peak power | Sustained tempo, durability, fuelling |
| Typical race duration | 2-5 hours | 6-16+ hours |
| Drafting advantage | Massive — 30-40% energy saving | Minimal — small groups, variable speeds |
| Nutrition importance | Medium | Critical — make or break |
| Surface variability | Tarmac | Gravel, dirt, mud, sand, tarmac — often all in one event |
| Equipment failure risk | Low | High — flats, mechanicals, tyre choice matters |
| Navigation | Follow the bunch | Self-navigated in many events |
The practical result: gravel training skews toward long sustained efforts, zone 2 volume, gut training for high carb intake, and time on rough surfaces. Less interval work at threshold, more time building the engine that holds together over distance.
Getting Started With Gravel
You don't need a gravel-specific bike to start riding gravel. Any bike that clears 35mm tyres will get you onto most gravel roads. But if you're buying new or building a dedicated setup, here's what matters:
The gravel bike essentials:
- Tyre clearance: 40-50mm minimum. This is the single biggest difference from a road bike.
- Geometry: More relaxed than a road bike — longer wheelbase, slacker head angle, lower bottom bracket for stability on rough descents.
- Drivetrain: 1x (single chainring) is standard in gravel for simplicity and mud clearance. A 40T or 42T front ring with an 10-52T cassette covers most terrain.
- Handlebars: Flared drop bars give better control on loose surfaces.
The bike you already own might be enough. Fit 38-40mm tyres if the frame allows it, drop your tyre pressure to 30-35 PSI, and ride some gravel roads. You'll know within two rides whether this is your thing.
-> Read the full guide: Gravel Cycling Beginners Guide
Training for Gravel Events
Let me break this down. Gravel training is not road training with wider tyres. The demands are different enough that your plan needs to reflect them.
What changes:
- Volume matters more than intensity. Most successful gravel racers train 12-20 hours per week in peak blocks. The aerobic base is everything.
- Sustained tempo over intervals. Where a road cyclist might do 5x5 at VO2max, a gravel athlete does 2-3 hour rides at 65-75% of FTP — the kind of steady output that wins long races.
- Fuelling is a trainable skill. You need to absorb 80-100g of carbs per hour for 8+ hours. That doesn't happen naturally. Train your gut in every long ride.
- Time on surface. Handling skills on gravel are specific. Loose corners, rutted descents, washboard roads — you need hours on that terrain.
- Durability over peak power. Your power at hour 8 matters more than your power at minute 8. Build fatigue resistance with back-to-back long days.
Rosa Kloser won Unbound 2024 with a training plan that was remarkably straightforward — high volume, moderate intensity, relentless consistency. No secret sauce. Dylan Johnson has written extensively about how most gravel athletes over-complicate their training with too much high-intensity work when the limiter is almost always aerobic endurance and fuelling.
-> Read the full guide: Rosa Kloser's Unbound 2024 Training Plan -> Read the full guide: Unbound Gravel 200 Training Guide
The Big Gravel Races: Unbound and Badlands
Two races define the extremes of gravel racing:
| Unbound Gravel 200 | Badlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Emporia, Kansas, USA | Andalusia, Spain |
| Distance | 200 miles (322 km) | 700+ km |
| Format | Mass start, single day | Self-supported, multi-day |
| Support | Aid stations, crew allowed | None — carry everything |
| Typical finish time | 10-16 hours (elite: ~10 hrs) | 3-5 days |
| Key challenge | Heat, wind, distance, flint rock flats | Navigation, sleep deprivation, self-sufficiency |
| Entry | Lottery (massively oversubscribed) | Application |
| Terrain | Flint Hills — chunky limestone, steep pitches | Desert tracks, mountain passes, technical singletrack |
Unbound is the Super Bowl of gravel. It's a single-day suffer-fest where the Flint Hills of Kansas deliver relentless wind, brutal heat, and tyre-shredding flint rock. The race is won and lost on fuelling, tyre choice, and the ability to ride steady for 10+ hours when everything hurts. Pete Stetina has raced it multiple times after leaving the WorldTour — he talks about how the mental demand is completely different from any stage race.
Badlands is closer to ultra-endurance bikepacking than traditional racing. Sofiane Sehili has been among the fastest finishers — his approach to sleep management, self-supported nutrition, and pacing across days is a masterclass in suffering with a plan.
-> Read the full guide: Badlands Training Guide -> Read the full guide: Pete Stetina: WorldTour to Gravel Reinvention
Equipment and Setup
The equipment decisions that actually move the needle in gravel:
Tyres are the single most important choice. A 42mm file-tread tyre on fast gravel is a completely different ride from a 50mm knobby tyre on chunky rock. Match the tyre to the race surface. For Unbound, most top finishers run 40-42mm with light tread. For Badlands, wider and more aggressive.
Tyre pressure is the free speed nobody uses properly. Most riders run 5-10 PSI too high. On gravel, lower pressure (28-35 PSI depending on rider weight, tyre width, and conditions) improves grip, comfort, and rolling speed by absorbing bumps rather than bouncing over them.
Drivetrain: 1x is standard for gravel — simpler, lighter, less to go wrong. A 40T chainring with a wide-range cassette (10-52T) handles most terrain. If you're coming from road, the lack of a front derailleur feels wrong for about two rides. Then you forget it existed.
Bags and storage: For self-supported events like Badlands, frame bags, top tube bags, and seat packs are essential. Even for supported races, carrying your own nutrition and a robust repair kit saves time at aid stations.
Does Aero Matter in Gravel?
Yes. More than most gravel riders think.
Here's the thing nobody tells you: wind tunnel data shows that aero drag is still the primary resistive force on gravel, even at lower speeds and on rough roads. A rider doing 30 km/h on gravel in an upright position is burning significantly more energy fighting air resistance than a rider in a tucked position at the same speed.
The practical gains:
- Body position is the biggest lever. Narrower elbows, lower torso — the same fundamentals as road aero, adapted for stability.
- Helmet choice matters. An aero road helmet saves measurable watts over a vented climbing helmet.
- Clothing fit — a skin suit or tight-fitting jersey over a loose flapping kit saves 5-10 watts at gravel speeds.
- Bike setup — integrated cockpits and narrower bars are increasingly common at the front of gravel races.
Over a 10-hour race, even 5-10 watts saved through aero adds up to minutes. At Unbound, where finishing times are often separated by small margins, aero is a legitimate competitive advantage.
-> Read the full guide: Wind Tunnel Aero Gains for Gravel Cyclists
What the Experts Say
- Dylan Johnson — gravel racer and evidence-based coach — on why most gravel training plans include too much intensity and not enough volume, and how to structure training around durability rather than peak power.
- Rosa Kloser — Unbound 2024 winner — on the simple, high-volume training approach that outperformed more complicated plans at the biggest gravel race in the world.
- Pete Stetina — former WorldTour pro turned gravel racer — on what changes when you move from stage racing to single-day gravel ultra-endurance.
- Nathan Haas — pro cyclist crossing between road and gravel — on the physical and mental transition between disciplines.
- Sofiane Sehili — ultra-endurance and bikepacking racer — on sleep strategy, self-supported nutrition, and pacing across multi-day gravel events like Badlands.
-> Hear the conversations: All Podcast Guests
Frequently Asked Questions
How is gravel training different from road training? The biggest difference is the balance between intensity and volume. Road racing rewards short, sharp efforts — VO2max intervals, threshold repeatability, sprint power. Gravel rewards sustained aerobic output over many hours. That means more zone 2 volume, longer tempo blocks, less time above threshold, and a serious commitment to fuelling practice. Your gut is a trainable organ — treat it like one.
Do I need a gravel-specific bike? Not to start. Any bike that can fit 35mm+ tyres will work on most gravel roads. But if you're racing or riding seriously, a purpose-built gravel bike with 40-50mm tyre clearance, stable geometry, and a 1x drivetrain makes a real difference in comfort, handling, and reliability over long distances.
What are the best gravel races to target? Unbound Gravel 200 in Kansas is the biggest and most competitive. Badlands in Spain is the ultimate self-supported test. For a first gravel race, look at shorter events — many regions now have 50-100 mile gravel races that are perfect entry points before committing to a 200-mile day.
Does aero really matter on gravel? Yes. Wind tunnel data confirms that aerodynamic drag is still the dominant resistive force even on rough surfaces at gravel speeds. Body position, helmet choice, and clothing fit can save 5-15 watts — which over a 10-hour race translates to meaningful time savings. It's not the first thing to optimise, but once your fitness and fuelling are dialled, aero is the next gain.
How do I fuel for a gravel race? Target 80-100g of carbohydrate per hour from the first hour. Use a mix of drink mix, gels, and solid food. Train this in every long ride — your gut needs months of practice to absorb that volume reliably. Under-fuelling is the number one reason riders blow up in the second half of long gravel races.
Can I race gravel without a power meter? You can, but a power meter makes pacing dramatically easier in long events. Without one, you're relying on perceived effort — which drifts as fatigue, heat, and dehydration accumulate. For a 200-mile race, even a basic power meter pays for itself in pacing accuracy.