As the title says. I signed up for a 145km gravel race in Canada in September. The longest gravel distance I have ever done is 45km. I am not a professional by any means, I just like riding for the workout. I have few questions from some experienced riders. I am using a 2020 giant AR2 with a tiagara group set. My goal isn't to win, but finish with an average pace of 25-27km/HR. My questions:
1) is training 3x a week enough?
2) what do I eat?
3) what food/fluids do I bring with me?
4) are cycling shirts with padding worth it for this?
FYI I am planning to complete a 50km, 75km and possibly a 100km ride before the race.
Any help from experienced riders is greatly appreciated 👍 I will update with results when completed
by garbagefartguru
4 Comments
3x a week is enough but make it long (zone2) and sometimes difficult rides. Volume is key. Also try riding 150km alone and another time with a group so you learn how to draft behind someone and you will learn that it’s way more efficient like that
Do you mean cycling bibs with padding? Yes they are absolutly worth it for any longer distances!
Eat 60-90 grams of carbs per hour depending on what you usually are able to digest on a ride
More importantly eat a lot the days before and after
I usually bunk 24H after big event like this because i dont eat enough after
Dont forget to drink
Have fun
This race as 1800M of climbing so dont expect to do your normal average speed when you got out on flatter terrain for a 50K
It will be much harder
Thanks for signing up! We also host weekly group rides if you want to get some time riding in a group!