Gravel Adventure Ride: 90-Minute Off-Road Cycling Session

Session Overview

This 90-minute off-road cycling session takes your aerobic base training away from traffic, structured intervals and GPS data — and onto gravel roads, bridleways and forest tracks. Designed for intermediate triathletes who want to build aerobic endurance, sharpen bike handling skills and rediscover the joy of riding without power targets or Strava segments.

What You’ll Need

• Road or gravel bike (25-40mm tyres ideal, inflate to 30-40 psi for gravel)
• Helmet, gloves, eye protection
• Two water bottles and a snack for mid-ride fuelling
• Phone or GPS device for navigation (downloaded offline maps recommended)
• Small puncture repair kit

Warm-Up (15 minutes)

Begin on smooth tarmac or firm gravel at easy Zone 1-2 effort. Keep cadence above 85 rpm to warm the legs before hitting rough terrain. Include 4 x 10-second gentle accelerations to wake up the neuromuscular system. Transition progressively onto gravel — avoid technical sections until the body is properly warm.

Main Set

The main set is structured loosely around terrain rather than strict power or heart rate zones. Let the landscape guide the effort.

• 3 x 10 minutes climbing on gravel — find a moderate gravel climb and ride at a moderate effort (RPE 6-7/10, Zone 3). Focus on seated, controlled power. 5 min easy recovery spin between each.
• 15 minutes sustained effort on flat or rolling gravel — aim for a comfortable sweet-spot feel (RPE 6/10) on flatter terrain. No GPS pressure — ride by feel.
• 10 minutes technical riding — practise descents, loose surface cornering and any technical sections on your route. Controlled speed, relaxed grip, look ahead.

Cool-Down (15 minutes)

Return to tarmac or smooth surface for the final 15 minutes. Easy Zone 1 effort at high cadence (90+ rpm). Use this time to reflect on your bike handling observations from the ride rather than worrying about power numbers or average speed.

Coaching Notes

• Lower your tyre pressure to 30-35 psi on gravel — higher pressure on rough surfaces is slower and more fatiguing than you might expect.
• Loosen your grip on the handlebars through technical sections. A tense grip transmits every bump to your arms and shoulders, increasing fatigue.
• Gravel riding forces natural cadence variation. Do not fight it — learning to ride at varied cadences builds a more resilient cycling engine for race day.
• Beginners: reduce climbing sets to 2 x 8 min and stick to well-surfaced gravel tracks. Total time: 75 minutes.