Road-to-Gravel Mixed Surface Ride: 90-Minute Outdoor Session

Session Overview

This adventure ride mixes tarmac road cycling with gravel tracks, bridleways or canal towpaths. Transitioning between surfaces mid-ride develops bike handling skills, engages stabilising muscles differently to pure road riding, and adds variety to training that keeps motivation high during heavy training blocks.

What You’ll Need

• Road bike with 25c+ tyres, gravel bike, or cyclocross bike (wider tyres are safer on loose surfaces)
• Helmet — non-negotiable on any surface
• Puncture repair kit: tyre levers, spare inner tube, mini pump or CO2 inflator
• Two water bottles with electrolyte drink or plain water
• GPS device with the route preloaded — don’t rely on phone signal on rural tracks
• Phone for emergencies

Warm-Up (15 minutes)

15 minutes easy road cycling from your start point, keeping effort at Zone 1-2 and cadence above 90 rpm. If your gravel section starts immediately, walk the first section before mounting to warm up on foot instead. Use this time to settle into your position and check all kit is secured.

Main Set

The ride structure is flexible based on your local terrain. The key is deliberate transition between surfaces and appropriate pacing for each. Don’t try to hold road pace on gravel — flow with the terrain instead.

• 30 minutes on tarmac road: build gradually to Zone 3 effort (comfortable-hard, RPE 6-7), maintaining good aero position
• 30 minutes on gravel / bridleway / canal towpath: drop to Zone 2-3 effort (RPE 5-6), focus on smooth handling, loose grip on bars, scanning ahead for obstacles
• 30 minutes back on tarmac: rebuild to Zone 3, optionally finishing with 2 × 5 minutes at Zone 4 (threshold) to sharpen the legs before cooling down

Cool-Down (10 minutes)

10 minutes easy spinning on the approach to home, dropping cadence and power progressively. Don’t rush this — your legs have done a variety of work across different surfaces and benefit from a gradual return to rest.

Coaching Notes

• Lower your tyre pressure by 5-10 PSI before hitting gravel — this improves grip and reduces puncture risk
• Relax your grip on the handlebars when on loose surfaces — white-knuckling causes fatigue and reduces your ability to react to bumps
• Look where you want to go, not at obstacles — your bike follows your eyes
• UK legal off-road routes for cyclists include bridleways (not footpaths) and byways — check OS maps before planning
• Easier version: stick entirely to smooth gravel paths and reduce tarmac sections to Zone 2. Harder version: increase the optional threshold efforts at the end to 3 × 8 minutes