7 Essential Gravel Riding Skills & Tips

[@erics9214]

Sand, everyone's nemesis. In general, Manon's advice is good. Keeping loose and keeping up your speed are important. You may want to be cautious about carrying too much speed into the sand, because I've seen many people flip over the handlebars, like Ollie did, when their front tire bogs down in the sand. You want to keep a light feel on your front wheel and try to keep it going straight. Any steering should be done with minimum input and with only very small movements at a time. It is also useful to downshift as you enter the sand so that you are not overpowering the back wheel and spin out. This also helps you keep up speed as the sand will drastically slow you down.

[@belperflyer7419]

Soft sand is, without doubt, one of the most difficult surfaces to ride a two wheeler on. It seems your front wheel goes anywhere but where you want it to, as Ollie discovered. I used to ride motorcycle trials back in the 60s and 70s and my heart sank when an observed section called Rabbit Bank was included. I suppose confidence and keeping weight off the front wheel helps but I still hate it - and my wife usually walks!

[@KeithCollyer]

very soft wet mud is similar but tends to just act as a brake. Or maybe I need tyres wider than 30mm ;)

[@Darsithis]

Thank you, Manon. As a cyclist new to gravel and off-road trails, these were really helpful.

[@alexandersnider734]

Love to see Manon taking on the gravel helm after her US race achievement

[@gcn]

She's hooked 💪

[@bikelad]

Gloves are highly recommended, if you have a fall, your palms could be the first to get injured (ask me how I know). Avoid road shoes/cleats/pedals; get MTB ones (where the cleats sit flush with the sole) - you may likely need to walk more often than on a road ride, and on uneven terrain.

[@billc7211]

Full finger gloves are my choice on an MTB, why not here?

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

Second the use of steel cleared shoes. I ride Keo and they are hard to clean and keep clean.

[@rshanep5226]

Great tips. I’m a newb to gravel biking, moving over from mountain biking as I get older. Just picked up a Canyon Grail CF SL Di2 two weeks ago and already put 200 miles on it. Figured I knew it all from my mountain bike experience. I was wrong. I’m so enjoying the longer rides, getting beat up less and the speed … addictive. So much fun discovering new ways to bike and your tips are great. Can’t wait to try them out this weekend.

[@familyhill6425]

Loving Manon’s sound effects. Pow, pow, pow…

[@ondrejmitas3325]

Best tip i got was to get off and behind the saddle on the bumpy descents. From some mtb guys.

[@douglaspate9314]

In 1964 when I was 6 I used to ride off road, do skiddies, ride through mud, over sand, jump logs and it was easier when I had forgotten to pump up my tyres... no-one told me I had a gravel bike!

[@Volkmannx]

Best upgrades for my gravel bike have been a suspension stem and supple tyres. Highly recommended!

[@wspmjw]

Manon the Gravel Girl! It's affirming to see your progress from never rode gravel to so much skill and confidence. Way to go and outstanding vid as typical with you. You're a PRO!

[@geoffreyhoney122]

Great video Manon! Yes to the tips! I would add that lower tire pressure also makes you muchfaster and gives you more grip on gravel. Fenders are a good idea as well. Love that you mentioned not tensing up! This is so important but to some counterintuitive. You guide with a light but pliant hand! This particularly works with loose sand. What also helps is experience water skiing, moving in and outof the motorboat wake. The semi squat, resilient not rigid, knees and arms required are exactly what's needed for control on loose surfaces (including snow! ).

[@crbondur]

This is great stuff! I will mention that many of the skills from mountain biking cross over well to gravel riding.

[@nerigarcia7116]

When cornering the technical stuff I tend to lean my bike under me while I'm more upright unlike on the road where your body can lean into the turn with the bike. Often times, especially in the loose stuff, you can wash out in a turn. It's best to let the bike do the leaning, dance underneath you, and you stay centered over it. Also, don't grab the brake if you start to lose it as you'll slide out. Try to feather the brake to scrub some speed but try and take the straightest line out of your hazard whilst keeping the bike upright. Learning to skid and stay upright helps with getting you out of these jams too.

[@dougbikescle5405]

The only time to lean with the bike off-road should be when there’s a berm.

[@craigfresch575]

growing up in the country , we rode on railroad tracks, gravel and dirt roads and through just about anything. We learned to use our arms and legs as suspension .... easy peasy

[@SukritGoel]

Thank you for such an informative and helpful gravel riding video! I’ve been trying to learn this skill for a while now, and your tips have really helped me get started.

[@gcn]

No worries! Glad we could help 🙌

[@emersonpalomino6748]

5:35 that´s a sweet Staff!

[@kareltempelaere3027]

Great tips for regular road cycling as well, or at least on Belgian roads

[@Danil-Crypto]

I hope next year I will assemble a gravel pit and finally try what it is)

[@Cycling.in.Romania]

Love it, thanks for the quick and useful tips, I ride a MTB but i`m interested in a gravel bike also. Looks like good fun.

[@gcn]

Do it... it's great fun 🙌

[@dennissantos5851]

Thank you Mannon!!

[@matt_m126]

Mixing it up is what it's all about. Going on mountain bike rides, road rides, city riding, gravel rides, anything with cranks and pedals, and many of these skills will come naturally. By the way, out of all these, gravel rides are the absolute best!

[@jonathanbautista9644]

Thank you for the tips!

[@gcn]

No worries Jonathan 🙌 Now go give it a try!

[@bobperkins8856]

Manon great tips thank you

[@deandixon4248]

Awesome sound effects Manon🤣🤣

[@associatenitin]

That look when pumping the tyre 😂😂

[@WestIslandCycling]

Ollie riding in sand never gets old :)!

[@333wheeler]

Gravel = Level 1 Mountain Biking :). Get those bar ends back on and some fast tyre treads :) Ok either bike does the same thing ... But MTBs let you go more extreme ..

[@danjelling-petersen9941]

Thx, Manon :)

[@marclemmens4417]

If you live in the south of the Netherlands (Limburg - Heuvelland), gloves are not a luxury item. And certainly when there are many thorn hedges and nettles, along the country roads and singletracks.

[@ProfessorOnBass]

Interesting - I think for advice about clearing logs it is worth looking at some basin MTB skills. I have never understood the advice on steep technical descents to go down on the drops, as this pushes your centre of gravity forward, which can be a bad thing for going over the bars if you hit an obstruction. Is it because it gives you a bit more braking leverage / control?

[@ili4707]

You have a lot more control as changing hand positions to the drops allows easier access to the lower end of the brake lever and essentially gives you a wider bar --> Bigger flexion of the hand. In addition most bars are wider in the drops

[@gauthier13]

Hi, going down to the drops in technical descent will give you way more control over you bike and a powerful braking, even if the path is bumpy as hell. Drops are safer for those moments :) And you still able to manage your center of gravity with your body positioning

[@gcn]

Echo what others have said, more control and easier braking. It's worth noting that lots of gravel drop bars are designed for just this. A wider flared bar allows for more control when in the drops. 🙌

[@ProfessorOnBass]

@@gcn thanks for that, I do have flared bars on my Whyte, but it does not feel intuitive to me, will give it a go. Coming from MTB I am focused on avoiding the over the bars experience when hitting obstructions going down.

[@mietzschespot]

Same bike as mine, same wonderful color! What bar did you put on and what size? I mean same or larger than what you’d use on road?

[@spingirl4855]

Awww we love Ollie 🥰

[@nuggunu]

I started to practise offroad stuff on my shitty city bike because I was too afraid to demage my carbon gravel :D it helped a lot

[@gcn]

Nice one! Imagine you are crushing it on the gravel bike then? 👀

[@fernandootero8038]

Excelente

[@chychy4568]

What tires are you using? I'm a newbie I just bought my first bike which is a gravel bike..What tires are tire is good to buy?

[@rah4981]

Whats the best preparation to do on gravel bike you want to ride proper mountain downhill with? I want to look like pro, like I know what I'm doing.

[@paullinnitt5450]

Put flat, wide bars, suspension forks and wider tyres on. You never know, the bike industry might come up with a name for your newly created bike. 😉

[@Gravelmisfit_]

I also prefer no gloves on my gravel :) if I do a 160+k on my fixed then yes gloves. 😊

[@Slashoom]

what's the best way to practice skidding for cornering?

[@DazzzTube]

Literally got a gravel bike yesterday, it’s like GCN know 😮

[@primonomeultimonome]

They knew even before you, since they started to make the video weeks ago

[@willmo1725]

Good tips. I would add, watch out for wash boards. Shook me and my bike so hard i nearly fell off. Know your route or proceed with caution till u do.

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

Lower tire pressures help with washboard roads. It's an art to know how low you can go and not knock your tires off the rims.

[@willmo1725]

Cool i go 55psi tires go for 60

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

@@willmo1725 That's way too high for my 43s. I ride road at 50, gravel at or below 40.

[@willmo1725]

Kk thanks for the info

[@dougbikescle5405]

To add: speed is your friend on washboards & braking bumps.

[@Crotal_Karma]

Manon ❤️

[@martinrychlik4753]

Lovely looking log 😂 pew pew

[@warrickmay2233]

Hi GCN I'm using my bike to commute to work. My starts paining when ride long distances. Any tips on how to prevent back pain?

[@gcn]

Maybe a bike fit is worth a try, especially if you are starting to take on some longer rides. 🔎

[@ThomasNing]

Any advice for bunny hops or raising the rear of the bike without clipless pedals?

[@RG-jv2nv]

Point your toes down and push back on the pedals to get the grip to be able to lift the back. Think of it like picking up a bowl by pushing your fingers against the inside face.

[@ThomasNing]

@@RG-jv2nv thanks, I'll give it a try next time I'm out on the saddle.

[@dougbikescle5405]

Watch GMBN’s videos on bunny hops. It’s definitely a skill worth learning.

[@Mysteria9]

What is your choice of prssure for smooth and bumpy gravel? I tend to be at 30 and 25 psi, but I'm still figuring it out.

[@aaronpyre]

What vest is that you are wearing, Manon?

[@Z-u-m-a]

Is some of the more extreme gravel riding just mountain biking in denial? 🤔

[@alexandersnider734]

Nah pretty different disciplines to be honest. Gravel is about maximizing speed and doing longer distance on gritty stuff. MTB typically I would say is more about short bursts of very technical riding with a lot more lateral roll of the bike happening. Road riding translates better to Gravel than MTB, but it does require more dynamic body movement like MTB does.

[@KarlosEPM]

I think it can be cross country in denial.

[@VictorElGreco]

And please remember to clean your drivetrain thoroughly after you come out of the sandpit!

[@gleba_davai]

Stop shaming Ollie 😢

[@ainaks1]

Ollie is very good presenter

[@ryanparker4996]

Oli's a big lad he can hack the banter

[@hotsky83]

Ollie is the best

[@frenkdrebin]

Ollie is a dropper !!!!!!

[@EnduroPo30]

And no. 8 Eyes up, heels down!

[@dougbikescle5405]

A proper bunny hop would be better technique than lifting the front & pulling the rear wheels up. Even with the lower height needed for gravel riding, it puts less strain on the body.

[@nononsense852]

What’s your tire width, 38?

[@Ingeliukas]

to sum up, relax on your bike and do your thing

[@steveb0503]

I dunno, hard-packed sand interspersed with a bit of loose-packed I can pretty much handle - but straight loose-packed, I'm walkin'...

[@michaelsingh843]

Mtb vs gravel bike which is better for trails ?

[@simisanoo5382]

I think the lighter bike will be the easiest for skills. Like a bmx 😅 so... Gravel is excellent for trails skills.

[@michaelsingh843]

@@simisanoo5382 I am learning towards gravel, apart from the weight difference personally i dont like the mtb look

[@PaulaCrisp]

Look at those mountain bike, I mean gravel bike skills!

[@drsquirrel00]

Make sure you have clearance to ride other obstacles though.

[@TreyGruel]

Play that clip of Ollie on the sand a few more times and he's gonna turn into the Sand King™!

[@Fifafu1]

I was hoping for more actual technical tips...weight distribution on different surfaces and when to get out of the saddle or when to stay. How to get downhill when it's really bumpy and steep and so on..

[@chrisbradley6090]

Pow pow pow!

[@Dhungerf60]

When riding a bike, aren't your hands always in the 3 & 9 O'clock position?

[@johnsampson2544]

Yes, they are; but I think Manon was talking about the position of your pedals.

[@gauthier13]

Small tips for going over stuff : When practicing scary shits like jumping over things, you can try by going over imaginary obstacles at first ! Then go over stuff bigger and bigger

[@gcn]

Nice little tip 🙌 Let you're imagination go wild 💭

[@gauthier13]

@@gcn Yeah ! Like the other day I jumped over a car, it was wild 😎

[@richardstoner866]

Brilliant! A little bit less or more …..than what? 🤣

[@kevinhoffmann3713]

Any chance to troll Ollie. Man, there must have been a staff memo to do everything to try and keep Ollie humble.

[@rm709]

Practicing jumping with a Dollar store pool noodle… gets confidence going and doesn’t catch the back tire as much so you can get your foot down.

[@newoldsteel]

“The suspension is your body” gang where you at??

[@HolmsOnBikes]

I miss the GCN of 3-5 years ago.

[@jameslee-pevenhull5087]

Big Tip. Get a Personal Locator Beacon. Watch out for triangular objects in the sky. If you smell something rotten and feel you shouldn't be there, turn round and ride as fast as you can.

[@albertmills9365]

I would just use a hardtail mountain bike for most of this stuff. This doesn't look fun at all on a drop bar bike.

[@monetaryjack1705]

If the internet was around in 1992...... "7 Essential MTB Riding Skills & Tips"

[@colinlittlewood9613]

Did Manon forget her sunglasses for this video?!

[@eliodrallag4806]

Mannnnooooon

[@jimmytherat88]

Shouldn't this be over on the GGN channel? 🤔🤔🤔

[@blarghe]

Tip #8. Start watching GMBN.

[@Lander76]

Has anyone had any success in riding on light gravel on 30mm tires?

[@JanBajena]

Yes, don't worry! My 28mm tyres survived even more than light gravel :)

[@Lander76]

@@JanBajena good to hear, was it a nerve wracking experience lol?

[@JanBajena]

@@Lander76 Well... Let's say I was glad when I finally reached asphalt ;)

[@izi941]

Handshoes are important in case you crash….good luck picking the stones out of your skin Manon-if you find the right one for you they’ll be comfortable.

[@gcn]

Great point! Gloves are really helpful for off road riding. 👀

[@petereccott2869]

Sand riding: The only way I have found is low gear, high cadence with your weight in the back wheel. Speed is not your friend on loose sand.

[@gcn]

Nice tips, have you ridden any cross in your time? Those riders know how to handle sand 🙌

[@petereccott2869]

@@gcn Where I live (Poland) you get every surface imaginable, sometimes all on the same ride. You need practice on all surfaces if you head off the main roads here.

[@dougbikescle5405]

The only way I ride sand is on a fat bike. 😎

[@andygolborne5747]

A roadie error on getting over obstacles is trying to just lift the whole bike up - both wheels - and jump it. Tends to lead to disaster if you miss-time it and the front wheel hits the lump. As shown in the video get that front wheel up and over. As long as the front goes over your log / rock then in theory the back should too, even if you are just starting out on the knack of lifting the back as you go over. You might bang the back wheel a bit to start but at least it's not an OTB situation. Whatever you do don't hit the obstacle with the front wheel.

[@thomasdavidbassett483]

Back in 1968 when dinosaurs 🦕 romed the planet I saw Barry Boban fall on the parms of his hands in the IOM. that was in the days that Pro's would come over to play. In the main event of the week he had to have foam rubber tape (crape bandage) to his handlebars 🙌. I thought then as young school boy To**er. Oh by the way brill as always.

[@gcn]

Are you a fan of gravel riding then? 🤔

[@thomasdavidbassett483]

@@gcn it is somthing cyclists have done forever. It was just called rough stuff then. I'm with Alex and Olli on this week's bit about marketing. I am a happily retired Madison account manager, I understand that marketing thing. I used to ride with Mark and Toney Bell, our ethos is I wonder were thar goes,

[@jeranemo5504]

Why on earth did she not give two examples of what tire pressure should be. Even roughly, its the reason I was watching the video. Strange this wouldn't occur to a professional content provider? I'm thinking between 35-40 psi for fire/forrest roads, some single track?

[@reececopperthwaite2072]

pow pow pow lol

[@fuzzykiller]

Sand is tricky indeed. Know what’s a lot larger and still basically the same? Nice and smooth pebbles. No traction whatsoever. Ugh

[@roanbauzon8774]

Chikin nugz 🥶

[@kumker6959]

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[@rshanep5226]

I clicked “Translate to English” … really cleared things up.

[@Pasdechevredreamer]

Gravel equals pretentious nonsense. Forty years ago I was bumping over rougher tracks and doing 2 foot drop offs on 26 x 1 3/8" shopping bikes, albeit I bent a few pairs of forks. We just called it cycling and fun, without claiming a new pretentious genre.

[@gcn]

Riding off road isn't new, Gravel is just the latest way to do it. Are you still shredding the rough stuff?

[@stasacab]

No, it did not look like a gun, it looked like a log. I think it is good to ride technical gravel standing up so to cushion through hard obstacles and when already off the saddle, you can go the Ollie Bridgewood way.

[@GregFliesVR]

Im gonna simp. Let her joke its a joke bro

[@raff5604]

Tips 1 threw 7 get a mountain bike. Nuff sed

[@danselas]

That lifting the back wheel to hop obstacles is terrible advice

[@dougbikescle5405]

Bunny hop > lifting wheels

[@JohnDoe-xx4ig]

This womans segments are almost never useful.

[@stevesmith866]

Just be done with it. GCN. GRAVEL CYCLING NETWORK