I recently raced the Forbidden Gravel Experience (FBG), a 106-kilometre gravel-primary course with 2400 meters of climbing. As a spoiled Easton Overland rider and Fox employee, I’m lucky to have a lot of equipment options. I made my gear choices based on the FBG course and used a recover-on-the-descents-to-climb-fast strategy; a combination that helped net me the win.

Ain’t no lightweight

With a one-year-old and a lot of life commitments, I’m finding my form is a shadow of what it once was. I’ve averaged around six hours per week on the bike over the past few months with only one four-hour ride this year. A couple of interval sets in the weeks before the race had me reasonably confident of my 20-minute power output, but I was worried about my sustained endurance. Many casual racers (with busy lives) are in a similar situation and may be tempted to run the lightest gear possible in order to make up for any fitness deficiencies. But weight savings will only get you so far. On gravel courses with long climbs and long descents, function and utility play an increasingly important role.

Invest in economy

From my days of cross-country mountain bike racing, I became aware of race economy; covering the same ground at the same speed but with less effort. The best cross-country racers can descend fast while also recovering in order to conserve energy for the next climb. My race plan for the Forbidden Gravel Experience was exactly that; push hard on the climbs (where the big-time gaps could be made), then descend as fast and as safe as possible while recovering. Anyone who has white-knuckled down a rough and twisting fire road at 50kph on a gravel bike probably didn’t feel particularly rested at the bottom. This is where equipment selection came into play. I took a gravity gravel build on my Devinci Hatchet to another level by adding the Fox 32 Taper-Cast fork (with 40mm of travel) and a Fox Transfer SL dropper post (with 70mm of drop). Easton EC90 AX flared carbon bars added additional control while reducing vibration. Wide and strong EC90 AX wheels with large-ish Schwalbe 45c mid-tread tires inflated to 25psi front and rear. Reducing fatigue on the descents with this build gave me an edge on the subsequent climbs.

Race Day

The first 50km of the course consisted of somewhat hilly gravel roads followed by 15km of motorbike single-track. The last 40km had three sizable climbs (each over 500m) where I predicted the race would be won, and where my lack of endurance might have been a serious problem. The initial 50km whittled the front of the field down to just five riders in the lead pack. There were a few attacks, but I knew I could fend them off if I executed my race plan properly and didn’t have any flats or mechanicals. It was also clear on the first descent that my bike setup was more stable, allowing me to increase my lead further on the descents. In the end I crossed the line almost 14 minutes ahead of the next rider with a bit of gas left in the tank. Not bad for the longest and hardest ride so far this year. 

Weight is but a number

Climbs are often where races are won. And while the lightest build may be the most beneficial for the climbing, the performance of your gear on descents can play an equally important role for overall race.

-- Craig Richey

I recently raced the Forbidden Gravel Experience (FBG), a 106-kilometre gravel-primary course with 2400 meters of climbing. As a spoiled Easton Overland rider and Fox employee, I’m lucky to have a lot of equipment options. I made my gear choices based on the FBG course and used a recover-on-the-descents-to-climb-fast strategy; a combination that helped net me the win.

Ain’t no lightweight

With a one-year-old and a lot of life commitments, I’m finding my form is a shadow of what it once was. I’ve averaged around six hours per week on the bike over the past few months with only one four-hour ride this year. A couple of interval sets in the weeks before the race had me reasonably confident of my 20-minute power output, but I was worried about my sustained endurance. Many casual racers (with busy lives) are in a similar situation and may be tempted to run the lightest gear possible in order to make up for any fitness deficiencies. But weight savings will only get you so far. On gravel courses with long climbs and long descents, function and utility play an increasingly important role.

Invest in economy

From my days of cross-country mountain bike racing, I became aware of race economy; covering the same ground at the same speed but with less effort. The best cross-country racers can descend fast while also recovering in order to conserve energy for the next climb. My race plan for the Forbidden Gravel Experience was exactly that; push hard on the climbs (where the big-time gaps could be made), then descend as fast and as safe as possible while recovering. Anyone who has white-knuckled down a rough and twisting fire road at 50kph on a gravel bike probably didn’t feel particularly rested at the bottom. This is where equipment selection came into play. I took a gravity gravel build on my Devinci Hatchet to another level by adding the Fox 32 Taper-Cast fork (with 40mm of travel) and a Fox Transfer SL dropper post (with 70mm of drop). Easton EC90 AX flared carbon bars added additional control while reducing vibration. Wide and strong EC90 AX wheels with large-ish Schwalbe 45c mid-tread tires inflated to 25psi front and rear. Reducing fatigue on the descents with this build gave me an edge on the subsequent climbs.

Race Day

The first 50km of the course consisted of somewhat hilly gravel roads followed by 15km of motorbike single-track. The last 40km had three sizable climbs (each over 500m) where I predicted the race would be won, and where my lack of endurance might have been a serious problem. The initial 50km whittled the front of the field down to just five riders in the lead pack. There were a few attacks, but I knew I could fend them off if I executed my race plan properly and didn’t have any flats or mechanicals. It was also clear on the first descent that my bike setup was more stable, allowing me to increase my lead further on the descents. In the end I crossed the line almost 14 minutes ahead of the next rider with a bit of gas left in the tank. Not bad for the longest and hardest ride so far this year. 

Weight is but a number

Climbs are often where races are won. And while the lightest build may be the most beneficial for the climbing, the performance of your gear on descents can play an equally important role for overall race.

-- Craig Richey