While gravel biking, it is common for cyclists to come across sand, mud, potholes, tire-slashing rocks, boulders and roots. As Steven Rindner says, that while gravel biking is full of challenges, proper cycling skills and techniques can help pilot a gravel bike smoothly through a wide variety of terrains. Gravel bikers must prioritize practising and honing their cycling skills and techniques.
Steven Rindner talks about a few valuable gravel biking skills
The manner in which one positions their body over the bike, as well as where they distribute their weight, are important for handling a gravel bike, especially when the ground beneath is constantly shifting and changing. Gravel biking techniques are particularly important for climbing and descending, as well as navigating rough sections of the trail. The most crucial body position to get right for gravel descending is essentially the “ready” body position. This is the position gravel bikers must default to on most fast descents as it would them with maximum stability and manoeuvrability if they want to change positions suddenly.
To achieve the ready position gravel bikers must:
Stand with their feet at equal height on the pedals, and whichever foot feels most comfortable must be in front.
The knees must be bent slightly, and cyclists should also drop their heels a bit so that the calves can relax and soak up vibrations.
Keep the hips hovering over the saddle, elbows bent, and eyes focused on the road ahead.
Have the hands in the drops or on the hoods.
The grip on the bars should be firm in the ready position, but the rest of the body must be relaxed in order to absorb as much impact as possible. The better a cyclist’s body is prime to absorb impact, the more stable shall the bike be over rough terrains. If the cyclist is too rigid on the bike, then the handling is likely to be quite skittish, and they may bounce off the line whenever they hit an obstacle. Hence, it is better that cyclists think of their arms and legs as suspension or shock absorbers to keep the ride comfortable and smooth. This shall also help reduce fatigue and help maintain traction.
When a cyclist gets to a sharp turn with loose gravel on the surface, they need to use the right techniques to get through it quickly and safely. As Steven Rindner says, cyclists must carefully analyse the terrain and choose their line as they approach the turn. Generally, there are likely to be well-worn tracks from vehicle traffic that are going to offer more traction and less loose gravel, but this is not always the case. Cyclists must try to find a spot with the greatest possible traction and adjust their speed before starting to turn. If the cyclist does not have a lot of traction, then it is better to avoid leaning through the turn. In such a situation, cyclists must keep their body upright and steer the gravel bike through the line of choice.