The Nxrth recently ran our " Best of Gravel " reader poll this spring. After sitting with the results for a while, we started to feel like an important part of the heartbeat of up-north cycling was left out of the poll: Kwik Trip. Many of us love Kwik Trip and have our favorite go-to snacks on or off the bike. Now is your chance to add your voice to the community to vote for the ultimate biker's best Kwik Trip snack.

Ben and Marty started The Heywood Ride in recent years but haven't been able to actually host it until 2022 due to COVID precautions. Riders of the 2019 Almanzo event will recognize the routes and ethos of the event. I chatted with Ben and Marty to learn more about the idea and backstory of the event in this interview. The Heywood Ride is a totally free, pay-what-you-want event in Northfield Minnesota. Taking place on May 21, the ride has a 55-mile, 110-mile, 165-mile, and 380-mile route to cater to gravel cyclists of all interests ands abilities. Photos: Galen Murray @murraygd13 How long has The Heywood been around? This is actually the first year its been run as The Heywood. 2020 and 2021 were not run because of the Covid Quarantine and the rise of the Delta variant. Perhaps we could have run it in 2021, but neither of us wanted to be the reason that anyone got sick. We thought it prudent to just hold off until this year. In 2019, these loops were used as the Almanzo courses. Is The Heywood a continuation of Almanzo? Or is it some kind of distant cousin? Sort of. We are inspired by what Chris did in promoting cycling in general, and gravel specifically. We sat with Chris in late 2019 and talked about cycling events in general, and gravel specifically. Turns out we agreed that events like The Heywood should continue to happen. Events that have a low entry. Events that welcome all riders. New, old, experienced, round, rails, touring, WTF, Fatbikes. We don't care. All you really need to do is get yourself to town. If you can afford to pay, we provide opportunities to do that via PayPal. You had to car pool gas money to get here and will be digging for change for post ride beers? That's awesome!We're glad you came and experienced our roads. Your payment to us was having a great time! So in the end, we didn't buy the ride from Chris or anything like that. We did however have discussions about our philosophies of getting butts on bikes and they aligned well. Free Ride. Free Camping. Why is it Free? & Why Do You Put This On? Free as a bird. We want everyone to be able to ride. Cycling can be expensive. There are too many events out there that have raised the bar cost wise. Its intimidating. $160-$250 to enter a race? Sheesh! Having done that a couple times, the experience is good, but good lord those were expensive (but cheap ) t-shirts to come home with! So we made the decision to lower the barrier to ride to be as low as possible. Of course putting on rides like this aren't free. We still have to pay for things like insurance and port-o-johns! As such, we are accepting donations. The 'pay what you feel like your experience is worth' idea is a proven concept from bands like Radiohead and Wilco who have put albums out in the past with this concept. Ben has experience putting on the former Northfield Crits, and Marty has put on Cyclocross races in the past. This isn't necessarily new for either of us. Why here and now though? We've got some good roads around here, and Northfield gravel biking could use a marquee event like this. The cycling scene here in town is truly blooming right now. The road scene has always been strong, and in the last ten years, the gravel scene has exploded. There multiple group rides in a week focused from the casual to fast guise to the fun havers and a WTF ride night that should get a lot of attention this year. The mountain biking is growing and getting better year by year. Why Northfield, Minnesota? Number one, we both believe in Northfield. This is Deep South Metro. The life here is good. We have great opportunities for entertainment. We have good food, excellent opportunities for family members that aren't riding, and for post ride entertainment, three excellent breweries, a distillery, and a cidery (check out our instagram guide for the details!). For the non-riders, we have parks to explore and shopping to do downtown. Finally, the riding we have here is better than many realize. We might not have massive climbs, or super challenging b-roads, but we do have some gorgeous roads around here. We also have an excellent partnership with the City of Northfield. The support they offer is outstanding. From leadout through the city, to offering Sechler Park as a campground. Camping normally isn't allowed, so there are not really any facilities. No fire rings or anything like that. But if you're following the trends and have a Camper van or rooftop tent, we've got you covered! If you're tenting it, you're welcome as well. Unfortunately, we don't have room for big rigs or trailers, so you'll have to find other spots for those. A 380-mile midnight ride sounds like madness. What's that ride like and how hard is it? 380 miles is real dumb. Marty has done The DaMN a couple times and found the midnight start....inspiring. But 242 miles is a good sight different than 380! Personally we haven't ridden it, but we would certainly like to tour it over a nice 3-day weekend some time! The Heywood Ride takes place on May 21, 2022 in Northfield, Minnesota. The event is totally free but donations are accepted. To learn more about the event or to make a donation of support, visit The Heywood Ride .

Marty, Ben, and Mike from The Heywood Ride can regularly be seen sharing gravel charcuterie posts from their local rides as well as big races like The Mid South. But what's behind it, and is it an actual thing? Here we discuss the spirit behind gravel charcuterie and how it all started. Chatting with Marty, Ben, & Mike from The Heywood Ride So how did gravel charcuterie start I think charcuterie and gravel really started with the desire to eat real food while riding. Gels, bars, and other ride marketed foods have their place, but when we started riding rides like Almanzo, a Northfield gravel biking event, and other all day events, food with substance started to become much more enjoyable. Friends used to put on an aid station at Forrestville State Park and they used to have beer, meat, cheese etc, which was amazing 60 some miles into the day. From there it transitioned to this additional idea of taking time to really enjoy these rides. Stopping to eat with friends, enjoying the food, conversation and camaraderie really plays a big part in this idea for us. We’re none of us fast, we may as well have fun. What do you bring and how do you carry it? You gotta have a knife. Small knifes with thin blades work great. They’re not a bad idea to carry adventuring anyway, and cut meat, cheese and fruit well. A small cutting board is nice if you have room for it, if not, paper wrapped salami or cured meats work great for establishing a clean work station. Various bag types work great for carrying food etc. We’re big fans of bar bags, and half top tube bags. They offer more room than you need, key if you're bringing food to share with others (which you should). What foods and ingredients do you recommend? cured meats nuts hard cheeses olives pickles gummy bears jelly beans apples beef sticks smoked salmon jerky dried fruits sturdy crackers, Basically anything that you'd eat at home that won’t melt. A mix of salty and sweet is nice, as is a mix of textures. You do this on casual rides and at races. What's the spirit behind the charcuterie board? This goes hand and hand with the idea of our loosely confederated, fake racing team, Faux Preaux Racing. Its the idea that we are all participants in races, not racers. We’re mid pack finishers at best at most of the events we participate in. Why not enjoy the time spent to the fullest? The spirit of gravel charcuterie is based on that idea, that we’re all in this together to live these events and experiences to the fullest. It's about sharing, meeting new people, listening to and sharing stories, and about having and helping people have a great time. We took over eight hours to ride the MidSouth 50 mile race this year. We had an hour and a half lunch in the shade of a ditch tree and cheered people on, shared food with them, and had an amazing time. I, (Ben,) went swimming in a lake at one point. It was a fantastic day in all measures. We wouldn't do it any differently. I think thats about it. It boils down to camaraderie and sharing the joy of being on a bike in beautiful settings.

Tucked deep into the woods, the Owl Ridge cabin is a stunning and peaceful escape for two. Enjoy the beautiful nature with huge windows and spa amenities while exploring the area on gravel bikes. This cabin is on the Wausau Gravel Biking network. View this cabin on Airbnb . Details Entire Cabin 2 guests 1 bedroom 1 beds 1 baths Indoor & Outdoor Fire " Unbelievably gorgeous. It is a spa in the woods. " - 5-star reviewer from April 2024 According to Airbnb : Surrounded by thick woods, the sounds of nature and dappled sunlight, Owl Ridge is a place to rejuvenate your soul and indulge in spa-like amenities. Whether you like the quiet serenity of a cabin or the excitement of a small city, Owl Ridge offers the best of both worlds. With its open-concept and clean contemporary design, Owl Ridge is Wisconsin's top cabin getaway. Gravel Routes Near This Cabin This cabin is right in the heart of the Wausau Gravel Guide routes. Check out several handpicked gravel routes plus some stops for food, drink, and other fun. Plan a Gravel Getaway Near Wausau, Wisconsin

Our newest Gravel Guide, Northfield Minnesota, is full of hundreds of miles of rolling valleys and sunset gravel. Plan an entire gravel weekend exploring gravel in all directions then enjoy the food, drink, and lodging options in beautiful Northfield, Minnesota.

Old Fashioned Gravel is a brand new, full-driftless gravel race coming to Hokah, Minnesota this October. Starting and ending at a farm, this race promises to bring you back to your gravel roots with a variety of routes, post-ride gathering, and an unforgettable gravel adventure. To learn more, visit Old Fashioned Gravel or follow along on Facebook and Instagram . Q&A Paul Reardon, Race Director Why is this event happening at a farm and what's special about that spot for starting and finishing? The property the ride will be starting and finishing on has been in our friends Gabe and Annie's family for years. They purchased it last year. It is a big farm nestled in a valley with beautiful views. The barn is going to be the center of the event, it is a cool old structure with a rustic feel, like really rustic. Gabe and his family have been working hard to spruce things up for all of you. The really neat thing about this property is the fact that they are working with the State of MN to develop a sustainability plan for the property. Their goal is create a partnership with the State to restore and invigorate the land in a way can easily be maintained for generations to come. We will also be donating a portion of the proceeds to help with this project. Also did we mention the farm is surrounded by fabulous gravel roads? "Old Fashioned". Tell me about the name. Is this a nod to the wonderful supper club drink or a nod to grassroots old school gravel? The name as you said has a couple of meanings. There is a definite nod to Supper Clubs. Meeting with friends and family and enjoying each others company, and maybe a delicious beverage or two. There is always a nod to the hard-working folks that are the root of this sport, we welcome them all to come ride some fun roads! 3. Who is putting this race on? Putting bike races on simply could not be done without all of the industry friends we have made over the years, and our amazing community. Working closely with local businesses, volunteers, friends and family that help make this all happen. I am the director of this one, all by myself. I live in La Crosse and own Blue Steel Bike where in the winter I build custom titanium and steel bicycle frames. In the summer I work as a race mechanic with Education First/ONTO Cycling development team. When I am not on the road with the team, I work a number of gravel races around the U.S. In all my free time, I like to organize and put on races and puppies, I really like puppies. 4. What kind of riding should people expect and who should participate? These routes will be challenging. We have everything from an 18 mile route, on the shorter end of things, but you will still have to climb the bluff twice with 1300 feet of climbing. You will encounter rolling hills once on top of the bluffs, lots of farms (and animals), and a good amount of wide open to wooded descents. All of the routes have spectacular views. On the other end of the spectrum, there is the 100 mile route with 8200 feet of climbing. A challenge for the most seasoned rider. As I say with all the rides I have helped produce, if you want to race, we will be timing, and we wish you luck. If you want to come challenge yourself, or just go for a ride with other rad people, make new friends, eat, drink, and laugh, that's what it is all about! We would love to hang out with all of you!

Our newest Gravel Guide, Northfield Minnesota, is full of hundreds of miles of rolling valleys and sunset gravel. Plan an entire gravel weekend exploring gravel in all directions then enjoy the food, drink, and lodging options in beautiful Northfield, Minnesota.

MapMagic is a powerful and collaborative route planning tool for discovering, creating, and organizing routes all over the world. We've been testing MapMagic during our winter adventure planning and have a review ready to share. To learn more and start mapping with a free account, visit MapMagic . This review is part of a sponsored partnership with MapMagic. Initial Thoughts About MapMagic During winter months, mapping becomes a major hobby of mine. I would categorize my interest in mapping two ways: discovery and collecting. A huge interest of mine is discovering new places to ride such as gravel routes, fat bike adventures, and bikepacking planning. I want to aggregate as many sources of information to come up with great places to bike. I've been playing around MapMagic for the last several weeks and really love how intuitive it is. About a year ago I was curious about another mapping app and after spending a few hours I quickly realized that it would take a prohibitive amount of time getting used to the interface. MapMagic was easy to learn without tutorials and user forms which got me right into using the 50+ layers to uncover places to ride. I really liked that the Strava global heatmap is one of the layers and that you can filter it out to just cycling heatmaps since it's the #1 app for cycling. The other big way I use mapping apps is collecting ideas for future rides. MapMagic gives you several ways to organize and pull in saved routes. While mapping, you can add as many different routes as you'd like, along with color coding. But you can also divide individual routes into segments for multi-day adventures. It's nice to have a few different ways to organize routes both for separating the information as well as creating a way to customize the visualization of your plans. Using MapMagic to Plan Multi-Day Bikepacking Adventures Planning a great new bikepacking route is challenging. The perfect route hits some really great highlights while also getting off the beaten path. Because you're out for several days, you want your map dialed in with a daily plan, clearly marked points-of-interest, and backup route options in case things go murky. Multiple Segments & Layered Routes As mentioned there are a few ways to organize a multi-day route and which one you choose depends on your own style. You can layer multiple routes or you turn a single route into multiple segments. Each segment is independently customizable and exportable for planning, organizing, and sharing. 205 POI Types with Color-Customization I've often been frustrated with the lack of POI options on other map apps. Planning a multi-day trip usually includes wanting to mark camping, cabins, groceries, waterfalls, train stations, drinks, shelters, water sources, and a LOT more. Ride With GPS, for example, has 39 POI options where MapMagic has 205. Then you can also color code with 8 color options. Sure, you could just use a generic 'info' POI whenever you want to mark something that isn't an available option in Ride With GPS but to me, how the information on a map is visualized matters a lot and MapMagic gives the most options of any app I'ved used. Live Group Collaboration for Trips with Friends This is by far the coolest feature and I haven't seen any other map apps that can do this. I've had many fruitless route planning experiences where friends share map screenshots or endless route links back and forth. Live group collaboration completely removes that and puts everybody in the same live map conversation at the same time. Everyone can see each other's mouse movements while you're discussing plans and anybody can make edits to the route and it's instantly reflected on the shared map. The learning curve is extremely low and it quickly becomes like discussing the bikepacking version of a live Google Doc. Our 4 Favorite Features of MapMagic The simple interface combined with some really powerful features make this a great tool for casual ride planning as well as in-depth and highly detailed route creation. After playing around it for a while, here are our favorite things. 1. 50+ map layers This opens up a lot of customization options and is just a lot of fun to explore. 2. Massive amount of POI types I like to add a lot of detail to my maps. The 205 POIs with 8 color choices is a great feature for planning and visualization. 3. Live collaboration I love mapping sessions and I love group adventures and this really makes a big difference with group planning. 4. Simple and beautiful interface Map Magic feels great and isn't a burden to learn a new app. The features make it worth it and it's a simple curve to get up to speed. MapMagic Conclusion MapMagic is a user-friendly mapping tool with over 50 layers, making it easy to discover and plan cycling routes. Its standout features include multi-day trip organization, a vast list of 205 POI types, and live group collaboration for real-time planning with friends. MapMagic's simplicity and powerful features make it an excellent choice for both casual and detailed ride planning. To learn more and start mapping, visit MapMagic .

Dave Schlabowske recently took his dog cowboy on his first dogpacking overnighter in Northern Wisconsin. Using an Omnium Cargo V3 and a newly made dog sleeping bag, Dave shares some photos, a video, a route, and some lessons learned while out dogpacking. Words by Dave Schlabowske from Life Above Eight . As promised in the last Northwoods Ramble in which Greg Smith from Everyday Cycles and I reviewed my Omnium Cargo V3 and an E Mini-Max V3, I have a short video to share about Cowboy’s first dogpacking overnighter. The trip was short, a little over 20 miles riding each day and one night camping, but I wanted to make sure the trip was successful so Cowboy wants to do it again. When we lived in Milwaukee, Cowboy used ride in cargo bikes all the time to get to the dog park, visit friends, etc. And he has gone bike camping with me, but we drove to a campground, set up and did day rides from camp. It was not really dogpacking. We have also gone on a lot of test rides in the Omnium with to try different dog baskets from home in Seeley, mostly on gravel, but some on CAMBA single track mountain bike trails. So I was pretty confident about putting it all together, but still thought a short overnighter would be best way to make sure. For this first dogpacking overnighter, I decided to park in an ATV lot north of Clam Lake, ride up to Beaver Lake Campground and explore a possible new route south on FR 388 from Mineral Lake Rd by the campground down to Namekagon Rd that parallels the Brunsweiler River. I had never turned down the old two-track on previous rides in the area because it looked overgrown, but a couple map layers showed the road crossing the river so I thought it was worth a look. I also picked this route because if things didn’t go well, I could skip the northern sections and it would be a short ride back to the truck in the ATV parking lot. That turned out to be a good plan, because although this first dogpacking trip was successful, I cut the trip short anyway for a couple reasons I’ll explain below. Lessons Learned While Out Dogpacking The new sleeping bag I made for Cowboy out of an old 40° Big Agnes bag that I never use worked out well when combined with the 10mm yoga matt I cut up for inside his basket. He has a small inflatable air mattress, but the yoga matt is comfy enough and not slippery, so the sleeping bag doesn’t slide off it. Cowboy seemed to feel secure and comfortable in the 28″ long wicker under-bed storage basket I secured to the deck of the Omnium with zip ties. Although he has room to lie down, Cowboy has not yet felt like doing so while riding. He has been lying down when I’ve left him in the basket on errands to the library in Cable. The most significant thing I learned this trip is that Cowboy doesn’t enjoy hanging around in camp surrounded by a cloud of gnats and mosquitoes. He was inhaling them and sneezing and shaking his head. Bugs don’t bother him when he is moving on walks or bike rides, but sitting still while I fish in camp is a different thing. He ended up spending a lot of time sitting in the tent while I could be out in camp thanks to Deet, Picaridan, and Permethrin. I tried the dog-friendly natural bug spray, and perhaps they were not biting him, but he still didn’t like sitting in a cloud of bugs flying around him. I’ve since learned that some people put bug nets over their dogs’ heads and tuck them under the collar. I’m going to wait for the next dogpacking trip and if it is buggy again (likely!) I’ll see how he likes wearing a head net in camp. But I did buy him an inexpensive Insect Shield shirt to wear in camp. I thought it might help if we are plagued by biting black flies which can pace a bike while riding. I wear long a long sleeve summer fishing hoodie, long summer-weight pants and sometimes light full-finger gloves when bikepacking in an area where the flies are bad. I also bring a head net along for me to use in camp if the gnats are bad. I’ll try both the shirt and bug net on Cowboy on the next overnighter and report back soon. Because he was not digging the bugs, I decided to skip the ride and hikes in to Morgan Falls and Spring Brook Falls and just visit Pine Stump Corner and explore Fire Road 388. You can see in the video below that FR 388 was a challenge with the Omnium. I had to lift it over a lot of deadfall, push around swampy sections and eventually decided to come back and explore it on a fat bike to see if it does cross the Brunsweiler River and go through. So while we ended up cutting the trip a little short, Cowboy seemed to have a good time. He has still wanted to come with me whenever I got out the Omnium for day rides since we got back. And I even have a new and improved basket set-up I am excited to share with you soon. Until then, I hope you enjoy this short video I made of our first dogpacking trip. Thanks to Cowboy for being such a great companion, Viva Vaquero El Perro! Northwoods Ramble Show 12 After an injury that kept Seeley Dave off the bike for a few months, he is back rambling with a new co host and new direction for the show. In the intro to this episode, Dave is joined by his dog Cowboy. Later in the show Dave visits Greg Smith at Everyday Cycles in Milwaukee, where they look over Dave’s new Omnium Cargo V3, which is set up specifically for dogpacking. Greg also shows off a new Omnium E Mini-Max V3 and some cool Omnium accessories. Thanks as always to my buddy from Butternut, Hugh Robert Masterson for allowing me to use the Northwoods song by ⁠Hugh Bob and the Hustle⁠. And thanks again to my brother Dean Schlabowske and my other Waco Brothers for the use of their songs Northwoods and DIYBYOB.

Freedhem 76 is an annual gravel race held in Freedhem, Minnesota around the 4th of July. Here we explore 5 perfectly rational reasons to cancel your normal plans and get registered for the event. To learn more or get registered to ride, visit Freedhem 76 . Words by Mike Hawkins. Photo by David Markman . The Freedhem76 Gravel ride/race is a homegrown event organized by volunteers of the Brainerd YMCA Gravel Grinders cycling club hosted by the Freedhem Store in Freedhem, MN. This Independence Day themed grassroots race is a chip timed multi-distance 76-mile, 46-mile, 106-mile gravel grinder, and 22K open run held on some of North Central Minnesota’s finest gravel, MMRs, and trails. After the race riders can grab a pint from Jack Pine Brewery, scarf down an Andy dog, listen to live music, and even win a prize or two. Let Freedhem Ring! 5 Reasons to Join The Independence Day Themed Ride Reason 1: Electric Guitar & Hot Dogs Electric guitar national anthem, hot dogs, live music, and ice-cold beer. No other reasons needed. Reason 2: Take Some Space From the In-Laws ;-) You could use a well deserved break from hanging out with your In-Laws, or that one cousin. Reason 3: No Lottery No lottery needed to enter this race (yet). Reason 4: Beach We have a beach (disclaimer: there is no water near this beach. You'll know what we are talking about as soon as you see it. Reason 5: Gravel Cyclists Are Cool Gravel cyclists are the best people to spend your day with. Hands down. Cancel Your Plans, and Ride Freedhem 76 Come join riders from ​ all around the globe*, for a day on central Minnesota’s finest gravel. You will certainly leave with an overwhelming sense of fulfilment knowing that you were a part of the greatest gravel cycling event on planet earth**. *Mostly Minnesota, but we do consider ourselves an international race since a couple guys plan to come down from Canada. **Subjective and might be a slight exaggeration, but we are some pretty cool people and would love to have you ride with us. Register at Freedhem76.com and check out the Freedhem76 and Brainerd Gravel Grinders cycling clubs Facebook and Instagram pages.

Tofte Trails is a brand new cluster of 5 peaceful cabins in a central location for gravel, mountain bike, and hiking adventures on the north shore of Minnesota. My wife and I recently spent a weekend exploring the Tofte area with bikes and coming back to relax in the lux little cabins deep in the forest. To learn more visit Tofte Trails or follow along @toftetrails . My wife and I just celebrated our 14 year wedding anniversary this June and went to Tofte Trails to unwind, take some space together, and be active outdoors on bikes and hikes. From the creators of Cuyuna Cove , I was following along with the brand new Tofte Trails cabins that were recently built in one of my absolute favorite areas of the north shore in Minnesota. So I was over the moon when founders Chris and Kelsey invited us up for a complimentary stay to share this new adventure with the community on The Nxrth. My 1UPUSA bike rack only has slots for 2 bikes but we each wanted to have gravel and  mountain bikes so we traded racks with a friend (thanks Dan and Megan!) and loaded up our 4 bikes heading north. Here's where we rode and what we found when we were up there. Biking Around Tofte Trails 2 people, 4 bikes, what could be better?! There is a lot to explore from Tofte Trails and we started with gravel bikes in the morning and switched to mountain bikes in the afternoon. If you're a bikepacker, you'll know this area from the Straddle & Paddle route which is just north of the cabins. You can also see below for a map of some suggested gravel routes in the area. This is the north shore, so you'll find plenty of low traffic wilderness roads, beautiful rolling hills, lake views, and cool air. Plus each of the cabins has a storage shed right on the cabin for easy bike storage. Minutes Away: Jackpot, High Climber, & Britton Peak Onion River Road is right at the center of Lutsen area mountain biking. A 4 mile ride (800 ft climbing) out your front door puts you right in the middle of the the Jackpot and High Climber trails. It's a 16 mile professionally built wilderness trail connecting Lutsen and Britton Peak. This flowy trail is a blast and when you're done you can bomb Onion River road back down to Tofte Trails. Hold on tight; it's an exhilarating descent. Chilling in Lux Little Cabins in the Forest Everything about this place is dialed in sooo nicely. Each cabin has a private space, peaceful deck patio with chairs and a fire pit. The sliding floor-to-ceilling windows were really immersive. We pulled up our table right next to the windows and felt like we were on top of the forest for the weekend. This is not your everyday place. It's a no-kids, cabin for 2, super special destination. And the list of amenities is ummm....quite comfortable. Let's try to name a few: Full-wall projector screen Indoor gas fire + outdoor wood fire Bike storage Lux king bed Fully stocked kitchen (w french press & Chemex) Spa-inspired bathroom Grill & mini fridge Every detail has been thoughtfully designed and hand picked and we were in heaven. And I'l say the contrast felt pretty fun. We rode bikes in the woods, got sweaty and mud-covered, then returned to our peaceful sanctuary. Off the bike, there's just so much to explore. Lutsen mountains are a few minutes away. Lots of great restaurants, endless shoreline, and Grand Marais is a half hour drive away for a great small town adventure. When I was in college we came up to hike the Superior Hiking Trail all the time and the Oberg Mountain segment of the SHT is 2 miles up Onion River road. There are at least 4 beautiful overlooks with sweeping views in all directions. On The Map: Surrounded by the Best of Biking Visiting Tofte Trails Tofte Trails opened less than a year ago and is now open for stays all year long. All 5 cabins are king bed, 1-2 person cabins, and you can even bring your pet. It's going to be tough to decide which bike to bring because it is really surrounded by some great adventure opportunities. To learn more or book a stay, head over to Tofte Trails .

This year we launched a new series called " Gravel Goals " to help you train for your 100 mile gravel races. Today Coach Paul Warloski discusses seven mental skills to help you stay positive on long events and avoid the soul-crushing moments that can bring you to a negative place in your thoughts. Words by Paul Warloski of Simple Endurance Coaching . To learn more, visit our Introduction to the Gravel Goals series . All of us have been there: The moments when we question our life choices that brought us to this really long gravel bike race. Maybe the weather was unusually tough, or there were mechanical issues, we didn’t fuel properly, or maybe the tedium of riding that many hours just got to our head. “Why am I doing this? I’m not having fun any more.” We’ll talk about seven skills you can learn or re-learn that will help you avoid those soul-crushing moments or manage them when they come during epic gravel races. This is the eight in a series of articles about gravel racing. Using the 80/20 model to schedule workouts. Learn More . Building a base for gravel racing performance. Learn More . Five keys to training for gravel racing. Learn More . Why you should do intervals and how to do them right. Learn More . Strength training for endurance, power, and comfort. Learn More . Optimizing Hydration & Nutrition on Longer Rides. Learn More . Cycling After Age 50: How Training, Nutrition, & Recovery Changes. Learn More . Skill 1: Visualization and Mental Rehearsal Mentally rehearse riding through different aspects of the race, from the start to the finish line. Research shows that visualization can enhance performance by priming the brain and nervous system for the physical movements required during the event. So it’s worth driving as much of the course as possible prior to the race to understand the particular features. Athletes can visualize themselves navigating challenging terrain, overcoming obstacles, and maintaining a strong pace. It’s important to also visualize taking care of mishaps: Watch yourself successfully handling a flat tire or a crash, and you’ll be in a better position to keep a positive mindset if something goes wrong. Skill 2: Goal Setting Setting clear, realistic goals for the race is essential for mental preparation. Whether it's completing the race within a certain time frame, achieving a personal best, or simply finishing strong, having goals can provide you with focus and motivation. Generally, my goal is to keep my heart rate and power under threshold while maintaining my carbohydrate consumption. Those are both process goals since I typically don’t have an outcome goal for a gravel race - other than to finish. You might want to set both outcome goals (e.g., finishing in the top 10) and process goals (e.g., maintaining a steady power throughout the race). Skill 3: Mindfulness and Stress Management Long-distance gravel racing can be physically and mentally demanding, so it's important to manage stress and stay present during the event. Mindfulness techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and meditation can help athletes stay calm and focused before an event, even in challenging situations. Research suggests that mindfulness can improve athletic performance by reducing anxiety and enhancing concentration. During the race, practicing your breathing can keep you calm. This is the most challenging for me since my brain is always chattering at me. I work a lot at practicing breathing - making sure I’m rhythmically breathing into my belly. This is a great thing to practice while doing hard intervals : work on relaxing your upper body and breathing into your belly. Skill 4: Positive Self-Talk One of the most important tools you can practice on long training rides is maintaining a positive inner dialogue leading up to and during the race. Research has shown that positive self-talk can boost confidence, increase motivation, and improve endurance. Remind your audience to replace negative thoughts (e.g., "I can't do this" or "I'm not strong enough") with positive affirmations (e.g., "I am strong and capable" or "I've trained hard for this"). This is not something to try out while in the heat of racing. Pick one positive affirmation and practice it during long endurance training . Skill 5: Adaptability and Resilience Gravel racing often presents unpredictable terrain and weather conditions, so racers must be adaptable and resilient. Shit is going to happen in a gravel race. One way to look at the challenges is as an opportunity for growth rather than some kind of setback that reflects on you in some way. Research suggests that athletes who view adversity as manageable and temporary are better equipped to overcome obstacles and maintain peak performance. This goes back to the kind of mindfulness and visualization practice we mentioned earlier. Practicing this kind of attitude during training rides means it will be possible to do in the race. Skill 6: Pre-Race Rituals We all do a lot of training and racing. Establishing pre-race rituals can help you get into the right mindset and optimize your performance. Whether it's listening to a specific playlist, performing a warm-up routine, or visualizing success, rituals can create a sense of familiarity and confidence. Experiment with different rituals during your training to determine what works best for you. I keep changing mine but it usually involves a warmup while listening to upbeat music - or, if it’s a cyclocross race, it’s intense angry music, plus some food and water intake , using the bathroom and making sure I’m at the start line early enough to get a decent position. I also try to talk with people at the line to keep my nerves and brain chatter at bay! What works for you? Skill 7: Post-Race Reflection After the race, it’s good to reflect on your performance and identify areas for improvement. For example, did you climb well, did you manage the corners, did you keep up with your nutrition? Research suggests that reflective practice is essential for learning and skill development. Celebrate your achievements, learn from mistakes, and set new goals for future races. Have an epic day on the gravel roads! By incorporating these mental training strategies into their preparation and race-day routines, you can enhance you performance and maximize your potential for success. It’s critical to practice all of these skills during training rides, writing them down and revising them as you learn about what works. Consistency and repetition help build mindfulness patterns that will help you be successful on race day! These are all skills that will help bring you more joy during long, challenging gravel races. What do you do to keep your head in the game? About Coach Paul Warloski Paul Warloski is a Level 2 USA-Cycling Coach, a certified yoga instructor, and a certified personal trainer. He supports everyday endurance athletes at Simple Endurance Coaching , based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He's been racing gravel, road, mountain bike, and cyclocross for decades, so he brings both experience and training knowledge to help you to your best gravel race performances in 2024. He'll be racing the Big Rivers Gravel Series in Illinois, the Hungry Bear in Cable, likely the Coon Fork 40 in Eau Claire, and other gravel races this year. To learn more, or for a free 30-minute Virtual Coffee to talk about your training and your goals, visit Simple Endurance Coaching .