Off-roading, once the preserve of gnarly mountain bikers, is now embraced by many, if not most, road riders – and not just during the cyclo-cross season. “The likes of Matthieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert have drawn road riders to mud and gravel tracks,” says Luc Soenen, directeur sportif with the Luxembourg-based Hess road cycling team. While a period of lower-intensity riding remains essential after the arduous road racing season, coaches like Soenen advocate cross-country riding as a way to freshen up and acquire diverse skills. “It motivates road cyclists to explore new horizons and become more versatile athletes.” But that’s not all you’ll glean from gravel and cyclo-cross racing, or just heading out on your local trails…
Improved resilience, whole-body strength, and improved bike-handling are just some of the benefits road riders can gain from a winter on the soft stuff. So here are 12 nailed-on reasons to make regular excursions off-road from now until the spring.
