Make 2025 the year you level up your gravel game
Gravel 101/201 April 19-20, 2025
Attend one day or BOTH DAYS for a magical weekend of cycling
Gravel Cycling has exploded in popularity in the past ten years, and it's no surprise: the sport is conducted away from cars and traffic, takes its participants to remote and stunning vistas, and still poses plenty of challenging fun. Toss in the fact that the sport has a little more of that chill mountain bike vibe and you're really onto something fun.
This spring we're offering TWO gravel clinics on the same weekend: our 101 clinic for beginners and our 201 clinic for intermediate riders. You can take either clinic, or double-up for a fully immersive weekend that will leave you well-prepared for your first event, if that's where your heart is leading you.
Regardless of whether pinning on a number is your thing, you'll learn tons over the course of the weekend, ride bunches, and go home with a set of newly minted gravel friends.
We've also set up a partnership with The Society Hotel in Bingen, WA to provide local lodging, so you getting to the clinic on Saturday or Sunday morning is easy. Click here to learn more about the lodging options.
Scroll down to learn about each clinic or hit those sign-up buttons now!
This event is sanctioned by the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association, which requires that participants hold either an OBRA Annual License OR an OBRA one-day license. If you are not an annual OBRA license holder, you will need to purchase a one-day license at checkout.
GRAVEL 101 SYLLABUS
We will teach you everything you need to know to enjoy your first gravel events or rides safely and competently. You can see the schedule for 101 below.
Skills Taught:
- Bike / Body Separation: learn how to move your bike and body together and then separately — crucial for cornering
- Steer with your body and eyes, not with your hands: learn how to direct the bike by shifting your body and focus
- Braking early so you can roll through corners safely and quickly (the "2-1-None Mantra")
- Descending in the drops for stability, safety, and speed
- Using your sight to take the bike where you want it to go
- Managing awkward or strange terrain
Practical Application:
- After we spend a few hours learning these skills (and taking a short break for lunch), we'll head out onto the beautiful roads around Mosier, soaking up sun and wind and glorious views. We'll practice all of the skills we learned in the morning in a real-world setting.
You Will Leave the Clinic Having Learned:
- How to shift your weight and your focus to get the bike to go where you want it to go
- How to slow down enough so that cornering is safe while maintaining the speed you want
- Where to put your hands and body on the bike to retain the greatest amount of control
- The best ways to navigate a corner, whether on flat, sloped, dirt, or grass terrain
- Ways you can build balance and feel more at ease on your bike
- What happens at a gravel event and what you'll need to do in order to be prepared for it
- And anything you ask your coaches about!
101 Schedule
9:00 AM
The "theory" part of the clinic: after getting to know each other, we will spend 90 minutes covering our syllabus, detailed above. We build skills from the ground up in small, safe environment with soft landings! We will make sure that you get plenty of reps at all of our skills so you feel confident before we head out on the road.
10:45 AM
We take a break from instruction to eat some lunch! Food is BYO, but we will have plenty of goodies from our local providers such as Blue Bus Kombucha, Treebird Market, and Pine Street Bakery.
11:00 AM
The "application" part of the clinic: after some snacks we will head out onto our training loop, which heads up Dry Creek Road before descending back to Mosier. You'll get a chance to practice the skills you learned this morning in a real-world environment. We'll pause to try certain sections again, which is called "Sessioning" a skill or stretch of road/trail.
1:00 PM
Departure! If you're heading home we will say our goodbyes, but if you're staying at The Society Hotel tonight this is not goodbye but simply "see you later," as we'll all meet up for a well-deserved soak at The Society Spa (see details below or click that link!).
Annick was incredibly fun and engaging. She made sure everyone felt included and I walked away feeling empowered and excited. Positive vibes, non-intimidating, and you sure squeezed in a lot in a small time.The size of clinic was just right: not too many people nor too few!
— Jeffrey F.
Your Gravel Playground
The Columbia Gorge is home to some of the best gravel riding in the world. It's not a surprise that several of Oregon's best cycling promoters set their events in The Gorge. Usually the dividing line between spring rain and spring sun, the towns around Hood River, Mosier, and the Dalles provide stunning landscapes, amazing flora, abundant sun, Cadillac Gravel (we'll teach you what this means!) and very little traffic. You will learn in a safe, gorgeous (see what we did there?) environment that will leave you hungry for more gravel.
GRAVEL 201 SYLLABUS
Develop the skills you learned in 101 and add some intermediate abilities!
Skills Taught:
- Balanced Body Position and Bike/Body 201 (builds on this skill from 101)
- LOW - LOOK - LEAN: how to go downhill quickly and (more importantly) SAFELY
- Picking the best "line" down a hill or through a technical section
- Wheel lifts to ride over daunting objects you might discover in your way
- Dealing with different gravel conditions: sand, mud, water crossings, and yes, even SNOW
Practical Application:
- After we spend a few hours learning these skills (and taking a short break for lunch), we'll head out on the legendary Japanese Hollow route, an incredible ride that showcases many of the best stretches of gravel around The Dalles and will test the new skills you acquired in the morning session.
You Will Leave the Clinic Having Learned:
- A thorough review of all things 101 to really bake in those skills
- How to determine the best possible line through a section of road or trail
- How to deal with and ride over obstacles such as logs, rocks, or berms that seem insurmountable
- What to do when your gravel event feels more like a mountain bike race
- Strategies for riding in a pack of other riders safely and efficiently
- Best practices for fueling on rides and races
- And anything you ask your coaches about!
201 Schedule
9:00-11:00 AM
Welcome, introductions, review of 101 skills and introductions of 201 skills: balanced body position, intermediate cornering, wheel lifts (both "pedal" and "compression"), steep transitions, and riding singletrack on a gravel bike.
11:00-11:30 AM
Lunch! We will bring snacks and refreshments, but you should have with you a lunch as well. We'll also be gearing up to ride during this time.
11:30 AM-2:45 PM
RIDE! We head out onto parts of the Japanese Hollow route to practice your new skills and see what extended gravel riding is like. We'll pause to session sections and regroup to talk about what you all learned.
2:45-3:00 PM
Questions, packing up, and goodbyes! Departure!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
We've got A's for your Q's
How much does it cost?
Gravel 101 is $149 and Gravel $201 is $249. If you purchase both you get a 10% discount and the total is $360
What if I feel like I am too slow to ride with a group?
We will always have at least one coach on a bike but preferably two during 101. We form into groups of similar paces, dedicating a coach to each group. During 201 there is a follow vehicle that can help you out or give you a lift if you're feeling ready for a break.
Does it matter if I'm new to cycling?
Nope! If you're just getting started, we think Gravel 101 is a great way to start logging more miles safely and comfortably. You'll learn a ton about gravel best practices, terminology, and techniques. We think 101 is so good that you'll be ready for 201 the next day.
Tell me about how lodging works?
We have reserved a block of bunks at the amazing Society Hotel in Bingen, WA, only a few miles away. Paying for lodging is still on you, but we've got the rooms reserved. All you have to do is use the code GRAVELCAMP25 to reserve one of the bunks when booking here. You register for Friday night or Saturday night or both! Every Society booking gets a one-hour soak in their spa, so we'll coordinate our rest and relaxation, too.
Do I need to take 101 to take 201?
Nope! If you have done some gravel riding and maybe done a few events and want to jump straight to 201, we trust you! But if you are brand new to gravel cycling we think you should take 101. Double-up for an amazing weekend of learning!
What do I need to bring?
A bicycle, cycling shoes, helmet, cycling kit, water, sunscreen, lunch, snacks, warm cycling clothing, change of clothes
The Details
What to bring: bicycle, cycling shoes, helmet, cycling kit, water, sunscreen, lunch, snacks, warm cycling clothing, change of clothes
How to contact us: got a question or concern? Hit us up by emailing us at info@campfireendurance.com.
Recover in Style
Stay at The Society Hotel in Bingen
Stay Friday, Saturday, or both days for the best experience
Few things beat heading to an amazing hotel and an incredible soak after a day of riding, dust, wind, sun, and anything else the Gorge offers you! We've reserved a block of bunks at the legendary Society Hotel in Bingen, WA if you would like to stay out in the Gorge before, after, or during the clinic.
Simply contact The Society here and let them know that you are part of the Campfire Cycling Clinic and they will get you set up. Every reservation comes with a one-hour soak in their incredible spa: three different tubs (hot, warm, and cold) along with a sauna and many other amenities. It's the perfect complement to a strong day (or weekend) of riding.