MTB & Gravel

MTB and gravel training plan: from marathons to alpine crossings

Mountain biking and gravel are endurance sports with interruptions: above threshold on the climbs, barely recovering on the trail, hours of steady riding on gravel roads. The plan depends on the goal. This page gives you the framework; YOUB turns it into your plan.

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How the build changes with the goal

Ranges for amateur riders who already ride regularly. If you're new, add weeks. YOUB starts from your current fitness and the hours you really have.

Goal	Build	Hours per week	Longest session	Key session	Focus
Short MTB marathon: 40–60 km, 1,000–1,500 m	10–12 weeks	5–7	3–4 hours off-road	5 × 4 minutes hard uphill, 4 minutes easy	Surges on climbs, bike handling, the start
Long MTB marathon: 80–100 km, 2,000–3,000 m	16–20 weeks	7–10	5–6 hours off-road	3 × 12–15 minutes at threshold on a climb	Long climbs, eating while the trail is technical
Alpine crossing or multi-day stage race	16–24 weeks	8–12	2–3 consecutive days of 4–6 hours	Big weekend with 1,500–2,500 m of climbing a day	Durability over days, saddle comfort, luggage
First gravel event: 50–80 km	8–12 weeks	4–6	3–4 hours	Sweet spot 2 × 15 minutes	Endurance base, riding loose surfaces and in a group
Gravel race: 100–200 km	12–20 weeks	7–10	5–7 hours	3 × 20 minutes tempo, each opened with surges	Hard start, even pacing, fueling, punctures

Off-road intensity is far less even than on the road, so short, hard intervals matter more here than for a road gran fondo. The endurance base still makes up most of the training, and every third or fourth week is lighter.

MTB marathon: training for the climbs and the trail

An MTB marathon is decided on the climbs. Short, steep ramps demand bursts above threshold; long climbs demand high sustained power. Then there's the start: to reach the first singletrack near the front, you have to survive a hard opening few minutes.

VO2max: 4–6 × 3–5 minutes hard, ideally on a climb
Threshold: 2–3 × 12–20 minutes on a long climb
Over-unders: alternating just above and below threshold, for terrain that never settles
Once a week off-road, for handling and cornering

FTP calculator · Your threshold and training zones

MTB training over the winter

Winter is when the base gets built: plenty of calm time indoors or outside and very little that hurts. Take the mountain bike out at the weekend, mud included, to keep your handling sharp. Cross-country skiing counts too.

Indoors: 60–90 minutes of endurance riding, one sweet spot session a week
Two strength sessions a week: legs, core and upper body for descending
Short VO2max work from February, more off-road riding from spring

The endurance off-season · How to take the break before the build

Alpine crossings and stage races: several days in a row

On an alpine crossing, the hardest day isn't the problem; the third one is. So you train repetition: long weekends of two, later three days in a row, with the pack you'll carry. And on day one, ride slower than you could.

1,500 to 2,500 m of climbing per training day, depending on the route
Eat after every day: carbohydrate and protein within the first hour
Test saddle, shorts and position over several long days

Gravel training for beginners

Gravel is closer to road riding than to mountain biking: long hours of steady power on loose surfaces. Four to six hours a week are enough to start, built around endurance riding, one sweet spot session and time on gravel.

Test tyres and pressures on gravel, not on race day
Practise group riding: drafting matters on gravel too
Carry plugs, a tube and a pump on every long ride

Gravel races: hard start, long day

Gravel races often start like road races: the groups form in the first 20 to 30 minutes, then it's hours of steady riding. Train both: surges at the start of a tempo session, and long rides where you rehearse fueling.

60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, rehearsed in training
Make the group after the start, then ride steadily below threshold
Know the feed points beforehand and plan your own bottles

Carbohydrate fueling: is 90 g/h realistic? · Glucose, fructose and gut training

MTB and gravel training with an app: what YOUB takes on

YOUB plans mountain bike and gravel goals as goals of their own. It reads your FTP from your rides, with no separate test. Sessions arrive as structured workouts on Garmin, Wahoo, COROS, Suunto and the Hammerhead Karoo, and through Intervals.icu in Zwift. Bike handling and trail choice are not something YOUB plans; that part stays with you.

Targets in watts or heart rate, from your own zones
On request, a route with target climbing sent as a course to Garmin or the Karoo

Automatic threshold detection · How YOUB estimates your FTP from your rides
Planned workouts on your device

MTB and gravel races to plan around

For each of these races, youb.app has the course, the elevation profile and the distances on offer. Pick your target and YOUB plans backwards from race day.

Erzgebirgs Bike Marathon · 40, 70 or 100 km, up to 2,400 m of climbing
Albstadt Bike Marathon · 44 or 82 km, 2,206 m of climbing on the long course
Salzkammergut Trophy · Bad Goisern, up to 203.8 km and 6,269 m of climbing
Ischgl Ironbike · 30 to 83.5 km, up to 3,361 m of climbing
Wörthersee Gravel Race · Velden, 67 to 150 km
HeideGravel · Taura, 30, 60 or 100 km
Ostalb Gravel · Aalen, 57 km, 855 m of climbing

Coaching scenario

How YOUB runs your MTB and gravel plan

Concrete example

When the data shows that a demanding session does not fit the current state, YOUB does not react to one metric alone. The coach compares training history, subjective feedback, calendar pressure, and the next goal before suggesting an adjustment.

Data inputs

Depending on connected sources, YOUB can use completed sessions, duration, intensity, heart rate, sleep, recovery signals, availability, and goal dates. No single value decides the plan on its own.

Decision logic

A session can be moved, shortened, replaced, or intentionally kept. The decision is whether the change protects the long-term training goal while respecting real-life constraints and recovery.

Limitations

YOUB provides coaching suggestions, not diagnoses. Pain, illness, injury, and medical questions belong with qualified medical professionals rather than an automated training decision.

Weekly planning practice

For your MTB or gravel race, the next workout is only one part of the decision. YOUB looks at the whole week: hard stimuli, recovery, long sessions, and calendar commitments need to fit together so the plan stays understandable and does not collapse after the first schedule change.

What appears in chat

YOUB turns adaptations into a clear recommendation with a reason: why the session still makes sense, which risk is being reduced, and which alternative best supports the goal. The result is an understandable coaching dialogue, not an anonymous plan change, including a short follow-up question when the data or real-life context is not clear enough.

Review and sources

Sports-science context

This page is maintained by YOUB editorially and reviewed against recognized guidance for physical activity, training load, and training safety. YOUB does not replace medical advice; athletes with symptoms or medical conditions should consult a clinician.

Author: Felix Hermanutz
Review: YOUB Sports Science Review
Updated: October 29, 2026

Sources

WHO Physical activity fact sheet ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription

FAQ

MTB and gravel training: common questions

What does an MTB marathon training plan look like?

For 40 to 60 km, 10 to 12 weeks at five to seven hours a week is usually enough; for 80 to 100 km, allow 16 to 20 weeks at seven to ten hours. The core is threshold work on climbs, short hard intervals for ramps and the start, one long off-road ride and bike handling.

How should I train for mountain biking over the winter?

Mostly calm endurance riding indoors or out, one sweet spot session a week and two strength sessions, plus weekend rides off-road to keep your handling. Short hard intervals come in from February.

How do I prepare for an alpine crossing or a stage race like the Transalp?

With 16 to 24 weeks of preparation, built above all on consecutive days: long weekends of two to three days at four to six hours and 1,500 to 2,500 m of climbing each, with your luggage, plus practising recovery and eating between the days.

MTB training for beginners: how many hours a week?

Four to six hours is enough to start: two shorter sessions midweek and one longer off-road ride at the weekend. Base first, hard intervals later, and bike handling practised on every ride.

Gravel training for beginners: what matters most?

Endurance base and time on gravel. Plan eight to twelve weeks at four to six hours, one sweet spot session a week and a long ride building to three or four hours, and test tyres, pressures and fueling before your first event.

Is there a training app for MTB and gravel?

Yes. YOUB plans MTB and gravel goals in the chat, detects your FTP from your rides and sends sessions to Garmin, Wahoo, COROS, Suunto or the Karoo. It doesn't plan bike handling or trails, but your off-road rides count towards your load and your plan.

Related YOUB pages

Cycling Coach Gran Fondo Training Plan Trail Running & Ultramarathon Training Plan Garmin AI Coach Race Calendar FAQ

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