City Bikes Gravel Miami: Course, Route Profile & Map

Course & Elevation

After a neutral three-mile roll-out from the farm to SW 136th Street you climb onto the L-31N levee, and from there the race is on. The lap follows long, straight gravel levees through the open grassland of the Everglades; the organiser describes the surface as smooth, fast Florida gravel, chunky in places. The course never leaves the band of 1 to 4 m above sea level, so climbing plays no part.

The 88 miles are two full laps. The only fully stocked aid, the City Bikes neutral support tent, is at mile 23 of the first lap; at mile 44, by the police crossing on SW 136th Street, an unstaffed tent holds water, ice and a cooler for personal bottles you can hand to the support vehicle at the start. The course is not signed, so the route has to be on your bike computer.

The field is capped at 300 riders, timing is by chip, and the first five women and men on the 88 miles win prize money. February weather, the organiser says, can swing between 40 and 80 °F, and the wind over the sawgrass builds as the day goes on. Lunch at the farm waits at the finish.

Pacing Strategy

On a course with no climbs the wind decides, and it builds through the morning. That usually makes the second lap the harder one, even though it covers the same levees. Ride the first lap deliberately below threshold and save energy rather than banking time early.

Groups are gold on the open levees. Stay with a bunch that matches your level on the first lap and share the work at the front; alone into the wind you lose more than you risk in a group that is a touch too fast. Aero bars only when riding solo, never in a group.

Plan your fuelling around the two stops: mile 23 has everything, mile 44 only what you left there yourself. After that you rely on your pockets for the entire second lap.

Training plan for City Bikes Gravel Miami: 12-week build

For most amateur riders 88 miles of gravel means five to seven hours in the saddle, with almost no let-up, because there are no climbs or descents to break the rhythm. The effort is a long, steady endurance ride between aerobic and tempo.

Build long rides of four to six hours, on flat gravel where you can, and include blocks of 20 to 40 minutes just under threshold to rehearse riding into a headwind. Practise group riding on loose surfaces.

Because you hold the same position for hours, saddle comfort, core strength and a well-set bike fit matter more than on a hilly course. If you plan to use aero bars, test the position over long distances.

The organiser names flat tyres as the main cause of DNFs. Train on the tyre and pressure you plan to race and practise tube changes. Plan your nutrition for the second lap, where there is only what you carry.