Tackling varied terrain is part of the magic of gravel riding, but washboard roads can quickly turn a great day in the saddle into a teeth-chattering struggle. Below, Coach Annick breaks down why brake bumps form and shares practical body-positioning techniques to help you maintain control, protect your momentum, and float through the rough stuff with confidence.
In today’s coach’s corner we are going to discuss a few more helpful practices for cycling on varied terrain. Perhaps you have been riding your gravel bike and encountered a series of gravel bumps on the road and have thought afterwards: gosh that was no fun! Maybe you got bumped around and rattled your noggin or lost your speed because you were braking out of panic. What you’ve just encountered are the dreaded brake bumps, also known as washboard.
These repeating transverse ripples, known in civil engineering as road corrugation, are caused when cars hit a bump or brake more intensely and their suspension causes them to compress down and up again, kicking dirt and gravel back. It’s made worse with repetition in higher traffic locations, or where there’s sudden braking (i.e., before turns and at the bottom of hills), and after a road has been freshly graded. Ideally we are traveling on pristine gravel roads that rarely see a car, but that just isn’t always possible, so it is best to be prepared for these scenarios with the tools to make the experience more comfortable.
The Problem: How Washboard Steals Your Momentum
Washboard bumps can be thought of as momentum “slowers”, and if you did nothing with your body and bike to prepare for them, your bike might hit them and slow slightly, causing your body to lunge forward. Or if they are smaller, they rattle your head, bump your bum around, and potentially knock your hands off of their position on the hoods.
The Setup: Perfect Body Position for Rough Descent
So, when descending, I like to approach washboard by standing on my pedals, heels down, hinging at the hips, bending my elbows, slightly bending at my knees, and with my hands on the drop portion of the handlebar, holding the handlebar with a loose grip and with my index finger resting on the curvy part of the brake lever.
The Technique: Creating Natural Suspension & Weight Shift
I engage my core and really press down on my pedals. I find this position to enable traction where you need it, suspension in your arms and legs to absorb the bike rolling over the bumps, and more comfort in my neck/shoulders/arms because I’ve avoided being jerked around. Importantly, I’ve shifted my weight slightly back to unweight the front end of the bike through pushing my heels down. This is a micro adjustment that allows the front end of the bike to better float through the accumulated gravel piles. I don’t want to move too far back and unweight the front end too much because then I lose the ability to pilot my bike… that’s when I become the passenger of an uncontrolled bike.
The Strategy: Smart Braking Through the Rough Stuff
Lastly, I try to minimize my braking through these momentum slowing sectors. If I do need to brake I try to do that before I get to them and again right afterwards, with light pressure on both brake levers. Let the bike roll through the bumps as best you can without adding additional momentum slowing through braking.
I hope that with these tips you shift to thriving instead of barely surviving the next washboard sector you encounter! Let’s ride!
Annick Chalier is an elite-level cyclist, PMBIA Level 1 certified mountain bike and gravel coach, and the self-proclaimed “Head Unicorn-fun inspirer” of the Pacific Northwest. Calling the Columbia River Gorge home since 2019, Annick has an extensive racing background that spans professional road racing, gravel stage race victories, cyclocross, and endurance mountain biking.
For Annick, riding is about finding a flow state, connecting with nature, and “hootin’ and hollerin’” down the trail with friends. As an Endurance Coach for Special Blend and an integral part of the Brave Endeavors team since 2022, she loves helping riders of all ages unlock newfound confidence on two wheels. Whether she’s coaching kids on mountain bikes or adults on gravel adventures, Annick’s passion for teaching is infectiously powerful.
