2023 FALL EPIC GRAVEL BIKE CAMP

~ The Stoke Lives Here ~

2023 FALL EPIC GRAVEL

with

Hunter Allen 


September 19-23, 2023


Bedford, Virginia

BOOK NOW!

"Are you ready to get dirty on America’s oldest gravel with me and our PCG coaches? Let’s do it!
-- Hunter

Are you ready to get dirty on America's oldest gravel? 


Let's do it!  Whether you're racing Unbound Gravel, SBT GRVL, unPAved, Croatan 150 or a host of other great rides, this camp is for you.


The goal of this amazing gravel camp is to focus on improving your gravel skills and technique as well as race tactics and strategy--while accurately developing your power profile in Training Peaks WKO5 software! The beautiful Appalachian Mountains are the perfect place for a gravel cycling camps with awesome climbing opportunities, quiet country roads for race scenarios--and it’s the hometown for the Peaks Coaching Group Headquarters!


The "brochure" can't even come close to describing all that happens at a PCG Gravel Camp. But let's try anyway! There's WKO analysis and season preparation by the master himself. There's daily rides where skills like sprinting, counter-steering, descending(!) and pacelining are taught and practiced on gravel roads. There's on-the-dirt-road race scenarios where teams battle it out for all the glory. There's stories from Hunter's many, many years in the industry and as a professional cyclist. There's SAG support, amazing A, B and C Road Groups for different levels, massages, yoga, stretching, on-staff bike mechanics, incredible food, bike fits, rider video analysis...


There's just so much!

Book your Spot and Seek New Destinations!

CAMP TYPE

  • Loaner power meters provided, either pedals or wheels
  • Endurance and mid-intensity paced rides
  • 30-65 miles of daily riding with three pace groups
  • Daily education seminars, power file analysis, yoga, massage, video analysis, bike fitting and advanced learning

COST

 

  • $1,325- Lodging Not Included
  • $500- Deposit due NOW
  • 100% refund on deposit before 30 days of start of camp
  • Lunch and Dinner included, and breakfast on your own

 

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

  • Cyclists who rock!  (Pun intended!)
  • General fitness enthusiasts, competitive recreational cyclists and above
  • Riders seeking performance improvement in a gran fondo, event, or category racing
  • Riders able to ride for extended periods of time at 12mph and above
  • Gravel/Road cyclists (MTB, CX and triathletes are welcome)

DAY 1

September 19

Sneak a Ride!

           

12:00pm - 3:00pm - Check-in at PCG world headquarters!


3:00pm - 5:30pm Falling Creek Park Skills drills clinic. Be a kid again and enjoy all the fun at the bike park! Safely!  Learn cornering, braking, bunny hopping, wheelies and more! You will also learn how to corner safely in gravel, what the best lines are through a gravel turn and how to become comfortable in a gravel turn. It's a great way to kick off an awesome camp!



6:00pm - Dinner- We'll have amazing BBQ and beer from Beale's, which is in our backyard!

7:30pm - 9:30pm Introductions to staff and campers, and we'll go over camp agenda, so you'll be ready to dig in to the details tomorrow.


Falling Creek Park- 10 miles


DAY 2

September 20

Porter Mountain loop!


Breakfast on your own

8:30am - Morning Briefing and depart.


9:00am - One of Hunter's favorite gravel loops, we have a short shuttle out to a secluded National Forest parking lot and start our adventure for the day. We will ride on the Porter MTN Loop which includes three great climbs, one of which is paved and the other two are gravel. All three are awesome with some spicy sections so bring your "bail-out" gears! On the first climb, we will warm-up and then complete our 1 min & 5min tests to better understand our current Anaerobic and Vo2 max abilities. "Testing is training and training is testing" as Dr. Andrew R. Coggan always says! Afterwards, we climb to the top, bomb down a descent and then instantly climb up the second climb of the day, which is partly paved and gravel and you can do your 20-minute test here! Re-grouping at the top, we roll along the Porter Mountain Ridge for a while and descend into the valley for a nice 8 miles on the pavement. You will know you are on the final climb when you past the Eddie Van Halen (of the Eddie Van Halen band) mailbox and then ascend back up Porter Mountain for a 3rd time from yet another different direction. Finally, we bomb back down and then back to the cars for a short trip home where our recovery shakes await us!


2:00pm -Yoga & Lunch - back at headquarters

3:00pm - 5:30 pm - Hunter Allen Group Power File Review and Power Education- Review of Power Training Principles

6:30pm - Dinner as a group- A perennial favorite- The Station!

Porter Mountain- 35 miles, 3-4 hours

DAY 3

September 21

Sedalia Speed day!


Breakfast on your own

8:30am - Morning briefing and depart.


9:00am - Sedalia loop which includes two of the fastest and FLAT(!) sections of gravel in Bedford. Seriously, these are the fastest and perfect to put into practice your fast cornering skills you learned on Day 1. Can you beat Hunter's Strava segment time????? Rolling hills and plenty of re-grouping points with tasty drinks and foods, make this loop a blast. Afterwards, you can say you have ridden on some of the oldest gravel roads in the country, these have been around forever! One of Hunter's training loops with views of the Appalachian Mountains galore. You won't want this day to end!



1:00pm -Yoga and Lunch- back at headquarters

2:00pm-5:30pm - Hunter Allen Group Power File Review & Power Education-In depth look at new metrics in WKO5.

6:30pm - Dinner as a group- Ya gotta have Italian at least once at Camp!


Sedalia, 37miles, 3-3.5 hours

















*NOTE:Daily schedules and routes might change due to weather and other factors.

  DAY 4

September 22

Hunter's Gravel Gran Fondo


Breakfast on your own

8:30am - Morning briefing and depart:


9:00am - This day is epic. Three climbs today, with TONS of gravel riding. The first climb is the warm-up and is only 15minutes long and has the tightest gravel descents of the week- Safety mode ON!  After a re-group at the bottom, we roll along the Goose Creek Valley floor to the base of the second climb which is half gravel and then as you enter National Forest, you begin climbing a more spicy section which is a "Jeep" road. It's not steep, but probably all you want to do on your gravel bike and not have to break out the MTB. At the top of the second mountain, we have food and drinks and put on jackets for riding on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  We bomb down an amazing gravel descent from Powell's gap into the most picturesque trout fishing area around. Lunch is on the road today and you'd better eat as you have a HUGE Category 1 climb next. This is a beast and takes the very best riders an hour, and us mere mortals more like 1:20-1:40! Plan on it!  If you have something in the legs.... the climb after lunch is a perfect gradient on a hidden gravel road for over an hour, which could be your Gravel FTP test!  Re-grouping at the top on the Blue Ridge Parkway, we head down the road and then we descend one of the coolest mountain gravel roads around. Complete with bone-shaking gravel, waterfalls and a 500meter long steep section that you'll want to use ALL your braking power on, this descent is just badass. After surviving the descent, you come back on a fun gravel road and then the last 8 miles home are on much appreciated pavement! It's a big day- 7 hours..... So much gravel today. You won't be asking for more!


4:00 pm - back at headquarters, recovery shakes and high fives all around!

5:00pm -Group Power File Analysis

6:30pm - Dinner as a group-And ya gotta have Mexican at least once too!


Hunter's Gravel Gran Fondo-63 miles, 7 hours!


DAY 5

September 23

Breakthrough ride!


Breakfast on your own

8:30am - Morning briefing


9:00am -Why is it called "Breakthrough" ? Your legs are tired, your body is tired, your bike is tired. You don't want to ride, but you muster up the courage. You start out and yes, your legs remind you that you just rode 7 hours the day before. You continue on and pedal up the little hills and soon you find yourself zipping down a country road with a big smile on your face. After our food stop re-grouping point, you find that you feel even better and even want to push the pace... Once home, you get it. You have broken through the glass ceiling of your previous self-imposed limits. You can go harder than you ever thought even when you are tired. You take this lesson home and realize this is what it takes to go to the next level...



1pm Lunch - back at headquarters -Pizza!!!

2:00pm - wrap up and head home -We'll stay as long as you want to do more power analysis and talk cycling! 


Bedford Gravel Loop- 37miles, 3 hours

Hunter Interviewed by mid-Atlantic Gravel, Travel and Dirt!

  • How is power different on gravel than road?
  • How do we actually produce power?
  • How does cadence compare between gravel and road?
  • Why is the above all so important for gravel power riders?
  • How should roadies travel from gravel?
  • How are tractor pulls crucial to gravel training?
  • And so much more!
Reserve Today!

Let's get dirty!

Your ultimate adventure in training, gravel grinding and learning.
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GENERAL INFORMATION

HAVE A QUESTION?  WE ARE HERE TO HELP.

  • ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE

    Air Travel

    For those traveling via air we recommend flying into Roanoke Regional Airport or Lynchburg Airport. Other flight options:


    Note:  If you choose to fly into the following airports, transportation to and from Camp (Bedford) will be on your own.


    Charlottesville Albermarle Airport (CHO) - Charlottesville, VA 98 miles                


    Piedmont Triad International Airport (PTI) - Greensboro, NC    108 miles               


    Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) - Morrisville, NC 125 miles               


    Richmond International Airport (RIC) - Richmond, VA  145 miles 


    Dulles International Airport - (IAD) Dulles, VA 191 miles 


    Charlotte Douglass International Airport - (CLT) Charlotte, NC 207 miles  


    If you will not be renting a vehicle on your own, please be sure to send your travel itinerary to us so that we may arrange to pick you up.    


    Arrivals:

    Check-in for the camp begins at 1:00 p.m. on Sept. 19 at 414 Jackson St, Bedford, VA 24523.

     

    Please make arrangements to arrive at the airport  on Sept. 19  BEFORE 11 A.M. Please email us if you will be needing transportation to our offices to facilitate the check in process.  


    Returns:

    Leaving at 2:00 pm on Sept 23, 2022.

     

    If you need to utilize the pickup service, please book your flights accordingly.

  • BIKE TRANSPORTATION

    Bike transportation:

    For those traveling by air you can either choose to ship your bike in advance or take with you in your travels.Our support team will assemble all shipped bikes in advance and be onsite to support those that are traveling with their bike.

    If shipping, please ship your bike to arrive 48 hours in advance of camp to ensure arrival. Please ship bikes to:

                    Peaks Coaching Group Headquarters 

                    414 Jackson Street

                    Bedford, VA 24523-3414

                    (540) 587-9025  

  • LODGING AND ACCOMMODATIONS

    Lodging & accommodations:


    Lodging is NOT included in this camp. 


    Most of our Campers will stay at the Super 8 , just 10 minutes from our office. Others may want to experience the Peaks of Otter Lodge on the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway,  one of the multiple Airbnb’s in the area, or one of our many local bed and breakfasts. There are also a ton of accommodations in Lynchburg, Roanoke, and Smith Mountain Lake. Please keep in mind they are roughly 30 – 60 minutes away. 


  • PAYMENT INFORMATION

    GRAVEL CAMP: $1325.00

    A $500 refundable deposit is due at time of registration. This deposit and total amount is refundable up to 30 days prior to the first day of camp. After which, you can move your payment to a future camp. You will be issued a final invoice 45 days before the first day of camp, and final payment is due 30 days before the commencement of your cycling camp.

FTP Test on Gravel!

FTP tests on gravel are no joke--and we have the perfect climb that challenges even the best of Pros, National Champions, and CXers. Yep, people come from all over the world to challenge themselves on America's oldest gravel.   Jennings Creek Climb is a switch-back monster--perfect to test your FTP. We'll do it!

And can you get that KOM?  A special prize the Camper with the fastest time up the segment for the day!

And the views from the top at 3,400Magnificent!  The climb ends at the iconic Peaks of Otter stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and we'll fly by the Peaks themselves, which is the origin of the "peaks" in TrainingPeaks.

After our storming of Jennings Creek Climb, we'll do a screaming descent, do post-ride yoga, analyze your FTP data in WKO5 and TrainingPeaks--and EAT! 
Book today and let's start climbing!

Hunter Interviewed by The Gravel Ride!

Hunter is interviewed by the Gravel Ride podcast about his entrance into the gravel world. How can you prepare for all those gravel left-hooks? What are the four big components to every big goal? How would the journey to DK200 work? How does personalized, one-on-one coaching work? Do gravel riders need to train different that other riders?
And so much more!


Reserve Today!
“I've been to many camps: CTS and Tom Danielson being the most notable.  This was my second year at Hunter's camp, and it still exceeded my expectations.  Always fun and a great way to put the season into high gear. The coaches and campers are always a joy to meet and spend time with. Worth the investment!”

BT

Fort Worth
“When I came to camp, I had never used a Garmin or a heart rate monitor, a cadence sensor, or a power meter. My average on a "good" ride was in the mid 15 range, my average cadence at camp was in the upper 60 to low 70 range and I climbed like a slug :) I don't expect miracles because I am a 57 year old woman who never did anything athletic until the age of 49 when I began cycling..but felt like I should have been getting better, since I had been riding for 8 years.
 
I came back from camp, bought a Garmin 1000,and started doing climbing, sprint, and cadence drills. I guess I worked the cadence the most, but I found that in just consciously keeping my cadence between 85-95, my climbing also got better. I am not, and probably never will be, a great climber but I am SO much better than I used to be. I'm never the first to the top (in a group) but I'm also not the LAST! "

CJ

Wisconsin
 “The brochure can't even begin to describe the value of these camps.  Hunter starts talking and instructing when we first arrive and doesn't stop until everyone leaves.  I thought there would be much more down time like other camps--but thankfully there is not as long as Hunter is talking!”

TD

College Park

Experience an unparalleled coaching experience on the gorgeous gravel roads of Appalachia.  
And learn a thing or two about power.


Hunter
ALLEN

Founder and CEO


Legendary cycling coach, co-author of Training and Racing with a Power Meter and Cutting-Edge Cycling, co-developer of TrainingPeaks, WKO+ software, and founder of Peaks Coaching Group.

Widely known as one of the top experts in the world in coaching endurance athletes using power meters, Hunter Allen's goal has always been to teach athletes how to maximize their training and racing potential through professional analysis of their power data. This goes hand in hand with his philosophy that a power meter helps athletes discover their true strengths and weaknesses, quantitatively assess their training improvements, and refine and maximize the focus of their training. 

As a coach, Hunter makes sure to look at each athlete as a whole person. He excels at designing custom programs designed to maximize each rider's potential. He believes we are human beings working closely with other human beings, and it's important to him to work hard to find your strengths and weaknesses and to help you improve your skills, then develop a realistic plan that works for life. It is important that a coach learn as much as he can about you as an athlete and as a person in order to better develop a plan for success. He has now coached over 400 athletes and still learns something new from each one.

TRAIN WITH GREAT PRODUCTS AT DISCOUNT FROM OUR SPONSORS!

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