Gravel is hot these days. Want to ride 200 miles through rural Kansas, largely unsupported? Better enter the lottery in January and cross your fingers, toes, and perhaps even your dog’s paws. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s just not for everyone. And who knows what you want to do in June when it’s the middle of the winter?

I barely know what state I want to live in 6 months from now, to my husband’s eternal chagrin. The ability to spontaneously sign up for a bike ride (it’s not a race… or is it?) a week out feels positively retro these days. But the Farmer’s Daughter Gravel Grinder, which takes place every May in Chatham, New York, doesn’t seem to sell out and in fact you could still sign up today!

The squad has a soft spot in our hearts for Farmer’s Daughter. Take a look back at Cullen’s classic 2019 ride report, or mine from last year when I was honeymooning hard having just moved back to NYC and reunited with my wonderful team. We’ve had a Slack channel devoted to the ride since January, and over half of the team is signed up. Several of us are looking forward to a truly insane Brooklyn Half Marathon / Farmer’s Daughter double. We’ve collected a few tips to make the most of your Farmer’s Daughter experience below.

The TBD Farmer’s Daughter Hot Tips:

• Don’t just go for the day. Trust us, while 65 miles doesn’t sound totally crazy, it’s a hard ride with a LOT of climbing in the second half. We’re trying out staying near Hudson this year as it’s a bigger town, only about half an hour from the race start, and on the way back to NYC. In fact, we recommend booking accommodations through Monday morning whether you plan to stay over Sunday night or not so you can shower, snack, and chill out for a bit before driving home.

• If you do happen to stay in Hudson, check out Kitty’s. I am a biscuit snob - my grandma Florence, bless her heart for eternity, made the best biscuits in the entire world. Most restaurant biscuits are trash. But the biscuit breakfast sandwich at Kitty’s is a revelation.

• DO NOT TRUST THE NEUTRAL ROLLOUT. This is important. I must blame my teammates for this - last year they followed the lead race vehicle out like it was a serious race, and it was terrible. I practically started bonking at mile 4. If the pace is too fast, just chill out. It’s a long ride!

• Enjoy the aid stations! The food at Farmer’s Daughter really is fun, and good. Sandwiches, cookies, candy, sports drinks, all kinds of weird and wonderful stuff. A gravel ride is basically a buffet with a course every 20 miles or so.

• The food after the race is also terrific. But maybe bring some of your own extra water. It gets hot and exposed, and it’s hard to take in enough hydration while you’re riding.

• But while we’re talking about hydration, consider a water backpack. They’re actually surprisingly aerodynamic! And it’s a lot easier to drink from a water backpack than a bottle on bumpy gravel roads. They may not look that cool but they’re really practical!

• Goal Number One is always to have fun. It might be fun to try to ‘win’ the ride, but it could be fun to cruise along, enjoy the scenery, take pictures, and eat pop tarts. You do you.

• If you’re on the fence, sign up and check out the ride. If you do, please come and say hello to the team!!