Fruita Gravel Camp
A Ride Or Die Collective Experience
March 26 - 29
WTFNB riders only
Fruita, CO
Welcome to camp! Here you will connect with others and get personalized instruction. You'll learn essential off-bike skills that set you up for success, with coaching in key areas like bike body separation, body positioning, braking, climbing, and cornering.. Plus, we’ll dive into some solid endurance training to get you ready for the season ahead. Our aim is to provide a fun and memorable experience while building a tight-knit community of WTFNB cyclists. By the end of it, you’ll have a strong foundation to carry you through this season and many more to come!
What you can expect:
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Intentionally small group designed for high touch interaction.
Instruction and discussion of essential off-bike skills that lead to positive outcomes.
To receive coaching in and perform a variety of essential skills to the BICP ride standard.
Skill work will include bike body separation, body positioning, braking, climbing, and cornering to the BICP ride standard.
To execute a solid block of endurance training.
To deliver a high quality and memorable experience and deepen the community of WTFNB cyclists.
Our learners will leave with a strong foundation for the coming season and seasons to come.
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This camp is intended for WTFNB cyclists who have a growth mindset and a desire to start their season on a base of strong fundamentals and fitness. We’ve designed this camp for beginners to intermediate cyclists, though we believe that all cyclists, regardless of their skill level, would benefit from this camp. If you’re not sure whether camp is right for you, please reach out to us at rideordiecollective@gmail.com. We would love to discuss your goals and make sure this will be a great weekend for you!
We recognize that athletes will be just starting their spring season, and fitness levels may vary. Riders should be comfortable riding three back-to-back days of 25-50 miles (see tentative route information in the schedule below). We will offer 1-2 pace groups, depending on group size. The goal is not to smash the group ride, but instead to focus on practicing skills, soaking in the views, and enjoying the company of your fellow riders.
Athletes should be comfortable riding wide gravel roads that include loose gravel, washboard, and some sand. We recommend bringing a gravel bike with at least 35mm tires, but 38-45mm tires are recommended. Basic mechanical support will be provided, but please ensure your bike is in good working order (fresh sealant, clean drivetrain, etc.)! A suggested packing list will be provided closer to camp.
Note: Routes are weather dependent. We will ride in cold temperatures, but if it’s muddy or wet we may adjust route length and / or move our routes to be on pavement. Fruita’s gravel roads dry quick after a storm, but when muddy they can be unridable. We don’t want any broken derailleurs this weekend!
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What’s included:
Three nights of lodging at Airbnbs (rooms may be shared)
All meals from Thursday dinner through Sunday breakfast
Plus snacks for the road on Sunday after the ride
Three coach guided rides
Ride snacks and fuel
Two skills sessions and on-the-bike skills instruction
Morning off-the-bike educational sessions
Swag from our sponsors!
Not included:
Transportation to Fruita
Speciality food items (we can accommodate basic dietary restrictions, but if you have significant restrictions or food allergies, we will ask that you bring additional food to ensure you can be fueled well for the weekend!)
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Fruita, Colorado is a destination for cyclists. The North Fruita Desert boasts world class mountain biking and miles of gravel and two-track roads. If our adventure calls for road cycling, the Colorado National Monument offers challenging climbs, bighorn sheep sightings, and stunning views. Fruita’s desert climate means short winters and temperate springs. If the weather isn’t cooperating, we can easily switch to rewarding road routes.
Fruita has an enjoyable mainstreet featuring two bike shops, several locally owned restaurants, a large grocery store (if you need a late night snack!), and fast-casual dining. Fruita hosts numerous cycling races and festivals such as Co2Ut, Sarlacc Attack, and Roam Fest. Fruita is 4 hours west of Denver and 20 minutes from Grand Junction, Colorado which has all of the amenities of a large city.
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Thursday:
5:00 - Welcome / orientation*
*We encourage everyone to arrive by 5 PM to make the most of the weekend, but if you need to arrive later on Thursday or first thing Friday morning, that’s okay!
6:00 - Dinner
7:00 - Community time
Friday:
7:30 - Breakfast
8:30 - Roundtable education sessions
10:30 - On -the-bike skills work
11:30 - Grab and go lunch
12:30 - Go ride!
Today’s ride will feature 35-45 miles of mixed road and gravel with rolling terrain and about 2,000 ft of total climbing.
5:00 - Post ride debrief
6:00 - Dinner
7:00 - Community time
Saturday:
7:30 - Breakfast
8:30 - Roundtable education sessions
10:30 - On -the-bike skills work
11:30 - Grab and go lunch
12:30 - Go ride!
Today we go long! We’ll aim to ride 45-55 miles of mixed road and gravel with a couple longer climbs and 2,000-2,500 ft of climbing.
5:00 - Post ride debrief
6:00 - Dinner at Hot Tomato in Fruita
7:00 - Community time
Sunday:
7:30 - Breakfast
8:30 - Pre-ride meeting
9:00 - Go ride!
Today we’ll focus on putting what we’ve learned together in our final ride! We’ll aim to ride 30-35 miles of mixed road and gravel with 1,500 to 2,000 ft of climbing before returning back to pack up and head home!
12:30 - Camp ends
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Co-Head Coach
Lesley is a certified coach by both the Bike Instructor Certification Program and the Colorado High School Cycling League. She believes that strong bike handling skills are essential for competitors and enthusiasts alike. She is a masters racer who competes in gravel, cyclocross, fat-bike, and cross country mountain bike. She is a category 2 cyclocross racer. Her palmares include multiple podiums at Ned Gravel, Co2Ut, US Cup mountain bike series, Leadville Winter Mountain Bike Series, and cyclocross state championships. She is most proud of a podium finish at the 2025 Endurance Mountain Bike National Championships. She is adamant that the person who has the most fun wins.
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Co-Head Coach
Tina coaches with BaseCamp Endurance Cycling and is a TrainingPeaks Power-Certified coach. She rides and races gravel (from 30 to 350 miles), marathon mountain bike, cyclocross, and occasionally dabbles in road racing. She believes in making cycling more inclusive for all bodies and types of riders, and is particularly passionate about supporting WTFNB (women, trans, femme, and nonbinary) cyclists. Most recently she completed a sub-9 hour race at the Leadville 100, and is looking forward to more mountain biking in 2026. You can see more about Tina on the BaseCamp website here.
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RDC Founder
Rebecca is the founder of the Ride or Die Collective and a prominent leader within the WTFNB cycling community. With a passion for racing, she has achieved success across various disciplines, including gravel, road, and cyclocross. Her accolades include a top 10 elite finish at the Unbound 100, as well as first-place victories at both the Foco Fondo 100 and the Robidoux Rendezvous.
However, Rebecca's true passion lies in creating opportunities and amplifying female voices within the cycling community. At Camp, she takes a supportive role, allowing the dedicated coaches to lead while she ensures a positive atmosphere and reinforces the mission of the Ride or Die Collective.
