USA Cycling has had the Non-Binary field since year 1 of Gravel Nationals, and I’m excited to be the first to step up to challenge for the title. - Em Bhoo
GERING, NE: USA Cycling Gravel National Championships (9/8/25) - 131 miles
Weather - Dry and 55° at the start, rising to 92° throughout the day
Course - Featured very sandy sectors with high exposure to sun & wind
Gear - Cannondale Topstone w/Shimano Drivetrain, Smith Helmet & Shift Mag Glasses, Cutaway DKR Team Kit, DK HandUp Gloves, DK Ridge Supply Socks, Camelbak Hydration Vest (w/ Tailwind), WolfTooth's 8-Bit Tools, The Feed Nutrition (sponsored athlete)
On September 8th, Em Bhoo became our first official USA Cycling Non-Binary Gravel National Champion!
In the weeks leading up to this event, Em admitting to feeling "an understandable amount of nervousness" and said that this is the first race where they really had to "plan and execute multi-day logistics solo"(without a team or support person at the event).
"I built my season this year to test myself early at The Mid South, sprinkled in some local-er non-flying-to events, and hit some long days before the taper," said Em prior to the big event. "Something I’m really pushing myself to do is actually taper!! I have a habit of feeling invincible heading into a race and overdoing it in the days leading up to it, so I had to really resist the FOMO [fear of missing out]!!"
Race Prep: Em reflects back on some early season lessons they learned this year: "I came into my A race [Gravel Nationals] with 3 DNFs [Did Not Finish] this season and a 4th event where I was diverted to a shorter course for missing the time cut. I’ve taken the time to learn from each of those experiences. This region [Western Nebraska] features a good deal of sand which I don’t get exposed to a lot at home (thanks to some sand riding tips from DKR teammate Val!)."
The Plan: Em's race day plan was "to hit the first quarter of the course hard while the temperatures were low then settle into a sustainable effort while listening to my body for fueling and hydrating as the conditions changed."
Em is a The Feed sponsored athlete and they were able to do a lot of fuel testing this season prior to Nationals: "I made a switch to Tailwind for hydration in the last month and packed in a range of Science In Sport gels." For race weekend, they opted to use a Camelbak hydration vest with some of their own "custom modifications" (you'll have to ask them for those details...if they are willing to reveal their secrets).
The Gear: For Nats, Em rode this year’s edition of the Cannondale Topstone. "Shoutout to Bike Pro Shop and Precision Bicycle Services to working with me to get this just right!" said Em. "A feature of this bike is the kingpin suspension which has helped me feel fresher after 6 hours on the saddle, and has (official) clearance for 45mm tires...I also carry a full stack of Wolf Tooth’s 8-Bit Tools," they added. "This reminds me: I need to replenish the insides of my plug kit."
On race day, Em wore their Smith Shift Mag glasses which they said "fit great on my face and protect my eyes from the wind and dust!" For apparel, they chose their Dirty Kitten Racing "Lightening Leopard" rainbow kit with Cargo Bibs by Cutaway along with a buff covering their nose/mouth for protection from dust and to keep the sun off their neck. Pre and post race, however, they wore their Snowy Hawaiian HandUp shirt around town: "the latest version is so light and breathes great!"
Reflection & Advice: What advice do you have for others interested in this type of event? What do you want to share with others about this experience? Any final words of wisdom?
"It has taken me years of dedicated FAFO (F*ck Around and Find Out), and it can be pretty personal for what works out for each individual, but to kick off your own research—learn about the course! You’ll definitely gain a lot of info by reading the event notes and taking a look at GPS files (you can see the general shape of the course from a birds-eye perspective but also from an elevation profile perspective).
Figure out the layout of the course, is it laps? Does the race have a nutrition sponsor? Are there drop bags? Where are the aid stations? If there are stores, what are the open hours? Do you have the capacity to cover the time between support? Are you sure? Cool, now add another hour worth of fuel, just in case :)
Then I recommend sourcing additional info from your community, whether it’s teammates who have done the course, friends in the region, especially if you have never ridden in that state or region, surfaces can differ greatly if you go a couple hundred miles in any direction.
Finally, consider joining the organized shakeout if there is one! It usually involves at least the course start or the course finish, and you can chat with other racers to learn about course features and tips for your race day execution." -Em Bhoo
2024 USA Cycling Gravel National Champions
Visit our merch page to check out some of the Dirty Kitten gear Em mentions!
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