If you're lining up for the Rock Cobbler in 2027, you've signed up for a ride where the route stays secret until race week and the finisher's prize stays secret until you cross the line. Somewhere out there is a grass wall so steep you'll be shoving your bike up it with one hand on the saddle, and probably a cow standing at the top watching you do it. The Cobbler route packs up to 8,700 feet of climbing into its 70 to 85 miles, and almost none of that comes in long, steady grades. It comes in short, ugly pitches, one after another, all day. Fitness gets you to the finish here. Pacing decides how much you enjoy the last two hours.
Race Overview
Planning for the Rock Cobbler started in the fall of 2012 on a cow trail outside Bakersfield, when three friends wanted to show off the mixed terrain they loved riding. The first edition rolled out in February 2013 with 40 riders. Promoter Sam Ames, who put on cyclocross races before he built the Cobbler, has grown it into one of the most talked about events in American gravel. The 2022 edition made mainstream news when a bull went after riders on ranch property, and the field kept growing anyway, reaching about 750 riders in 2026.
The start list carries more firepower than a "not a race" has any right to. Christopher Blevins edged Peter Stetina for the 10th anniversary win in 2023, and Stetina has called it the kookiest race he's ever done. In 2026, Lachlan Morton rode the 115 mile Boulder route in 5:59:17, nearly 23 minutes ahead of second place, while 2024 USA Gravel National Champion Thomas Fuller took the Cobbler in 4:10:11 and Ruth Holcomb led the women's Cobbler in 4:42:18.
Officially, there are no categories, no podium and no prize money. The first man and woman on each route get an extra special gift on top of the secret finisher's gift everyone else earns. Nobody in the front wave rides like it's a social ride.
Rock Cobbler 14.0 runs Saturday, February 6, 2027, from the Pyles Boys Camp Group Picnic Area in the hills northeast of downtown Bakersfield. Riders pick one of three routes:
- Pebbler: 40 to 50ish miles with 3,000 to 5,000 feet of climbing
- Cobbler: 70 to 85ish miles with up to 8,700 feet of climbing
- Boulder: up to 115 miles with as much as 12,000 feet of climbing
The Boulder field starts at 6:30 a.m. Cobbler and Pebbler riders go off in four or five waves at five minute intervals starting at 8:00 a.m., with wave assignments sent out ahead of time.
Course Description
Here's the part that makes the Cobbler different from almost every other event on the gravel calendar: the final routes aren't announced until the week of the race, and they change every year. You can't recon it, and you can't memorize it. What you can do is know what the Cobbler always throws at you.
The organizers describe the mix as county asphalt, trail, singletrack, technical sections, a ridiculous number of punchy steep climbs, rolling hills, a river, a creek and a cowboy bar. Much of the route crosses private ranch land, which means cattle on course, gates, green grass that gets slick fast, and the kind of sections that don't show up on any public map. Past editions have sent riders through a kiddie pool full of plastic balls and through the living room of a private house. Ames calls these "shenanigans," and every edition has a few.
The hike-a-bikes are the signature. Stetina has described 30 percent run-ups, and riders reported one push in the 2019 edition that topped out near a 50 percent grade over half a mile. These aren't brief dismounts. Expect real minutes on foot, in cycling shoes, pushing a bike up wet grass or loose dirt, more than once. Shoe choice matters here more than at most gravel events, and a stiff race sole will make those walks a lot longer.
The pavement matters too. In 2022, Blevins led through the technical early sections, but once the route hit the road, Stetina's taller road gearing pulled him away. That's the gearing puzzle every Cobbler rider has to solve. Organizers say low gearing is a must for the climbs, but the paved connectors reward anyone who can still turn a big gear when the group gets moving.
On the logistics side, the course has four or five SAG stations with bathrooms, and outside support is not allowed, so whatever isn't in your pockets or at an aid station isn't available. Organizers can pull riders at the last aid station if they don't think they're equipped to finish. Lights, a GPS head unit with the route loaded and a charged phone are required. Aero bars and headphones are banned. The recommended setup is a gravel bike on 42mm tires or bigger, and mountain bikes are welcome. Road bikes, in the organizers' own words, are a very bad idea.
Forecasted Weather
Early February in Bakersfield is mild by most winter race standards. Daytime highs typically sit in the low to mid 60s, with morning lows around 40 degrees. The Boulder field rolling out at 6:30 a.m. will start in the 40s or colder in the foothills, and a long day means riders on the back end of the field could finish in the cold again after dark.
The bigger variable is rain. February is the wettest month of the year in Bakersfield, averaging close to two inches and about five or six wet days, and historically there's roughly a one in five chance of rain on any given day in the first week of the month. That number matters more here than at most races. When the foothill dirt gets wet it turns to sticky clay that packs into tires and drivetrains, and the 2019 edition went down in Cobbler history as a mud year. Even a few days of rain earlier in the week can leave pasture sections and hike-a-bikes greasy on race day. The route announcement and a reliable forecast both arrive during race week, so plan to make your tire and clothing calls late.
Why This Course Rewards a Best Bike Split Plan
The Cobbler is about as far from a steady state effort as a long gravel race gets. Constant short climbs, forced walks, pavement in packs and four-plus hours even for the winners make it very easy to ride the first half on adrenaline and the second half on fumes. A BBS race plan for the Rock Cobbler 2027 will:
- Get you a real plan in race week. The route drops just days before the start. Load it into BBS as soon as it's published, set your Crr to match the conditions, and you'll know where the climbs stack up, how long the paved stretches run, and roughly when you'll hit each SAG station before you ever roll out.
- Put a ceiling on the punchy climbs. Up to 8,700 feet of climbing spread across dozens of short, steep pitches is a recipe for riding every one of them over threshold. A segment-level power target keeps those efforts repeatable, and it keeps you from burning a match to ride ten more meters up a wall that everyone ends up walking anyway.
- Help you decide which groups to ride with. Wave starts five minutes apart and long paved connectors mean packs form and drafting pays off. Knowing your sustainable number on those stretches tells you when sitting in is free speed and when hanging on is costing you the back half of the ride.
- Build your fueling around the SAG stations. With no outside support and a ride that will run six hours or longer for most of the field, a predicted split for each section shows how long you'll go between stops and what needs to be in your pockets to get there.
Interactive Race Plan and Course Map
This power plan was modeled for an athlete with an average CdA of 0.3437, an FTP of 250 watts and weighing 165 lbs. Want to see what your time would be on the 2026 Rock Cobbler course? Try the Time Analysis feature below, where you can quickly adjust Drag, Power, Weight and Crr to your own values. Check out our demo race plan to see what a premium race plan looks like.
| Interval | Int. Time | Total Time | Int. Dist. | Total Dist. | Grade | Speed | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 00:34:59 | 00:34:59 | 9.12 mi | 9.12 mi | +0.95 % | 15.64 mph | 155 w |
| #2 | 00:01:25 | 00:36:24 | 0.12 mi | 9.24 mi | +14.37 % | 5.00 mph | 309 w |
| #3 | 00:13:19 | 00:49:44 | 2.08 mi | 11.32 mi | +3.81 % | 9.36 mph | 192 w |
| #4 | 00:01:07 | 00:50:51 | 0.51 mi | 11.83 mi | -7.30 % | 26.89 mph | 0 w |
| #5 | 00:12:08 | 01:03:00 | 1.74 mi | 13.57 mi | +4.28 % | 8.58 mph | 198 w |
| #6 | 00:29:21 | 01:32:22 | 6.78 mi | 20.35 mi | +1.91 % | 13.85 mph | 158 w |
| #7 | 00:00:32 | 01:32:54 | 0.23 mi | 20.58 mi | -8.90 % | 25.24 mph | 0 w |
| #8 | 00:08:11 | 01:41:05 | 1.06 mi | 21.64 mi | +6.19 % | 7.75 mph | 202 w |
| #9 | 00:00:08 | 01:41:14 | 0.06 mi | 21.70 mi | -10.28 % | 23.51 mph | 0 w |
| #10 | 00:00:51 | 01:42:05 | 0.12 mi | 21.82 mi | +7.64 % | 8.20 mph | 202 w |
| #11 | 00:00:19 | 01:42:24 | 0.12 mi | 21.94 mi | -11.57 % | 22.22 mph | 0 w |
| #12 | 00:00:21 | 01:42:46 | 0.15 mi | 22.09 mi | -0.56 % | 25.64 mph | 158 w |
| #13 | 00:00:16 | 01:43:02 | 0.11 mi | 22.20 mi | -9.07 % | 23.89 mph | 2 w |
| #14 | 00:02:13 | 01:45:16 | 0.25 mi | 22.45 mi | +7.65 % | 6.83 mph | 202 w |
| #15 | 00:00:34 | 01:45:51 | 0.19 mi | 22.64 mi | -7.05 % | 19.57 mph | 2 w |
| #16 | 00:01:29 | 01:47:20 | 0.18 mi | 22.82 mi | +7.16 % | 7.35 mph | 203 w |
| #17 | 00:00:58 | 01:48:19 | 0.33 mi | 23.15 mi | -5.09 % | 20.08 mph | 30 w |
| #18 | 00:00:37 | 01:48:56 | 0.19 mi | 23.34 mi | -0.48 % | 18.81 mph | 160 w |
| #19 | 00:01:29 | 01:50:26 | 0.85 mi | 24.19 mi | -9.06 % | 34.30 mph | 4 w |
| #20 | 00:17:19 | 02:07:45 | 4.10 mi | 28.29 mi | +1.63 % | 14.19 mph | 162 w |
| #21 | 00:01:33 | 02:09:18 | 0.79 mi | 29.08 mi | -7.12 % | 30.29 mph | 13 w |
| #22 | 00:02:20 | 02:11:39 | 0.30 mi | 29.38 mi | +5.86 % | 7.79 mph | 199 w |
| #23 | 00:00:21 | 02:12:00 | 0.17 mi | 29.55 mi | -12.00 % | 29.57 mph | 1 w |
| #24 | 00:14:19 | 02:26:20 | 3.47 mi | 33.02 mi | +1.39 % | 14.55 mph | 165 w |
| #25 | 00:00:21 | 02:26:41 | 0.11 mi | 33.13 mi | -5.86 % | 18.86 mph | 2 w |
| #26 | 00:04:27 | 02:31:09 | 0.80 mi | 33.93 mi | +3.83 % | 10.82 mph | 186 w |
| #27 | 00:01:42 | 02:32:51 | 0.78 mi | 34.71 mi | -4.92 % | 27.41 mph | 23 w |
| #28 | 00:03:10 | 02:36:02 | 0.76 mi | 35.47 mi | +1.95 % | 14.39 mph | 171 w |
| #29 | 00:00:21 | 02:36:23 | 0.14 mi | 35.61 mi | -6.65 % | 22.60 mph | 2 w |
| #30 | 00:10:48 | 02:47:12 | 2.12 mi | 37.73 mi | +2.87 % | 11.78 mph | 177 w |
| #31 | 00:00:32 | 02:47:44 | 0.26 mi | 37.99 mi | -6.86 % | 29.22 mph | 2 w |
| #32 | 00:10:28 | 02:58:13 | 1.53 mi | 39.52 mi | +5.23 % | 8.73 mph | 194 w |
| #33 | 00:00:56 | 02:59:10 | 0.48 mi | 40.00 mi | -8.43 % | 30.86 mph | 12 w |
| #34 | 00:14:49 | 03:13:59 | 1.66 mi | 41.66 mi | +7.60 % | 6.72 mph | 212 w |
| #35 | 00:00:29 | 03:14:29 | 0.16 mi | 41.82 mi | -8.22 % | 19.46 mph | 0 w |
| #36 | 00:07:27 | 03:21:56 | 0.68 mi | 42.50 mi | +9.69 % | 5.44 mph | 225 w |
| #37 | 00:01:56 | 03:23:53 | 0.15 mi | 42.65 mi | +16.58 % | 4.51 mph | 306 w |
| #38 | 00:02:47 | 03:26:41 | 0.31 mi | 42.96 mi | +6.70 % | 6.66 mph | 197 w |
| #39 | 00:01:26 | 03:28:07 | 0.14 mi | 43.10 mi | +11.77 % | 5.87 mph | 272 w |
| #40 | 00:02:07 | 03:30:14 | 1.13 mi | 44.23 mi | -6.80 % | 31.77 mph | 8 w |
| #41 | 00:10:08 | 03:40:23 | 3.65 mi | 47.88 mi | -0.49 % | 21.61 mph | 99 w |
| #42 | 00:06:45 | 03:47:08 | 1.06 mi | 48.94 mi | +4.84 % | 9.45 mph | 196 w |
| #43 | 00:09:35 | 03:56:44 | 3.73 mi | 52.67 mi | -2.02 % | 23.34 mph | 98 w |
| #44 | 00:00:52 | 03:57:36 | 0.30 mi | 52.97 mi | -2.72 % | 20.73 mph | 70 w |
| #45 | 00:01:18 | 03:58:54 | 0.23 mi | 53.20 mi | +3.86 % | 10.55 mph | 195 w |
| #46 | 00:00:24 | 03:59:19 | 0.15 mi | 53.35 mi | -7.79 % | 22.83 mph | 0 w |
| #47 | 00:14:01 | 04:13:20 | 3.28 mi | 56.63 mi | +2.38 % | 14.05 mph | 171 w |
| #48 | 00:06:07 | 04:19:28 | 1.50 mi | 58.13 mi | +1.17 % | 14.69 mph | 161 w |
| #49 | 00:00:59 | 04:20:28 | 0.39 mi | 58.52 mi | -3.74 % | 23.70 mph | 19 w |
| #50 | 00:01:11 | 04:21:39 | 0.41 mi | 58.93 mi | -1.55 % | 20.93 mph | 123 w |
| #51 | 00:00:15 | 04:21:55 | 0.12 mi | 59.05 mi | -8.26 % | 26.34 mph | 1 w |
| #52 | 00:08:09 | 04:30:04 | 2.46 mi | 61.51 mi | +0.13 % | 18.13 mph | 146 w |
| #53 | 00:00:41 | 04:30:45 | 0.06 mi | 61.57 mi | +13.95 % | 5.43 mph | 294 w |
| #54 | 00:00:54 | 04:31:40 | 0.16 mi | 61.73 mi | +2.49 % | 10.70 mph | 180 w |
| #55 | 00:00:36 | 04:32:17 | 0.24 mi | 61.97 mi | -4.46 % | 24.00 mph | 4 w |
| #56 | 00:10:47 | 04:43:05 | 2.47 mi | 64.44 mi | +1.70 % | 13.71 mph | 166 w |
| #57 | 00:01:04 | 04:44:09 | 0.40 mi | 64.84 mi | -4.74 % | 22.50 mph | 3 w |
| #58 | 00:01:24 | 04:45:34 | 0.37 mi | 65.21 mi | +1.62 % | 15.63 mph | 169 w |
| #59 | 00:19:40 | 05:05:14 | 6.24 mi | 71.45 mi | -0.57 % | 19.03 mph | 131 w |
| #60 | 00:02:19 | 05:07:33 | 0.17 mi | 71.62 mi | +18.15 % | 4.44 mph | 305 w |
| #61 | 00:00:36 | 05:08:10 | 0.14 mi | 71.76 mi | -1.26 % | 14.10 mph | 126 w |
| #62 | 00:01:57 | 05:10:08 | 0.13 mi | 71.89 mi | +20.90 % | 3.88 mph | 310 w |
| #63 | 00:04:34 | 05:14:42 | 0.92 mi | 72.81 mi | +2.93 % | 12.03 mph | 172 w |
| #64 | 00:01:30 | 05:16:12 | 0.86 mi | 73.67 mi | -6.74 % | 34.25 mph | 1 w |
| #65 | 00:03:27 | 05:19:40 | 0.61 mi | 74.28 mi | +4.09 % | 10.64 mph | 186 w |
| #66 | 00:01:15 | 05:20:56 | 0.50 mi | 74.78 mi | -5.04 % | 23.79 mph | 3 w |
| #67 | 00:04:36 | 05:25:33 | 0.51 mi | 75.29 mi | +8.52 % | 6.63 mph | 221 w |
| #68 | 00:01:33 | 05:27:06 | 0.74 mi | 76.03 mi | -7.36 % | 28.51 mph | 12 w |
| #69 | 00:00:50 | 05:27:56 | 0.19 mi | 76.22 mi | +2.25 % | 13.34 mph | 180 w |
| #70 | 00:00:29 | 05:28:26 | 0.17 mi | 76.39 mi | -5.32 % | 20.50 mph | 3 w |
| #71 | 00:05:29 | 05:33:55 | 1.14 mi | 77.53 mi | +2.87 % | 12.44 mph | 178 w |
| #72 | 00:19:35 | 05:53:30 | 6.32 mi | 83.85 mi | -0.65 % | 19.34 mph | 129 w |
| Totals/Avg | 05:53:30 | 05:53:30 | 83.85 mi | 83.85 mi | +0.31% | 14.23 mph | 159.80 w |
Climb Summary by Category
| Category | Climb Count | Total Time | Total Dist. | Avg. Time | Avg. Dist. | Avg. Grade | Avg. Speed | Avg. Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cat3 | 2 | 00:28:27 | 2.93 mi | 00:14:13 | 1.47 mi | 8.22 % | 6.16 mph | 225 w |
| Cat4 | 33 | 02:10:43 | 18.74 mi | 00:03:57 | 0.57 mi | 5.25 % | 9.00 mph | 198 w |
| All Cats | 35 | 02:39:10 | 21.67 mi | 00:04:32 | 0.62 mi | 5.42 % | 8.84 mph | 199 w |
| Climb | Start Time | Start Dist. | Duration | Distance | Speed | Power | Grade | Elevation Gain | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 00:30:57 | 8.52 mi | 00:01:59 | 0.20 mi | 5.89 mph | 203 w | 7.79 % | 82 ft | Cat4 |
| #2 | 00:33:52 | 8.96 mi | 00:10:16 | 1.26 mi | 7.36 mph | 219 w | 5.57 % | 380 ft | Cat4 |
| #3 | 00:50:51 | 11.82 mi | 00:12:08 | 1.74 mi | 8.58 mph | 199 w | 4.05 % | 385 ft | Cat4 |
| #4 | 01:12:21 | 17.27 mi | 00:12:21 | 2.02 mi | 9.81 mph | 192 w | 4.03 % | 430 ft | Cat4 |
| #5 | 01:25:22 | 19.47 mi | 00:06:28 | 0.74 mi | 6.88 mph | 204 w | 5.79 % | 228 ft | Cat4 |
| #6 | 01:35:51 | 21.03 mi | 00:06:14 | 0.76 mi | 7.34 mph | 152 w | 4.61 % | 231 ft | Cat4 |
| #7 | 01:43:02 | 22.18 mi | 00:02:13 | 0.25 mi | 6.83 mph | 202 w | 7.65 % | 105 ft | Cat4 |
| #8 | 01:45:51 | 22.62 mi | 00:01:29 | 0.18 mi | 7.35 mph | 203 w | 7.16 % | 71 ft | Cat4 |
| #9 | 01:57:55 | 26.65 mi | 00:02:46 | 0.49 mi | 10.55 mph | 191 w | 3.55 % | 92 ft | Cat4 |
| #10 | 02:02:57 | 27.60 mi | 00:04:47 | 0.67 mi | 8.35 mph | 197 w | 5.21 % | 183 ft | Cat4 |
| #11 | 02:09:18 | 29.06 mi | 00:02:20 | 0.30 mi | 7.79 mph | 200 w | 5.57 % | 96 ft | Cat4 |
| #12 | 02:17:35 | 31.04 mi | 00:01:33 | 0.23 mi | 8.98 mph | 197 w | 4.68 % | 57 ft | Cat4 |
| #13 | 02:25:31 | 32.85 mi | 00:00:49 | 0.16 mi | 11.90 mph | 192 w | 3.71 % | 32 ft | Cat4 |
| #14 | 02:26:41 | 33.12 mi | 00:04:27 | 0.80 mi | 10.82 mph | 186 w | 3.32 % | 150 ft | Cat4 |
| #15 | 02:32:51 | 34.71 mi | 00:01:32 | 0.33 mi | 12.94 mph | 194 w | 4.01 % | 73 ft | Cat4 |
| #16 | 02:39:39 | 36.26 mi | 00:01:55 | 0.18 mi | 5.58 mph | 201 w | 8.42 % | 80 ft | Cat4 |
| #17 | 02:43:19 | 36.93 mi | 00:03:01 | 0.53 mi | 10.58 mph | 191 w | 3.10 % | 97 ft | Cat4 |
| #18 | 02:47:44 | 37.99 mi | 00:02:15 | 0.37 mi | 9.82 mph | 190 w | 4.24 % | 83 ft | Cat4 |
| #19 | 02:51:12 | 38.67 mi | 00:06:35 | 0.74 mi | 6.77 mph | 205 w | 6.49 % | 256 ft | Cat4 |
| #20 | 02:59:10 | 40.00 mi | 00:14:49 | 1.66 mi | 6.72 mph | 218 w | 6.76 % | 601 ft | Cat3 |
| #21 | 03:14:29 | 41.82 mi | 00:13:37 | 1.27 mi | 5.60 mph | 231 w | 9.68 % | 658 ft | Cat3 |
| #22 | 03:30:14 | 44.22 mi | 00:04:40 | 0.72 mi | 9.27 mph | 200 w | 5.38 % | 208 ft | Cat4 |
| #23 | 03:40:38 | 47.97 mi | 00:06:30 | 0.97 mi | 8.90 mph | 197 w | 4.91 % | 251 ft | Cat4 |
| #24 | 03:55:58 | 52.47 mi | 00:00:46 | 0.20 mi | 15.50 mph | 188 w | 3.10 % | 32 ft | Cat4 |
| #25 | 03:57:36 | 52.97 mi | 00:01:18 | 0.23 mi | 10.55 mph | 195 w | 3.86 % | 47 ft | Cat4 |
| #26 | 04:10:30 | 56.32 mi | 00:02:50 | 0.31 mi | 6.64 mph | 204 w | 7.15 % | 119 ft | Cat4 |
| #27 | 04:14:35 | 57.09 mi | 00:03:54 | 0.80 mi | 12.34 mph | 189 w | 3.11 % | 140 ft | Cat4 |
| #28 | 04:30:04 | 61.52 mi | 00:01:35 | 0.22 mi | 8.44 mph | 214 w | 5.59 % | 67 ft | Cat4 |
| #29 | 04:32:17 | 61.99 mi | 00:02:14 | 0.37 mi | 9.75 mph | 190 w | 4.35 % | 85 ft | Cat4 |
| #30 | 04:40:29 | 64.01 mi | 00:02:35 | 0.45 mi | 10.29 mph | 190 w | 3.63 % | 85 ft | Cat4 |
| #31 | 05:05:14 | 71.47 mi | 00:04:53 | 0.44 mi | 5.43 mph | 262 w | 12.62 % | 313 ft | Cat4 |
| #32 | 05:11:38 | 72.33 mi | 00:02:50 | 0.45 mi | 9.39 mph | 190 w | 4.23 % | 99 ft | Cat4 |
| #33 | 05:16:12 | 73.68 mi | 00:03:27 | 0.61 mi | 10.64 mph | 180 w | 3.53 % | 133 ft | Cat4 |
| #34 | 05:20:56 | 74.80 mi | 00:04:36 | 0.51 mi | 6.63 mph | 217 w | 8.10 % | 218 ft | Cat4 |
| #35 | 05:30:46 | 77.05 mi | 00:03:09 | 0.49 mi | 9.25 mph | 196 w | 4.67 % | 120 ft | Cat4 |
Build your own personalized 2027 Rock Cobbler power plan today! Sign up for a free Athlete Basic account to get started with your athlete profile and bike setup, then grab the 2026 Rock Cobbler course to model your own race plan.
2027 Rock Cobbler FAQs
Your target power depends on your FTP, body weight, bike setup, and finish time goal — not a generic number that applies to every rider. The variables that matter most are your current fitness, your aerodynamic position, and the specific demands of the 2027 Rock Cobbler course. The best approach is to build a personalized plan in Best Bike Split using your actual athlete profile — you'll get a segment-by-segment power target based on your specific inputs rather than a one-size-fits-all recommendation.
Every course is different and requires its own unique pacing plan. On a multi-loop course, fatigue and wind shift between laps and what felt comfortable early can become unsustainable later. On an out-and-back, headwind in one direction becomes tailwind in the other — an asymmetry a flat power target can't account for. On a point-to-point or single-loop course, you only get one pass at every section with no opportunity to recalibrate. When you create a Best Bike Split race plan for 2027 Rock Cobbler, we model the specific demands of that course so your pacing strategy reflects the race you're actually doing.
Significantly — and the effect varies depending on the course profile. On flatter courses, wind and aerodynamics become the dominant variables in your speed equation, more so than on courses where gradient naturally dictates effort. On climbing-heavy courses, your power-to-weight ratio and how you manage the descents matter most. A Best Bike Split race plan lets you model the specific conditions forecasted for 2027 Rock Cobbler, so your targets reflect what you'll actually face on race day rather than what the course looks like on paper.
It depends on the course and how well you pace it. Flat, fast courses offer genuine PR potential but only if you execute correctly — without terrain to naturally regulate your effort, going out too hard early is easy and costly. Technical or hilly courses reward smart segment-by-segment pacing over raw fitness. Either way, a physics-based race plan from Best Bike Split gives you a realistic split prediction based on your actual profile so you know before race day what a well-executed bike leg looks like for you specifically.
Yes — and this is one of the most underused features. Once you've built your 2027 Rock Cobbler race plan, you can export it directly to Zwift, TrainerRoad, or any ERG-mode trainer for indoor sessions, or push it to your Garmin, Wahoo, or Karoo for outdoor rides. Training on your actual race plan means you arrive at 2027 Rock Cobbler already knowing what your target effort feels like at every section of the course — not just what the number says on paper.
Using Best Bike Split for Gravel Racing
Coach Dave Schell of Kaizen Endurance wrote a great primer on how gravel racers should think about course modeling, from drafting value and group dynamics to equipment selection and aid station timing. It's definitely worth a read before you build your plan.
