Gravel, Grit and Growth: Q&A with Brooke Darby

Levelle was born from intimate conversations with tough-as-nails female endurance athletes. We heard fascinating story after fascinating story while we were dreaming up the business and have reconnected with some of the athletes to share those stories with you.

I am a cottage cheese connoisseur, nutrition scholar, and science-driven, all inclusive cyclist.

Brooke Darby, born and raised in Asheville, NC, was a lifelong runner until injury forced her to rethink her identity. While attending Fort Lewis College in Durango, she discovered cycling and embraced the challenge of starting from scratch. In just eight months, she logged 350 hours on the bike, transforming from a hesitant beginner to a dedicated racer. Pushing past fear and discomfort, she proved that growth comes from embracing the unknown. For Brooke, the power she puts down isn’t just a pedal stroke—it’s a testament to resilience, reinvention, and relentless determination.

Q&A with Brooke Darby

Brooke is a Nutritional Sciences student attending Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. During her time at school, Brooke developed a love for cycling, inspired by Durango's strong community of cyclists. We interviewed Brooke and gained some valuable insights from her recent entry into gravel cycling!

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What drew you to cycling in general and gravel in particular?

I was a runner initially and I had to stop running for a couple of reasons. I turned to cycling because I was surrounded by a bunch of cyclists and everyone was really enthusiastic about it. So, I picked up a bike and I started riding it a ton. Gravel specifically is really special and inspiring to me, because it's so brand new and everyone's so excited about it, which is just a really cool opportunity for us as cyclists. 

What's your training routine?

I do anywhere from like 10 to 20 hours a week on the bike, which includes a bunch of different recovery rides, endurance rides, and interval rides. I try to strength train a couple times a week, but I don't really enjoy it that much. 

What is your favorite part of the routine?

I love those days where you go out and you're like, "Yeah, I feel really good today." And you have no idea why, but you just kind of go with it. I guess that's not really part of the routine... Fueling. It's my favorite part. I love to eat. 

How have you learned about fueling? And has there been a time when you didn't fuel properly?

I've always been really into fueling. I'm studying nutrition because I just find it all so interesting. I have definitely had times when I'm not fueling right and it's super evident on the bike. If you can't find fuel that works for you, then it's pretty much impossible to fuel enough. And so you get to a point in the ride where you're just dead and you have no energy. I've definitely experience that. I would go out on long rides and the first couple hours I'm maybe eating a little bit and then by the end I'm just doing nothing and especially in races that's really bad. 

What is your fueling plan?

There's a lot of talk about how much you should be fueling, but I feel like it's really dependent on the person and what works for you. I like to fuel with more whole foods that have natural ingredients, like Levelle. I try to have at least 30 grams of carbs per hour on rides and increase that amount the more hours I'm riding. So by hour 5, I should be doing a lot more than 30 grams per hour. It just makes such a difference to have food that you are able to take in because when I'm just taking in super sweet goos or energy chews, it just tastes so gross by the end. So my plan is to increase my carbs each hour, and get anywhere from 30 to 90 grams of carbs if my stomach can handle that.

What's the biggest lesson you learned about yourself during this journey?

I've learned that it's really important to let go of ego and to embrace being new at something. To embrace being naive, because that's how you grow. I think it's really easy to jump into something like I have and try to be the best, but I'm not the best. I just started cycling last year and I'm surrounded by people who've been riding their whole life. I'm never going to become as strong as them or as competitive if I have walls up and I'm not open to learning from people who right now are stronger than I am 

What do you know now that you wish you knew before you started?

Not to rush. There is so much beauty in the process and all the lessons come in time. So, not to jump into it and expect myself to be they cyclist I'm not yet, because it's fun to be in the happening. 

How do you push through mental barriers?

Because I'm a lot newer than a lot of the people around me, there's that aspect of comparison, which can get really hard. So, to get through that, I learned to just appreciate my body for what it's doing for me and where I'm at. There's so much to be proud of. I've made so much progress. I've put in so much time this year and that's so incredible. I think that's really cool. And I think about all of the ways I've fueled that, between food and taking care of my mental and physical state. 

So leave out the comparison and use it as an opportunity to learn from the people around you. Just because they have something doesn't mean you can't have it too.

How do you get through long 4-5 hour rides?

It's intimidating to be like, "Okay, I'm going to be on this bike for another four or five hours." I just have to tell myself to be present, like I'm on this bike and I have to settle in because this is what I'm doing today. Don't think about what we're doing when we get back in five hours, or what we're eating when we get back in five hours. We can think about that maybe in the last hour, but I don't let myself think about that in the first couple hours. I tell myself, "Don't let up. This is where we are. Be patient." 

Do you listen to music when you ride?

Yes, I listen quietly so I can still hear cars. I'll listen to a mix of podcasts, music. A bunch of different stuff. Sometimes I'll just go to my Spotify DJ. Sometimes super upbeat if I need it. But over that amount of time, I switch it up a lot.  

How do you find the time to ride while in school?

The longer rides I usually do on the weekends. And then I'll do some shorter recovery, endurance, or interval rides during the week. I also have my indoor trainer in my room so I can get up early and fit it in workouts when it gets dark. I do whatever I need to do. You just make it work.

What tools or habits have most improved your cycling?

I think I have two. Making sure you're getting enough fuel obviously makes a huge difference. And making sure you're doing mobility and strength, which I fall short on often because I get lazy. And then, for me, I try to really focus on what I'm doing. So if I'm studying and doing schoolwork, I try to focus on school and leave out the other distractions. That's not time to focus on the bike or my training or anything like that. And then if I'm biking, then it's time to be biking and be focused on that and allow my brain to be in that space and to not think about homework or what I have to do later. So really, I guess just being present and focusing on what you're doing in that time to get the most out of that time. 

Quickfire

Next event?

Mid South Gravel Race in March.

Favorite post-race meal?

People either cringe or get excited but I love cottage cheese. So any way to incorporate that.

How do you carry your fuel on rides?

In my jersey pocket or in a USWE backpack, if I'm on longer rides.

Favorite riding distance?

I definitely like longer stuff.

Favorite indulgence?

Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey ice cream.

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