Gravel Grinder Gear: What To Do In Mud

Last weekend I was witness to some pretty gooey mud conditions during Trans Iowa V6. Due to the tremendous road degradation previous to a soaking rain, the gravel roads were rife with mud holes, and not only that, the B Maintenance roads, (essentially dirt roads) were unrideable due to the muddy conditions.  Here is a run down of tips, pointers, and observations in regards to mud and gravel grinder set ups.

#1: Walk, Don't Ride: The biggest mistake one can make gravel grinding is to think that they can ride a wet dirt road. It's best to test the surface by walking on it first before you roll your bike into a giant mudball weighing 70lbs. You'll end up walking either way and carrying your bike at race weight is much easier on the back than carrying one stuffed with mud. Other options may include riding along the grassy margins, in the ditch, or even in the fields adjacent to the road. (Although you should be aware that trespassing can be an issue in instances such as this.) Finally, if it isn't a route required as part of an event, why not turn back and find a better route on harder surfaces? Save the dirt road for a drier day.

#2: Muddy Gravel Roads: For the rides on destroyed gravel roads, weather damaged roads, or on roads engorged with recent rains, you have a chance at actually riding these bits. Wider tires are naturally better, but not a necessity. Basically, cyclo-cross type tire clearances are a must. Try using a bit lower pressure in the tires to aid in float as well.

#3: Mudguards: Using a mudguard, or fender, isn't a bad idea if you stay away from the dirt roads or deep mud. Make sure you keep the fenders up off the tires for maximum clearance for rocks. Using mountain bike type splash guards is also popular for gravel riding as they do not interfere with slight mud build up on the tires. Having a dry chamois is a plus on long gravel rides. Some riders don't like the idea of mudguards from a wind/aero perspective. You'll have to decide for yourself what is worth more to you. Dry. clean-ish clothing, or a more aero slippery bike. Either way, mudguards are definitely a consideration worth looking into.

#4: A Note On Drivetrains: Gravel road riding wreaks havoc on drivetrains in dry conditions, but the wear and tear factor goes up exponentially in wet weather. For this reason, many seasoned gravel afficianadoes will use a single speed for conditions such as this for training. In an event, where you may not have a choice to use anything but your geared set up, it isn't a bad idea to have a wet conditions lube in your kit to periodacally lube and clean the drivetrain with. In a pinch, squirting your drivetrain with straight water may effectively get you down the road.

#5: Post-Ride Maintenance: From personal experience I can tell you it is best to clean your bicycle immediately following a wet, muddy gravel grinder. Leaving the job till the morning will increase the difficulty of the job ten-fold and will allow rust to set into chains and cables. A clean bike is a happy bike!

Hopefully these tips will aid you in your pursuit of gravelly good times!

New Additions! Announcing the NCC HAC Gravel Metric

The fine fols down near DeKalb, Illinois have sent me news that there will be a gravel grinder going on May 30th called the "NCC HAC Gravel Metric"

Info from their site states the following: Time: We RIDE at 9am. Arrive early.

Place: North Central Cyclery. 534 E. Lincoln Hwy, DeKalb 60115
Who: You and your friends. Well, the nice ones. Leave those other hobos at home.

Keep checking back to their site for further updates on the course and the event.

Update!: Texas Chainring Massacre

Gravel Grinder News just learned today that the Texas Chainring Massacre, which was originally to have taken place March 21st, was postponed due to wet weather. A quote from their website read: "The Texas Chainring Massacre is officially postponed. We are having flooding issues throughout the route. We’ve already received more than 3″ of precipitation overnight and more is expected. While this was considered an “all weather” event rider safety is our primary concern. The new date is now May 8th."

The good news is that it has been rescheduled for May 8th. Look for more updates on the Spinistry site.

Race Discussion: May Events

If you were going to put a gravel road race on in the Mid-West, (or anywhere for that matter), and you were wondering about an open date, May looks pretty wide open these days.

Yes, that month of May.

We only have one event to feature this month and it is the Almanzo 100, part of the AGRS, which has a start date of May 15th. The event roster is closed for this free event.

May.

One event?

Seems odd, but it seems to be true.

Update!: Tour Of Dirt Roads

The bunch down Lincoln Nebraska way that put on The Tour Of Dirt Roads, namely the Pirate Cycling League, has announced details on their upcoming ride. It will take place on April 18th, and as always, it will be a free of charge event.

Please check out the Pirate Cycling League post for more details.

Update!: Dirty Kanza And More

The Dirty Kanza 200: This events co-promoter, Jim Cummings recently announced that all the folks wanting in the Dirty Kanza 200 from their waiting list were allowed entry into the 2010 running of this event. This will put the DK 200 at over double what the event's roster limit was last year, which was 100 riders.

In other DK 200 news, the specifics of the event's sattelite activities have been announced along with the changes to the format for the start. Here are the salient points:

Friday, June 4, 2010:


All Friday activities will take place at the Best Western Hotel, 3021 US Hwy 50, Emporia, KS 66801, 620-342-7587. (Note: This is a different hotel / different location from past years.)

5:00 to 7:30 pm: Rider Sign-In / Packet Pickup.

6:00 to 7:30 pm: Pasta Feed. Cost is $11 per person, all-you-can-eat. Pasta, Salad, Veggie, Bread, Coffee/Tea/Water. See "Special Note" below.

8:00 pm: Riders Meeting, Prize Raffle & Give-Aways.

Saturday, June 5, 2010:

All Saturday activities will take place in front of the Granada Theater, 807 Commercial Street, in downtown Emporia.

6:00 am: Race start with controlled roll-out through town.

3:00 pm: Special family-friendly movie inside the historic Granda Theater, for family and support crew members. NOTE: Each rider packet will contain TWO FREE MOVIE PASSES. An $8 value, courtesy of the Granada Theater.

4:00 pm to Midnight: The 800 and 900 blocks of Commercial Street will be blocked off from vehicular traffic, to accommodate all Dirty Kanza event activities. We'll have food and beer vendors, an inflatable Super Slide for kids, massage therapists for sore racers' muscles, live music, and more. DK racers will have access to free showers and changing rooms inside the Granada Theater. So bring your gear bags to the start, then plan on sticking around after you finish the race so you can cheer on all the remaining finishers. Beer sales must cease at Midnight. So finish early.
 
Cup O Dirt Challenge: The year long Cup O Dirt Challenge has posted the latest accomplishments of the "Cup O dirt Chasers" on it's blog page here. Check out the miles being piled up by those who have taken on the challenge of doing metric and standard centuries for 12 months.