To Hell and Back 180 Mtn Bike Endurance Ride

To Hell and Back 180 Mtn Bike Endurance Ride: Some gravel road aficionados out Idaho way are cooking up this hot little number as a first time challenge ride where riders will tackle a 180 mile, remote circuit that features 15-20K of climbing.

Feel like testing yourself? (It isn't a race, by the way) This one is a self-supported, free event, and only well experienced cyclists that know what they are getting into should attempt this. If you fit that bill and like the ground rules, hit this link and check out the details. They also have a Facebook page, so you can interact with the organizers.

The "To Hell And Back 180" will take place on July 9th, 2011.

Gravel Grinder Gear: The Bike

Hello! It's been awhile since I've delved into the "Gravel Gear" section on the site, but at any rate, here goes! This edition will be about "The Bike". One of our most popular posts here is the review done by Matt Gersib on the Salsa Cycles Vaya. That's a fantastic ride for gravel pursuits, but there is more, and I am going to touch on a few things here and introduce a rig that I am personally going to use for gravel riding in 2011.

2011 Vaya: Speaking of the Vaya, 2011 models will soon be hitting the shops and the vaya, while basically unchanged, will now be offered in two different colors, and as last year, in a complete.

A frame set in orange, or in a dark, charcoal color, (like Salsa's El Mariachi complete), will be offered and the orange frame will also be available in a SRAM Apex kit.

Salsa Cycles will release more details on the Vaya for 2011 at their upcoming Frostbike show, which I will be reporting from. Stay tuned for that coming in mid-February.

"Gravel-Cross": Up to this point, I have always used 29 inch wheel based mountain bikes for gravel grinding. Those bikes are still an excellent way to go, but not the only one, or the most popular. Cyclo-cross based rigs tend to be pressed into service more often than not, even though some of their inherent features are compromised for optimum gravel road pursuits.

For the 2011 season, I have found a rig that I will be using and basing some of my ideas for the "ultimate gravel grinder" off of. This rig, (also in orange. Must be a theme here!), is from a small California shop called Black Mountain Cycles. The rig is termed as a "monster-cross" type rig and done in steel. I'll be doing a separate post and will specifically detail out the reasons behind my choice of this frame and fork.

After that happens, I will go on to describe why I feel cyclo-cross rigs are not quite hitting the mark and what type of bike would. (Hint: It doesn't exist yet.)

Stay tuned....

More European Gravel!

I was just forwarded this information on some "gravel road tours' that will be happening in Austria in 2011. These will range in length and will not be races, but fun rides and of course, will be self supported. For more details keep an eye out on their site here.

New Details On The Durango Gravel Grinder 110/160

The Durango Gravel Grinder folks have checked in with GGN and pointed out that the date for their 2011 event is April 16th, 2011.

Two options have been given with one course going 110 miles and the longer option to 160 miles. Conditions are said to be "fast" for this event due to the application of mg-chloride to the road surfaces out there.

For more information, check into the Durango Gravel Grinder site here.

Dirty Kanza 200 Registration To Open Saturday AM

The Dirty Kanza 200 event is going to start accepting registrations starting at 6am Eastern Standard Time on Bike Reg.com

Hit that link and get reg'd up! last year the event sold out in less than a day. This year the DK 200 event director, Jim Cummings, has declared there will be more slots available, but the roster is limited, so don't tarry!

Good luck to all!

Dirt Bag Dash Dirt Road Race Series Details

Gravel Grinder News received the info on the Dirt Bag Dash series and I just decided to post the info straight from the flyer for these Idaho based events........

Dirt Bag Dash

Dirt Road Race Series

USAC Permit Pending

March 26th – Glenns Ferry

Veterans Memorial Hall, 132 East 5th Street, Glenns Ferry, ID

May 7th – Mountain Home

Dream River Ranch, 8894 W Martha Ave, Mountain Home, ID

Registration starts 9AM – Race Starts 10:30AM (Mass Start)
Pre-reg for the series ($50+handling fee) or for a single race ($30+handling fee) on line registration at
www.joyride-cycles.com/dirt_bag_dash or $35 day of race
Junior categories race for $20 (pre-reg or day of race)

Registration includes post race meal (additional meal tickets for purchase on line and at the race)

*USAC cycling road race license required – one day license available at the race

Race held rain or shine (mud is good for the complexion)

Expert: Men Pro/1/2, Women 1/2/3, Cat 3, Master A (~ 60 miles)
Intermediate: Cat 4, Master B (~ 40 miles)
Beginner: Cat 5, Women 3/4, Juniors 15-18, Masters C (~ 25 miles)
Juniors 10-14 (~ 10 miles)

Fields race together but are scored separately

Points will be awarded for each race, starting with 100 for 1st and decreasing by 10 per place
Series winners are decided by combining points from both races
Cash to 3 places for Men Pro/1/2, Women 1/2/3
Cash to 4 places for Cat 3, Masters A, Masters B, Cat 4
Merchandise raffle and Awards held directly after the last event

$650+ Series Purse

Course maps and additional information at:

www.joyride-cycles.com/dirt_bag_dash

The Westside Dirty Benjamin Announces Race Details

The Westside Dirty Benjamin has announced some details on their 2011 event, which will be the second running of this event held west of the Twin Cities in Minnesota. The registration process will be by post card and they have increased the field limit to 200 riders. (Last year they had 110 riders take part in the event).

For more information on this June 11th event, see their site here.

The Rapture: The End Of The World As We Know It?

Some nutty folks think the world is going to end on May 21st, 2011. So......the good folks up in Oregon figured they may as well have some fun with that, and, (what else?!), have a ride!

The good folks at Velodirt have scheduled this "ride" for "individuals", (read the site, you'll understand), in a remote area and this one will really test the mettle of the cyclists that take part in it.

There is a sign up list and lots more details up on the site here. Go and check through the information carefully. It is important that you understand what is going on in Oregon in regards to the gravel grinders. Even if you are not from the region, you'll want to read up on the site there and I think you'll catch on pretty quickly as to what it is I am talking about.

Here's to some fine "individual rides" out there this spring!

Gravel Gets Ground Down Under!

Well, when I started this gravel grinding site, little did I know that it was a world-wide sort of activity. Well, it is, and that just shows you how much, (not much, it would seem!), that I know.

Down under, as we say 'round these parts, there is this thing called the Melbourne Gravel Grinders. This series kicks off February 6th with the Melbourne Gravel Grinders #1 Hurtsbridge. Check it out, and if you are checking in from the Land Of Oz, maybe you can make it on over and join these gents.

Sub-9 Death March

The "Sub-9 Death March" is a unique event that will take place March 11th in the Hoosier National Forest. Riders will pair up into two man teams and will be given the task of "bagging checkpoints" which will be rural cemetery sites in Southern Indiana. Riders will need to get digital photographs of the cemetery sites as proof they were there and then continue on to the next checkpoint. There are three mandatory checkpoints and several optional one. The team getting the most checkpoints in the specified time limit wins the event.

There is a fee to register for this event and on-line registration is open now. See the Sub-9 Death March site for details here.

Heck Of The North Announces 2011 Date

The third running of the Heck Of The North will take place on Saturday, October 1st, 2011 in Minnesota's northern rural/wilderness area located near the port city of Duluth. This event is part of the AGRS series of events.


For updates and details, see the Heck Of The North's site, here.