Melbourne Gravel Grinders Closes Out Year

The Melbourne Gravel Grinder Series, a group of events taking place in Australia, just closed out its last, and possibly most spectacular event, with a nighttime adventure.

You can catch all the details of their final event for 2011 here.

The report is stellar and the images are really cool as well. Definitely worth a read. Look for more Melbourne Gravel Grinder events to happen in 2012.

Velodirt Announces Series Events

Velodirt announces a series of gravel/back road events for Oregon in 2012. The series will consist of a few established rides and one new ride in the fall which is still tentatively planned as of now.

News and details can be seen on their site here.

I have also added the events to the page and to the 2012 calendar, which you can find the link to just under the header pic above.

Red River Riot Announces Date For 2012

The Spinistry, "Church of the Bike", has announced the new date for the next Red River Riot. This event, which will be in its 3rd year, will be run on April 7th, 2012.

You can keep abreast of all the latest by clicking here. Or you can check out there Facebook page right here.

Festivus of Nights Gravel Grinder V2

Guru's Gravel Grinders announces the second running of Festivus of Nights Gravel Grinder.

A casual ride at night, this will be a great way to get together, stave off the holiday weight gain monsters, and have an adult beverage or two with like minded gravel grinders.

For more details, see here.

Chucky's Challenge Announces 2012 Date

Don't fear the cold and snow!

The Missouri based event, Chucky's Challenge announced the date for its 5th running. It will occur on Saturday, February 4th, 2012 this coming year.

The Chucksters will be hard at work laying out a gravelly good course again for this coming event.

Check out their site here for upcoming details.

Dirt Bag Dash Announces 2012 Dates

The Dirt Bag Dash, a back roads/gravel event out in Idaho, has just announced its 2012 dates.

Official DBD Flyer!

Here's a breif description for next years events that I recently received.


"New for 2012 we have added a point to point stage, with a category 2 mountain top finish. New are also a single speed and MTB class.

The "Ultimate Dirt Bag" prize is also official this year. John Yarnell is gunning to take the award again so you'd better put on some major style points and show up to the race in your ElCamino."

I wish I had an El Camino! Anyway, check them out for some awesome gravelly good times. Information should be showing up soon about the 2012 events on the Dirt Bag dash page of Joyride Cycles sites here.  

Lowell 50 Races

From the course

The Flat River Race Series announces the Lowell 50 to be run on a loop course in separate Spring and Fall events. The Spring event starts march 31st, 2012, and the Fall event will take place on October 27th, 2012.

Here's a description from the event site:

"Race Description: The Lowell 50 is a classic old world style gravel road race. You’ll race along the banks of the Flat River and through rural Ionia County on approximately 70% unpaved roads. You may choose from either the 50 or 27 mile race, both routes are single loops. The courses are challenging, scenic, fun, and include two historic wooden covered bridges dating back to the mid-1800s’. They are very cool!"

The Lowell 50 will take place just north of Lowell, Michigan, which is straight east of Grand Rapids, Michigan. (There is a map available on the event site) Check it out for a gravelly good time!

Ammerican Ultra CX Series Announces Addition

One of the events we've listed hear on the site for awhile, Barry-Roubaix, was just added to the series of "ultra-cyclo cross" events like Iron Cross, Southern Cross, and the Hilly Billy Roubaix.

The series will have some similar rules, but is a series raced with the idea of who is best in the four events that now make this series up.

Of course, we've had the gravel road based AGRS series going on for a few years as well.

For more information, see the American UltraCross Championship Series here.