Stage Event! The North Woods Adventure

A while ago I had mentioned on my blog that a gravel stage race would be a cool idea and I floated several ideas for that, but really people! It isn't like I'm not busy enough already, so I let the idea slide. Well, I am happy to say that this idea is being produced up in Northern Minnesota and will be a reality this year.

On September 7-9th, 75 intrepid gravel/back road riders will leave from Grand Marais, Minnesota and trek around in the Superior National Forest, near the Boundary Waters, and amongst all the critters, bugs, and trees that this place provides a home for.

Riders will be able to have their overnight stuff hauled ahead to the nights stopping points, but all riding will be self supported and there will be no sag.  Stages will be anywhere from 60-120 miles in length and riders will be amongst some wild critters like bear, cougar, and other flora and fauna. Of course, scenery will be spectacular in this area as well.

The event is the brainchild of Joshua Stamper and for the reasons as to why he took up the stage format,  he writes that....

"My experience has been that too often in one day events, you get to ride with and meet a lot of really interesting people, but as soon as the race is over everybody climbs into their cars and goes home. I wanted to put on a low key, challenging event, that gave riders a chance to hangout in a beautiful locale, after a full day of riding.
Yay bikes!"

This isn't a race, but a challenge, and a socially driven experience that you can share with 74 other folks. Want in? Check out the site here for more details.

Gravel Grinder Gear: Clement Tires

Last week I received a nice package from Clement Pneumatics and inside were three sets of sweet Clement rubber products in the form of the USH Adventure, the X'Plor MSO, and the Strada LLG Road.

L-R: USH Adventure, X'Plor MSO, and Strada LLG Road

The Strada LLG tires will eventually see duty on my Lejeune, which I need to finish the wheel build on. The USH Adventure tires will likely go on a single speed gravel bike I have plans to hatch. It'll only take a bit of parts swapping to get there. The X'Plor MSO tires are already mounted and being ridden.

So, here are some stats that I have gathered so far. First, we have weights...
Strada LLG Road 28mm: 220gms/230gms pair
X-Plor MSO 40mm: 520gms each
USH Adventure 35mm: 440gms each

The MSO's went directly to my "Orange Crush" Black Mountain Cycles rig. The wheels are Velocity A-23's. The MSO tires measured out at 38.1mm initially upon installation at 50psi. The tires have stretched to an even 39mm after a few rides at the same pressure. (Note: Minimum rated pressure on the MSO is 50psi.) To me, that's acceptable. If I were to run at the higher pressure ranges for this tire, I would likely see more stretch and the advertised 40mm width easily. I am not that interested in running these at higher pressures though. I'll get back to the reasons for that in a minute.

Clement X'Plor MSO

The Clement tires feel like higher end tires in the hand. The beads are uniform and the casings look to be of high quality. Perhaps a bit stiff, but if memory serves, there is a puncture protection belt in the MSO. (These are so new, they are not even on the site yet, so I am running on memory here.) I do know that being an adventure tire, Clement wanted to have a beefier casing than a pavement only tire.

Okay, so I pulled off the IRC 42mm tires, weighed those, and they were 10 grams heavier a piece than the MSO tires. Then I mounted the MSO tires up to find a nice, tallish, "C" crowned shape to the casing profile. The knob pattern seems to be a mix of polygonal and hexagonal shapes with a tightly packed center tread area and outer knobs arranged in terraced rows. The outermost knobs are longer and bigger to handle extreme cornering angles, apparently.

The ride of the MSO tires changed a bit after a few rides to become simply heavenly on rougher surfaces. The MSO damps vibrations to a degree. For example, I rode a bit on some diamond ground pavement that was being prepped for asphalting, and the MSO made it seem like chip seal. Grassy areas, smother dirt, and cobby dried up mud were also noticeable smoother with this tire.

On paved surfaces, you do notice a slight bit of rolling resistance, but this isn't a pavement only tire. For what it is, the feel on pavement is totally acceptable. In fact, it corners really well on pavement, and the rougher the road, the better this tire becomes. Commuters and touring folk may want to check this tire out. That said, those going on multiple surfaces, on or off road, will appreciate this tire the most. It's on gravel, smooth dirt, and grassy two tracks where this tire just really comes into its own.

The Clement X'Plor MSO strikes me as a very well made, high performance tire for all surfaces short of true off road mountain biking. (Maybe even on some buff single track it would even be a star though.) The casing is straight and true, the tread is laid up perfectly on that casing, and the sum of these parts add up to a grippy, nicely damped ride on rougher surfaces, gravel, and smoother dirt.

Weight weenies may be turned off by the 500 plus gram figure of these big tires, but it does have quite a bit of tread being slung around on that casing, and those tread blocks do buy you some traction. You'll have to decide whether or not that is worth it to you and your riding. 

Well, so far, that is what I think. I'll be running these through their paces as the summer comes along, and then I will get back to ya'all on that. In the meantime, I have to work on a couple rigs to slip the rest of the Clement tire trio on. Stay tuned...

Note: Clement sent these tires for evaluation and review at no charge. I am not being bribed, nor paid to give my opinions and thoughts on these tires. I will strive to give my honest thoughts and opinions throughout this evaluation.

Burleigh County Cup/Sippy Cup Gravel Grinder

North Dakota has a new gravel grinder called the Burleigh Cup with a shorter concurrent event they are calling the "Sippy Cup". This will be taking place on May 12th near Bismarck, North Dakota. Registration is happening now and will only last through the end of next week, so ya better hurry if some NoDak gravel sounds good to you.

See the events site details here.

Vermont, South Dakota Gravel Events

The news keeps coming hot and heavy this year concerning the gravel grinders going on across the nation. In this installment we have news from South Dakota and Vermont....

The Big Mick: We've featured this one on GGN before, but I just got confirmation of the June 16th date. Here is a brief description of the event's route.

"Four ride lengths Century, Half Century, Metric Century and a 32 mile fun ride.  Ride the length of the Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota, one day, fully supported."

For more information and how to hook up with this event, see their site here. 


Central Vermont Cycling Tour: Next up we have another multi-distance ride for fun, and even runners are invited to this gig! Here is a brief description from an e-mail I received recently.


"On June 17, 2012, the Cross Vermont Trail Association invites you to participate in the Central Vermont Cycling Tour (formerly "VT Eco Tour"). Riders have a choice of 15, 33 and 60 mile rides on scenic gravel roads. Runners can run the 15 and 33-mile courses.

This event is also a way to sample some great Vermont food. Our feed stations and end of ride buffet will be packed with food from local farms, businesses and restaurants."


So, get some information on how to join this fun right here! You can register for this event here.

Illinois Valley Cycling Association's "Dirty Mudd'r"

A new event in Illinois is taking place April 29th, 2012 and looks to be a fun ride. The event details are still being hammered out, so check the web site here for updates, but the planned course is said to be 62 miles with "less than 7 miles of blacktop".

Sounds like a great gravel event to me!

Strada Fango Dirt Road 100

A new event set for April 29th, 2012 in Wisconsin should appeal to those looking for a multi-terrain/road type event. Here are some of the details sent to me recently on this new event.

"A new spring classic, or at least it will be after this year.
No entry fee.
No swag.
No official timing.

Mileage:
25mi Gravel
11mi ATV
10mi Singletrack
8mi Paved
5mi Ski trail/doubletrack"

Sound interesting? Check out the Facebook page for the event here.

Mammoth Gravel Classic

Another new event! This one is up near St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin and that my friends is an exceptionally beautiful area. I've been through that area several times and can vouch for the scenic factor it has.

Here are some details I gleaned from the site's Facebook Page.

Quick Recap!!
- Awesome Gravel Ride
- 70 or 35 Mile options
- Cyclova hosting a very special night you cyclists don't wanna miss!
- Invite Friends to come with!
- Check back for the rest of the Details to be announced SOON!!

Okay, so like it says, look for details at that Facebook link soon. 

NCC HAC Gravel Metric News

Hey folks, the fellas down in Illinois are putting on the NCC HAC  Gravel Metric again on May 27th, but this is more than just an ordinary bunch of gravel freaks. Yes....

I think they qualify as "Gravel Super Freaks", the kind you don't take home to Mama, ya know?

So, if you are of like mind, check out their Facebook page where there is lots of discussion going on. Plus, check out the scene on the Gravel Metric site, where you can learn more about the Gravel Metric video Project and more.

Tobie and the gang down there are really pushing the boundaries of the gravel scene in so many ways: Visually, socially, and in terms of advocacy.  Check it out!

Iowa Games Adds Gravel Grinder Event

The Iowa Games, which are an annual sporting event held every summer in Iowa that celebrates several types of events, has added a gravel grinder to its menu for 2012. The course will be just shy of 73 miles in length. The event will be a loop type with a beginning and ending in Ames, Iowa.

There is an entry fee and registration is open now. See the site here for more details.