Introducing The Broad Street Growler

Okay, so now I'm going to bare all the secrets about this gravel event that I can for you today. It will be a bit different from many other events, and I hope that it all comes off well. We're going to start small, and try to keep the expectations in check, but anyway- here goes.....

The basics: What: The Broad Street Growler gravel road ride. The main word to remember is "fun" but there will be some challenge and room for a little friendly competition. Two courses- A "metric" and a "double metric. For you metrically challenged folk, that' 63 and 126 miles, or close to that. Expect beer, stuff, entertainment. More soon on all of that.....

Where: Broad Street Brewery will be the starting and ending point for both rides. Located in Reinbeck, Iowa, which is about 22 miles Southwest of Waterloo/Cedar Falls, Iowa, about 90 miles Northeast from Des Moines, Iowa, and about 75 miles Northwest from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The routes will both take in bits of Grundy and Tama Counties. There will be level B roads and some tough hills, but it won't be brutal. We promise!

When: The date is set as September 3rd, 2016, which is the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend. Plenty of spare time to get here and to recover afterward, or go do other cool things that weekend on Sunday and Monday.

Why: Again, we were thinking about having a route out in the country that wasn't just about getting first place in your category, but more about having fun, camaraderie, and overcoming a bit of a challenge along the way. We thought a cold draught of beer might be good afterward, and maybe have a bit of music to enjoy as well.

How: To get in on the potential fun, we will have online registration. We expect to cap off the field at 150 and the registration fee should be about $50.00 which will get you an insured event, a marked course with timed segments, some swag, some surprises, and entertainment at the end of the route. Details for registration will be released later.

Fine Details: The element of competition will be handled by having a couple timed segments which we will set up via Strava. Sponsors include Broad Street Brewery, Origin8, RidingGravel.com, and Europa Cycle & Ski.

Stay tuned for updates and links....