Gravel History With Guitar Ted: Moonshine Metric

A rider silhouetted in the distance on the Moonshine Metric, 2012

 At the end of September, a decade ago now, I was headed to an event out of Mount Vernon, Iowa set up by Craig Irving, a gravel rider at the time who was a Trans Iowa veteran and had come up to ride with us on my 3GR gravel group ride a time or two. 

Craig had a blog called "Project Backroads" which was a site highlighting his efforts to try and ride every Level B road (unmaintained dirt roads in Iowa) at that time. He also had an idea for a "get-together" type gravel ride at night. This event was, in my view, one of the many at the time which, in my opinion, were the catalyst for the exponential growth of gravel cycling which would start in the years following 2012. 

The event Craig ran out of his garage and home was called the "Moonshine Metric". I always had the inclination to call it the "Moonlight Metric", which was incorrect, but I couldn't get that out of my head back then. In fact, when I went searching for images for this post, I had to search both names to find what I wanted! 

Anyway.....

The "Moonshine Metric" was a snapshot of what "gravel" was a decade ago. Many events happened then that were "homegrown" affairs run out of people's homes and small businesses. Typically there were meals, or backyard parties involved. There was more than the ride, there was a true fellowship going on that was sorely missing from most cycling events. You got to know people, and connections were made. Sometimes life-long friendships were forged before, during, and after these rides. 

The pre-ride hang at the Moonshine Metric. Craig Irving is on the right here.

It was also a great look into what was used for gravel riding back then. Remember, this was the year that the first dedicated gravel bike was commercially available, and that was rare to see anywhere yet. It was also the year that the first dedicated to gravel tires were available. I was on a fresh set of Clement (Donnelly now) MSO 700 X 40mm tires, tubed ('natch!) and most folks were on heavy-duty touring tires, or 26"er MTB's yet then. 

I think the Moonshine was run at least one year prior to my attending the event in 2012. I am not sure how long the run was for this event, but I know it wasn't long. This and the one-off "Night Nonsense" event, held in 2010, were the kind of home-cooked adventures that were held at night which I think are missing in today's gravel grinding scene. 

2012 was a dusty, dry year. That's a hanging dust cloud on the road ahead during the Moonshine Metric event.

One of my chief memories of the "Moonshine Metric" was the dust. 2012 was a dry year and the roads had turned into a powdery, dry limestone fluff by Fall. I recall many a ride that year where my legs below the knee would be caked with white limestone dust after a ride. At the "Moonshine Metric", the wind was not present at all. It was one of those rare Iowa days with a still atmosphere, and this was a big problem for us who rode in that event. 

Any car that passed us, especially early into the event, would leave us in a thick fog of hanging dust which was impossible to see through. I mean, like less than a few feet visibility! It was truly scary at times because you could only detect cars and other cyclists around you by sound. Fortunately for us, traffic ceased to be an issue after the Sun set and we were not having to navigate by feel!

Moonrise on the Moonshine Metric.

Of course, Craig timed the ride to be close to the full moon for that period. So, we had a clear sky, fortunately, and this gave us some respite in terms of visibility issues for the night-time portion of the ride, which was at least 3/4's of the event's distance. Good thing too, because our lighting at that time was dismal. I wrote a post earlier this year detailing our evolution with lights which you can check out here. 

The Orange Crush immediately after the Moonshine Metric event in 2012.

As far as bicycles went, most of us were on some form of a cyclo cross bike. there was one fellow on a 26"er MTB on this ride out of the ten riders total. I remember that I almost took the Fargo Gen I on this ride, but by 2012 I had been deep into thought on developing my own version of a "gravel specific bicycle" and I was considering having a custom built frame and fork at this point. Only the promise of Raleigh doing what I asked for was stopping me from moving forward with that plan. And you know how that came out if you are a regular reader here.

Besides the sketchy lights we used back then, (I used THREE different lights on this ride!), I was wanting my bicycle to be very different than what I had at the time. While I have never run into conditions like we had at this event in 2012 since then, (fine, deep "cocoa-powder" dirt, deep dust, and loose gravel), the experience forged my desires for a stable bike which could be decently light and sturdy. A bike which could carry water, food, and gear necessary for a crazy ride like the "Moonshine Metric". 

Fortunately we have those bikes now. I am glad that we do. That said, we need more night time crazy adventures on Iowa roads. Don't you think? 

You can read my ride report on the "Moonshine Metric" here and the follow-up bike/gear review from that event here.