A Look At Events For 2026

Well, it seems every year I have written up a post concerning what I am going to be planning for in terms of events for the year. A few things have changed since last year and I have a couple of things I want to accomplish before next Winter on the bike. 

Keep in mind this is a list of plans. Many times our plans do not work out. I am no exception to the rule. So, while I may have a strong desire to do the events I am about to list, it doesn't mean it will happen. 

Okay, with the disclaimer out there saying I am not 100% in charge of the future, here we go with what I have on my plate for 2026 in terms of gravel events. 

Leading up to April my goal is to just put in some decent, three to four hour rides weekly. This should get me into riding shape. I do not plan on doing any events, but I may crack off a longer ride if the weather and timing lines up. We will see. My main focus will be just getting out there. 

The "big" deal this year will hopefully be this Legends Of Gravel ride in April down in the Flint Hills of Kansas. 

Once again, in case you haven't heard of this, here is a link to a post about this ride.  

I will also add again the fact that I am not in charge of the organizing nor do I have any influence on how this ride is set up. I was asked to come, (along with certain others) so the ride is named what it is named because of this. 

Link to registration:  https://www.bikereg.com/legends-of-gravel

Once I get beyond this point in the year I have to bring focus to what the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective is doing. May and June are the busiest months there, and extracurricular events are at their height during this point in the season for the organization. Due to these things, I am not considering any events during those times, especially since I am taking off time in April from my job there already. 

This means things like a planned bike packing trip around West Central Nebraska I was invited to are not in the cards for me. It was a nice thing to have included me in the invitation, but I just cannot leave people hanging who are depending upon my participation. Further,ore, being on a limited income, I cannot afford the time off either.  

At some point in July or August I will be doing another ride in honor of my son, Jacob Stevenson. This will get announced when I see a time window for the ride maybe in June. I want to do around a metric to maybe a full century ride on a course somewhat local to Waterloo. 

Details will be fine tuned as the Spring and Summer go along, but this is an important ride for me and I will make GT's Ride For Jacob happen. Worst case scenario is I do it alone on a weekday when I am off work, because typically Saturdays I have to work. But this is all yet to be determined. 

Then the only other thing I am committing to is the Virtual Turkey Burn Challenge in November. Other than this idea, I probably will end up doing something with N.Y. Roll at some point during the year, but we haven't had any discussions on an idea, and it remains to be seen if we do or if we do not do a ride like the Tree In The Road Ride we did last year. 

Besides those ideas, I just want to focus on getting outside, riding as much as I can, and having fun. I don't need for, want to do, or have much interest in attending the "big organized rides" like Unbound, Gravel Worlds, or Mid South again. I'd rather ride for an adventure, and in other places, than do those things over and over again. 

And that's about it. So, nothing hugely exciting here, but if I get to ride all of what I have outlined here it will be a big year of riding for me. I do not expect it all to happen though, except for the ones I have stated I really want to do, (really only a few), and if this is all I get in, well that'd be great too. 

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions!