Two Things

The second part of my BRAN experience on audio is HERE

 One Day vs One Week:

 This idea popped into my head as I was writing up all the BRAN recap posts. If you read those, you can attest to all the experiences, scenery, and riding which I was afforded the opportunity to enjoy. It was a lot packed into a full week of fun, challenges, and surprises. 

Considering all the things I was writing about I was made aware that gravel events are not generally like this. They are typically one-day events and you are in and out of there before you have any time to settle into things. 

And maybe the quick in-quick out thing works for you. There is a lot going on in most folks lives and carving out time to play gravel bikes is not easy. However; if you can get a week in Summer off, here is something to consider. 

Going to a single day event has obvious entry fee costs. You have travel expenses. Maybe you can get there and back without any lodging fees, but if you have to stay in a motel, or camp, it is going to cost even more. Obviously you have to eat, and maybe you bring your rations. Most folks are going to subsist on a diet of convenience store fare or go to a restaurant.  More money spent. 

My figuring at a minimal amount spent going to a 100 mile gravel event with an average cost of $1.50 per mile (figured from my gravel event cost survey I posted last January) , using an average cost for gas currently ($3.93/gallon), and throwing in a bit for food and small extras, I come up with around $300.00 for a one day event. That is with zero lodging fees and no restaurants, beer/liquor, entertainment, etc. 

The fee to ride BRAN this year was $425.00. You have to feed yourself, get there and back, and any extras are on you. My figure for the week would have been right around 1K. (Had I paid the $425.00 entry fee and the $110.00 bus trip out) That's for seven days of gravel riding WITH support. Seven days of single day events would be $2,100.00 minimum. Probably a lot more than 2K, and especially so if you attend a "bucket list" event in there like Unbound, Gravel Worlds, Mid-South, SBT GRVL, or a Belgium Waffle event. 

If you mechanical, bonk, crash out or anything like that in a single day event? You are done. Game over. Not so at a ride like BRAN, (are there any other rides like BRAN?), where you have mechanical support, sag support, and can recoup the next day and still ride. (Unless a severe crash or medical condition arises, which is an obvious ride ender no matter the format) Plus you get seven days worth of small town charm, meeting people, and lots of cool points of interest to explore. 

Sure, BRAN, or whatever ride there is like it on gravel, is not a competition, but it is a huge experience. Like Jimi said, "Are you experienced?" Or, are you racing to be another place on a finishing roster? Yes, I am biased, and maybe competition gives you something a tour cannot. Good, You know what to do. But if you haven't considered anything beyond the traditional one-day event on gravel, well perhaps this BRAN thing is of interest. That's all...... 

Riding shotgun on ride support for a kid's Summer program

Hope For The Future?

With my being employed by the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective, I get opportunities to help with children's rides during the Summer via another organization which has us volunteer to do the safety checks and ride sweep for the rides. 

Sometimes I lament over the daily sightings in my neighborhood of kids on electric scooters zipping down roads and sidewals. Or kids on throttle-controlled electric two wheeled contraptions of various sorts. It is as though we are entering into the time of the movie "Wall-E" where humans never go outside and hover around on personalized craft instead of exercising. 

But a couple of these kids rides this Summer have given me hope. One in particular where we supported a ride consisting of about six boys of 10 - 11 years of age. All had 'quality' 24" wheeled bicycles in really good condition. They all rode with each other in a small Iowa town but for one young boy from another small town further away. 

These boys were amped to ride and as we went along it was a reminder of what it was that made cycling so fun when I was young. Speed, of course, but the adventure, camaraderie, and the occasional bout of competitiveness in equal parts. This was what drew me into cycling. 

There were no cell phones, stopping to take Instagram images, Snapchats, or the making of Tik-Toks. It was just pure joy and on a bicycle, outdoors, for 12 awesome miles. These boys were all about it. This experience was a shock to the system for me. 

Maybe there is a little hope after all.