Minus Ten Review 2009-2

The only image all week ten years ago.

Ten years ago this week in 2009 I was thinking a lot about the economic crisis we all were going through. Gas was sub 2 dollars a gallon, and I figured that couldn't last long. I thought eventually gas would go back up and we'd all be not attending races or traveling to ride as much as we used to.

I was wrong.....

Speaking of events, in an early "Gravel Grinder News" post, (it was a part of this blog before I broke it off on its own), I was talking about how the DK200 had opened up registration. For the single, 200 mile distance. That was all they did then. And........they had increased the field limit to 100 riders!

This would be pretty much the last time the DK200 had what would be called a "small field" of entrants. It was the end of an era for that event. I also reported on a brand new event in Michigan. It would later become the largest gravel event, in terms of attendance, in the USA. Maybe the world. Barry-Roubaix started out as a humble little gravel event no one knew about in 2009. My......how times have changed! 

Finally, I had a unique sponsor come onboard for the then upcoming Trans Iowa v5, which would be the first that had nothing to do with Decorah, Iowa. It was to be held in Williamsburg, Iowa. The sponsor was Ritchey Design, and they wanted to send us rim strips and tubes. I had to poll the riders to get tire sizes and diameters down so Ritchey could send the correct sizes and amounts. This proved to end up being an early poll on what tire size was "best" for gravel riding as determined by a random sampling of Trans Iowa riders.

This turned up the 700c X 35mm-40mm size as being the largest segment of the tire market in the small, new gravel scene. Keep in mind that there were no "gravel tires" then, no tubeless tires for gravel, and wheel size was yet to be squared away in a lot of people's minds. I think this was when the whole thing got settled though.

The idea of 700c x 38mm tires as being the baseline for gravel tires drove early design for the first gravel bikes. The Salsa offerings being notable here. Of course, that evolved to bigger sizes now, but that wasn't what was considered as being "good" in 2009. It's an interesting tidbit of gravel history.

Minus Ten Review 2009-2

The only image all week ten years ago.

Ten years ago this week in 2009 I was thinking a lot about the economic crisis we all were going through. Gas was sub 2 dollars a gallon, and I figured that couldn't last long. I thought eventually gas would go back up and we'd all be not attending races or traveling to ride as much as we used to.

I was wrong.....

Speaking of events, in an early "Gravel Grinder News" post, (it was a part of this blog before I broke it off on its own), I was talking about how the DK200 had opened up registration. For the single, 200 mile distance. That was all they did then. And........they had increased the field limit to 100 riders!

This would be pretty much the last time the DK200 had what would be called a "small field" of entrants. It was the end of an era for that event. I also reported on a brand new event in Michigan. It would later become the largest gravel event, in terms of attendance, in the USA. Maybe the world. Barry-Roubaix started out as a humble little gravel event no one knew about in 2009. My......how times have changed! 

Finally, I had a unique sponsor come onboard for the then upcoming Trans Iowa v5, which would be the first that had nothing to do with Decorah, Iowa. It was to be held in Williamsburg, Iowa. The sponsor was Ritchey Design, and they wanted to send us rim strips and tubes. I had to poll the riders to get tire sizes and diameters down so Ritchey could send the correct sizes and amounts. This proved to end up being an early poll on what tire size was "best" for gravel riding as determined by a random sampling of Trans Iowa riders.

This turned up the 700c X 35mm-40mm size as being the largest segment of the tire market in the small, new gravel scene. Keep in mind that there were no "gravel tires" then, no tubeless tires for gravel, and wheel size was yet to be squared away in a lot of people's minds. I think this was when the whole thing got settled though.

The idea of 700c x 38mm tires as being the baseline for gravel tires drove early design for the first gravel bikes. The Salsa offerings being notable here. Of course, that evolved to bigger sizes now, but that wasn't what was considered as being "good" in 2009. It's an interesting tidbit of gravel history.

It Is Not New And We Are Already Here

Yeah..... That's v13, as in THIRTEEN YEARS.

I realize that not everyone gets it. Hey, that's okay. But I am surprised by some things some sites and marketing wonks say about gravel grinding, gravel road races, or just your general purpose type rides on unpaved surfaces. I am finding it ironic because these few folks and sites think that this is new. That this gravel riding is "an emerging category in cycling", as one site I saw yesterday puts it.

Really? 

There is no reason for this sort of attitude or statement anymore in 2017. Look, categories for gravel tires, bicycles, and more have been established by bicycle companies for several years now. Bicycle companies don't make a habit of saying a market is an "emerging form of cycling" in 2017 that have already been around for years, ya know? I know it seems stupid to point out the obvious, but I think that some of this stuff I am reading is so self-serving it deserves to be exposed for what it is. Lazy marketing that doesn't tell the truth. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that if anyone thinks this is new, an "up and coming" genre' of cycling, or anything of the sort, maybe doesn't quite understand what it is they are trying to portray. Yes, they don't get it. 

Which, is in itself, a bit of irony. See, for many years in the 00's, I was being told that I didn't get it. Gravel riding wasn't anything new and specific bicycles and tires for gravel riding weren't necessary at all. Basically, I was told then that people had been "gravel grinding" for years and that it was no big deal. Now, apparently, the tune has changed.

What I said then was that specificity in cycling "tools" wasn't anything new either, and why shouldn't there be specific tools for gravel road riding. To be perfectly honest, I was really only ever thinking that perhaps I and a few nut cases around my circle of friends and acquaintances would ever want or need such "tools". Getting a tire or two and a bicycle made for this pursuit was all I figured would ever happen. Then the lid blew off the thing in the late 00's and the numbers were becoming big enough that cycling companies took notice. You know the rest of the story.

Then there are the events themselves, which I keep track of, and have been since 2008 in an "official" sense, but it has been 10 years since I first started searching for more events like Trans Iowa, Almanzo 100, Dirty Kanza, and Barry-Roubaix. There weren't many back then, and it was an easy job to stay on top of the two dozen or so events I turned up or was told about. Now, this "emerging category of cycling" has over 400 events to keep tabs on worldwide. Working the beat on RidingGravel.com is a constant job in progress when it comes to keeping tabs on all of this stuff. I used to do the calendar in one sitting- knock it out in a couple of hours or maybe two nights. No more.

Some of these events draw thousands of riders. Many in the several hundreds of riders. Do you suppose all these folks just found out about this? I know, I know...... I'm being a smart aleck about this, but c'mon! Don't come around with your, this is something new messages and expect me to not poke the badger. I'm not going to let that fly around here.

It Is Not New And We Are Already Here

Yeah..... That's v13, as in THIRTEEN YEARS.

I realize that not everyone gets it. Hey, that's okay. But I am surprised by some things some sites and marketing wonks say about gravel grinding, gravel road races, or just your general purpose type rides on unpaved surfaces. I am finding it ironic because these few folks and sites think that this is new. That this gravel riding is "an emerging category in cycling", as one site I saw yesterday puts it.

Really? 

There is no reason for this sort of attitude or statement anymore in 2017. Look, categories for gravel tires, bicycles, and more have been established by bicycle companies for several years now. Bicycle companies don't make a habit of saying a market is an "emerging form of cycling" in 2017 that have already been around for years, ya know? I know it seems stupid to point out the obvious, but I think that some of this stuff I am reading is so self-serving it deserves to be exposed for what it is. Lazy marketing that doesn't tell the truth. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that if anyone thinks this is new, an "up and coming" genre' of cycling, or anything of the sort, maybe doesn't quite understand what it is they are trying to portray. Yes, they don't get it. 

Which, is in itself, a bit of irony. See, for many years in the 00's, I was being told that I didn't get it. Gravel riding wasn't anything new and specific bicycles and tires for gravel riding weren't necessary at all. Basically, I was told then that people had been "gravel grinding" for years and that it was no big deal. Now, apparently, the tune has changed.

What I said then was that specificity in cycling "tools" wasn't anything new either, and why shouldn't there be specific tools for gravel road riding. To be perfectly honest, I was really only ever thinking that perhaps I and a few nut cases around my circle of friends and acquaintances would ever want or need such "tools". Getting a tire or two and a bicycle made for this pursuit was all I figured would ever happen. Then the lid blew off the thing in the late 00's and the numbers were becoming big enough that cycling companies took notice. You know the rest of the story.

Then there are the events themselves, which I keep track of, and have been since 2008 in an "official" sense, but it has been 10 years since I first started searching for more events like Trans Iowa, Almanzo 100, Dirty Kanza, and Barry-Roubaix. There weren't many back then, and it was an easy job to stay on top of the two dozen or so events I turned up or was told about. Now, this "emerging category of cycling" has over 400 events to keep tabs on worldwide. Working the beat on RidingGravel.com is a constant job in progress when it comes to keeping tabs on all of this stuff. I used to do the calendar in one sitting- knock it out in a couple of hours or maybe two nights. No more.

Some of these events draw thousands of riders. Many in the several hundreds of riders. Do you suppose all these folks just found out about this? I know, I know...... I'm being a smart aleck about this, but c'mon! Don't come around with your, this is something new messages and expect me to not poke the badger. I'm not going to let that fly around here.

Pro "Un-Road" Racing: Old Is New Again

Man vs Nature: DK200 2015- Is this what Pro Road Racing should be?

The gravel racing genre has been what I have lived and breathed now for more than a decade. I often get asked why folks have tend to gravitate toward this sort of bicycling. I can think of a lot of reasons that it has been a growing genre of cycling. Many things are exciting about this type of riding. But what is it exactly?

Why has gravel racing become so popular?  I think if we look at the obvious, the biggest reason it has become the fastest growing form of bicycle racing is that it pits "man" against "nature" in a way that is exciting, attractive, and touches our innermost visceral core. Here is why......

I can pretty much sum it all up with one name: Roubaix. Of course, I refer to the seminal classic of Spring that road racers take on in Northern France. Oft called "The Hell of the North", Paris-Roubaix's name is the most often copied or referred to moniker for gravel road racing in the USA. Consider that "Barry-Roubaix" is the most popular gravel road event in North America. Or consider that there are at least 15 other gravel road based events in North America that currently use the word "roubaix" in their name. That's not even counting events that refer to the classic Euro event in their race descriptions or other race names that emulate the event without using "roubaix". Why? Why is it that this European clasic road event is so revered and emulated?

Grit, determination, fortitude against all odds. That's what we want to see. Image by Jason Boucher.

 Well, think about Paris-Roubaix and what image that immediately conjures up. Likely it is one of a mud covered face on a road bike traveling over cruel stones. We are drawn to such displays of the human spirit overcoming Nature's worst and the primitive roads and slots cut through the countryside. All those "sanitized" road races that happen the rest of the year seem somewhat less in comparison.

In fact, I believe that this is one reason why cyclo-cross has become such a popular sport. You all know that the cyclo-cross races we still talk about, the best ones, are contested in truly awful conditions. No one recalls that sunny day in dry weather when the grass was green and everyone was as clean at the start as they were at the end. Ho hum.......

Not many years ago, Pro Road racing took to the gravel again, if only in small bites, in an event called the Strade Bianche. It became an instant hit. With the sagging popularity of road racing in North America and in Europe, an event that strikes a cord like the Strade Bianche raises some eyebrows. So seeing that and working on revitalizing a declining event, organizers of Schaal Sels, an event in Belgium, went to the dirt. (Read about it all here) The event, once on the verge of anonymity, has become the shining example of a revitalized race and interest in dirt and gravel racing seems to be on the rise in Europe as well. Again, it seems that the primal attraction to dicing it up on dodgy roads is the main appeal.

“You don’t know what’s going to hit you next — but to be honest you can’t wait because it’s exciting and it’s just plain fun,” Dan Craven (Cycling Academy)- from an Instagram post after the 2016 event. (Via Velo News online story here. )

 

I think this is what riders want to ride and what we as spectators of the world's greatest cyclists would want to see. Riders riding in Paris-Roubaix type events more often. Events that have dirt, gravel, stones, or what ever types of road ways we can ride on. That's what the US gravel/back roads scene is all about. The crazier the conditions, the better, it seems. 

 At any rate, it would seem that the Pro Road scene is finally picking up on what it left behind those many decades ago. It is rediscovering what made cycling great to begin with. Even Ghent-Wevelgem is getting in on the action.  It sure isn't what we have gotten lately that is making people take notice. We have gotten team cars, totally pampered and prepped Pro Road racers, over-blown budgets, and doping in the last three decades. What really gets us to take notice?

A muddy Paris-Roubaix, some white gravel sections in one Italian based event, an obscure Belgian race that has taken its course out to the farm roads, and Froome running down a mountain road. That's about the extent of the highlights. 

When all we have to talk about is Peter Sagan riding wheelies and how he wears his hair, there is a big problem. We need dirt, dust, grit, and grime pitted against steely eyed riders on two wheels who are self supported and maybe a good ol' rain storm thrown in for good measure. That would make for some drama. That would be inspirational. I mean, how many bunch sprints or mountain top finishes do we have to endure? Everything else is fodder for the dust bin. 

That's why we ride these gravel events. It is an adventure, it makes us stretch ourselves, and sometimes parts and bodies don't hold up. But that's all part of the fun. Just like the quote from the Velo News story above. We cannot wait to see what's next because it is exciting and fun. 

I think it is high time we saw some fun and excitement like that in Pro Road Racing, but who knows......Maybe we'll see that happen. But...... I ain't holding my breath, I'll tell ya that much.

Pro "Un-Road" Racing: Old Is New Again

Man vs Nature: DK200 2015- Is this what Pro Road Racing should be?

The gravel racing genre has been what I have lived and breathed now for more than a decade. I often get asked why folks have tend to gravitate toward this sort of bicycling. I can think of a lot of reasons that it has been a growing genre of cycling. Many things are exciting about this type of riding. But what is it exactly?

Why has gravel racing become so popular?  I think if we look at the obvious, the biggest reason it has become the fastest growing form of bicycle racing is that it pits "man" against "nature" in a way that is exciting, attractive, and touches our innermost visceral core. Here is why......

I can pretty much sum it all up with one name: Roubaix. Of course, I refer to the seminal classic of Spring that road racers take on in Northern France. Oft called "The Hell of the North", Paris-Roubaix's name is the most often copied or referred to moniker for gravel road racing in the USA. Consider that "Barry-Roubaix" is the most popular gravel road event in North America. Or consider that there are at least 15 other gravel road based events in North America that currently use the word "roubaix" in their name. That's not even counting events that refer to the classic Euro event in their race descriptions or other race names that emulate the event without using "roubaix". Why? Why is it that this European clasic road event is so revered and emulated?

Grit, determination, fortitude against all odds. That's what we want to see. Image by Jason Boucher.

 Well, think about Paris-Roubaix and what image that immediately conjures up. Likely it is one of a mud covered face on a road bike traveling over cruel stones. We are drawn to such displays of the human spirit overcoming Nature's worst and the primitive roads and slots cut through the countryside. All those "sanitized" road races that happen the rest of the year seem somewhat less in comparison.

In fact, I believe that this is one reason why cyclo-cross has become such a popular sport. You all know that the cyclo-cross races we still talk about, the best ones, are contested in truly awful conditions. No one recalls that sunny day in dry weather when the grass was green and everyone was as clean at the start as they were at the end. Ho hum.......

Not many years ago, Pro Road racing took to the gravel again, if only in small bites, in an event called the Strade Bianche. It became an instant hit. With the sagging popularity of road racing in North America and in Europe, an event that strikes a cord like the Strade Bianche raises some eyebrows. So seeing that and working on revitalizing a declining event, organizers of Schaal Sels, an event in Belgium, went to the dirt. (Read about it all here) The event, once on the verge of anonymity, has become the shining example of a revitalized race and interest in dirt and gravel racing seems to be on the rise in Europe as well. Again, it seems that the primal attraction to dicing it up on dodgy roads is the main appeal.

“You don’t know what’s going to hit you next — but to be honest you can’t wait because it’s exciting and it’s just plain fun,” Dan Craven (Cycling Academy)- from an Instagram post after the 2016 event. (Via Velo News online story here. )

 

I think this is what riders want to ride and what we as spectators of the world's greatest cyclists would want to see. Riders riding in Paris-Roubaix type events more often. Events that have dirt, gravel, stones, or what ever types of road ways we can ride on. That's what the US gravel/back roads scene is all about. The crazier the conditions, the better, it seems. 

 At any rate, it would seem that the Pro Road scene is finally picking up on what it left behind those many decades ago. It is rediscovering what made cycling great to begin with. Even Ghent-Wevelgem is getting in on the action.  It sure isn't what we have gotten lately that is making people take notice. We have gotten team cars, totally pampered and prepped Pro Road racers, over-blown budgets, and doping in the last three decades. What really gets us to take notice?

A muddy Paris-Roubaix, some white gravel sections in one Italian based event, an obscure Belgian race that has taken its course out to the farm roads, and Froome running down a mountain road. That's about the extent of the highlights. 

When all we have to talk about is Peter Sagan riding wheelies and how he wears his hair, there is a big problem. We need dirt, dust, grit, and grime pitted against steely eyed riders on two wheels who are self supported and maybe a good ol' rain storm thrown in for good measure. That would make for some drama. That would be inspirational. I mean, how many bunch sprints or mountain top finishes do we have to endure? Everything else is fodder for the dust bin. 

That's why we ride these gravel events. It is an adventure, it makes us stretch ourselves, and sometimes parts and bodies don't hold up. But that's all part of the fun. Just like the quote from the Velo News story above. We cannot wait to see what's next because it is exciting and fun. 

I think it is high time we saw some fun and excitement like that in Pro Road Racing, but who knows......Maybe we'll see that happen. But...... I ain't holding my breath, I'll tell ya that much.

Unapologetic

The start of things to come. T.I.V1, 2005 (Image by Dave Kerkove)

There are stories about riding back roads and....dare I say the word...gravel roads, popping up a lot these days. I just read this great piece relating an experience in California recently. The "Hopper Series" has been around for 17 years or so, (according to what I can read here), which is awesome. Those "all-roaders" are out there all over the place, and have been for years in their small enclaves. Take Paris Ancaster, as an example, which has happened in Canada every year for 22 years running. There really isn't anything new here about the adventurous side of cycling, on whatever kind of bicycle you want to talk about here.

However; there was something that happened back ten years ago or so that was like these older events, but was different too. There was that adventure thing, for sure, that was really part of it, but there was another thing. I feel it was happening at a time when many at a grassroots level were starting to fall away from the hope that they had wrapped up in watching racing at the Pro levels. There had already been a great deal of doping scandals by 2005, and the doubts about a certain Texan were on the rise as well. There was a tiredness with short lap racing, no matter how long the events took to complete, and the fees for doing those things were outrageous.

Something about this and the way it is done tripped a trigger. Image by Waly Kilburg

I don't know why, for certain, but when Jeff Kerkove and I announced Trans Iowa in late 2004, something happened out there, and a lot of folks followed that "something". We called it "gravel grinding" because that was the term that was given to us for it, ironically by road cyclists, the very same sort who today disparage anything attached to gravel grinders or the equipment used for it. Well, maybe not so much by the cyclists themselves, but certainly by the pundits, the "writers of note", who never miss the chance to diss gravel road riding whenever this subject comes up.

Hey, that's fine, ya know, because if something ruffles some feathers, or causes the established media and industry wonks to disparage it, well, there must be something to it that is real. Otherwise, why would they bother to mention it at all? Maybe they just need to rouse the rabble to accumulate more hits to satisfy the advertisers. "Whatevs", as one writer would say........

Yeah, that's what many say. In the face of literally thousands of riders that take to the start line of events like Barry-Roubaix, the Dirty Kanza 200, and the Almanzo 100, all events that draw riders from all corners of the nation, and even internationally. That's what the pundits say in the face of people attending over 200 unique events every year held on gravel roads and dirt roads across North America. But ya know..........whatevs, right? 

That's okay though, 'cause it isn't like we are looking for validation from anyone to #unlearnpavement, have some fun on dirt roads, or gravel grind. There will be those that thumb their noses at us, but I say "Come on in, the water's fine!" We're just riding bicycles in a way that is fun, challenging, and adventurous. We call it gravel grinding, and dirt road riding, and "all-road", but we are not going to apologize for the names and we aren't going away.

Unapologetic

The start of things to come. T.I.V1, 2005 (Image by Dave Kerkove)

There are stories about riding back roads and....dare I say the word...gravel roads, popping up a lot these days. I just read this great piece relating an experience in California recently. The "Hopper Series" has been around for 17 years or so, (according to what I can read here), which is awesome. Those "all-roaders" are out there all over the place, and have been for years in their small enclaves. Take Paris Ancaster, as an example, which has happened in Canada every year for 22 years running. There really isn't anything new here about the adventurous side of cycling, on whatever kind of bicycle you want to talk about here.

However; there was something that happened back ten years ago or so that was like these older events, but was different too. There was that adventure thing, for sure, that was really part of it, but there was another thing. I feel it was happening at a time when many at a grassroots level were starting to fall away from the hope that they had wrapped up in watching racing at the Pro levels. There had already been a great deal of doping scandals by 2005, and the doubts about a certain Texan were on the rise as well. There was a tiredness with short lap racing, no matter how long the events took to complete, and the fees for doing those things were outrageous.

Something about this and the way it is done tripped a trigger. Image by Waly Kilburg

I don't know why, for certain, but when Jeff Kerkove and I announced Trans Iowa in late 2004, something happened out there, and a lot of folks followed that "something". We called it "gravel grinding" because that was the term that was given to us for it, ironically by road cyclists, the very same sort who today disparage anything attached to gravel grinders or the equipment used for it. Well, maybe not so much by the cyclists themselves, but certainly by the pundits, the "writers of note", who never miss the chance to diss gravel road riding whenever this subject comes up.

Hey, that's fine, ya know, because if something ruffles some feathers, or causes the established media and industry wonks to disparage it, well, there must be something to it that is real. Otherwise, why would they bother to mention it at all? Maybe they just need to rouse the rabble to accumulate more hits to satisfy the advertisers. "Whatevs", as one writer would say........

Yeah, that's what many say. In the face of literally thousands of riders that take to the start line of events like Barry-Roubaix, the Dirty Kanza 200, and the Almanzo 100, all events that draw riders from all corners of the nation, and even internationally. That's what the pundits say in the face of people attending over 200 unique events every year held on gravel roads and dirt roads across North America. But ya know..........whatevs, right? 

That's okay though, 'cause it isn't like we are looking for validation from anyone to #unlearnpavement, have some fun on dirt roads, or gravel grind. There will be those that thumb their noses at us, but I say "Come on in, the water's fine!" We're just riding bicycles in a way that is fun, challenging, and adventurous. We call it gravel grinding, and dirt road riding, and "all-road", but we are not going to apologize for the names and we aren't going away.