The Path To Discovering Gravel Grinding: Part 1

My number plate from the 2006 Dirty Kanza 200

 As gravel grinding in the Modern Era continues into its 3rd decade, I thought it might be interesting to those who weren't a part of those pioneering days of gravel events to read my experiences and thoughts about those times. 

Twenty years ago I signed up for an event in Kansas being put on by two men most folks had never heard of before. Joel Dyke and Jim Cummins were two guys brought together by their mutual love of two-wheeled, off-road fun, and challenging rides. 

Jim came from the moto world and was into mountain biking. Joel was more into whatever cycling hi-jinx he could find, and if he couldn't find it, he created it. Between the two they had forged an interest in a silly gravel road based event in Iowa called Trans Iowa.  

Joel and Jim had been in contact concerning Trans Iowa with Jeff Kerkove. Jeff was the "point man" of Trans Iowa those first few years. Mostly because Jeff was a well-known solo 24hr endurance racer who had a very popular blog at the time. While I was more of an assistant in those days, it meant I wasn't a big part of the communications going back and forth between we Trans Iowa organizers and the organizers of the DK200. I was verbally kept abreast of all of this though since I worked in close proximity to Jeff. Both literally and figuratively!

An image I pulled off an online source on the Flint Hills back in 2006

Joel came up and rode in the first two editions of Trans Iowa and took many ideas back to Kansas for he and Jim to mull over as they were going to put on a similar event in Kansas. They settled on the Flint Hills for this ride which, originally wasn't called "Dirty Kanza", but nearer to their inaugural running of the event, it took on that name. 

It was kind of an unspoken thing back in the very early days of gravel that if you put on an event and another event organizer came to ride in your event, you went and rode in their event as well. It was a sign of solidarity amongst the early gravel event promoters. So, when Jim and Joel announced registration was open for the 2006 Dirty Kanza 200, I signed up.  

While I could have plied questions and received knowledge from the event organizers, due to the circumstances I was in at the time, I did not do this. Being in a gravel event was a completely new idea back in 2006. Everything you were going to do was pulled from other cycling disciplines and when it came to big decisions, like what bicycle to use, it was an unknown to a degree. Mostly because I, and others coming to the first Dirty Kansas, had no idea what the Flint Hills of Kansas was like. 

I was researching online, looking at pictures, reading stories about the grasslands, and getting to know some of the history of the area including the history of earlier peoples who called the Flint Hills home. Especially the history behind the Kanza people.  I actually learned a lot just because I signed up for an event, so it was a good thing besides the cycling bits. 

I eventually decided on riding my then new On One Inbred as a single speed. It would be my first bicycle race in ten years and it would be 200 miles long! (Look....no one said it was a smart decision!) So, you can see why I was a bit concerned and why I was doing a bunch of research. There were chats online in the Endurance Forum of MTBR.com, there were blog posts from fellow cyclists, and I did actually pick Jeff's mind about nutrition and such, since he was a Pro at it.  

It was an exciting time. There were a lot of unknowns, and decisions made were weightier and harder to make back then. In my next post on this, coming up in a week or two, I'll discuss more about what this event meant in terms of the overall nascent gravel scene  

Gravel Grinder News: DK200 - Postponed, Cancelled.......Dead?

 NOTE: Large doses of "my opinion" will be handed out in gloppy dollops today. You've been forewarned.....

Tuesday afternoon the expected, but sad news that there would be no Dirty Kanza 200 at all in 2020 was released to the public. Coronavirus concerns were, of course, the stated reasoning behind this decision. As I have said many times here on this blog, and elsewhere, this was the only reasonable conclusion to this dilemma.

Now that the expected news has sunk in, we have a very unusual situation here to consider, Obviously there has been controversy surrounding the name "Dirty Kanza" and additionally, the last standing co-founder of the race is no longer a part of the proceedings. Jim Cummins was recently let go over a dust-up concerning a social media post on his personal social media account. With those two set backs, and the cancellation of the event, Life Time Fitness now has an opportunity to make sweeping changes, many changes, a few changes, or none at all.

Here is what we do know: Jim Cummins was one of the co-founders of the Dirty Kanza 200 and considered to be the "face" of the event, (now being referred to as the "DK" by the promoters and Life Time. More on that in a bit), and many fans of the DK say they won't be back if Jim isn't a part of things. These sort of comments were common on social media directly after Jim's release from his position by Life Time.

We know that a LOT of social pressure is being exerted by sponsors and certain activists on Life Time to change the name of the event. What has been said is that there will be a rebranding and that will be rolled out in the coming months.

Comments: The Dirty Kanza 200 died as an event on July 7th, 2020. It's over folks. The name is changing, yes, but that's not all that will be changing. While the promotions team at Life Time, including long time heads of the event, will strive to incorporate things they believe will be honoring to the core values of the event, it is without a doubt going to look and feel like a brand new event that just so happens to be occurring in Emporia Kansas around the time that the old DK200 happened. Life Time will implement directives to be more socially aware, which may or may not be obvious come 2021, and their team there that is left will be free from any influences Jim Cummins may have exerted on the team in the past. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me at all to see a large move away from much of what Jim, and Joel Dyke conjured up in 2006. Some would argue that ship sailed years ago. That's a strong argument.

What is really kind of sad and will make for tragi-comic results if not handled well, is what the rebranding will entail. There are already names being bandied about for the event which are being put forth by interested parties- (read sponsors and endemic media)- and it is quite likely that something more corporate will win out over something tied to the origins of the event. The news about the cancellation, first shared by "Velo News", links a June posting which suggests the name "Gravel United", for instance.

That's a fine name, for a corporate event. It also shows the lack of understanding when it comes to how all this got started and sustained itself until the possibilities of money making became too great to ignore. I remember when folks at "Velo News" thought gravel racing was.....ah...cute- shall we say? There were less glowing terms bandied about for what we were doing, all the way down to "it isn't real racing". Once Jim Cummins and his team installed chip timing and the now famous DK200 finish line circus, and after the endemic media and outside interests saw the money flowing into Emporia, then and only then was the DK200 taken seriously by the big sponsors outside of cycling, the media writers, and Life Time Fitness. Obviously, Life Time scooped up the event, which is called the "highest-profile gravel race in the world", ( Velo News' words, not mine), and planned on making a few ducats off the scene's popularity. Unfortunately, that plan has been interrupted by an unforeseen virus and an unfortunate social media post by the former "face of said event".

Now the scrum to grab something from this internal chaos has started. Renaming the event is only a part of this. How the newly named event will go forward now is at stake, and whomever, or whatever gets their mitts on the steering wheel, will have the power to drive this "high profile gravel event", and all that comes with that recognition, into the murky future. If you don't think there will be massive changes in look and feel to this event, well, you are not thinking straight. I'll say it again- The Dirty Kanza is dead as we once knew it. Whatever it is that will take its place will be a corporate production ballyhooed as "The Greatest Gravel Show On Earth", cost three figures to get a chance to have your name drawn in a lottery to attend, and will start to be more of a professional calendar event.

I expect that USAC will be making some overtures here, as they are still sitting outside the gravel scene, wanting in, but not having a seat at the table.....yet. Maybe they will never get in, but make no mistake- The Life Time backing of this event, with no shackles to the past in the form of the DK200, will make an event to their liking, and whatever they roll out will be the prototype for the big media and big sponsors and brands of cycling to get involved with. This will be the directive- Get bigger, get more attention nationally and internationally, and increase the corporate bottom line. If that means a Pro UCI type event, then don't be surprised to see that happen. But there is no way this is anything like the pre-Life Time DK200 ever again.

That ship has sailed.

Gravel Grinder News: DK200 - Postponed, Cancelled.......Dead?

 NOTE: Large doses of "my opinion" will be handed out in gloppy dollops today. You've been forewarned.....

Tuesday afternoon the expected, but sad news that there would be no Dirty Kanza 200 at all in 2020 was released to the public. Coronavirus concerns were, of course, the stated reasoning behind this decision. As I have said many times here on this blog, and elsewhere, this was the only reasonable conclusion to this dilemma.

Now that the expected news has sunk in, we have a very unusual situation here to consider, Obviously there has been controversy surrounding the name "Dirty Kanza" and additionally, the last standing co-founder of the race is no longer a part of the proceedings. Jim Cummins was recently let go over a dust-up concerning a social media post on his personal social media account. With those two set backs, and the cancellation of the event, Life Time Fitness now has an opportunity to make sweeping changes, many changes, a few changes, or none at all.

Here is what we do know: Jim Cummins was one of the co-founders of the Dirty Kanza 200 and considered to be the "face" of the event, (now being referred to as the "DK" by the promoters and Life Time. More on that in a bit), and many fans of the DK say they won't be back if Jim isn't a part of things. These sort of comments were common on social media directly after Jim's release from his position by Life Time.

We know that a LOT of social pressure is being exerted by sponsors and certain activists on Life Time to change the name of the event. What has been said is that there will be a rebranding and that will be rolled out in the coming months.

Comments: The Dirty Kanza 200 died as an event on July 7th, 2020. It's over folks. The name is changing, yes, but that's not all that will be changing. While the promotions team at Life Time, including long time heads of the event, will strive to incorporate things they believe will be honoring to the core values of the event, it is without a doubt going to look and feel like a brand new event that just so happens to be occurring in Emporia Kansas around the time that the old DK200 happened. Life Time will implement directives to be more socially aware, which may or may not be obvious come 2021, and their team there that is left will be free from any influences Jim Cummins may have exerted on the team in the past. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me at all to see a large move away from much of what Jim, and Joel Dyke conjured up in 2006. Some would argue that ship sailed years ago. That's a strong argument.

What is really kind of sad and will make for tragi-comic results if not handled well, is what the rebranding will entail. There are already names being bandied about for the event which are being put forth by interested parties- (read sponsors and endemic media)- and it is quite likely that something more corporate will win out over something tied to the origins of the event. The news about the cancellation, first shared by "Velo News", links a June posting which suggests the name "Gravel United", for instance.

That's a fine name, for a corporate event. It also shows the lack of understanding when it comes to how all this got started and sustained itself until the possibilities of money making became too great to ignore. I remember when folks at "Velo News" thought gravel racing was.....ah...cute- shall we say? There were less glowing terms bandied about for what we were doing, all the way down to "it isn't real racing". Once Jim Cummins and his team installed chip timing and the now famous DK200 finish line circus, and after the endemic media and outside interests saw the money flowing into Emporia, then and only then was the DK200 taken seriously by the big sponsors outside of cycling, the media writers, and Life Time Fitness. Obviously, Life Time scooped up the event, which is called the "highest-profile gravel race in the world", ( Velo News' words, not mine), and planned on making a few ducats off the scene's popularity. Unfortunately, that plan has been interrupted by an unforeseen virus and an unfortunate social media post by the former "face of said event".

Now the scrum to grab something from this internal chaos has started. Renaming the event is only a part of this. How the newly named event will go forward now is at stake, and whomever, or whatever gets their mitts on the steering wheel, will have the power to drive this "high profile gravel event", and all that comes with that recognition, into the murky future. If you don't think there will be massive changes in look and feel to this event, well, you are not thinking straight. I'll say it again- The Dirty Kanza is dead as we once knew it. Whatever it is that will take its place will be a corporate production ballyhooed as "The Greatest Gravel Show On Earth", cost three figures to get a chance to have your name drawn in a lottery to attend, and will start to be more of a professional calendar event.

I expect that USAC will be making some overtures here, as they are still sitting outside the gravel scene, wanting in, but not having a seat at the table.....yet. Maybe they will never get in, but make no mistake- The Life Time backing of this event, with no shackles to the past in the form of the DK200, will make an event to their liking, and whatever they roll out will be the prototype for the big media and big sponsors and brands of cycling to get involved with. This will be the directive- Get bigger, get more attention nationally and internationally, and increase the corporate bottom line. If that means a Pro UCI type event, then don't be surprised to see that happen. But there is no way this is anything like the pre-Life Time DK200 ever again.

That ship has sailed.

A Further Commentary On The Cummins/DK Story

 NOTE: Large doses of "my opinion" will be handed out in gloppy dollops today. You've been forewarned.....

Halfway into 2020 and it would seem that the world at large has been disrupted to the point of being unrecognizable when compared to a year ago. At least in the "First World". Then throw in what is going on in the US with regard to racial issues and economic issues and it seems like everything is in upheaval. In our little corner of things, over here in the gravel cycling community, we have not been left untouched.

Postponements and cancellations have meant that many gatherings of folks for socialization and fun that have been looked forward to, have instead become points of discouragement. Plans have been changed, and we do not deal well with changes, as I have predicted. Throw in a racially charged issue, a corporate entity, and an individual who is held in high regard in the gravel community who made a mistake, and the dumpster fires which have resulted only serve to point out larger issues within our society.

So, let us stop a second here. taking in the landscape from a wide lens view. We know that society at large, and for sure in the US, is itching to 'go back to normal mode' and not have to worry about disease, protocols, shut-downs of entertainment, and loss of income. I get that. It is a huge disruption to 'life as it should be'. But here is the thing- we have got a long ways to go before this is all over. People are weary of it, and I understand the impatience. However, that is not why I bring that up. I point this out because this is the foundation for everything else that is bubbling up around us.

Secondly, it is not debatable that racial issues in this country need to be dealt with. We are in a time of social upheaval, introspection, challenging thoughts, and revealing of closed minds. Whatever side you are on in that debate does not lessen the fact that all this change is long overdue. So, there is that foundation for all of this as well.

Now, in regard to specifics, keeping in mind all of the above, we have a person- Jim Cummins- who represents something in the gravel community. How you define that persona may differ, but when you see comments like "The DK200 is nothing without Jim", and you see that over and over, well-  There are thoughts, feelings, and expectations connected to that persona that go well beyond anything having to do with the man himself. Call it 'celebrity', or 'fame', or 'cult figure' even. That part of the debate is a real thing. Many people that think these thoughts do not even really know the man, Jim Cummins, at all. They just feel he represents the Dirty Kanza 200. In fact, I'd go as far to say that the event and the persona are so intertwined as to be inseparable. That's true for many people, I am sure, judging from commentary I have seen over the past 72 hours on social media.

Taking that into consideration, along with the state of society now, we have the third part of this issue- The Corporate Entity. As you most likely know, Jim Cummins, and the rest of the DK Promotions team, sold the event to Life Time Fitness in the Fall of 2018. At that point, Life Time, realizing that Jim Cummins was "The Face" of the DK200, retained him, and that was a smart decision. Keep in mind though that now Life Time is "The Boss". They now have the ultimate say in things concerning DK and its doings. As a private entity, they have to be aware, and be concerned about how they are ultimately being portrayed by their employees. This includes, but is not limited to, actions observed on their employee's private social media encounters. It is not uncommon for folks to get fired from jobs for things that they share on their personal social media platforms. I can think of several times where individuals have posted negative thoughts pertaining to cyclists and where the cycling community has swarmed that persons employer with calls to have that individual fired. This isn't limited to cycling folks either.

Think about celebrities of any stripe. We get bent out of shape many times for things that they share on social media which sometimes has detrimental effects with their employer. I would argue that the more well known you are, the more intense this facet of our society gets. For instance, if my next door neighbor, a plumber, speaks out about a sensitive issue, maybe his small circle of friends on social media are affected. Now, if his boss, the owner of a large plumbing concern in the area says the same thing, there will be a much bigger outcry from the citizens of the area. If this were a national chain of plumbing concerns, and the CEO of said corporation makes the same statements, then it becomes a national issue. See what I mean?

Jim Cummins stands among the few race/event directors that has a fairly well known status nationwide amongst cyclists and sports people. If you say his name amongst a group of cycling nerds, chances are they know you are talking about the Dirty Kanza 200. That's why Jim is not just an ordinary person in matters of social commentary. Many have decried his firing as unfair because he was "only expressing his personal opinion", which many say Life Time had no business dealing with. Well, if you are one of those people, all of the above explanation I have offered is completely lost on you, or you are ignoring the elephant in the room on purpose, and why would you do that?

Probably because of selfish desires to see that a beloved event never changes. To have all these things ripped out from under us in a single year, less than a year, and to have your favorite event be forever changed as well? Yeah, I'd be bitterly disappointed too. But if you want to place blame for that, focusing your ire on Life Time Fitness is a misplaced effort.

Life Time is an entity that is trying to make its events welcoming to everybody. The comment made by Jim Cummins on his post was not seen as something that would make people of color feel welcomed, and Jim is the 'face', the de-facto heart of the DK200, as evidenced by the very fans of his stature and celebrity who now are saying they will never attend the DK again. Life Time cannot tell you what to think. Life Time cannot cause racism, or any other social issue, to go away. That isn't what this is about. What it is about is how Life Time has a right to control how their customers are welcomed. Remember, they bought the DK200 long before any of this happened, and Jim Cummins was their employee.

And the bottom line here is that it is done. There is no going back, and what is more, the name of the event will likely change as a result of all of this. Many people will not deal with this change well. That's a fact, and to a point, understandable. What isn't acceptable is how people on both sides of the issue are vilifying others and being completely irrational when it comes to how they are dealing with the end of the DK200's run with Jim Cummins.

And speaking of 'the end', you should understand that his time with the event was drawing to a close. To think that Jim Cummins was going to be a part of, the face of, and the reason many wanted to go to the DK200, forever, or for much longer, is unreasonable. I happen to know something about that, actually, but all I can say is that one way or the other, Jim was going to be gone. That it had to end the way that it has is very sad, upsetting, and not how many of us envisioned it to be like. But it is over.

A Further Commentary On The Cummins/DK Story

 NOTE: Large doses of "my opinion" will be handed out in gloppy dollops today. You've been forewarned.....

Halfway into 2020 and it would seem that the world at large has been disrupted to the point of being unrecognizable when compared to a year ago. At least in the "First World". Then throw in what is going on in the US with regard to racial issues and economic issues and it seems like everything is in upheaval. In our little corner of things, over here in the gravel cycling community, we have not been left untouched.

Postponements and cancellations have meant that many gatherings of folks for socialization and fun that have been looked forward to, have instead become points of discouragement. Plans have been changed, and we do not deal well with changes, as I have predicted. Throw in a racially charged issue, a corporate entity, and an individual who is held in high regard in the gravel community who made a mistake, and the dumpster fires which have resulted only serve to point out larger issues within our society.

So, let us stop a second here. taking in the landscape from a wide lens view. We know that society at large, and for sure in the US, is itching to 'go back to normal mode' and not have to worry about disease, protocols, shut-downs of entertainment, and loss of income. I get that. It is a huge disruption to 'life as it should be'. But here is the thing- we have got a long ways to go before this is all over. People are weary of it, and I understand the impatience. However, that is not why I bring that up. I point this out because this is the foundation for everything else that is bubbling up around us.

Secondly, it is not debatable that racial issues in this country need to be dealt with. We are in a time of social upheaval, introspection, challenging thoughts, and revealing of closed minds. Whatever side you are on in that debate does not lessen the fact that all this change is long overdue. So, there is that foundation for all of this as well.

Now, in regard to specifics, keeping in mind all of the above, we have a person- Jim Cummins- who represents something in the gravel community. How you define that persona may differ, but when you see comments like "The DK200 is nothing without Jim", and you see that over and over, well-  There are thoughts, feelings, and expectations connected to that persona that go well beyond anything having to do with the man himself. Call it 'celebrity', or 'fame', or 'cult figure' even. That part of the debate is a real thing. Many people that think these thoughts do not even really know the man, Jim Cummins, at all. They just feel he represents the Dirty Kanza 200. In fact, I'd go as far to say that the event and the persona are so intertwined as to be inseparable. That's true for many people, I am sure, judging from commentary I have seen over the past 72 hours on social media.

Taking that into consideration, along with the state of society now, we have the third part of this issue- The Corporate Entity. As you most likely know, Jim Cummins, and the rest of the DK Promotions team, sold the event to Life Time Fitness in the Fall of 2018. At that point, Life Time, realizing that Jim Cummins was "The Face" of the DK200, retained him, and that was a smart decision. Keep in mind though that now Life Time is "The Boss". They now have the ultimate say in things concerning DK and its doings. As a private entity, they have to be aware, and be concerned about how they are ultimately being portrayed by their employees. This includes, but is not limited to, actions observed on their employee's private social media encounters. It is not uncommon for folks to get fired from jobs for things that they share on their personal social media platforms. I can think of several times where individuals have posted negative thoughts pertaining to cyclists and where the cycling community has swarmed that persons employer with calls to have that individual fired. This isn't limited to cycling folks either.

Think about celebrities of any stripe. We get bent out of shape many times for things that they share on social media which sometimes has detrimental effects with their employer. I would argue that the more well known you are, the more intense this facet of our society gets. For instance, if my next door neighbor, a plumber, speaks out about a sensitive issue, maybe his small circle of friends on social media are affected. Now, if his boss, the owner of a large plumbing concern in the area says the same thing, there will be a much bigger outcry from the citizens of the area. If this were a national chain of plumbing concerns, and the CEO of said corporation makes the same statements, then it becomes a national issue. See what I mean?

Jim Cummins stands among the few race/event directors that has a fairly well known status nationwide amongst cyclists and sports people. If you say his name amongst a group of cycling nerds, chances are they know you are talking about the Dirty Kanza 200. That's why Jim is not just an ordinary person in matters of social commentary. Many have decried his firing as unfair because he was "only expressing his personal opinion", which many say Life Time had no business dealing with. Well, if you are one of those people, all of the above explanation I have offered is completely lost on you, or you are ignoring the elephant in the room on purpose, and why would you do that?

Probably because of selfish desires to see that a beloved event never changes. To have all these things ripped out from under us in a single year, less than a year, and to have your favorite event be forever changed as well? Yeah, I'd be bitterly disappointed too. But if you want to place blame for that, focusing your ire on Life Time Fitness is a misplaced effort.

Life Time is an entity that is trying to make its events welcoming to everybody. The comment made by Jim Cummins on his post was not seen as something that would make people of color feel welcomed, and Jim is the 'face', the de-facto heart of the DK200, as evidenced by the very fans of his stature and celebrity who now are saying they will never attend the DK again. Life Time cannot tell you what to think. Life Time cannot cause racism, or any other social issue, to go away. That isn't what this is about. What it is about is how Life Time has a right to control how their customers are welcomed. Remember, they bought the DK200 long before any of this happened, and Jim Cummins was their employee.

And the bottom line here is that it is done. There is no going back, and what is more, the name of the event will likely change as a result of all of this. Many people will not deal with this change well. That's a fact, and to a point, understandable. What isn't acceptable is how people on both sides of the issue are vilifying others and being completely irrational when it comes to how they are dealing with the end of the DK200's run with Jim Cummins.

And speaking of 'the end', you should understand that his time with the event was drawing to a close. To think that Jim Cummins was going to be a part of, the face of, and the reason many wanted to go to the DK200, forever, or for much longer, is unreasonable. I happen to know something about that, actually, but all I can say is that one way or the other, Jim was going to be gone. That it had to end the way that it has is very sad, upsetting, and not how many of us envisioned it to be like. But it is over.