Sweet Rides & Races: The To-Do List

The following is a list of races the Gravel Cyclist crew plan to attend in the future. We don’t like the term “Bucket List”, rather, consider this our event To-Do list.

Check out our “Done” list of Sweet Rides and Races HERE.

Menso’s Slo Ride to Hell – San Luis Obispo, California

Part of The Gravel Gauntlet Series, Menso’s Slo Ride to hell “takes you on a journey of self-discovery and introspection”. Seventy five mile route with massive views, screaming descents and twists and turns on backcountry mountain tops that will leave you dizzy.
Menso’s Slo Ride Website

 

Land Run 100 – Stillwater, Oklahoma

The Land Run 100 is a solo, self-supported, non-stop, 100 mile long bicycling endurance challenge on gravel and dirt roads surrounding the site of the Oklahoma Land Run of 1889. Oklahoma isn’t flat. This race features gravel, hills and red dirt – the kind you’d expect in Georgia. Read Bob Cumming’s race report for Gravel Cyclist HERE.
Land Run 100 Website

 

Barry Roubaix – Hastings, Michigan

The largest gravel road bicycle race in the world, featuring rolling, scenic, gravel roads through Barry County, Michigan. Because this race is held in late March, it is possible one will experience freezing cold temperatures and snow, or pleasant weather and sunshine. Barry Roubaix was part of the 2014 American Ultra CX series, which unfortunately is no longer. Read Nathaniel Beams race report for Gravel Cyclist HERE.
Barry Roubaix Website

 

Castell Grind – Castell, Texas

A Gravel grinder in the Texas Hill Country. The full monty Castell Grind is 100 kilometres, complete with amazing views, wildlife, cattle guards, minimal traffic and a gravel challenge worthy of bragging rights.
Castell Grind Website

 

Amish Country Roubaix – Millersburg, Ohio

A gravel event that takes place near Amish country of any kind has to be cool. At 100 kilometres in length and in a part of Ohio featuring over 6,500 feet of elevation change, it is far from any big cities, but comes recommended by several friends in the gravel racing scene.
Amish Country Roubaix Website

 

Virginia’s Rough Roubaix – Harrisonburg, Virginia

The Shenandoah Valley is an amazing place to ride a bicycle. We’ve spent much time in the area, riding paved and gravel roads stretching from Strasburg to Front Royal, to Shenandoah, Harrisonburg and beyond. Amazing scenery abounds, along with quiet roads and plenty of elevation change. The 114 mile Grand Classic is the event we hope to ride, weather pending.
Virginia’s Rough Roubaix Website

 

Paris to Ancaster Bike Race – Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

Inspired by Paris Roubaix in France, this Canadian race has taken place for over twenty two years, well before the gravel racing scene was popular. Featuring farm lanes, trails and gravel roads, the unpredictable spring weather is a factor but none of that stops this event from being the largest of its kind in Canada. Read the 2015 race report of Canadian Gravel Cyclist correspondent, Damian Bradley HERE.
Paris to Ancaster Website

 

Gravel Ride for Maisie’s Pride – Eskridge, Kansas

Coming highly recommended from riders in the Midwest, Maisie’s Pride sits at the Front Porch To The Flint Hills of Kansas. A 103 mile gravel race, with a shorter option available, this is part of the Boneshaker Gravel Series. Promoter Ryan Dudley has done an amazing job over the past years, holding an event that is worthy of national recognition!
Maisie’s Pride Website

 

Almanzo Lives! – Spring Valley, Minnesota

This is one of the most epic gravel events in the United States. Original organizer Chris Skogen retired from running the event in 2014, but a group of fans have kept the event going with the same vision of Chris; no race numbers, no ordered finish, just the route, a bunch of riders and the love of an event. We cannot wait to do this one in the future. Sadly 2015 is out due to injury.
Almanzo Lives! Website

 

The Hairy Hundred – Rocheport, Missouri

100 “Dam” miles of gravel roads across Boone and Howard Counties, Missouri. We’ve never ridden or raced in Missouri, and for that simple reason, we want to do this ride. We love the beaver race mascot, and Rule #1 of the race – Do Not Pick Up the Goats. We like promoters with a sense of humor.
The Hairy Hundred Website

 

Badlands Gravel Battle – Medora, North Dakota

We had the pleasure of cycling the Teddy Roosevelt National Park in 2014, as well as touching on a few gravel roads near the town of Medora itself. Beautiful scenery, and wildlife such as buffalo and prairie dogs about the place. We’ll be back for this 100+ mile race through the North Dakota Badlands sometime in the future.
Badlands Gravel Battle Website

 

Dirty Kanza – Emporia, Kansas

The 200 mile full monty version of this race is the one that most people affiliate with gravel racing in the United States. Getting our heads around 200 miles is going to require some serious effort, but this is a race we’re hoping to attend in the future. Some people consider it a rite of passage for gravel racing, we’ll be out to survive it without dying 🙂
Dirty Kanza Website

 

Lost and Found Gravel Grinder – Lake Davis, California

Located in Northern California, approximately 50 miles from Reno, Nevada, this race was on the 2015 To-Do list. Sadly, JOM suffered a broken clavicle, which put an end to this year’s appearance. On the positive, the race promoters have extended JOM a raincheck for 2016 which we plan to utilize. If you don’t know it already, California is an amazing place to ride a bicycle. 100 miles, 7,000′ feet of elevation gain and 80% dirt, the course features pavement, dirt, gravel, historic railway grades and epic scenery.
Lost and Found Website

 

Woodticker 200 – Hawley, Minnesota

We rode most of the Woodchipper 100 route in June of 2014. That experience left us with a good impression, meaning we’re interested in the promoter’s latest version of the ride, the Woodticker 200. Self-supported, there is a time limit of 24 hours to knock this one out. Like the Dirty Kanza, this will require some serious endurance training beforehand to get into the right frame of mind. 200 miles of pavement is a lot different to 200 miles of gravel!
Woodticker Website

 

Odin’s Revenge – Gothenberg, Nebraska

Another lengthy event at 180 miles, and again, self-supported. The event winds through terrain in West-Central Nebraska. JOM has never visited Nebraska, which gives another reason to do this event. With 42 states checked off the list, JOM is keen to complete the 50! The course preview photos look awesome!
Odin’s Revenge Website

 

Crusher in the Tushar – Beaver, Utah

This race was originally part of the 2014 American Ultra CX series, of which JOM attended five of the seven races. This was one race he missed. Because of the altitude factor associated with this race, it will be a tough proposition for a lad who resides in Florida, and isn’t one of the better known climbers. The best way to tackle this issue; arrive the day before the race, and do your best day of. In our experience, you can cheat the altitude for about two to three days, then it’s all downhill until you acclimatize… weeks later. Additionally, Utah is another state JOM needs to knock off the list.
Crusher in the Tushar Website

 

D2R2 – Deerfield, Massachusetts

Long known to many as the hardest, most beautiful, most fun, most traffic-free, most unique, and best overall ride they have ever done, the ride came highly recommended to us. The Gravel Cyclist is confirmed for 2015, and is looking forward to documenting the experience with words, photos and video. We cannot wait!
D2R2 Website

 

Gravel Worlds – Lincoln, Nebraska

The “unofficial” worlds for gravel cycling, but in reality, a tongue in cheek poke at the “real deal”.  Organized by the lads from the Pirate Cycling League (we love the name), there is a “rainbow jersey” up for grabs for each respective category. At 150ish miles, this will be no walk in the park, but we cannot wait to give it a go.
Gravel Worlds Website

 

Rebecca’s Private Idaho – Ketchum, Idaho

Organized by mountain bike endurance champion Rebecca Rusch, this 100 mile epic covers grueling gravel roads, canyons, summits and high mountain basins. Add to that, Idaho is another state JOM needs to check off the list.
Rebecca’s Private Idaho Website

 

Hellhole Gravel Grind – Charleston, South Carolina

A unique event close to the Florida home of Gravel Cyclist. Featuring a Friday evening prologue (optional) and Saturday and Sunday stages, this is an an uber cool stage race on gravel roads and forest trails in the Francis Marion National Forest.
Hellhole Gravel Grind Website

 

3 Peaks Cyclo-Cross – North Yorkshire, United Kingdom

The World’s original Ultra CX event. It is the biggest and toughest CX event in the UK. Only 38 miles in length, of which 34 is rideable, the 5,000 feet of climbing is going to be a huge factor. We don’t know when we’ll do this one, but it is a must-do for the Gravel Cyclist crew.
3 Peaks Website

 

L’Eroica – Gaiole, Italy

This amazing ride is on the 2016 To-Do list, with advance preparations being made by the Gravel Cyclist crew. By that we mean, JOM is assembling a pre-1987 road bike with period parts and shoes, in order to meet the organizer’s requirements, and remind ourselves we need practice riding toeclip pedals and friction, downtube shifters. Mr and Mrs K-Dogg rode this event in 2014, and to quote K-Dogg, it was his best day on a bike – ever. We’re in for the full monty – 205 kilometres, almost all of it on the white gravel roads of Tuscany.
K-Dogg’s 2014 L’Eroica Video — K-Dogg’s 2014 L’Eroica Ride Report — L’Eroica Website

 

Ten Thousand – Freeport, Illinois

125 miles, 10,000+ feet of climbing. Illinois isn’t known for elevation, as most of it was crushed by glaciers some 250,000 years ago. However, there is a sliver of rolling, rugged terrain that exists today. 10,000 is a by-product of that glacial neglect.
Ten Thousand Website