Sturm made a splash last month when she won the Belgian Waffle Ride, and last weekend, she continued her gravel racing with a start at the Lost and Found Gravel Grinder in NorCal’s Sierra Mountains.

Sturm rode a Roubaix road bike at BWR, but at Lost and Found, she went full gravel send on the company’s Diverge frameset. It wasn’t Sturm’s first groadeo on the Diverge—her Specialized x Rocket Espresso Gravel Team had her ride it at the Sea Otter Criterium, which she also won.

“Ha! Yeah, it’s funny, I do think about that sometimes. I mean when you have 100-plus miles, you think about a lot,” Sturm said about her crit experience. “It is a very capable bike, especially when you ride it in the context it was designed for, but it’s proven to hold its own in other settings now too.”

The Diverge proved Send-It Certified for Sturm once again, helping her to a second-place finish at the 2019 Lost and Found. We put on our sunglasses and looked at her hot pink bike after the race for this Lost and Found bike profile.

[caption id="attachment_135998" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Sarah Sturm’s 2019 Lost and Found Specialized Diverge gravel bike. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Sarah Sturm’s Lost and Found Specialized Diverge Gravel Bike

While the Tenspeed Hero paint is notably lacking, Sturm’s bike remained loud with a vibrant pink paint job. Although women’s models are available, Sturm rode an almost stock men’s Diverge Expert. With Sturm on a 48cm frame, the phrase “shrink it and pink it” applied to a men’s bike in this case.

[caption id="attachment_135988" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Pink! Bright pink. Sarah Sturm’s 2019 Lost and Found Specialized Diverge gravel bike. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Unlike the S-Works builds of Alison Tetrick and Olivia Dillon, Sturm’s Diverge is built using a more basic 9r carbon recipe, but it still features the same Open Road geometry and Future Shock found on the top shelf build.

Specialized has been at the forefront of adding compliance to its bikes, and in the case of the Future Shock, Sturm has found it to be a nice addition during Lost and Found.

“There was a moment around Mile 70 where my team manager and I were riding together and just in the hurt locker,” Sturm explained. “I looked over to him and all I said was, ‘Thank god for this Future Shock!’ We were both so throttled and everything was fatigued when you’ve been on dirt roads for that long and pushing yourself, so any bit of relief from the bumps and relentless chattering you’re stoked about.”

[caption id="attachment_135991" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Another feature originally found on the Roubaix, the Future Shock suspension system offers 20mm of travel to assist in wheel control and small bump compliance. Sarah Sturm’s 2019 Lost and Found Specialized Diverge gravel bike. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The Diverge Expert is built with a SRAM Force 1 transmission, which is right at home for Sturm, considering she used the same on her CruX for Elite Nationals in Louisville. Unlike her CruX, however, the Diverge features a Zayante Carbon crankset from Praxis, set up with the stock direct-mount 40t chain ring. As with her CruX, Sturm used Shimano M8000 SPD pedals.

“I’m used to it from mountain biking, and I like the simplicity of it,” Sturm said about her 1x setup. “It was perfect for the climbs, and I didn’t notice it holding me back on the descents until one of the last road sections where I was a bit spun out, but it wasn’t for very long. Plus, my legs needed the recovery.”

[caption id="attachment_135996" align="aligncenter" width="1191"] Praxis has made inroads on the OEM market in the last few years with products like the Zayante Carbon crankset, which can be set up in 1x or 2x configurations. Sarah Sturm’s 2019 Lost and Found Specialized Diverge gravel bike. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Wheels are Specialized’s own Roval C38, a new, tubeless-ready wheelset with a new rim design and DT Swiss 350 hubs, which come stock on the Diverge Expert. Sturm did change tires from the stock Sawtooth to Specialized’s new Pathfinder tire which features a smooth center line and the more aggressive shoulder lugs also found on the Tracer. Sturm opted for the 700c x 42mm width and ran the tires at 34psi in the front and 36psi in the rear.

“Tire choice was the question for the weeks leading up to the race,” Sturm said. “I knew I wanted the burly TPI of the Pathfinder—the course was rocky enough for flats to be an issue. I also really love the Pathfinder for the descents. That’s where you can really gain or lose the race, so I wanted the confidence in my tires going down those roads.”

“More than the question of the Pathfinder, I had some back and forward trying to decide between the 38s and the 42s,” Sturm continued. “I chatted with my teammate, Cody Kaiser, about it a lot and ultimately decided to go with the bigger tires for additional cush over the rocky 100 miles. Even though I was super nervous about the rear clearance. ”

[caption id="attachment_136002" align="aligncenter" width="1102"] The Pathfinder gravel tire combines a smooth center tread with the shoulder lugs of the Tracer. Sarah Sturm’s 2019 Lost and Found Specialized Diverge gravel bike. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The cockpit is where most of Sturm’s customization took place. Sturm swapped the 12-degree flared version of the Hover Bar for a more traditional Specialized Aerofly Carbon. “No flare for me!” Sturm exclaimed.

A new bar meant new tape, and Sturm selected a color-matched option from Supacaz.

[caption id="attachment_135997" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Supacaz offers premium bar tape in a variety of colors. Sarah Sturm’s 2019 Lost and Found Specialized Diverge gravel bike. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

To get the right fit, she installed an S-Works stem, which features Ti hardware. While she chose to keep the stock CG-R seatpost, she did install Specialized’s new Power Mimic saddle in place of the stock Phenom.

[caption id="attachment_135993" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Specialized’s Power Mimic was developed with help from a team of medical professionals in response to feedback from pro riders. Sarah Sturm’s 2019 Lost and Found Specialized Diverge gravel bike. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Accessories were present but limited. Sturm used Specialized Rib Cage II bottle cages and mounted the SWAT (Storage, Water, Air, Tools) Road Tool to allow for easy access to a multi-tool. She also installed a SWAT Road Bandit, a saddle-mounted spool which allows for storage of a tube, CO2 canister, regulator and a SWAT tire lever.

[caption id="attachment_135999" align="aligncenter" width="1196"] The SWAT Road Bandit offers a tidy solution for carrying a flat kit. Sarah Sturm’s 2019 Lost and Found Specialized Diverge gravel bike. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The only non-Specialized accessories were Sturm’s Garmin Edge 510, which was mounted with a pink anodized K-Edge out-front mount.

[caption id="attachment_135994" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Sturm’s eye-catching color scheme continued in the pink anodized K-Edge computer mount. Sarah Sturm’s 2019 Lost and Found Specialized Diverge gravel bike. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

For more on Sturm’s pink Specialized Diverge, see the photo gallery and specs below.

For more from the Sierras, see all of our coverage of the 2019 Lost and Found Gravel Grinder.

Photo Gallery: Sarah Sturm’s Lost and Found Specialized Diverge

Sarah Sturm’s 2019 Lost and Found Specialized Diverge gravel bike. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

The post Gravel Bike: Sarah Sturm’s Lost and Found Specialized Diverge appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

Last year, then road world champion Peter Sagan (Bora – Hansgrohe) made his U.S. gravel debut at the Sagan Dirt Fondo in Truckee, California.

Sagan was set to return in 2019, but “an unexpectedly hardcore winter” prevented the race from occurring in conjunction with the Tour of California. Organizers called an audible and held the race last weekend as the Truckee Dirt Fondo.

“The race was rescheduled due to the snowpocalypse,” Nick Haig-Arack of event organizer Bike Monkey said. “We rescheduled the race for summer, which proved to still have its own set of challenges. The weather continued to be unpredictable.”

One upshot of the move to June was the race was able to feature a battle between the winners of the Dirty Kanza 200 and Lost and Found Gravel Grinder held the week before.

The Truckee Dirt Fondo featured routes of 67 (Long), 58 (Medium) and 28 (Non-Timed) miles. The routes made liberal use of Tahoe National Forest.

“The Truckee Dirt Fondo hits high marks on a trifecta of criteria,” Haig-Arack said about the routes. “First off, we’re racing in Tahoe National Forest, one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Second, this is a Bike Monkey event—we’re perfectionists when it comes to grassroots bike racing. Finally, gravel racing is still growing and continues to attract mountain bikers, cyclocross riders and roadies alike. It’s a great day on a bike, no matter your chosen discipline.”

The focal point of the 67-mile Long route was the climb up to Sardine Peak, which tops out above 8,000 feet. Along the way, there were beautiful views and a route that organizers claimed favored wide gravel tires and perhaps even a cyclocross bike.

“This year’s long route was over 65 miles of remote, rough, technical climbs, smooth tree-lined dirt descents, long stretches of remote country road, and rowdy doubletrack,” Haig-Arack said. “A hardtail XC bike would’ve been just as good a choice as a modern gravel bike, although you’ll notice that our podiums were full of folks who selected drop bar bikes with 35mm-plus tires.”

The event also helped support a good cause, with the King Ridge Foundation, a non-profit related to Bike Monkey, sponsoring a fundraising auction to benefit Adventure Risk Challenge, a California non-profit that serves at-risk youth.

“ARC inspires youth to become life-long learners, stewards of the environment and leaders in their schools and community,” Haig-Arack said. “Through our innovative integration of outdoor and academic education, they learn valuable social skills and increase their self-esteem, to support them in their academic, personal, and professional pursuits. High-quality summer learning programs and year-round adult ally relationships are essential to the success of today’s youth.”

Race Results

We teased it at the start, but the Truckee Dirt Fondo hosted a race inside the race between DK200 winner Amity Rockwell and Lost and Found winner Katerina Nash.

Nash got the best of the battle—although she did ride 100 fewer miles last weekend—taking the win in the process. Claire Walton finished second and Rockwell third. Sian Crespo and Samantha Shields rounded out the wide-angle podium.

Jonathan Baker took the Men’s win. He was joined by Jeremy Benson, Brennan Wertz, Brian Schaning and Dillon Osleger on the wide-angle podium.

Results for the 67-mile Long race are below.

Women's Results: 2019 Truckee Dirt Fondo

Men's Results: 2019 Truckee Dirt Fondo

The post Gravel Race: With Peto Snowed Out, Truckee Dirt Fondo Welcomes Riders in June appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

Gravel racing is a truly American way of riding bikes, and so it is cool to see races eschewing yet another play on “Roubaix” to embrace local history when naming races. Events such the Land Run 100 pay homage to periods of history that shaped their respective areas.

Another race embracing that approach is South Dakota’s Gold Rush Gravel Grinder. Based in Spearfish, which is located on the north end of the Black Hills, the race traverses the beautiful Black Hills and even dips into Wyoming for a spell as riders go in search of gravel treasure and wealth.

The course features a tough challenge and plenty of vistas. At least when the weather complies.

The Black Hills provide plenty of beautiful vistas during a good year. Gold Rush Gravel Grinder, South Dakota. © Les Heiserman

The Gold Rush Gravel Grinder does not quite date to the days of the Black Hill Gold Rush that started in 1874, but this year’s event was the 7th year for the gravel grinder.

The race was started by Perry and Kristi Jewett, members the Ridge Riders of the Black Hills Mountain Bike Club. The club has been helping them with their races since the start of the Dakota Five-0 mountain bike race, which is now in its 19th year. About a decade ago, they started to ride some gravel as well.

And as it turns out, the Black Hills have a lot of beauty and a lot of gravel. A perfect combination.

“We had been riding a bit of gravel before on ’cross bikes, but it wasn’t until we bought ourselves some gravel-specific bikes and started putting in more miles and seeking out unfamiliar roads that we began to see the beauty in this sport,” race co-director Kristi Jewett said. “Not only did we fall in love with this type of riding, but we realized we had phenomenal, endless gravel roads throughout the Black Hills that were rugged and remote and took you deep into the heart of the forest.”

Weather conditions made this year’s race a tougher challenge. 2019 Gold Rush Gravel Grinder, South Dakota. © Randy Ericksen

The Gold Rush Gravel Grinder moniker came naturally, and the Ridge Riders chose to really lean into the region’s boom and bust history.

“We came up with the name, Gold Rush, based on the history of the Black Hills and when the Great Dakota boom happened because gold was discovered,” Jewett explained. “We even decided to call one of our checkpoints The Potato Station in memory of Potato Creek Johnny, who found the world’s largest gold nugget. We serve potatoes and whiskey at this checkpoint, and it’s located atop a fire lookout with a beautiful 360-degree view of the Black Hills.”

Like many gravel events, the Gold Rush offers several different distances. The 110-mile “Gold Rush” is the inaugural and marquee event, and there are also the 70-mile “Gold Dust” and a Dirty-Kanza-like 210-mile “Mother Lode.”

“It is almost like a separate race as we have a catered breakfast and awards ceremony at our local brewery the morning after the event just for the Mother Lode riders,” Jewett said about the mega-distance ride. “It’s very intimate as we only get around 30 participants a year, and we really get to know the riders out there as we help with support and sag throughout the late hours of the night.”

Although the lookout at the Potato Station provides a beautiful view, getting there does not come cheap. For the 110-mile route, riders first have to climb up and up and log almost 7,000 feet of climbing by the time they get there. The 210-mile Mother Lode comes in at a whopping 12,000 feet of elevation gain.

The climbing took on a mist-terious vibe this year. 2019 Gold Rush Gravel Grinder, South Dakota. © Randy Ericksen

The Gold Rush event swings heavily toward the “gravel” side of the groad spectrum, with nearly 90% of the routes covering unpaved roads. Fortunately, most of the gravel in the Black Hills is Send-It Certified, helping alleviate some of the pain of the climbing.

“The gravel in the Black Hills is mostly smooth, fast, hard-packed gravel,” Jewett explained. “But sometimes road graders will come through the week before the race and turn the gravel into a challenging mess for 1 to 5-mile sections. I think it keeps it interesting, but I’m not sure the riders would agree with me.”

Challenges with gravel and climbing aside, there is one huge upshot of the Gold Rush Gravel Grinder. “We have been told multiple times that our race is the most beautiful race that riders have done,” Jewett said.

“There are a lot of babbling brooks and creeks that riders get to see, and wildflowers can be abundant during the race. There are some spectacular views, and we also have some wildlife that is pretty fun to see. One Motherlode rider had a mountain lion jump across the road during his race!”

Gravel race organizers are no doubt creative in naming their events, and it seems like in every gravel race write-up we get to the point where we have to ask about prizes. In the case of the Gold Rush Gravel Grinder, there are gold nuggets awaiting the winners, right???

“Ha, we considered doing bars of gold for the race winners but opted for some very nice handmade pottery pieces for the winners,” Jewett demurred. “Clay Dykstra, of Dykstra Pottery, has been doing phenomenal work with his medallions, mugs, flasks and growlers for the race winners.”

Maybe next year.

The 2019 Race

The Gold Rush Gravel Grinder has seen everything from temperatures as high as 110 degrees to, well, this year. The event was the most miserablest yet, with a cold drizzle and temperatures dipping into the 30s.

The conditions made this year’s event interesting. 2019 Gold Rush Gravel Grinder, South Dakota. © Randy Ericksen

The event draws heavily from Colorado, because short drive, but Minnesota and southern Canada were well-represented as well. It does not hurt that the Dakota Five-0 has built a reputation as an impressive race riders travel from across the Midwest and beyond to take on.

Top Women’s honors in the marquee 110-mile Gold Rush went to Hannah Bingham of Colorado. Chelsea Strate took second, Petra Hansen third, Katey Martus fourth and Michelle Stampe rounded out the wide-angle podium.

The Men’s victor was local Spearfish hero Nathan Keck. Chad Weisgram took second and Trevor Rockwell third.  Jake Aisenbrey took fourth and Timothy Fegel won the Singlespeed category and finished fifth overall.

Lauren Giles won the Women’s Mother Lode and Christoph Heinrich the Men’s.

Results for the 110-mile Gold Rush are below. Full results for all categories are also available.

Women's Results: 2019 Gold Rush Gravel Grinder

Men's Results: 2019 Gold Rush Gravel Grinder

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The big weekend of the Dirty Kanza 200 and Lost and Found Gravel Grinder wrapped up the unofficial first half of the gravel season. Shortly after recording Episode 2 of the Groadio podcast, Bill Schieken of CXHairs and I sat down to record Episode 3, which includes the first-ever Groadio Power Rankings.

Schieken has brought the semi-serious ranking feature to mountain biking, and at his urging, I constructed a model to find out who the top gravel racers in the U.S. are so far in 2019. The rankings are, of course, based on the maths, so there can be no arguments*.

* Nevermind that all models are based on the assumptions you make, not the numbers they put out.

In this episode of Groadio, Schieken makes a surprisingly compelling argument for using the term groad to describe alternative racing in the U.S., I give my Top 10s for the Women and Men in the gravel scene, and Schieken breaks down the Quinn Simmons / Payson McElveen Moab White Rim Fastest Known Time showdown.

You can listen via the embed below and at Apple Podcasts.

The post Podcast: Groadio Episode 3 with the First-Ever Gravel Power Rankings, Controversies and More appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

With a long, eclectic history of bike and cross-country ski racing, Max found herself in Idaho at gravel legend Rebecca Rusch’s camp last summer. It was love at first … grind.

“A friend who lives in Ketchum, Idaho suggested another friend and I join her for Rebecca Rusch’s Gravel Less Traveled camp,” Max said. “It seemed like a good excuse to ride something new and spend time with my friends. It was all that and more, and it inspired me to sign up for Rebecca’s Private Idaho. I did the three-day stage race and had a blast.”

After a shoulder surgery following RPI, Max decided she needed a goal for the 2019 season. Enter the Dirty Kanza 200, the granddaddy of them all.

The first hint that something special could be in store for Max came a month before the DK200 when she finished second in the loaded Belgian Waffle Ride field. That past proved to be prologue as Max overcame some untimely flats to finish third at the Dirty Kanza 200.

Max’s bike for her big ride at the DK200 was a carbon Argonaut GR2 gravel bike custom built for her near her Bend home. I took a look at her bike right after her DK200 finish for this bike profile.

[caption id="attachment_136132" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Sarah Max’s 2019 DK200 Argonaut GR2 Gravel Bike. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Sarah Max’s Argonaut GR-2 Gravel Bike

Argonaut Cycles was founded by Ben Farver and is based in Bend, Oregon. Farver got his start working with steel, but the company now builds high-end custom carbon bikes in its Bend shop.

That Max is riding the Argonaut GR2 is thanks to a bit of serendipity.

“Ben heard I was getting into gravel and in January reached out and asked if I wanted to be an ambassador for Argonaut. I didn’t have to think twice,” Max said. “Not only is this my dream bike, that it was hand-built about a mile from my house is insanely cool.”

“Argonaut was looking for a female brand ambassador in that space, and it just worked out to be a great fit,” Farver explained. “Before riding gravel became popular we got a lot of requests for a cyclocross bike, but I felt like there wasn’t a strong market for a top-tier custom carbon race cyclocross bike because most folks race their ’cross bike for three months and then don’t touch it until the following September. A gravel bike makes a lot more sense for us to make because they’re ridden all year.”

[caption id="attachment_136184" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Sarah Max gets set to shove off from Checkpoint 1. 2019 Dirty Kanza 200 Gravel Race. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The cyclocross –> gravel connection is another reason the partnership between Max and Argonaut works well. Max has raced in Oregon’s Cyclocross Crusade for years and still enjoys getting out for a good rip or two.

“As is the case with a lot of gravel riders, ’cross was my introduction to gravel. Years before I started gravel racing, I was exploring combinations of single track, fire roads and crappy pavement on my ’cross bike,” Max recalled.

Argonaut currently offers two frames, a road bike and the GR2, although it designs each bike to the customer’s needs. To build its carbon frames, it uses a monocoque molding style where it builds each section of the bike separately and then bonds them together. The carbon is a high modulus blend designed with layups specific to each rider.

[caption id="attachment_136149" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Argonaut uses a monocoque approach in building its bikes. Sarah Max’s 2019 DK200 Argonaut GR2 Gravel Bike. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Max’s GR2 has a head tube angle of 72 degrees and an ENVE Allroad carbon fork with a trail of 47mm. The chainstays check in at a short 42cm and the setup yields clearance for tires up to 700c x 38mm wide.

[caption id="attachment_136147" align="aligncenter" width="1084"] Argonaut designed Max’s bike to fit 38mm tires with a squeeze. Sarah Max’s 2019 DK200 Argonaut GR2 Gravel Bike. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

In addition to doing its own design and manufacturing, Argonaut also does all its painting in-house. At Dirty Kanza, Max’s bike sported a blue and gold paint scheme, although that was not the case a month ago.

“I rode my GR2 at the Belgian Waffle Ride but it had a stealth paint job at the time. Ben and his team finished building the bike the day before a three-day race in Bend. I did that race and a week later did BWR,” Max said. “Before Dirty Kanza, they took apart my bike, repainted it, rebuilt it and shipped it to Emporia. When I unpacked it Kansas, it was New Bike Day all over again.”

[caption id="attachment_136140" align="aligncenter" width="565"] Max’s DK200 bike had a blue and gold colorway. Sarah Max’s 2019 DK200 Argonaut GR2 Gravel Bike. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

We have seen a mix of 1x and 2x drivetrains from the Dirty Kanza 200 and Lost and Found, and Max ended up coming down on the double side. She ran the new SRAM Red 1 eTap AXS gruppo with 46/33t rings in the front and a 10-33t cassette in the rear. Her crankset was the SRAM Red AXS Power Meter with a built-in Quarq DZero power meter.

“The question of single or double was one that kept me up at night for weeks. Well, not really, but I was torn,” Max said. “I love the simplicity of a single, but I ultimately decided I wanted as much range as possible without having to think about swapping cassettes for different kinds of terrain. I can barely change a tire.”

[caption id="attachment_136133" align="aligncenter" width="1249"] Max ran a double with 46/33t chain rings mounted to a SRAM Red Power Meter crankset. Sarah Max’s 2019 DK200 Argonaut GR2 Gravel Bike. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Just as she got into gravel with a friendly recommendation, Max sought advice when it came to tire choice. She ended up opting for 700c x 38 Maxxis Ramblers—they worked for Ted King and Kaitie Keough last year, after all—even though there were other offers on the table. Max’s tanwall tires have the EXO casing for extra protection. The tanwall choice is interesting because Maxxis currently offers only its 40mm Rambler with the tan side wall.

“The day before the race, IRC offered me a pair of reinforced Bokens they made specifically for Dirty Kanza. I was so tempted but didn’t want to mess with anything at that point.”

Every time she has to pick tires, Max thinks back to her cross-country skiing days. “Picking tires is as much an art—and a stress—as picking wax,” she joked.

[caption id="attachment_136141" align="aligncenter" width="1223"] Max opted for 700c x 38mm Maxxis Ramblers on a rec from a friend. Sarah Max’s 2019 DK200 Argonaut GR2 Gravel Bike. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Max was in the lead group at Checkpoint 1 with Olivia Dillon (Velocio) and Amy Charity (DNA Pro Cycling Team), but shortly after leaving Alma, she was the first of that trio to be devastated by flats.

“I started with 28 psi, then let a little air out at the first checkpoint, which I regret,” Max said. “About 10 or 15 miles later, I got a sidewall tear. Was it the tires? Was it the tire pressure? Was it the infamous flint? I have no idea, but I got the full DK experience.”

[caption id="attachment_136143" align="aligncenter" width="1223"] Max ran 38mm tires and found just enough clearance for them with the ENVE fork. Sarah Max’s 2019 DK200 Argonaut GR2 Gravel Bike. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Max rolled with the ENVE squad at the DK200, so it was not surprising to see her on the company’s G23 carbon tubeless clinchers. The rims have an internal width of 23mm, narrower than the 25mm wide ENVE SES 3.4 AR rim, but still put Max’s 38mm tires right in the sweet spot for width, volume and inflated shape.

[caption id="attachment_136145" align="aligncenter" width="1223"] Based on a rec from friends, Max ran 700c x 38mm Maxxis Ramblers with the EXO casing. Sarah Max’s 2019 DK200 Argonaut GR2 Gravel Bike. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

ENVE and Chris King chipped in for Max’s cockpit with a King NoThread Set headset and a matchy-matchy blue ENVE Road Stem. ENVE now offers a G Series flared gravel handlebar (which we are currently using for a review), but Max went with a carbon ENVE Road Handlebar.

[caption id="attachment_136138" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Max’s cockpit included a carbon road bar and matchy-matchy ENVE stem. Sarah Max’s 2019 DK200 Argonaut GR2 Gravel Bike. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Her seatpost was also an ENVE carbon model, and she ran a Fabric Race Line saddle. Underneath her saddle was a Surly saddle bag she borrowed right before the race.

[caption id="attachment_136137" align="aligncenter" width="1156"] Sarah Max’s 2019 DK200 Argonaut GR2 Gravel Bike. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

For a closer look at Max’s Argonaut GR2, see the photo gallery and specs below.

For more from Emporia, see all of our coverage of the 2019 Dirty Kanza 200.

Photo Gallery: Sarah Max’s DK200 Argonaut GR2

Sarah Max’s 2019 DK200 Argonaut GR2 Gravel Bike. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

The post Gravel Bike: Sarah Max’s Argonaut GR2 Sets Sail on Gravel Roads appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

Finish the 50? Do the 100. Conquer the 100? Take on the DK200. PR the DK200, apply for the DKXL … Okay, maybe that last one is a bit much for most of us.

Erica Mueller of Madison, Wisconsin is the embodiment of that spirit. A former road racer who has also dabbled in some cyclocross, Mueller has found a second home on the gravel roads of the Midwest and beyond.

Last year, Mueller finished the DK100 and vowed she would come back and take on the DK200 in 2019. Mueller accomplished her mission, finishing the 202-mile race in a little over 16 hours.

Mueller made the jump to the 200 this year with plenty of gravel miles under her wheels as a part of the Shimano Gravel Alliance. The group of 16 brand ambassadors travels to events across the country and helps provide input on Shimano’s gravel-oriented components.

That input included advising on the new GRX family of gravel components Shimano released last month.

“We’ve built a lot of relationships and put our heads together on what the GRX components should be,” Mueller said about the Gravel Alliance. “We’ve got people from different parts of the country, and I think it impacts what they want on their bikes and what the best fit is for that person.”

Mueller had new GRX components on her Orbea Terra gravel bike for the Dirty Kanza. I took a look at her bike at the All Things Gravel on DK Eve for this bike profile.

[caption id="attachment_136160" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Erica Mueller’s Orbea Terra with Shimano GRX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Erica Mueller’s Shimano GRX-Equipped Orbea Terra

Orbea redesigned the Terra in 2017, giving the bike a gravel-oriented geometry and modern features such as flat mount disc brakes and 12mm thru-axles. At Dirty Kanza, Mueller was riding a 2018 model year carbon frame that has a slack front and clearance for tires up to 40mm wide.

“I’ve had the bike for what most people would consider too long. They’re usually ready to recycle or get a new one in the disposable world we live in,” she said. “It’s been a really good bike with a carbon frame. I’ve had for two years now, and I’ve done almost exclusively gravel on it with a little bit of commuting.”

[caption id="attachment_136181" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Erica Mueller’s Orbea Terra with Shimano GRX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Unlike Katerina Nash’s Clif Pro Team colored bike, Mueller’s frame is all black with her Shimano Gravel Alliance allegiance well represented.

[caption id="attachment_136170" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Mueller is a member of the Shimano Gravel Alliance, a group of brand ambassadors and project consultants. Erica Mueller’s Orbea Terra with Shimano GRX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

As a Shimano ambassador, Mueller had the new gravel-specific GRX groupset on her bike for the Dirty Kanza. The new GRX components have 1x and 2x options available. We certainly saw a number of 1x drivetrains at DK and Lost and Found, but Mueller opted to go the 2x route.

She pointed out that from being a member of the Shimano Gravel Alliance and traveling across the country for events, she has learned gravel riding means something different everywhere you go. Mueller does most of her riding in the Midwest near her Wisconsin home, and perhaps surprisingly, that means a lot of steep climbing.

“I like that Shimano offers the 1x option, but for the type of riding I do, I like the 2x,” she said. “With the hills in the Midwest—some people don’t think we have hills—I like that there’s that option to get in an easy gear when I need to.”

Mueller went with the Ultegra-level RX800 Di2 line of components. She ran the 4-arm RX810-2 crankset with the wide-range 48/31t chain rings and the RX815 derailleur up front.

[caption id="attachment_136163" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The 4-arm GX810-2 crankset is Ultegra level and has room for the wide-range 48/31t rings Mueller used. Erica Mueller’s Orbea Terra with Shimano GRX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

In the back, she went with the RX817 Di2 rear derailleur designed with a clutch and an 11-32t cassette. The combo gives her a 31-32 ratio for those steep hills back home in the Driftless Area that covers Wisconsin and Illinois and on some of those climbs that added up in the middle part of the Dirty Kanza 200 route.

“I like the low gears I’ll be able to use,” Mueller said the day before the Dirty Kanza 200. “Looking back to Almanzo and the Barry-Roubaix and some of the local races in Wisconsin, that lower gear range would have been ideal. I think it’s good for us riders who aren’t pros who want to go out and get in some competitive riding and be able to have that wide range of gearing.”

[caption id="attachment_136164" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Mueller ran the new GRX GX817 Di2 rear derailleur that has a clutch like the RX805 released last year. Erica Mueller’s Orbea Terra with Shimano GRX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Another feature of the new GRX family that quickly caught Mueller’s attention was the new shifters. The new shift/brake levers have a higher pivot point and redesigned ergonomics for better grip and easier braking on rough roads.

[caption id="attachment_136174" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The hoods on the new GRX shift/brake levers are more ergo and the pivot point is higher for better control on rough roads. Erica Mueller’s Orbea Terra with Shimano GRX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

“I’m loving the new levers. When I’m in the drops I can reach the levers easily. I tend to ride in the drops a lot, especially when I’m descending,” she explained.

[caption id="attachment_136173" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Shimano redesigned the shift/brake levers for the new GRX groupset. Erica Mueller’s Orbea Terra with Shimano GRX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

We have seen droppers start to percolate their way into the ’cross and gravel scenes in recent years. Mueller ran a Pro Koryak alloy post with an external connection to a lever on her handlebar. The new GRX series also offers the RX810-LA left shifter for integrated dropper control with 1x systems.

[caption id="attachment_136180" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Mueller had a lever (right) to control her externally routed dropper post.. Erica Mueller’s Orbea Terra with Shimano GRX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

“I have a dropper post which is great because I’m 6 feet tall. Most people probably think you’re not getting gnarly enough on a gravel ride, but there are times it helps,” Mueller explained. “I was out in California doing Rock Cobbler, and in the singletrack, I wanted my center of gravity as low as possible.”

[caption id="attachment_136178" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] At 6-feet tall, Mueller likes the extra room afforded by a dropper on descents. She ran a Pro Koryak with extra cable routing. Erica Mueller’s Orbea Terra with Shimano GRX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

One way you can spot Mueller out on a gravel ride is her frame bag from Outer Shell. Her Half Framebag features the stock leopard print with a rose she added for some customization. “I’ll be on rides and people start to recognize my frame bag now,” she said with a laugh.

Mueller had a top tube and saddle bag from Pro as well.

[caption id="attachment_136166" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] You can always spot Mueller on a gravel ride with her Outer Shell leopard-print bag with a rose added for good measure. Erica Mueller’s Orbea Terra with Shimano GRX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

While Mueller has a component sponsor, she does not have a tire sponsor, and so she had to do what many of us do—find one set of tires to run for the entire gravel season. She settled on 700c x 38mm Teravail Cannonballs that have a low-profile center and side knobs.

“I knew when I bought these I was going to use them for DK, and that’s why I picked them,” she detailed. “I did some research and some stalking of what people rode at DK last year.”

[caption id="attachment_136179" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] After some research and consulting other riders’ choices, Mueller opted for 700c x 38mm Teravail Cannonball tubeless tires. Erica Mueller’s Orbea Terra with Shimano GRX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Although Shimano released the RX570 carbon tubeless clincher with the GRX components, Mueller was on the RS770 carbon tubeless clinchers that were one of the company’s initial gravel/cyclocross tubeless offerings. At 23mm internal, the Mueller’s 38mm tires fit nicely with the rims.

[caption id="attachment_136172" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Although there are wheels included with the GRX family, Mueller ran Shimano’s RS770 carbon tubeless clinchers. Erica Mueller’s Orbea Terra with Shimano GRX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Pro and Shimano parts helped fill out Mueller’s contact points. A Pro Vibe alloy stem connected to a Pro Discover Medium Flare handlebar with 12 degrees of flare. The bar was wrapped in an easy-to-spot Pro wrap.

[caption id="attachment_136168" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Pro provides Mueller’s parts, with a Vibe stem holding her Discover handlebar. Erica Mueller’s Orbea Terra with Shimano GRX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

A Pro Turnix saddle with a Pro saddle bag attached to her dropper post, and her pedals were Shimano Deore XT M8000 SPDs.

[caption id="attachment_136171" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Mueller opted for a Pro Turnix saddle with a saddle bag below. Erica Mueller’s Orbea Terra with Shimano GRX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

For more on Mueller’s bike, see the photo gallery and specs below.

For more from Emporia, see all of our coverage of the 2019 Dirty Kanza 200.

Photo Gallery: Erica Mueller’s GRX-Equipped Orbea Terra

Erica Mueller’s Orbea Terra with Shimano GRX. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

The post Gravel Bike: Erica Mueller’s Orbea Terra with Shimano GRX Gravel Components appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

For Oregon’s Matt Lieto, the new five-day Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder stage race provided the perfect opportunity to combine sharing adventure and community with gravel enthusiasts and some nostalgia adults ages roughly 32 to 40 can relate to.

“It just kind of made sense if you’re doing something epic and adventurous to call it the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder,” the Oregonian said. “I grew up playing the Oregon Trail video game with the ‘Wah wah, you died of dysentery.’ It’s a small part of our team, but those who remember the game are so fired up for that aspect.”

The new five-day stage race kicked off today in Sister, Oregon. The five daily routes, each 55 to 77 miles long, travel into the Cascade Mountains and circumnavigate several peaks west of Bend.

Lieto, who helped race promoter Chad Sperry put the race together, used the word “epic” repeatedly when describing the event. The event’s name is not all lip service either, the routes will include historic trails that fit the Oregon Trail moniker.

“We will be on some historic wagon roads for sections of a couple stages. It’s pretty epic. A wagon road that was made in like 1815 is pretty cool,” Lieto said.

When the gravel pioneers hit the start line this morning, Lieto and the race team had done a Conestoga wagon’s worth of work to help build a logistically sound event while cultivating a gravel vibe that fits jibes with why Lieto and the team got into the discipline in the first place.

The Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder will include some historic wagon roads on its route. photo: Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder

Hitch Your Wagons for Adventure

Stage races are becoming increasingly popular in the gravel scene—we’ve covered the Tortour in Switzerland and La Grind in Kansas this year—but the genesis of the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder goes back several years to two people who fell in love with the adventure of gravel.

“Carl Decker and I came up with the idea for the format over dinner back when we were roommates four or five years ago,” Lieto recalled.

Once they had the idea, the name also came quickly. “Carl and I did a race a couple years ago in the Dalles, which is about 120 miles from here. We rode back the next day, and we were riding our bikes on the Oregon Trail. It just kind of made sense if you’re doing something epic and adventurous to call it the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder,” Lieto recalled.

Lieto moved to gravel after a career racing triathlons, and he is a current member of the Easton Overland Gravel Team. Gravel has appealed to him because of its sense of adventure and the strong community bonds it fosters. The Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder provides the perfect opportunity to share those two ethos with others.

“Five days gives you an option to go to some cool spots,” Lieto said. “Also, I really liked the camping experience at Lost and Found when I first did it a few years ago, and I think that will be an awesome part of this event. For me selfishly, to bring a couple hundred people out to central Oregon and have four nights of partying during the week sounds really cool.”

With a vision and plan set, Lieto enlisted Chad Sperry of Breakaway Promotions to help make the event happen. Sperry has years of race promoting experience with events such as the Mount Hood Classic, Tour of Utah and multiple national championships.

Stage races are nothing new for self-supported bikepacking races, but to have five straight days of gravel races, logistics of moving gear and food becomes a key part of a successful event. The organizers settled on a 350-mile loop that starts in Sisters and loops counterclockwise before finishing where it started.

The routes for the successive days are 77, 66, 76, 58 and 71 miles long. “Our goal isn’t to annihilate people. We want it to be a challenge, but we also have two categories offering people a shorter loop on any day that doesn’t count for the GC,” Lieto said about the route.

Decker has a few gravel miles under his wheels, and after a tour of the route, it is certainly Carl Decker Send-It Certified.

“This loop around the Cascades is a five-day event with roads most people have probably never seen,” Lieto said. “I think Carl would say he’s seen every inch of the state of Oregon, and he went on a moto trip to preview the course and he was like, ‘This course is sick.'”

Organizers designed the stage race as an adventure with plenty of gravel grinding in store. photo: Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder

Gravel has grown in popularity thanks in part to the more relaxed atmosphere it has compared to some other disciplines. Any report from any gravel event will talk about meeting old friends and making new ones. For Lieto and his team, fostering a sense of community was perhaps the most important part of planning for the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder.

As he mentioned above, the fully supported stage race approach means that participants will be camping in the same spot each night. In that regard, Lieto said they modeled the event after the week-long BC Bike Race mountain bike stage race. “That thing is dialed and we 100% cannot compare ourselves to that. The experience is rad and it’s an epic thing. If we can get anywhere close to that, we’ll be pretty pumped,” Lieto admitted.

Participants will have plenty of chances to relax and make new friends each night. And maybe even earn some much-coveted time bonuses. Who knows!

“We’ll be doing pioneer-style campfire games that may or may not have time bonuses associated with them to help make sure folks have a good time and realize it’s just as much about after the race as it is at the start line,” Lieto said.

Elite Gravel Pioneers

Participating in the nightly festivities will be an impressive cast of elite national-level gravel racers, including a number of riders who made the first-ever Groadio Power Rankings unveiled last week.

Part of Lieto’s work as a race organizer included reaching out to Elite racers to recruit them to help provide some cachet for the first-year race. There were, uh, some criteria he put in place.

“I’ve known Alison Tetrick for a long time and she is a badass cyclist and gravel racer,” Lieto said. “But she is also going to go toe-to-toe with me in whiskey drinking and having a good time after the race.”

Alison Tetrick knows how to have a gravel good time. 2018 Women’s Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Another rider who happens to be coming off the biggest win of his cycling career also made the cut, thanks in part to what he can offer to the campfire scene. “Colin Strickland reached out to me at the last minute. He was like, ‘I’m coming,’ two weeks ago. I was like, ‘I don’t know, he seems pretty serious,’ but the coolest thing, he kept texting me, ‘Is there going to be room in my bin for a guitar for the campfire?'”

For the record, there will be room for both Strickland and his guitar.

Colin Strickland and his guitar will be at the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

“Part of the reason we’re going to have these games is to have everyone interacting with everyone else,” Lieto said about the event setup. “People who signed up on January 1 who are from Oklahoma will be able to hang out playing guitar with Colin Strickland. As laid back as the sport is, it’s still cool to be able to rub shoulders with the best in the world.”

Joining Tetrick—second at the DK200—in the Women’s field will be, among others, Amity Rockwell (2019 Queen of Kanza), Sarah Sturm (2nd at Lost and Found), Sarah Max (3rd at DK200), Serena Bishop Gordon (3rd at Lost and Found) and Rebecca Fahringer. The latter likely needs no introduction for readers of Cyclocross Magazine.

Amity Rockwell helps headline the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder field. 2019 Open Women Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

On the Men’s side, the field includes Decker (2nd at Lost and Found), Barry Wicks (3rd at Lost and Found), Yuri Hauswald, Cody Kaiser, Tristan Uhl, Josh Berry, Kevin Girkins and Scott Chapin. (again, among others)

Two-thirds of the 2019 Lost and Found Men’s podium will be at the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder. 2019 Lost and Found gravel race. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

That so many top athletes are spending a week racing gravel in Oregon is a testament to the format of the race and Lieto’s elbow grease. There are no payouts on the line, just adventure and bragging rights.

“We aren’t doing any payouts,” Lieto said. “There were a couple of athletes who hinted at it, but in the end, it’s a first-year race and the cost per person racing is extremely high. It was $800 when reg opened; that’s a lot for food and logistics and everything.”

“We feel really lucky those folks have chosen to spend time with us.”

The five-day race will be scored as a traditional time-based stage race. Time bonuses from the races themselves or the campfire games are still TBD as of press time.

Lieto said he is excited to see how the races play out. Each stage features plenty of climbing and challenges of different stripes, and Friday’s Stage 3 will serve as the Queen Stage that could have the biggest impact on the race’s final outcome.

“As an athlete, I think it’s dosing the races correctly. I think there are regional differences in race tactics, and I think maybe some of the folks will be aggressive the first couple of days, and that could mix things up.”

“Our third stage is gnarly dude. There’s a reason it happens on the Summer Solstice. People are going to need that daylight,” Lieto said about the Queen Stage.

Adventure with a Side of Nostalgia

“To separate yourself in the gravel scene these days, you have to have some sort of twist. I think the five-day thing is a big enough twist, but by also using the name, it stays true to Oregon and gives us stuff to have fun with,” Lieto said about the approach for the first-year race.

As we have learned this year, there are races of every name, size and shape on the U.S. gravel landscape. As a member of the Oregon Trail Generation, naming the race after the game I played during computer lab in grade school certainly helped get my attention.

Even better, the race has really leaned into the Oregon Trail computer game motif. Text on the website mimics the iconic Apple IIe font and the graphics are a throwback to the game as well.

For those who cannot finish the five-day race, there is even a “Died of Dysentery” t-shirt waiting when you board the “Bus of Shame.”

The Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder really leans into the computer-game-related theme.

Adventure, community, nostalgia, Lieto is hoping it all adds up to an event that is on the gravel landscape for years to come. “We want to make a race that has adventure at the forefront and will appeal to the national gravel crowd. We want it to be a destination race people are looking forward to making a big trip out of.”

The post Hitch Your Wagons for Adventure, Community at 2019 Oregon Trail Gravel Stage Race appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

With a carbon cyclocross bike in the SuperX that has proven capable of winning the Dirty Kanza 200 gravel race, Cannondale has been a bit slower in releasing a dedicated carbon gravel race bike than many other bike companies.

The alloy Slate with a Lefty front fork was the company’s first gravel foray, and last year it released the alloy Topstone, which hinted that a carbon gravel bike would one day be coming from the Connecticut company. On rides this spring, we’ve gotten word from Cannondale representatives of a carbon version down the (gravel) road.

Today, Cannondale officially released the Topstone Carbon, a carbon gravel race bike with a unique pivot system to provide gravel compliance felt at the saddle but without front suspension. We take a first look at the new gravel bike from Cannondale.

The Topstone Carbon SRAM Force eTap AXS is the flagship of the new carbon gravel bike line. Cannondale Topstone Carbon Gravel Bike Release. © Cannondale

Cannondale Topstone Crb Gravel Bike

Prior to the Dirty Kanza, many of us at cycling publications heard rumblings a new carbon Topstone was forthcoming from Cannondale and had our eyes out of the new bike under Cannondale-sponsored riders. However, Ted King, the EF Education First team and Aevolo Cycling showed the utility of the SuperX by choosing to ride the cyclocross bike for the 202-mile gravel race.

Next time we see those riders, many will likely be on the new Topstone Carbon. The most notable aspect of the new carbon bike is the Kingpin suspension system.

We have seen plenty of suspension on cyclocross and gravel bikes, including the Specialized’s FutureShock, Trek’s IsoSpeed decoupler, Lauf’s leaf-spring fork, Cannondale’s sister brand Schwinn’s elastomer-based suspension, Moots’ elastomer-and-steel spring rear suspension, Fox’s front suspension fork, Redshift’s ShockStop stem, Cirrus’ BodyFloat seat post, and well, the Niner Magic Carpet Ride. The Kingpin is a bit different than those systems.

The Kingpin system features a thru-axle pivot joining the seatstay and seat tube that provides up to 30mm of travel at the saddle. The pivot system is designed to work in concert with what Cannondale is calling “flex zones” in the chainstays, seat tube and top tube to provide compliance at the saddle and additional absorption at the rear axle.

Cannondale has plenty of experience building suspension bikes that rely on carbon’s flex instead of multiple pivots. The original Scalpel mountain bike did just that.

The Kingpin system is a thru-axle pivot that joins the seat tube and seatstays. Cannondale Topstone Carbon Gravel Bike Release. © Cannondale

The carbon frame is built with Cannondale’s BallisTec carbon using an approach it calls Proportional Progression that adjusts carbon thickness and layup based on the frame size. The bike is offered in 5 sizes—XS (52.5cm top tube), S (54.4cm), M (56.1cm), L (57.9cm) and XL (59.6cm).

The frame features tubes that are shaped based on their respective performance needs. The seat tube is flattened and widened near the bottom bracket, the down tube has a large, boxy shape, and the flattened top tube is wider near the head tube to provide more flex.

Carbon tubes are shaped based on their locations and functions. Cannondale Topstone Carbon Gravel Bike Release. © Cannondale

Similar to the alloy Topstone, the geometry on the Carbon model borrows from the Synapse endurance road bike in reach and stack measurements. The reach on a Medium (56cm) frame is 38.5cm and the stack is 57.9cm. For reference, a similar-sized SuperX has measurements of 38.5cm and 57.5cm, respectively.

The head tube itself is 16.5cm and its angle is 71.2 degrees. A trail of 5.5cm and short 41.5cm chainstays help contribute to a 103cm wheelbase on the Medium frame. The bottom bracket sits relatively high, with a BB drop of 6.1cm. That’s pretty high for a cyclocross bike nowadays, let alone a gravel bike, but the high bottom bracket will be offset with a bit of sag.

The fork on the Topstone Carbon is full carbon with Cannondale’s OutFront geometry. For the adventure-inclined, the frame features a port to internally route a cable for a 27.2mm dropper post.

Similar to the alloy Topstone, the Topstone Carbon has clearance for up to 700c x 40mm and 650b x 48mm tires. There are mounts for three water bottles, front rack, rear fenders and a top tube bag.

The frameset is fully modern with 12mm Speed Release thru-axles, flat mount disc calipers and internally routed cables.

The Topstone Carbon Builds

The Topstone Carbon will be initially offered in four Men’s and Women’s builds. Each build features a carbon frame and fork as described above.

The $6,500 top-of-the-line build features a SRAM Force eTap AXS gruppo, carbon rims and parts that are largely from Cannondale’s SAVE tech line. The entry-level $2,700 Shimano 105 bike still has a carbon frame but swaps in alloy rims and alloy parts.

While Cannondale’s cyclocross bike has proven to be a winning choice on gravel, might the Topstone Carbon make a great cyclocross bike on early season bumpy courses? It might. Stay tuned, as we hope to test a Topstone Carbon’s gravel and cyclocross worthiness.

Some of the highlights of the Topstone Carbon builds are below.

Topstone Carbon SRAM Force eTap AXS

The Topstone Carbon SRAM Force eTap AXS is the flagship of the new carbon gravel bike line. Cannondale Topstone Carbon Gravel Bike Release. © Cannondale

Price: $6,500 USD
Front Derailleur: SRAM Force eTap AXS
Chain Rings: 46/33t
Rear Derailleur: SRAM Force eTap AXS
Cassette: 10-33t
Wheels: Cannondale HollowGram 22 Carbon, 25mm internal
Tires: WTB Riddler TCS Light, 700c x 37mm
Brakes: SRAM Force eTap AXS hydraulic disc
Other: Cannondale SAVE stem, handlebar, seatpost; wheel sensor

Topstone Carbon Ultegra RX

The Ultegra RX model has an RX800 rear derailleur and carbon rims. Cannondale Topstone Carbon Gravel Bike Release. © Cannondale

Price: $4,000 USD
Front Derailleur: Shimano Ultegra R8000
Chain Rings: 46/30t
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Ultegra RX800
Cassette: 11-34t
Wheels: Cannondale HollowGram 22 Carbon, 25mm internal
Tires: WTB Riddler TCS Light, 700c x 37mm
Brakes: Shimano Ultegra hydraulic disc
Other: Cannondale SAVE handlebar, wheel sensor

Topstone Carbon Ultegra RX2 (Women, Men)

The RX 2 model has an RX800 rear derailleur and alloy rims. Cannondale Topstone Carbon Gravel Bike Release. © Cannondale

Price: $3,250 USD
Front Derailleur: Shimano Ultegra R8000
Chain Rings: 46/30t
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Ultegra RX800
Cassette: 11-34t
Wheels: WTB KOM Light i23, alloy
Tires: WTB Riddler TCS Light, 700c x 37mm
Brakes: Shimano Ultegra hydraulic disc
Other: Wheel sensor

Topstone Carbon 105

The Topstone Crb 105 is the entry bike in the line. Cannondale Topstone Carbon Gravel Bike Release. © Cannondale

Price: $2,700 USD
Front Derailleur: Shimano 105 R7000
Chain Rings: 46/30t
Rear Derailleur: Shimano 105 R7000
Cassette: 11-34t
Wheels: WTB KOM Light i23, alloy
Tires: WTB Riddler TCS Light, 700c x 37mm
Brakes: Shimano 105 hydraulic disc
Other: Wheel sensor

The post Cannondale Unveils New Topstone Carbon Gravel Bike with Kingpin Suspension System appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

words by Matteo Pistono, photos by Chris Cox

Gravel races and events have their unique characteristics. Nearly all test riders in distance and climbing, and some events merge elements of bike packing, cyclocross and even straight up road racing. Most gravel events grow out of the local riding culture and are often dictated by terrain.

By any measure, this year’s running of the Hunt of the North in Carlsbad, California was unlike any other gravel grinder you will find.

Not a race in the traditional sense, The Hunt of the North is still a test of riders’ gravel speed and prowess. However, riders must also rely on their orienteering skills as much as their proficiency on dirt, sand, technical singletrack and tarmac.

Perhaps most importantly, riders must draw upon situational awareness to become “hunters” of gravel, literally, to collect five pieces of uniquely colored gravel in five hidden locations and return before a time cut-off.

Riders had to search for colored pieces of gravel. 2019 Hunt of the North Gravel Race. © Chris Cox

The Hunt of the North is the brainchild of Gravelstoke’s founder, Dave Malwitz. “The original concept was to create an event that would challenge riders to take on my favorite elements of gravel, including navigation, camaraderie and challenging terrain,” Malwitz said about the event.

The 2019 event that took place two weekends ago was the second edition of the Hunt of the North.

Departing shortly after 8 a.m. from event host and sponsor, Canyon Bicycles USA, located in the heart of coastal North County San Diego, participants had just 24 hours before the start to craft their routes based on GPS coordinates provided by the organizers. Suggested routes were also posted in case riders’ knowledge of the local trail network was limited.

Riders navigate the Hunt of the North course. 2019 Hunt of the North Gravel Race. © Chris Cox

Through the scrub brush and craggy hills of the region, it was not always easy for riders to find their way, and they were faced with other challenges not typically encountered in gravel events.

Lauren Stephens of Team TIBCO – Silicon Valley Bank said, “I knew it would be an adventure, but I had no idea. I thought the challenge was to navigate to five locations and collect rocks. But quickly it became navigating through singletrack trails on a gravel bike and climbing ladders! Finding the rocks was the easy part. Can’t wait for next year.” Just the weekend prior Lauren placed 2nd overall and 1st among women in the DK100.

When riders returned to Canyon with the five pieces of colored gravel, they were given a ticket for the raffle that included quality products from the event sponsors. The day’s efforts were also rewarded with a full taco feast and Hunteur Ale, a special release for the event crafted by Rouleur Brewing.

Fresh off of this year’s Dirty Kanza 200 race, the 2017 DK200 winner Mat Stephens, said, “The gravel world is a diverse universe, and I’ve seen both ends in one week. From racing near the front of DK200 to enjoying the scene and adventure of The Hunt of the North, both were an awesome experience. If you haven’t found what you love about gravel, you just need to keep hunting.” Mat races for the Panaracer/Factor p/b Bicycle X-Change gravel team.

Riders were stoked to go searching fror colored gravel pieces. 2019 Hunt of the North Gravel Race. © Chris Cox

A number of awards were presented by Gravelstoke, including the rider who most embodied the spirt of the Hunt of the North, which went to Brent Prenzlow of Celo Pacific.

This year’s Hunt of the North sponsors included Canyon Bicycles USA, WTB, ENVE Composites, ELIEL Cycling, Rouleur Brewing Company, GU Energy, Wahoo Fitness, Orucase and Velofix.

The post Gravel Report: SoCal’s Hunt of the North is Part Race, Part Scavenger Hunt appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

In 2019, Blue Cycles is back, again.

After moving from its original home in Georgia to California for Blue 2.0, the company has relocated to Colorado after being purchased by Orli Chinea and Dean Myers. Chinea is a long-time employee of the company who saw an opportunity to keep the bike manufacturer known for its Norcross cyclocross and triathlons bikes alive.

“For me, it’s been like a love affair with the brand,” Orli told me at the All Things Gravel Expo at the Dirty Kanza. “I’ve been with the company since 2004, so I have a long relationship with the company and the original owners. I love the products, and I love what the brand has done through the years, and I thought it would be a shame to see it disappear like so many other brands.”

Cyclocross fans likely remember Blue for its sponsorship of four-time national champion Jonathan Page. Of course, you may also remember Page’s 2013 National Championship “mystery bike” that was totally not not a Norcross SL frame.

As the new owners get their legs under them, Blue currently offers four bikes, with one for road, cyclocross, triathlons and gravel. The Hogback gravel bike is the newest bike from Blue, released a few months before the annual gravel race in Emporia.

[caption id="attachment_136218" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Blue Hogback Gravel Bike, 2019 Dirty Kanza Expo. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

I took a look at the new Hogback and chatted with Chinea for a bit about what’s new for Blue and the new ownership team.

Blue Hogback Frame

There was a lot going on at the All Things Gravel Expo—for example, a few bike profiles—and even at the end of the day, the Blue tent caught my attention. My first cyclocross bike was the Jonathan Page edition of the Norcross SL, and I still ride the bike as a commuter and a gravel bike. I am not alone in doing the latter, as we saw Dee Dee Winfield win the Almanzo 100 last year on the carbon version of the Norcross SL.

Since I was in Emporia, I figured when in Rome and asked Chinea if I could take a look at the company’s new Hogback, a bike built specifically to modern gravel bike standards.

[caption id="attachment_136217" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Under new ownership, Blue moved its offices to Colorado last year. Blue Hogback Gravel Bike, 2019 Dirty Kanza Expo. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Hogback pays homage to the company’s new mountainous Colorado home. “A hogback formation is created by erosion of soil and soft rock layers, exposing the upper portions of a long line of rock formations,” Blue’s website states, not so subtly indicating the bike’s intended use.

The Hogback is not Blue’s first groadeo; we looked at the Prosecco gravel bike back in 2016 when the company was Blue 2.0. With the new ownership comes a new design and a new name.

The carbon Hogback frame is built with a high-modulus carbon called Blue-Tec T-700. The frame is built with continuous fibers that stretch through the bike, a process the company claims increases strength and reduces weight. Blue’s bikes are manufactured in its Taiwan factory and assembled in its Colorado facility.

[caption id="attachment_136230" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Hogback frame is built from Blue’s T-700 High Modulus carbon. Blue Hogback Gravel Bike, 2019 Dirty Kanza Expo. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The Hogback frame has all the modern accouterments you would expect including flat mount disc brakes, 12mm thru-axles and internal cable routing.

[caption id="attachment_136231" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Cables are routed internally through both the frame and fork. Blue Hogback Gravel Bike, 2019 Dirty Kanza Expo. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Blue designed the bike with a sloping top tube that curves around the seat tube, a design the company says is to offer compliance and flex to help take the edge of particularly rough and long rides. Not as much flex as say, the new Cannondale Topstone Carbon and its pivot-based suspension.

[caption id="attachment_136223" align="aligncenter" width="785"] The junction between the top tube and seat tube is curved for additional compliance. Blue Hogback Gravel Bike, 2019 Dirty Kanza Expo. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Geometry measurements on the Hogback are those of a gravel gravel bike—no all-roading here. A 71-degree head tube angle, 5cm of trail and 44cm chainstays yield a wheelbase of 105.8cm on a 56cm frame. For reference, that is almost 5cm longer than the Specialized Diverge and 4cm longer than the Trek Checkpoint.

BB Drop of the oversized bottom bracket is 6.8cm. Compared to a lot of cyclocross bikes, the reach of the Hogback is longer and the stack higher with values of 39.1cm and 58.8cm, respectively.

Tire clearance? Yep, the Hogback has plenty. The frame and fork fit tires as wide as 700c x 45mm and 650b x 2.1″. The 40mm tires Donnellys on the DK demo bike fit juuuuust fine.

[caption id="attachment_136229" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Hogback has claimed clearance for tires as wide as 700c x 45mm. The 40mm tires on the demo bike fit just fine. Blue Hogback Gravel Bike, 2019 Dirty Kanza Expo. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Adventure more your speed than ripping gnarly descents? The Hogback has rear rack and fender mounts, three cage mounts and mounts for a rack or bottles on the fork.

[caption id="attachment_136222" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Rack mounts abound on the Hogback if you are looking to take it on an adventure. Blue Hogback Gravel Bike, 2019 Dirty Kanza Expo. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The Demo Build

Blue’s website currently lists six builds for the Hogback, and the company had a seventh on display at the DK Expo.

The demo bike had a full array of FSA K-Force WE components—a build not currently listed on the website, but one Chinea said is coming soon. This is not the first time we have seen the electronic groupset from FSA on display, we also saw Lancy Pants Haidet ride it at Sea Otter in 2018.

Shift/brake levers were the carbon K-Force WE that communicate via Bluetooth or Ant+. Levers come in two sizes, and right now, they are designed to be 2x compatible. The disc calipers were the K-Force WE flat mount hydraulic models.

[caption id="attachment_136227" align="aligncenter" width="1156"] The FSA K-Force WE shift/brake levers come in regular and compact lengths. Blue Hogback Gravel Bike, 2019 Dirty Kanza Expo. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Up front, an SL-K Light modular crankset with carbon arms held 48/32t adventure-oriented chain rings. Upgrades to an FSA Powerbox or Stages crankarm power meter are available with the company’s customization options.

[caption id="attachment_136219" align="aligncenter" width="1168"] The SL-K Light modular crankset fits FSA’s 48/32t adventure gearing spread. Blue Hogback Gravel Bike, 2019 Dirty Kanza Expo. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Both the front and rear derailleurs are K-Force WE electronic models. The front derailleur has a maximum tooth differential of 16t, and the rear derailleur can handle up to a 32t cassette. The demo bike had a 28t cassette.

[caption id="attachment_136221" align="aligncenter" width="1141"] The demo build used the FSA K-Force WE electronic gruppo. Blue Hogback Gravel Bike, 2019 Dirty Kanza Expo. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Stock wheels on the SRAM Force and electronic shifting models of the Hogback are Aerus 35 GR Carbon Disc tubeless clinchers. Aerus being Blue’s in-house wheel brand.

The Vision Metron 55 SL carbon tubeless clinchers on the demo bike are available at an upgrade cost of $450 on the Hogback. The 1,580g (claimed) carbon wheels have an internal width of 19mm and are billed as a road race wheel, whereas the stock Aerus wheels have a more gravel-oriented 24mm internal width and have a lower claimed weight of 1,550g.

[caption id="attachment_136215" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Vision Metron 55 SL carbon tubeless clinchers are available as an upgrade. Blue Hogback Gravel Bike, 2019 Dirty Kanza Expo. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Blue keeps it local in sourcing tires for the Hogback, going with 700c x 40mm Donnelly X’Plor MSO folding tubeless clinchers on all builds.

[caption id="attachment_136228" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Plenty of room left with 700c x 40mm Donnelly X’Plor MSO tubeless tires mounted up. Blue Hogback Gravel Bike, 2019 Dirty Kanza Expo. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Most of the other parts on the demo Hogback were from FSA, including the aero carbon K-Wing AGX handlebar, alloy OS 99 stem and carbon K-Force seatpost. The saddle was a Fizik Arione.

[caption id="attachment_136226" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The demo Hogback was built with a K-Wing AGX raised carbon handlebar. Blue Hogback Gravel Bike, 2019 Dirty Kanza Expo. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Builds of the Hogback gravel bike start at $3,150 for a Shimano 105 build with alloy wheels. A SRAM Force build with carbon rims is $4,650 and the highest end of the listed builds is $6,750 for SRAM Red eTap.

The FSA K-Force WE build with Vision Metron 55 SL wheels retails for $6,200, and the base build with the Aerus wheels is $5,750.

A 54cm frameset has a claimed weight of 1,800g, and the full build with the Vision Metron wheels has a claimed weight of 19.6lbs.

For a closer look at the Blue Hogback gravel bike with an FSA K-Force WE groupset, see the photo gallery and specs below.

Blue Hogback DK Demo Bike Specs

Other Builds: Shimano 105 ($3,150), Shimano Ultegra ($3,650), SRAM Force 1 ($4,650), Shimano Ultegra Di2 ($4,950), Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 ($5,995), SRAM Red eTap ($6,575)

Demo Build: FSA K-Force WE 
Price: $6,200
Weight: 19.6lbs (54cm frame, claimed); 1,800g (frameset, claimed)
Frame: Blue Hogback, Blue-Tec High Modulus UD T-700 Carbon, Continuous Frame Fiber Technology construction
Fork: Blue Hogback, Blue-TEC High Modulus UD T-700 Carbon, 12mm thru-axle, flat mount disc
Shift/Brake Levers: FSA K-Force WE
Calipers: FSA K-Force, hydraulic disc, flat mount
Crankset: FSA SL-K modular, carbon crankarms
Chain Rings: FSA 48/32t
Front Derailleur: FSA K-Force WE
Rear Derailleur: FSA K-Force WE
Cassette: FSA K-Force, 11-28t (max cog: 32t)
Wheels: Vision Metron 55 SL carbon tubeless clinchers (demo); Aerus 35 GR Carbon Disc tubeless (stock)
Tires: Donnelly X’Plor MSO, 700c x 40mm
Stem: FSA OS 99, alloy
Handlebar: FSA K-Wing AGX, carbon
Seatpost: FSA K-Force, carbon
Saddle: Fizik Arione
More Info: rideblue.com

Photo Gallery: Blue Hogback Carbon Gravel Bike

Blue Hogback Gravel Bike, 2019 Dirty Kanza Expo. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

The post You’re My (Gravel) Boy: Blue Returns with Hogback Gravel Bike appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

In the mid-2000s, J.R Petsko and Gunnar Shogren spent a fair amount of time cruising around the many gravel roads near their West Virginia homes. As seems to be the case, they did it enough and eventually decided to invite some friends.

That gathering of gravel friends proved to be the inaugural Hilly Billy Roubaix in 2010. Now, a decade later, the race returns for Year 10, despite what Petsko might have thought the first time he held the race.

“No way,” he said when asked if he thought he would still be doing the race. “I am pretty sure most riders wanted to kill me after that year, as no one had a clue of what they were getting into.” Last year when we spoke with him, he recalled, “I got yelled at a lot after, as broken people laid all over the ground at the finish.”

Based in Core, West Virginia, which sits northwest of Morgantown near the state’s border with Pennsylvania, the Hilly Billy Roubaix is not the longest out there—74 miles this year—but with 7,000 feet of climbing on Appalachian gravel roads, it can be a handful for those not adequately prepared, including those who had choice words for Petsko after those first few editions.

“That is something I have been trying to do for years and still, some don’t listen!” Petsko said about his attempts to describe just how hard the event can be.

Since Hilly Billy Year 1, Petsko has learned a thing or two about putting on a gravel race along the way. Saturday’s race will be the 197th bike race Petsko and his team have put on. As he says, “Crazy.”

Last year’s race was a wet one. The Hilly Billy Roubaix returns on Saturday. 2018 Hilly Billy Roubaix. © Mike Briggs

Something New, Something Borrowed for 2019

If you have a good thing going, why change it, right? It’s doubtful people would blame gravel promoters of popular events if they let things roll once they dialed in the right formula for their events.

However, as we have seen in gravel with the Dirty Kanza 200 using a new course this year, Land Run 100 adding a run and ride option and Barry-Roubaix adding a 100-mile race, even the most popular races out there are always trying to keep things fresh, interesting and moving forward.

The same is true for the Hilly Billy Roubaix. Cannondale has been a long-time sponsor of the event, and as you may have read, the company has the new Topstone Carbon it will be showing of in its natural habitat for the first time at the race. “I feel pretty honored that Cannondale will be unveiling a new gravel bike here. Wish they would have called it the Hilly Billy though!” Petsko joked.

Last year, there two pigs present to help welcome races and hand out podium prizes. This year? “Baby goats!” Petsko said excitedly.

The post-race photo booth featured Abel and Bella the pigs and a discarded couch. 018 Hilly Billy Roubaix. © Mike Briggs

With the 2020 election closer than many of us wish it was, West Virginia stands to be in focus thanks to its reputation as “Coal Country.” Despite the states’s rep, this year’s Hilly Billy Roubaix will be a more environmentally friendly one.

“No more racers packets at registration,” Petsko said. “Why is that? Ten years of plastic bags and product flyers is a lot of materials that end up in the trash. We want to try and make some changes in those areas to make the least amount of impact we can.”

Not everything has to be new, it can also be borrowed and then brought back. Inspired by the Salsa Chase the Chaise lounge that made a gravel splash in 2018, Petsko and his team found a couch on the side of the road and made a lounge, Hilly Billy style. The couch returns in 2019, this year with more goats.

“It has been in storage all year. Hope the baby goats don’t eat it. That thing is a gem,” he said.

The couch returns in 2019. 2018 Hilly Billy Roubaix. © Mike Briggs

Also returning this year is a little something for everyone. Since its inception, the Hilly Billy Roubaix has stuck to its 70ish-mile distance and provided plenty of suffering, memories and camaraderie at that distance. It has also joined other races in inspiring the next generation of gravel enthusiasts by adding a shorter distance in recent years. In this case, it is the 33-mile Hilly Billy Lite that returns again this year.

Something Old

When we asked Petsko why the race has been so successful over the years, he had a pretty good idea of what keeps bringing people back. “How dumb it is and how fun it is,” he quickly replied.

We already heard about the couch and the pigs and the goats for the dumb, and for the fun, it is worth remembering from whence the race came. During our first episode of the Groadio podcast, Bill Schieken brought up the old Ultra Cross series that the Hilly Billy Roubaix was a part of.

The four-race series started in 2011 and featured races that were kind of a precursor to the gnarlier forms of gravel racing we know today. “That series was way before it’s time,” Petsko reflected. “Had we tried to pull that off nowadays, when gravel is such a big deal, it would have been a different story, I think.”

While the Ultra Cross series is gone, its spirit lives on today at the modern Hilly Billy Roubaix. We already talked about the 74 miles with over 7,000 feet of climbing packed into no less than 12 big climbs, but then there are the roads themselves.

The race description says it best. “Road conditions may include missing bridges, car-sized potholes, gravel, mud, black top, cow paths, and maybe a piece of road kill or two. That’s what we call good riding! Leave your expensive Flux-Capacitors and fancy wheels at home and maybe bring the cross bike. It might be the best tool for the job, but bring whatever you think is best for you.”

One thing that helps in creating a gnarly adventure at the Hilly Billy Roubaix is weather that has often been mercurial, to say the least. Petsko recalled heavy rains and muddy roads the first four years, and last year’s course had standing water on roads, even if race day was near perfect. At least, near-perfect in Petsko’s eyes, with some light showers adding extra grit to the course.

Petsko described the local conditions thus far in 2019. “West Virginia has officially become a rain forest over the last few years. Rain every day this week they say. Personally, that makes it way better. Dry is boring.”

Dry is boring. 2018 Hilly Billy Roubaix. © Cassie Fetzer

Despite the discipline changing from what was once an “Ultra Cross” to the fastest-growing discipline of cycling in the U.S., Petsko said he is still excited to put on the Hilly Billy Roubaix every year.

“I think it has given folks a great option to get off the busy main roads with distracted drivers. I think we all have stories nowadays of close calls,” he said. “Being on a back road, seeing the countryside and not stressing about that car coming up behind you sure makes a ride more enjoyable. At least for me. Plus as you know, it such a great discipline where road riders, cross racers, and mountain bikers can all ride together.”

Another reason the Hilly Billy Roubaix has been so successful is the effective partnerships Petsko and its team have built with sponsors, athletes and dedicated volunteers. This year, Cannondale not only chose to return as title sponsor, but it also picked the event to unveil its much-anticipated Topstone Carbon, errr, Hilly Billy Carbon.

Looking past the title sponsor, you can see a long list of local companies sponsoring aid stations and national brands chipping in to help as well.

I asked Petsko for some advice learned from the race’s success. “It is about relationships,” he said. “Pick up the phone and call someone. Don’t text or email them.”

“Do you have any idea how many emails a company like Kenda gets asking for sponsorship every year? A ton! Let them hear your passion and tell them your story.  Also, don’t be afraid to be told no. It happens a lot in this game, but sometimes you find some great folks to work with.”

“It is about relationships, Pick up the phone and call someone. Don’t text or email them.”

Those relationships extend to the impressive group of volunteers Petsko is able to enlist to help put the race on each year. Last year that number totaled over 70, and this year is likely to be no different. It is not just Petsko’s Hilly Billy party—it belongs to a whole group of folks dedicated to sharing the West Virginia and Pennsylvania gravel with others.

“I’m just happy to have come this far with great help from my friends, family and my wonderful wife who allows me to do this,” Petsko said. “I ask a lot of them all leading up to the event, and really, this event doesn’t happen without them.”

The post Gravel Preview: West Virgina’s Hilly Billy Roubaix Brings Dumb Fun Back for Year 10 appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

“I would say have one word for tandem success: trust,” he said. “If that breaks down, there are problems and sometimes we have to talk.”

Dori and Andrew Coetzee were in Emporia earlier this month for their fourth Dirty Kanza 200 riding together in tandem. Since it was not their first try at the race and they keep coming back, something must be working for the Texas couple.

“It’s a great way to be together and it kind of equalizes us being able to ride together,” Dori said. “We go all over, we do long rides, short rides and go exploring. We’re getting ready to do some traveling around the U.S. on the bike as well.”

[caption id="attachment_136312" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Coetzees in action during the DK200. 2019 Dirty Kanza 200 Gravel Race. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Trust and teamwork are an essential part of tandem success, but you also have to have a good bike to help you with the ride. The Coetzees are on their second tandem after a challenging first try at the DK200.

“The first year we rode DK on another tandem. We won’t mention that company,” Andrew said. “We sold it a couple months later. It was heavy, it was rigid and stiff and didn’t work for us.”

Their current bike is a steel Ritchey Double Switchback Break Away designed by Tom Ritchey for his own tandem riding. I took a closer look at the travel gravel bike during Friday’s race eve.

[caption id="attachment_136315" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Dori and Andrew Coetzee’s Ritchey Double Switchback Break Away Tandem. © Z. Schuster[/caption]

The Coetzee’s Ritchey Double Switchback Break Away Tandem

Tom Ritchey likely needs no introduction around these parts with the famed frame builder celebrating 25 years in the business this year. Ritchey himself is an avid tandem rider, and he originally designed the Double Switchback Break Away so he and his wife could have a travel tandem equally capable on pavement and gravel.

The Coetzees were riding the bike at Dirty Kanza because Andrew happened across the frame by accident at the perfect time. Dori and he were looking to replace their old tandem, and the Double Switchback just kind of popped up. “I totally stumbled upon this bike on Ritchey’s website looking for something else, I’m sure. I had never heard of it,” Andrew said.

Ritchey built the frame using a combinaton of Logic tubing and function-specific steel tubing. Tubes are joined with fillet welds, and the frame has been painted with a red, white and blue colorway.

[caption id="attachment_136303" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Double Switchback tandem was built out of Logic and steel tubing by Ritchey. Dori and Andrew Coetzee’s Ritchey Double Switchback Break Away Tandem. © Z. Schuster[/caption]

As the name suggests, it features Ritchey’s Break Away system to allow for easier transport of the long bike. The red-painted front connects to the white-painted middle using two lock rings, and the rear blue section connects to the white middle via a double seat clamp on top and a lock ring on the bottom.

“It fits in two suitcases,” Andrew said. “We’ve got to Hawaii with it, we’ve traveled cross-country and never had to pay fees for travel.”

[caption id="attachment_136316" align="aligncenter" width="1163"] The Break Away system on the tandem uses two lock rings. Dori and Andrew Coetzee’s Ritchey Double Switchback Break Away Tandem. © Z. Schuster[/caption]

The bike has a steel fork, and it was designed around both 650b and 700c wheels—650b for gravel, 700c for road. The rear cross tube has a unique design with two small-diameter tubes providing support (and a convenient place to strap an extra tube).

[caption id="attachment_136313" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The double rear cross tube is also a convenient spot to store a spare tube. Dori and Andrew Coetzee’s Ritchey Double Switchback Break Away Tandem. © Z. Schuster[/caption]

With their extensive tandem gravel experience, the Coetzees have made a number of modifications to their Ritchey tandem since purchasing it.

The Coetzees have their drivetrain set up in phase with a timing chain connecting 42t RaceFace rings that are mounted to throwback Race Face Forged crankarms on the left side.

[caption id="attachment_136286" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] 42t rings with a timing chain keep the couple in sync while pedaling. Dori and Andrew Coetzee’s Ritchey Double Switchback Break Away Tandem. © Z. Schuster[/caption]

On the right side, they ran a “super compact” configuration with 46/30t rings mounted on the two inner spots of a Race Face triple crankset. The vintage crank pairs with a modern—but not that modern—SRAM Red eTap front derailleur.

[caption id="attachment_136308" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Andrew set the SRAM Red eTap derailleur up with “super compact” 46/30t rings on the two inner chain rings of a Race Face Forged triple crank. Dori and Andrew Coetzee’s Ritchey Double Switchback Break Away Tandem. © Z. Schuster[/caption]

In the rear, the Red eTap derailleur shifts over an 11-40t cassette Coetzee fit using a Wolf Tooth Road Link hanger. Both derailleurs are connected to SRAM Red eTap Dual-Control levers.

Ritchey built the steel frame with IS mounts, and the Coetzees mounted BR-CX77 post mount mechanical disc rotors using SM-MA-R203P/S adapters.

[caption id="attachment_136304" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Shimano CX77 mechanical disc calipers mounted to the IS mounts using SM-MA-R203P/S adapters. Dori and Andrew Coetzee’s Ritchey Double Switchback Break Away Tandem. © Z. Schuster[/caption]

Dori rides in the back as the stoker, and her spot got a comfy upgrade with a Cirrus BodyFloat 2.1 suspension seatpost. The alloy post uses adjustable springs to provide compliance, taking the edge off the rough gravel of this year’s Dirty Kanza 200 route.

[caption id="attachment_136289" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Dori got a comfier ride with her Cirrus BodyFloat 2.1 suspension seatpost. Dori and Andrew Coetzee’s Ritchey Double Switchback Break Away Tandem. © Z. Schuster[/caption]

In front of her, she had a Modolo Brevettato stoker bar with a conveniently placed water bottle cage for easy hydration during the long ride.

[caption id="attachment_136298" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Dori used a Modolo Brevattato stoker bar. Dori and Andrew Coetzee’s Ritchey Double Switchback Break Away Tandem. © Z. Schuster[/caption]

At the front of the DK200 races, we saw some riders opt for aero bars, while others went without. During Friday’s Expo, I cracked wise on Twitter about a tandem with aero bars rolling by … turns out, it was probably the Coetzees.

Andrew’s bars were alloy Profile Design Legacy bars attached to an alloy Zipp compact handlebar. He also put some blue bar tape on the ends for a more comfortable grip. Andrew further customized the setup to fit his needs.

“It’s a shallow drop bar. I run it reasonably high on the steerer tube, and then I spend a lot of time in the drops. I run the aero bars and I’ve got the blips in the ends of the aero bars so I can shift from the aero bars or from the conventional hoods,” he said.

[caption id="attachment_136295" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Andrew opted for a Profile Design Legacy clip-on aero bar setup. He put eTap blip shifters on the bar ends. Dori and Andrew Coetzee’s Ritchey Double Switchback Break Away Tandem. © Z. Schuster[/caption]

Since Andrew spends so much time in the drops, the last bit of customization he did was to install flared mountain bike grips on the ends of the drops after experiencing numb hands one too many times.

[caption id="attachment_136311" align="aligncenter" width="1237"] Andrew Coetzee added flared MTB grips to his drops to reduce hand numbness. Dori and Andrew Coetzee’s Ritchey Double Switchback Break Away Tandem. © Z. Schuster[/caption]

The Coetzees opted for 650b wheels on their Ritchey Double Switchback. In the rear, they ran a wheel built with a SunRingle Helix TR27 SL alloy rim and DT Swiss hub, and in the front, they had a wheel built up around an alloy Stan’s Crest rim. Both are tubeless-ready with 24mm and 21mm internal widths, respectively.

[caption id="attachment_136294" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Coetzees ran a rear wheel built around a SunRiggle Helix 27 SL rim and DT Swiss hub. Dori and Andrew Coetzee’s Ritchey Double Switchback Break Away Tandem. © Z. Schuster[/caption]

Front and rear tires were both 650b x 57mm Schwalbe G-One Allround tubeless tires.

[caption id="attachment_136301" align="aligncenter" width="1257"] The Coetzees had plenty of cush on their 650b x 57mm Schwalbe G-One Allround tubeless tires. Dori and Andrew Coetzee’s Ritchey Double Switchback Break Away Tandem. © Z. Schuster[/caption]

Rounding out the Coetzee’s setup were plenty of fixtures to make the travel tandem adventure ready. The back had a total of four water bottle cages and the front two. Dori had a Serfas Speed Stem Bag rotated to attach to her suspension seatpost and a Bontrager saddle bag beneath her, and Andrew had a Banjo Brothers Frame Pack underneath him. They also packed a frame pump and attached two CO2 cartridges next to one of the front water bottle cages.

[caption id="attachment_136288" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Andrew stored his gear and nutrition in a Banjo Brothers Frame Pack. Dori and Andrew Coetzee’s Ritchey Double Switchback Break Away Tandem. © Z. Schuster[/caption]

The Coetzee’s Ritchey Double Switchback proved more than capable in the Dirty Kanza 200. The couple finished in just over 15 hours and placed second among mixed-gender tandem riders. As mentioned at the top of this profile, success goes back to trust and chipping in to a team effort.

“If you’re on a tandem and the person in the back thinks you need to be a little bit further to the left or right, it can cause accidents going through narrow spots,” Andrew said. “Honestly, the captain has to trust the stoker is doing their piece. We talk about it when that doesn’t seem to be the case.”

“I still have to be a strong pair of legs back there and not talk too much because if I’m talking I’m probably not pedaling,” Dori joked. “The ‘Are you pedaling?’ question comes up once in a while.”

[caption id="attachment_136314" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] The Coetzees have put a lot of gravel travel in on their Ritchey travel tandem. Dori and Andrew Coetzee’s Ritchey Double Switchback Break Away Tandem. © Z. Schuster[/caption]

If you are eyeing the Double Switchback Break Away for yourself, the bike has unfortunately been discontinued, but fear not, Ritchey is expected to have a new gravel-friendly tandem out this fall.

For a closer look at the Coetzee’s Ritchey tandem, see the photo gallery and specs below.

Photo Gallery: Dori and Andrew Coetzee’s Ritchey Tandem

Dori and Andrew Coetzee’s Ritchey Double Switchback Break Away Tandem. © Z. Schuster

The post Gravel Bike: The Coetzee’s Ritchey Double Switchback Break Away Travel Tandem appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

“Self-supported” in gravel racing means something different at every race. In races like the DKXL, it literally means you are on your own, carrying what you can at the start and then stopping at gas stations along the way. At others, events will provide rest stops but not allow outside help along the course.

At the Dirty Kanza 200, you are allowed to bring a team to support you, but you are only allowed to get help from them at designated checkpoints—or for a ride back to Emporia if you have to drop out. At the 2019 DK200, there were just two checkpoints, one in Alma and one in Council Grove, meaning riders would be on their own for longer stretches than in past years.

Moving through checkpoints effectively probably will not make or break your DK200 race, but a slow stop to refuel, fix your bike and maybe rest for a spell could mean having to burn another match or two if the riders in the group you came in with are quicker out of town. Forget something and it may take its toll 50 miles down the road.

After covering the 2018 Dirty Kanza, I wrote about how amazed I was by the spectacle of the Dirty Kanza 200 checkpoints. With upwards of 1,000 riders starting the 200-mile race, there are a lot of supportive family and friends gathered in a small area looking to help their riders out.

When I put together that photo essay, I wrote, “In retrospect, I wish I had delved into the story of the pit crews more. If I return to Kanza in 2019, you can count on a trip into the pit being part of our coverage.”

The author was impressed by the spectacle of the checkpoints at last year’s DK200. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Mission in hand, I needed a pit crew to check in with.

One group that knows a thing or two about the Dirty Kanza 200 checkpoints is the now Panaracer / Factor p/b Bicycle X-Change gravel team founded by Bob Cummings. The group has grown from just Cummings to 9 riders in 2019 and has plenty of experience dialing in its DK200 Checkpoint Shuffle.

In charge of the operation since the start has been Bob’s wife Becky. I chatted with her before the first riders rolled into Alma and peaked around the edges as the team got riders into and out of Checkpoint 1 and back on their respective ways.

“This is year six. It started with just one rider and now we’re up to nine,” Becky Cummings said. “Every year it jumps and jumps. This year will be the most. Every year you kind of have to up your game to make sure everyone can find their stuff. It’s not easy.”

Detailed instructions helped riders make sure they got their calories and water. 2019 Dirty Kanza 200, Panaracer / Factor p/b Bicycle X-Change Checkpoint 1. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

The Ready, Set

Checkpoint crews take all shapes and sizes at the Dirty Kanza 200. The Panaracer / Factor team sits at one end of the spectrum with strength in numbers and the steady leadership of Becky Cummings and her years of experience.

Getting one person to Emporia for a weekend can be expensive, so at the other end of the spectrum is the Crew for Hire that charges around $100 to be your checkpoint team for the day. Race diarist Mark Symns and even some Elite riders—consider this pre-hyping a coming interview with Olivia Dillon—opted to go the Crew for Hire route.

In between, there are riders with one person helping them out—we saw Kaitie Keough’s dad help her out in 2018—and riders with small teams that can resemble a NASCAR pit crew at times, taking care of nutrition, hydration and mechanics at the same time.

Pit crews can resemble NASCAR teams at times. 2018 Dirty Kanza 200. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

One could argue that the experience of the Panaracer / Factor team is not your typical DK rider’s checkpoint experience—that is probably a fair argument—but the team has years of experience and with nine riders at this year’s race, the support riders received spans the gamut of what you might see from different smaller operations.

The 2018 Checkpoint 1 proved to be pretty chaotic. It was set in the parking lot of a high school at Mile 50, so a massive lead group came into a cramped area at the same time.

This year’s first checkpoint was near Mile 65, and it was spread out over several city blocks in the town of Alma. The groups were smaller and the space was larger, making for a little less chaos at the first stop.

Christian Meier rolls down Mission Street, the longest stretch available for pit crews. 2019 Dirty Kanza 200, Panaracer / Factor p/b Bicycle X-Change Checkpoint 1. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

As you can imagine, nearly a thousand cars rolling up on small Kansas towns can create a traffic snarl. To alleviate complications, riders’ crews are assigned parking spots based on a color-coded system. The system seems to work well, and in my experience, there has been plenty of parking a few blocks farther out in both the towns and Emporia for curious onlookers like myself.

Still, Cummings leaves little to chance when it comes to making sure her riders find their team. When I spoke with her on Friday, she showed me a map of Alma with a spot clearly marked out. “Here’s where you will find us. Right near the exit,” she said.

Pop-up tent, van, flags, it was all ready to go early Saturday morning. 2019 Dirty Kanza 200, Panaracer / Factor p/b Bicycle X-Change Checkpoint 1. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

If the chaos and/or delirium set in, riders have clear instructions. “We always tell our people we’ll be on the course. When in doubt, just keep going along the route,” Cummings explained. “Sometimes they’ll second guess it, but just keep going and no matter what, we’ll be on the course. We have our tent and the big flags.”

This year’s course went south through Alma along Mission Street before hanging a right onto W 3rd Avenue and going up a small hill back onto the course. As promised, the Panaracer team was set up at the exit on the right side of W 3rd Avenue with the blue tent and Bicycle X-Change van locking it down and flags a-waving.

At the exit as promised, the Panaracer tent was relatively easy to find. 2019 Dirty Kanza 200, Panaracer / Factor p/b Bicycle X-Change Checkpoint 1. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

I found the team tent with no problem, arriving about 30 minutes before Christian Meier came rolling through on his ill-fated early attack. I was pepped up on coffee and some early morning snacks, so more or less in the same condition as the riders who had already ridden 65 miles by that point.

The Panaracer / Factor team was in Alma long before my arrival, and their setup was impressive. I noticed it last year, but to help keep things straight, but each rider gets a box to put their checkpoint gear in. “They bring me everything they think they’re going to need. If there’s any confusion, and there’s always confusion, they can go to their box,” Cummings said, adding, “No matter how prepared you think you are, there’s always confusion out there.”

With nine riders, the team has to do a little guessing about who will come into the checkpoint first. At this year’s DK200, the boxes of Scott Moninger, John Borstelmann, Mat Stephens and Bob Cummings were among those set out first.

Each rider had a box to hold their food, water and other needs. 2019 Dirty Kanza 200, Panaracer / Factor p/b Bicycle X-Change Checkpoint 1. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Of course, chaos is part of the game at the DK200, and as promised by Jim Cummins in our race preview, the gnarly stretch of road from Miles 25 to 30 took its toll, giving team riders, among many others, early flats. Replacement wheels were placed next to the team van with care, ready to swap one in if any flats are beyond repair.

Spare wheels were hung by the van with care. 2019 Dirty Kanza 200, Panaracer / Factor p/b Bicycle X-Change Checkpoint 1. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Mat Stephens was among the riders who had to chase after an early flat.

Mat Stephens was among the riders who had to chase after an early flat. 2019 Dirty Kanza 200, Panaracer / Factor p/b Bicycle X-Change Checkpoint 1. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

The Checkpoint Shuffle

With everything set, when 9 a.m. rolled around, it was near go time for the team at the day’s first checkpoint.

While some crews have two or even three people helping one rider, the Panaracer / Factor team likes to try to keep it at one crew member per rider. “It’s easier, I think, just to have one person, especially when they’re just flying through,” Cummings said. “Otherwise we’d have like 15 people. I can see where having two or three people for a rider would work for a small team, but for us, it would be too much clutter.”

This year’s pit team had seven members, with Cummings, Phil Voegell, Carney Marchand, Matt Mason, Dan Szokarski, Jane Sencenbaugh and Jes Shabatura helping out riders John Borstelmann, Mat Stephens, Michael Senecenbaugh, Kae Takeshita, Rob Bell, Karen Pritchard, Mike Marchand, Bob Cummings and Scott Moninger.

Dan Szokarski was prepared to help his wife Kae Takeshita on Saturday. 2019 Dirty Kanza 200, Panaracer / Factor p/b Bicycle X-Change Checkpoint 1. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Despite being a team, the following 30 minutes made it clear that each rider has their own approach to handling the checkpoints. Some opted for a full stop, while others grabbed feed bags just as a road racer would. Cummings said that those grabbing bags are, however, much more likely to do a full stop at the second checkpoint when the miles and brutal Kanza sun have taken their toll.

Cummings indicated the team is always trying to improve the smoothness of its checkpoint exchanges, and this year, the team made bright pink signs to aid riders in finding their respective crew people. “Our main lead guys we’re hoping all four come in at once. The idea is to have one person for each of those guys. There will be extras, but we have four people holding signs for them and holding their stuff,” Cummings said on race eve.

Pink signs were an addition for the team this year. 2019 Dirty Kanza 200, Panaracer / Factor p/b Bicycle X-Change Checkpoint 1. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

That was the plan, but as Cummings mentioned, you know what they say about the best-laid plans. Thanks to the distance to the first checkpoint and some extra gnarly sections of gravel, the lead group at the head of the DK200 race was smaller and less coherent than in years past.

First through was not four teammates but one rider from the team. A past runner-up at DK, Sencenbaugh hit the first checkpoint with the group of 17 riders chasing after the early solo breakaway rider. His crewmate was Jane Sencenbaugh, who took a casual approach to setting up at the checkpoint in a camping chair adjacent to the team tent. Experience, it turns out, has its advantages.

Michael started the race without a hydration pack, so Jane helped him swap in a Camelbak and grab a bag with some food, while she stocked him up with fresh water bottles.

Jane Sencenbaugh helps Michael get a hydration pack and a new water bottle. 2019 Dirty Kanza 200, Panaracer / Factor p/b Bicycle X-Change Checkpoint 1. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Calm and collected, Sencenbaugh was in and out in under a minute and back with the group he rolled in with.

Michael Sencenbaugh had time to wait for his group after a quick Checkpoint stop. 2019 Dirty Kanza 200, Panaracer / Factor p/b Bicycle X-Change Checkpoint 1. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Next through were two teammates, Borstelman and Moninger. This duo was among the riders the team expected to be the first through the first checkpoint, so they opted to roll through while grabbing feed bags. Moninger snagged his right at the exit.

Scott Moninger grabs his feed bag and goes. 2019 Dirty Kanza 200, Panaracer / Factor p/b Bicycle X-Change Checkpoint 1. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Four minutes behind them came Stephens, still recovering from his early flat. Takeshita’s husband Szokarski helped Stephens snag his bag while Mason was on sign duty. It was not an ideal start to the race for some of the team, but the smooth checkpoint exchanges helped them pick up a few lost seconds.

Dan Szokarski and Matt Mason helped Mat Stephens get his feed bag. 2019 Dirty Kanza 200, Panaracer / Factor p/b Bicycle X-Change Checkpoint 1. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

A minute behind that group, Bell was planning on taking his feed bag and running, but then called an audible to stop and spread the contents out for easier access. By 9:10 a.m. when Bell made the checkpoint, temperatures on the sunny, cloudless day were already starting to heat up, so he opted to use one of his fresh bottles as an impromptu cooler.

Bell opted to stop and take a few while cooling off. 2019 Dirty Kanza 200, Panaracer / Factor p/b Bicycle X-Change Checkpoint 1. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Cummings also jumped in from her supervisory role to help Bell make sense of his nutrition and hydration spread across the ground while making sure he was properly packed as he started to roll away. The checkpoint shuffle was in full effect and it was still the early morning.

The Checkpoint Shuffle includes that one last thing you cannot forget. 2019 Dirty Kanza 200, Panaracer / Factor p/b Bicycle X-Change Checkpoint 1. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Takeshita was the team’s first woman to come through Checkpoint 1. Entering the race with podium aspirations, Takeshita passed through Checkpoint 1 3 minutes behind then race leaders Amy Charity (DNA Pro Cycling Team), Olivia Dillon (Velocio) and Sarah Max (Argonaut).

Takeshita’s crew member was her husband Dan, who travels across the country with her during her many gravel adventures. Szokarski made himself easy enough to find that day, wearing a bright orange shirt with a reflective vest. Coupled with the bucket hat, not a bad way to be seen by Kae and less so by the oppressive Kansas sun.

Dan Szokarski helps restock Takeshita’s top tube bag while Becky Cummings helps hold her bike. 2019 Dirty Kanza 200, Panaracer / Factor p/b Bicycle X-Change Checkpoint 1. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Takeshita opted for a stop, with Szokarski restocking her gear while Mason helped re-lube her chain. Old gravel tars like Marchard and Bob Cummings on the team tend to like to fix their own equipment, but Mason was set to handle mechanic duties for others as needed throughout the day.

Szokarski loaded up new bottles and a new stash of food in Takeshita’s top tube bag, while Mason made sure things were running smoothly in her drivetrain. Once loaded and lubed, she was ready to go.

Matt Mason lubes Takeshita’s chain while she restocks on food and water. 2019 Dirty Kanza 200, Panaracer / Factor p/b Bicycle X-Change Checkpoint 1. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

I had to bounce to get back to chasing the race leaders, but the scene repeated itself in Alma for the rest of the team’s riders as they stopped at Checkpoint 1 and then again later in the afternoon at Checkpoint 2.

On to the Next

When I spoke with Cummings on Friday, she commented on the two-checkpoint setup versus the three-checkpoint setup the race used on the route the last few years. “I definitely like two checkpoints because it’s less driving around and one less time to break down and set up. I think it’s good. I think the riders probably won’t like it as much. For the pit, it’s definitely better.”

Another of the challenges with the three-stop course was being at one checkpoint for the team’s full roster of riders before heading to the next. Massive time gaps between riders and groups start to open up as the race nears its midpoint, so for a team with nine riders, that can mean up to an hour between its riders. Cummings recounted having to pack and run to the next town in a hurry in previous years.

Fortunately, this year, it was almost 90 miles of course distance from Checkpoint 1 in Alma to Checkpoint 2 in Council Grove, so the team had extra time. The team does have a contingency plan, knowing the Kanza gods can be quite unforgiving. “The Bicycle X-Change, our sponsoring bike shop, provided us with a van,” Cummings said. “Some of us drive our own vehicles, and we have a van driver. You don’t want to have all your eggs in one basket. We need at least some people to get to the next checkpoint.”

When a full day of Kanza gravel was done, it was a good day for the Panaracer / Factor p/b Bicycle X-Change team.

Takeshita led the way, tying her DK200 career best by finishing fourth in the Women’s race. Borstelmann led the Men’s squad, finishing 11th and Sencenbaugh was right behind him in 12th. Stephens also bounced back from his early mechanical to finish 15th.

Sencenbaugh finished with a solid 12th-place result. 2019 Dirty Kanza 200, Panaracer / Factor p/b Bicycle X-Change Checkpoint 1. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

Though they play a small part in those results, the checkpoints are an important part of the Dirty Kanza 200 race, and if the past is a guide, there were be new things to learn from this year.

“You always think you’re so prepared, and every year, sometime you didn’t expect happens,” Cummings reflected.

The post Inside the DK200 Checkpoint Shuffle with Panaracer/Factor p/b Bicycle X-Change appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

Today, Pivot Cycles released a dramatically updated carbon Vault, but the new bike refuses to be pigeon-holed into being just a gravel bike. The new Vault aims to be your cyclocross bike, road bike and gravel bike, without compromise.

[caption id="attachment_136465" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Pivot’s all-new versatile Vault cyclocross/gravel bike with a Shimano Pro Ultegra 2x build. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

We first spied the bike at Sea Otter, then at Dirty Kanza and hours later under Jamey Driscoll as he whizzed by at Lost and Found. Now we have official details of the latest quiver-killer from Pivot.

Longer, Lower, Shorter and a Bump Up in Clearance

Pivot took its popular Vault frameset and stretched out the front-center, shortened the rear and dropped the bottom bracket a bit. Bikes gained a bit in reach, while they sit 5mm lower due to an increased bottom bracket drop.

New Pivot Vault owners likely won’t notice the lower bottom bracket because they’ll offset it by enjoying the frame’s compatibility with bigger, high-volume tires.

[caption id="attachment_136446" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Pivot’s all-new versatile Vault cyclocross/gravel bike fits up to 700x47mm tires.[/caption]

More tire clearance means Pivot lengthened the chainstays, right? Surprisingly, Pivot did the opposite. It dropped both of the Vault’s chainstays and made their effective length 5mm shorter.

[caption id="attachment_136448" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Pivot’s all-new versatile Vault cyclocross/gravel bike features dual dropped chainstays.[/caption]

The shaped, dropped chainstays paired with the 86mm-wide 386EVO bottom bracket shell adds up to massive tire clearance. It’s bumped up to 700c x 47mm, or 650b x 2.0″. For mudders like the Pivot-sponsored Courtenay McFadden, Grant Ellwood and Jamey Driscoll, that’s a ton of clearance around 33mm cyclocross tires.

The dropped non-drive-side chainstay also helps with tire clearance and compatibility with non-drive-side power meter crank arms including those from Stages and Shimano.

[caption id="attachment_136455" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] We first spied Pivot’s all-new versatile Vault cyclocross/gravel bike with its dual dropped chainstays at Sea Otter. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Pivot didn’t just add reach and tire clearance. It also added an extra size that looks like it’s aimed at the taller folks. While the old Vault had four frame sizes, the new Vault has five, with a new XL frameset.

[caption id="attachment_136476" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Pivot’s new Vault gained a size, and got longer up front, shorter out back, and a bit lower.[/caption]

Less Bump for Your Rump

The company also added vibration absorption out back, but unlike Cannondale or Trek, it avoided relying on its namesake for compliance—no pivot here. Instead, Pivot added a 56-gram rubber insert to isolate the seat post from the seat tube and surface vibrations.

[caption id="attachment_136462" align="aligncenter" width="1188"] Pivot’s all-new versatile Vault cyclocross/gravel bike boasts Pivot’s patent-pending ISO FLEX insert to isolate the seat post from vibration. It relies on a standard splined bottom bracket tool for removal. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The patent-pending insert, called ISO FLEX, pairs with a compliant Pivot Cycles carbon post to serve up rider comfort, while the rest of the Vault frame aims to deliver stiff, efficient power transfer.

[caption id="attachment_136457" align="aligncenter" width="1173"] Pivot’s all-new versatile Vault cyclocross/gravel bike features the patent-pending ISO FLEX vibration-absorbing insert. We got our first sneak peek at Sea Otter. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Think adding the ISO FLEX insert makes for a heavy frame? Pivot says the insert weighs less than 60 grams, and a size medium frame weighs under 1,000 grams.

Worried that the plush rear will make for an out-of-balance ride due to a rigid front end? Pivot aims to please, and has designed its frame to allow for ample clearance for a Fox AX Adventure Cross suspension fork’s crown.

[caption id="attachment_136467" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Pivot’s all-new versatile Vault cyclocross/gravel bike is compatible with the Fox AX suspension fork.[/caption]

Drop Baby, Drop

Pivot’s ISO FLEX system not only isolates a 27.2mm seat post from road or gravel vibration, it also offers a 30.9mm option that expands dropper post options for those looking to get down for the big descents.

The 30.9mm option has less vibration-absorbing material and a harder durometer than the 27.2mm option, but should please riders who aren’t satisfied with the 27.2mm dropper posts on the market.

That being said, the 27.2mm ISO FLEX insert offers a plusher ride than the 30.9mm option.

[caption id="attachment_136449" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Pivot’s all-new versatile Vault cyclocross/gravel bike incorporates a new ISO FLEX insert to absorb road vibrations.[/caption]

The new Vault comes with the 27.2mm ISO FLEX insert as original equipment, but Pivot offers its 30.9mm ISO FLEX insert is an aftermarket accessory that will soon be available from Pivot’s web store.

Pivot thankfully designed the ISO FLEX insert to rely on common tools. A splined bottom bracket tool like the Park BBT-9 is all you need to swap out the insert.

Accessories and Options

A do-it-all bike wouldn’t live up to its billing if it couldn’t accept modern accessories.

[caption id="attachment_136460" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Pivot’s all-new versatile Vault cyclocross/gravel bike features top tube bag mounts. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The new Vault is ready to haul year ’round with a top tube bag mount, three-bolt adventure mount on the down tube and hidden fender mounts, yet remains true to its racing heritage in that it’s not fully covered in frame barnacles for every possible contraption.

[caption id="attachment_136459" align="aligncenter" width="1227"] Pivot’s all-new versatile Vault cyclocross/gravel bike features adventure mounts on the down tube. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_136468" align="aligncenter" width="1242"] Pivot’s all-new versatile Vault cyclocross/gravel bike features hidden fender mounts.[/caption]

Want to run two chainrings? Pivot offers an Ultegra 2x build, and claims its ultra-stiff front derailleur mount delivers great shifting. Prefer the single ring life? The mount disappears with an integrated cover.

[caption id="attachment_136447" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Pivot’s all-new versatile Vault cyclocross/gravel bike features a removable front derailleur mount.[/caption]

Aspire to run Shimano Di2? The port under the down tube offers space for a battery and allows for easy internal wiring.

[caption id="attachment_136456" align="aligncenter" width="1251"] Pivot’s all-new versatile Vault cyclocross/gravel bike has a port by the bottom bracket to assist with the all-internal routing, and store a Di2 battery. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Shimano Ultegra Gravel, or SRAM AXS eTap ’Cross?

Pivot offers the new Vault as a $2699 frameset, as a Shimano “Pro Ultegra” mechanical 2x build for $5199, or with a SRAM “Team Force” AXS eTap 1x build for $6699.

[caption id="attachment_136454" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Pivot’s all-new versatile Vault cyclocross/gravel bike with a Shimano Pro Ultegra 2x build.[/caption]

The Ultegra build looks gravel ready, with a Praxis Zayante crankset with 49/32 rings and an 11-34 cassette. The DT Swiss CR 1600 Spline wheels roll on Maxxis Rambler 40mm gravel tires.

[table id=3214 /]

The SRAM Force AXS eTap build also rolls on Rambler gravel tires, but appears more cyclocross-oriented to our eyes. It matches a SRAM Force 1 DUB crankset with a 36t X-Sync II ring with a 10-33 SRAM Force 12-speed cassette.

[caption id="attachment_136453" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Pivot’s all-new versatile Vault cyclocross/gravel bike with a SRAM Team Force 1 AXS eTap build.[/caption]

The 36/33 low gear may not be low enough for weekend gravel adventurers, but should be plenty low enough for most cyclocross racers. If not, owners could always convert their steed to “a mullet bike” with an Eagle rear derailleur and 10-50 cassette, but that would be a pricey upgrade.

[table id=3215 /]

First Impressions

We’ve said it many times before, but it’s worth saying again. While we understand why big bike companies chase the latest trends and market bikes specific to niches, most of our readers don’t buy bikes looking to constrain themselves to riding only one season of the year, in just one discipline or on just one surface.

[caption id="attachment_136452" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Pivot’s all-new versatile Vault cyclocross / gravel bike with a SRAM Team Force 1 AXS eTap build.[/caption]

Pivot’s goal of “uncompromising versatility” with its new Vault looks like it should please cyclists who like to race or go fast, whether that’s on gravel, pavement or between the tape on a cyclocross course.

We anxiously await our test bike to see if such versatility brings compromises, or if Pivot Cycles found the magic formula.

Thankfully readers don’t have to wait, as select dealers already have the bikes available.

More info: pivotcycles.com

Pivot promotes the Vault’s versatility with its promo video below:

Pivot Cycles All-New Vault Photo Gallery:

Pivot’s all-new versatile Vault cyclocross/gravel bike with a Shimano Pro Ultegra 2x build.

The post First Look: Pivot’s All-New Vault Cyclocross / Gravel Bike appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

Fun, dumb, dumb fun, the Hilly Billy Roubaix in West Virginia and Pennsylvania has offered it all for the last decade now.

The 2019 Hilly Billy Roubaix that took place on Saturday marked the 10th anniversary of the annual gravel race that started as an “Ultra Cross” challenge. We previewed the race sponsored by Cannondale that was bigger and better than ever, with more goats, new bikes and a more environmentally friendly approach.

The marquee event at the Hilly Billy Roubaix is the 74-mile distance, with a shorter Hilly Billy Lite also offered.

There were certainly winners, but the most impressive ride of the weekend came from 11-year-old Maraid Johnson. Johnson became the youngest finisher of the full Hilly Billy route, and she did it in a bit over eight hours.

photo: Hilly Billy Roubaix FB page

This year’s Women’s winner was Cynthia Frazier (The Meteor / Intelligentsia). Libby Sheldon took second and Kelly Paduch (The Meteor / Intelligentsia) third.

Stephanie Swan (Pathfinder Factory Racing p/b Beer and Coffee) won the Women’s 40+ category and finished 4th overall. Mary Penta (Think Green/Bicycle Face) took 2nd in the Masters and 5th overall.

In the Men’s race, it was Jeremiah Bishop (Canyon) on the top step. Bryan Lewis (Cutaway, USA) took second and Tim Mitchell (CCB) third. Patrick Blair (Adventures for the Cure) and Jordan Snyer (Commonwealth Cycling Collective) rounded out the wide-angle podium.

Results for the 74-mile race are below, sorted by overall Women and Men’s finishes. Full results for all categories are available online.

Featured image: Cassie Fetzer, 2018 Hilly Billy Roubaix

Women's Results: 2019 Hilly Billy Roubaix

Men's Results: 2019 Hilly Billy Roubaix

The post Gravel Results: Goats (No, Really) Crowned at 2019 Hilly Billy Roubaix appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

Nauman first raced the famed gravel race in 2015 when she got her first win and has been back for the Dirty Kanza 200 each year since. Heading into 2019, Nauman was looking for her 3rd win to tie Rebecca Rusch in the all-time winner’s circle and join the 1,000-mile club for riders who have completed the DK200 5 times.

It was mission partially accomplished for Nauman this year. She finished to get her 1,000-mile club glass but came up a bit short in the overall standings after finishing 6th. It is, after all, tough to always meet the high standards Nauman has set for herself at the annual Kansas race.

Fortunately for her, a chance for 200-mile redemption came quickly. Nauman headed to Michigan last weekend for the Cross the Mitten Coast to Coast Gravel Grinder and won the Women’s race—and finished sixth overall—all while shaving a huge chunk of time off her 2018 ride. The growth of gravel certainly has its advantages when it allows you to quickly bounce back and race again.

Nauman returned to the 2019 Dirty Kanza as a member of the SDG – Muscle Monster team. New this year was Drew Dillman joining her as a teammate in his first try at the DK200.

Returning was her trusty Niner RLT 9 RDO gravel bike [you can read our 2018 profile]. Nauman switched to Niner’s gravel bike in 2017—a bike she called her “Cadillac”—and is now in her second year riding her current iteration of the gravel grinder.

[caption id="attachment_136413" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Amanda Nauman’s 2019 DK200 Niner RLT 9 RDO Gravel Bike. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

I checked in with Nauman’s bike and the SDG – Muscle Monster team’s tech guy Dave Sheek for a look at what is new and returning for 2019 on her gravel bike.

Amanda Nauman’s 2019 DK200 Niner RLT 9 RDO

Amanda Nauman came to gravel racing from cyclocross, and like many others, initially found her Niner BSB 9 RDO bike a good fit for the rigors of gravel. However, when the company released its RLT 9 RDO gravel bike, she was totally okay making the switch.

Just as Craig Richey mentioned in his DK200 advice, Nauman cited the “gravel’ geometry as a reason why the bike is much more comforable during an all-day 200-mile grind.

“I tell people, yeah I could race my BSB [cyclocross bike] and set it up to be a little bit more comfortable for gravel, but the things that aren’t going to change are bottom bracket height, the angle of your head tube and the height of your head tube,” she said last year. “Those three points are kind of what set it up geometry-wise for why people would want to buy a gravel bike. It’s because it’s more comfortable.”

[caption id="attachment_136396" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Nauman made the switch to the Niner RLT 9 RDO “Cadillac” a few years ago. Amanda Nauman’s 2019 DK200 Niner RLT 9 RDO Gravel Bike. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Nauman’s 47cm frame is built with Niner’s “Race Day Optimized” carbon (in case you were wondering what RDO stands for). Niner also offers the bike in steel, aluminum and an aluminum frame with a flat bar if your budget and riding preferences differ.

[caption id="attachment_136407" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Nauman rides a 47cm frame of the bike built with Niner’s Race Day Optimized carbon. Amanda Nauman’s 2019 DK200 Niner RLT 9 RDO Gravel Bike. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The bike features the black and orange colorway of the 2019 model year with some green added in by sponsor SDG and via the camo handlebars. Both the frame and fork have mounts for racks, but Niner has yet to add mounts for the top tube bag Nauman has attached with straps in previous years. This year, she kept her gear carrying simple with just a saddle bag on race day.

[caption id="attachment_135791" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Nauman carried her gear using a saddle bag on race day. 2019 Dirty Kanza 200 Gravel Race. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The newest addition to Nauman’s Niner is new rims from sponsor Easton. She ran the EA90 AX adventure rims that are 24mm wide internally to start the race.

Sheek commented on the new rims. “Sometimes with a heavy gravel tire, the tires don’t mount up because the rims are so wide. My rims are 24mm internal as well and it took me, say, a very long time to mount mine up, but these Easton rims mounted up really quickly. The seal is really nice on the bead.”

[caption id="attachment_136393" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Nauman ran the new Easton EA90 AX alloy wheels with Vittoria tires. Amanda Nauman’s 2019 DK200 Niner RLT 9 RDO Gravel Bike. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Nauman went with the same tire setup as 2018, opting for a 700c x 40mm Vittoria Terreno Dry in the front and a 700 x 37mm Vittoria Terreno Zero with a smooth center in the rear.

[caption id="attachment_136397" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Nauman opted for a 700c x 37mm Vittoria Terreno Zero in the rear. Amanda Nauman’s 2019 DK200 Niner RLT 9 RDO Gravel Bike. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Always prepared, Nauman also had a backup plan. As mentioned in our profile of Mat Stephen’s Factor Vista, many teams were expecting nasty weather and nastier conditions out on the course.

Nauman’s Plan B was a set of Easton EC70 AX carbon rims that also feature a wide internal profile. [Amity Rockwell ran the EC70 AX prototypes on race day] Nauman’s carbon rims had Panaracer GravelKing Mud tires mounted up.

“If it’s nasty, we might change wheels, but I really don’t think the rain cells are going to line up to be a super storm; it’s going to be a cell here or there,” Sheek said on Friday afternoon. “If it is bad, the mud is so cakey, you’ll probably be walking anyway. You pedal it, you break stuff.”

[caption id="attachment_136411" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Nauman’s backup wheels were Easton EC70 AX prototypes with Panaracer GravelKing Mud tires. Amanda Nauman’s 2019 DK200 Niner RLT 9 RDO Gravel Bike. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Last year when I spoke to Sheek, he said he expected to see Nauman riding the then-new Ultegra RX805 clutch rear derailleur. His prediction probably does not qualify for “ask this guy for lottery advice territory,” but not surprisingly, his prediction was correct. Nauman also added a few teeth in the rear, running an 11-34t Shimano cassette.

[caption id="attachment_136389" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] As predicted, Nauman used the Ultegra RX805 derailleur in 2019. Amanda Nauman’s 2019 DK200 Niner RLT 9 RDO Gravel Bike. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Up front, she attached Easton 47/32t Gravel Shifting Rings to an Easton EC90 SL crankset with an Easton power meter. She stuck with the R9150 Dura-Ace Di2 front derailleur and Dura-Ace R9170 shift/brake levers.

[caption id="attachment_136387" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Nauman used an Easton EC90 SL crankset with 47/32t Gravel Shifting Rings. Amanda Nauman’s 2019 DK200 Niner RLT 9 RDO Gravel Bike. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

A subtle swap Nauman made for 2019 was new Kogel pulley wheels designed specifically for the new clutch Ultegra derailleur. Her Kogel PF30-386L bottom bracket returned, still spinning smoothly.

“The Kogel bottom bracket is tried, true and trusted. The best ’cross seals out there,” Sheek said. “We’ve had limited problems with them ever. They can survive Belgian winters and they can survive DK.”

[caption id="attachment_136390" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] New this year was a new Kogel pulley wheel designed for the Ultegra RX805 clutch derailleur. Amanda Nauman’s 2019 DK200 Niner RLT 9 RDO Gravel Bike. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

A few other small changes this year included 140mm Dura-Ace rotors in place of XTR models, an old full cut-out saddle similar to SDG’s Circuit series in place of a Radar prototype and a new bottle cap on top of the head tube. With the last in that list, it’s important we cover the key changes, obviously.

[caption id="attachment_136405" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] This year’s steerer tube cap was an owl. Amanda Nauman’s 2019 DK200 Niner RLT 9 RDO Gravel Bike. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Nauman’s handlebar was the 40cm EA70 AX flared model she ran last year. “It changes your position a bit from what we’re used to during cyclocross season, but it gives a bit more comfort and varying positions when you’re out there on the gravel for 200 miles,” Sheek said. Other parts, including her stem and seatpost, were from sponsor Easton as well.

[caption id="attachment_136395" align="aligncenter" width="1140"] Nauman opted for the flared Easton EA70 AX handlebar and went with an Easton stem. Amanda Nauman’s 2019 DK200 Niner RLT 9 RDO Gravel Bike. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

I briefly chatted with Nauman following her race, and she said while she will defintely be back at Dirty Kanza in 2020, she is not sure which distance she will be racing. On one hand, she got her 1,000-mile club award and is DKXL-curious, but at the same time, win number 3 is still out there to be had. One thing is certain, we will probably be taking a look at her bike, whichever distance she chooses to race.

Sheek is not just the SDG – Muscle Monster mechanic, he is a racer himself. Sheek successfully finished his 5th DK200 to joined the rarified air of the 1,000-mile club. “They’re trying to talk me into doing the 350. I don’t know if I have the smarts to deal with that. It’s number six. I just want to finish and get my cup because I had to stop early when Amanda won in 2015,” he said on DK Eve.

For a closer look at Amanda Nauman’s RLT 9 RDO, see the photo gallery and specs below.

Photo Gallery: Amanda Nauman’s DK200 Niner RLT 9 RDO

Amanda Nauman’s 2019 DK200 Niner RLT 9 RDO Gravel Bike. © Z. Schuster / Cyclocross Magazine

The post Gravel Bike: Amanda Nauman’s Tried-and-True DK200 Niner RLT 9 RDO appeared first on Cyclocross Magazine - Cyclocross and Gravel News, Races, Bikes, Media.

The first-ever Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder five-day stage race made an impressive debut last weekend with a field filled with Dirty Kanza and Lost and Found podium finishers and professionals from across disciplines.

Throw in five days of beautiful views, challenging routes and some appropriate 90s nostalgia, and the first race was a rousing success in its first go-round. “That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” 2019 DK200 winner Colin Strickland said after the final stage. “I’m definitely bringing friends with next year.”

The total distance of 350 miles of riding that covered a loop through the Cascades west of Bend kicked off on Wednesday and riders raced and camped their way back to the starting point in Sisters. Each day had a different vibe, with a sandy wagon road forming a decisive spot in the first stage and Stage 3 serving as the climbiest Queen Stage.

Beautiful views and challenging routes were in store at the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder. 2019 Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder. © Adam LaPierre

“People were stoked,” Matt Lieto said about the week. “Gravel is such a wide spectrum, and maybe some folks expected everything to be buff, but there were sections that felt like 1980s mountain biking.”

He continued, “We’re excited because there were already people asking us how to make sure they don’t miss pre-reg for next year.”

For more on the race, the vibe and some of the Elites competing, you can check out our race preview.

Lieto, one of the members of Chad Sperry’s race team, provided details on how things went down for the mini race reports below.

Women’s Race

Stage 1 checked in at 77 miles. Lieto said part of the goal when laying out the routes was to highlight the best of Oregon’s gravel roads while also incorporating some historic wagon roads to keep with the theme of the race.

One of those wagon roads was a particularly sandy one in Stage 1 racers quickly dubbed “The Sand Box.” Three women were the cleanest through the sandbox—Rebecca Fahringer (Kona Maxxis Shimano), Sarah Sturm (Specialized/Rocket Espresso) and Serena Bishop Gordon (Liv Cycling).

Bishop Gordon pressed her advantage on the final technical descent to get a gap on the other two women and take the overall lead one day in. Part of the key to her success was running 50mm tires that helped her through the sand and then the descent.

It is worth noting that due to issues with her flights, Kaysee Armstrong (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) missed Stage 1 but was able to ride the other four stages.

Stage 2 proved to be the decisive stage in the Women’s GC. In the last four days, Fahringer made it her goal to stick with the Men’s leaders as long as possible. The fruit of those efforts was finishing nearly 8 minutes ahead of Jasmine Duehring (Sho-Air Twenty20 Cycling) on Stage 2.

Fahringer’s advantage was widened when Duehring and Sturm both crashed hard midway through the stage. Sturm sat out Friday’s stage after suffering a separated shoulder, while Duehring was forced to dial it back after going down hard.

The Queen Stage on Friday started with a massive climb, and Fahringer again stuck with the Men’s leaders, taking advantage of her short bursts of power honed in cyclocross training to stay with any surges from the men. She finished Stage 3 nearly 12 minutes ahead of runner-up Bishop Gordon.

The Queen Stage was a pretty one. 2019 Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder. © Adam LaPierre

Fahringer won Stages 4 and 5 as well and won the GC by 47 minutes over runner-up Bishop Gordon.

Heading into the last day, Sarah Max (Argonaut) held a small advantage on Duehring and Amity Rockwell (Easton Overland Gravel Team), and she finished a strong third on Sunday to hold onto her podium spot. Duerhing took fourth and Rockwell fifth in the overall GC.

Full stage and GC results are below.

Men’s Race

The “Sand Box” proved to be decisive in the Men’s race as well. As Lieto mentioned in the preview, Carl Decker (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) did a pre-race moto trip of the entire course, and the Oregonian found it CD-Send-It Certified. He also used some knowledge to his advantage on Wednesday.

Armed with some shaved down mountain bike tires, Decker and Barry Wicks sent it through the sandy wagon road. Many of the other riders behind them had to dab or even dismount. The result was a front of the race that was ripped apart.

Decker and Wicks finished 6 minutes ahead of Josh Berry (Giant / Velocio) and Jacob Rather (Ottolock Adventure Team), and the next rider finished 15 minutes (!) behind them.

On Stage 2, it was Decker’s teammate Berry’s turn to send it. Berry took the stage, with Wicks and Decker crossing together for a joint 2-3 finish.

Stage 3 was Rathe’s turn to shine on a cold, wet day. He went off the front early on the Queen Stage and held his advantage to win the stage by over a minute. Stage 3 proved to be decisive for the GC, with Decker finishing in third alongside Berry, while Wicks popped on one of the big climbs. To be fair, Wicks had done a 9-hour day of climbing on Monday, but that result did not count in the GC.

The aggressor in Stage 4 was Kevin Girkins (Meteor x Giordana x Allied), who attacked early and soloed to the stage win. Teammates Berry and Decker finished together and no one near the top of the standings was able to make a major dent in Decker’s lead.

In the 5th and final stage, the Giant Off-Road duo of Berry and Tristan Uhl (Giant Factory Off-Road Team) covered early moves, and Girkins again got away to take his 2nd stage win.

Decker took the five-stage GC, finishing 5:45 ahead of Berry. Wicks recovered from the Queen Stage to finish third. Rathe took fourth and Uhl fifth. Dillon Hollinger (Specialized x Rocket Espresso), an employee of Specialized, took the Working Man award by finishing sixth.

Full stage and GC results are below.

Women's Omnium Results: 2019 Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder

Men's Omnium Results: 2019 Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder