Beastly Pain

I'm a cyclist...or more accurately. I'm a guy who likes riding bikes. I've got three of them: a black 2008 Jamis Coda hybrid (which gets ridden shockingly little), a blue Motobecane Fantom CX (which gets the majority of my mileage) and Beast.

Beast was a 1999 Trek 930 I picked it up off CL in '08. It had barely been ridden, still wearing its stock tires. I used it as a beater, throwing racks and fenders on it and heading to the grocery and beer runs. It saw quite a bit of use this winter when I decided not to fix my truck after it died.

I removed the stock tires shortly after purchasing it, as the sidewalls looked a bit sad and put on some cheap Kendas I had never used that came on yet another bike, a long dead BSO. Later I decided that during the warmer months, when snow or ice wasn't to be expected, I'd like to have some proper road tires for Beast. A set of Kenda Kwests were picked up at my local shop.

Despite 2 years of use the bike still barely had 450 miles on it.

I started to read about how much fun people were having riding on gravel roads. "Gravel Grinding" they call it. A group of local riders calling themselves the River City Cycling Society, started posting about their leisurely, yet epic, gravel rides. I wanted in. Time to wake up Beast.

A new, rigid Surly 1x1 fork was ordered, as gravel, while rough, doesn't need suspension, and the stock suspension wasn't really up to having me man-handle the bike. New bars, levers and cables were ordered. I caught a great deal on some very expensive tires Schwalbe Racing Ralphs and Nobby Nics, all with lovely red stripes and in 2.25" widths.

It's coming together, it feels good, I can get it to move down the road fairly well. I changed the cassette for one with gears spacing more appropriate to its use. It still had not seen gravel.

Then my mistake. I saw a posting about a gravel road race. In Minnesota. I have friends I'd like to visit in MN. It's "free", as in I don't have to pay a fee to race, but transportation, food and lodging all cost. By attempting to enter a race, can I call myself a racer? I sent in my postcard, assuming I wouldn't actually get drawn. I got drawn. I'm a racer. shit.

Okay, fine. I'm in. Originally the logistics of the race (I'll just call it an event from now on, as I'm about as likely to win, as I am of getting abducted by aliens) included getting a chance to resupply at the halfway point. Good. I already know I can ride 50 miles non-stop carrying everything I need. The only thing I was worried about was making the 10 hour cutoff time. on a mountain bike. on gravel.

Further looking at the expected conditions of the course: about 6 miles of singletrack and muddy stuff it is. The 2.25" tire shoved into the back where a 1.9" tire was supposed to go. No mud space. The search for an appropriate tire for the rear led me to two options: Panaracer Fire XC Pro 1.8" or Kenda Small Block 8 1.75". Neither is available in the States. I could only find the Kenda in Australia. Shipping was insane. The Panaracer I could get from Great Britain. I could also get it in a red striped version that kinda matchs the Schwalbes. I'll take two please, and a downtube mudguard, as the others I have won't clear the meaty Racing Ralph up front. A second set of wheels so I can easily switch between slicks and my "event tires"

The skinnier rear tyre means a bit less cush in the back. The current saddle will never cut it for 100+ gravely miles. I'll need a Brooks. With Springs. Flyer in Black, please. I check with a couple local stores. All out. They call the distributor, they're out of stock, too. I check a few of the webstores I frequent. All backordered. I finally find one, at a pretty good discount and free shipping, too. It'll be here next week.

Now I find out the event organizer has decided his event isn't tough enough. Why coddle these riders by offering to haul their gear to the halfway point? Make'em carry everything they'll need for 100+ miles. Yeah, that's the ticket. No outside support. Crap!

By my estimation, I own $500 worth of cycle luggage: panniers, handlebar bags, rack packs, saddlebags, bento boxes. And that doesn't count another $150 worth of ranks and brakets to mount them all. Make that $560. No combination of bags I have seemed quite right. Make that $600, no $615. Three new bags on their way.

Still more training and testing to fine-tune the setup. Beast has passed 1100 miles in a short period of time and so far it's still not seen gravel. But I have learned one thing: Free races are expensive to ride.