Two weeks into the new year and we’re back with a post! Life got in the way of our plans of having more posts here early on in the year, but that’s okay, we’re getting life squared away and have been doing plenty of riding/training to make up for the lack of posts here.
So let’s get things started with what is in the works for 2020
First things first, the planned rides. 2020 is going to be a busy year, we’ve already written about a few of the planned rides, but let’s document them here for now, always subject to change though as schedules align and diverge.
First up, The Mid South (formerly Land Run 100), in Stillwater, OK in the middle of March (3/14/2020). If you didn’t enter, it filled up quickly and the waitlist is quite long. I do believe that you can still get in using a transfer, meaning, finding someone who isn’t going to be using their entry and taking over that spot. MidSouthGravel.com
Second, as of now, is the Tour Of Hermann Gravel Challenge in Hermann, MO the first weekend in May (5/2-5/3/2020). This is a 2 day ride, with ~100 miles each day, typically broken up into 3 loops (30-35 each loop) on day 1, and 2 loops (~50 miles each loop) on Day 2. This allows you to pick your distance by choosing which loops you do. You can still register for ToHGC
Third is the big daddy, the Dirty Kanza. May 30th, in Emporia, KS. If you haven’t done this one, you’ve still got a few days to sign up for the lottery. At least one of the BicycleTips.com riders will be there, and we’re hoping we’ve got at least 4 guys there for the ride. Hammond is entered for the 200-mile route and in, Lybarger is in the lottery for 200 miles, while Wagner put himself in the lottery for 100 miles. Head on over to DirtyKanza.com for more registration details.
Fourth, locked in, is the Big Sugar down in NWA (Northwest Arkansas), Bentonville, AR to be specific, though the route will go through parts of Missouri as well, October 24th. This is another event put on by the folks that run DK, and it is looking to be another one of the big names in Gravel in the Midwest. Registration is full, but you can find out more info about the ride at BigSugarGravel.com.
Other notable rides (there are a lot more):
The Epic In Missouri, 150/80 is April 25th, 2020 and is near the Lake Of the Ozarks, MO. I’m still debating on this ride, though being a week before Hermann makes it a little more difficult to justify. Epic150.com
Cuban Gravel Crisis will likely be held in October again, out of Cuba, MO. It doesn’t look to currently have a date, but I imagine it will be the second weekend of the month. Last year four of us did the 50, it was cold (below freezing at start) and was over 5k feet of climbing, definitely a ride worth checking out this fall. CubanGravelCrisis (link removed)
We’re continually updating our calendar of events, be sure to check it out and let us know if you’ve got an event you would like to see added!
What rides are you looking forward to in 2020?
Team Kits
We are tossing around the idea of creating a BicycleTips.com team kit for 2020. Jersey and Shorts (bib) that we can all be proud to wear. Just gotta figure out the logistics, such as, 1. how to control the costs, 2. can we order enough to place a custom order 3. how quickly can all that come together? If we had a cool kit, would you be interested in sporting one?