C.OG. 100 Upate
Yesterday I participated in the C.O.G. 100 Iowa Gravel Single Speed ride over in Grinnell, Iowa, hosted by Guitar Ted.  I've done plenty of century rides, but this one was like non other.  The rural gravel roads in Iowa were soft from spring time freeze/thaws, and even more soft from rains the evening before the ride.  This made for some of the messiest gravel conditions I have ever intentionally ridden.  The northwest winds in the 20mph range throughout the day only heightened the challenge of completing course within a 10 hour window (to be an "official" finisher).  It was hard for me to imagine not being able to ride an 11 mph average to complete such an event, but the soft gravel and windy conditions took me to task.  I ended up finishing with 15 minutes to spare.  The entire day was a grind.  The highlight of the ride was simply finishing.

​GG7 Update
​I'm pleased to say that the roads in Illinois are in much better condition than those I experienced riding in Iowa yesterday. There are still some sections that being repaired from the rainy washouts we experienced in early March, but everything should be fine by the time the Grumpy Grind rolls around.  The county road commissioners don't tend to lay down huge "chunky monkey" gravel rocks for repairs around our area.  And the gravel seems to pack down well from being ridden on by local traffic.  There is almost always a ride-able "sweet spot" on Illinois gravel.  

Riding a hundred mile gravel ride yesterday made me reflect a little more on the challenge of riding 140 miles that I have imposed on those coming to ride this years Grumpy Grind route.  With that in mind, here are my latest thoughts to share with those coming to ride.
* The start time for the GG7 will 8 a.m. sharp.  This should allow most riders to finish before nightfall, but it will imperative that all riders should show up prepared with a headlight and taillight just in case they finish at dusk or in the dark. 
* Keggers, the bar and grill where the start/finish is located, stops serving food at 10 p.m. on the weekend, so hopefully everyone will be finished by then and can enjoy some of their offerings.  They have a pretty great menu.  A 10 mph average should make that a doable time to finish.
* For those interested in tent camping or motor home camping, there is a campground about 1.5 miles from the starting location that I'm working with on allowing some early spring camping to be done at.  I'll update that information when I get a confirmation on availability.
* As is tradition, the first 50 finishers will receive an official finishers whiskey tumbler.
* T-shirts with this years "Grateful Egg Skull" logo are in the works.  They will be available for $10.  Send me an email with a size to reserve one to be picked up on the day of the event.  There may be a few extra made avialable, but I can only guarantee ones to those who contact me prior to April 15th (Tax Day!).

Twenty-three brave people have pre-registered so far, and I'm sure the numbers will steadily grow as the time grows near.  Weekly updates will continue to be given up until April 27th.  

 A few more postcard entries have come in this week, leading me to believe that enthusiasm for this years Grumpy Grind is growing.  I'm happy to see some familiar names from past years, like "Bionic" Bob Anderson, back on the rider list.  Seeing familiar faces each year at certain rides I do is all part of what makes the bike community special.  For those who have ridden the Grumpy Grind before, my format for cues and allowing the event to have a grass roots vibe is all kind of old hat.  For those who are new to this event, I'll try to answer some of your questions/concerns about the event over the next couple of posts I make.  For this post I'm just going to lay out some of the basics of what this year's ride will be like.

-The route this year is 140 miles. It could end up being a little over or under that mileage depending on my final route choice, but it will be very close to that length.
-The route will only be given out on the morning of the ride. Upon registration, riders will receive cue cards to navigate.  No GPS files will be available to download for this event.  Sorry, that's just how I choose to operate.
-Approximately 85% of the roads are gravel.  I wish that percentage was higher, but the darn road commissioners keep paving a little bit more each year.  The biggest portion of road riding will be a 10 mile section around mile 90.  These are still great riding roads with some formidable hills, so this section will likely not be seen as an easy gift to riders.
-There will be one checkpoint along the course around mile 80.  Riders will be required to stop here to check in with my volunteers.  At this point they will also receive a second set of cue cards that will direct them "home".  This will allow them to zero out and reset their computers to help them stay spot on with mileage.
-The course takes riders through only one town.  This will also happen around mile 80.  There is a gas station here where riders can use a bathroom and stock up on supplies.  There is also a small bar and grill in this town where riders are welcome to stop for lunch if that is how they want to spend their time.  The Grumpy Grind provides  no restrooms, water or food anywhere on the course.  Riders will need to be completely self sufficient.
-There is another small bar and grill around mile 90 (in the middle of nowhere) that riders are welcome to take a break at.
-The start and finish is at a bar and grill called Keggers, which is on the outskirts of Sterling.  They have a delicious menu and a variety of drinks available for riders to give patronage too. 

​More general information will be provided in the next post.  Keep those postcard entries coming!

Well I've been silent for a while now on this blog, but the weather is finally cracking and it's time to start providing some thoughts on this years Grumpy Grind.  It has certainly been a tough winter for riding.  Aside from the crazy elements our weather has provided, I've personally have been dealing with a stress fracture in my foot and had to forego most any aspiration for outdoor riding the last couple of months.  As many of you know, when your physical health is in a funk, so to your mind can follow.  I have always looking forward to spring riding and training for upcoming gravel rides, but I just didn't have the same enthusiasm this year.  But now the weather is finally showing signs of warming up, and I'm finally able to get on the bike again. Perspective is shifting and things are looking up.

This big change regarding this years Grumpy Grind is that I have upped the mileage to 140 miles.  I'm not sure it was a good idea to make such a drastic mileage change in the ride, but as I mentioned on the home page of the website, it was just something I wanted to do.  Normally by now I would have had at least 75 pre-registered riders, but as it currently sits, there are only 13.  I guess that should tell me something. Maybe change is not always good?  Regardless, I can say that I have chosen a route that is challenging and enjoyable (yes, it is possible to enjoy riding 140 miles).  If you choose to come ride, there are towns around mile 80 and mile 100 where you can choose to cash your chips in and call for a ride (from your own support crew).  I have provided a challenging route, and the event is free, so it's worth testing your mettle to see how far you can go.  I have a theory I tell my son... "When you can ride 30 miles, then you can probably ride 60.  And if you can ride 60, why not just do 100.  And by the time you ride 100, you might as well just do the last 40 and finish."  I'm not sure there is whole lot of logic in those thoughts, but the ideas is that you are always probably capable of more than you realize. And gravel riders are all just a little bit crazy, right?  

I'll start posting more regular updates and meanderings during the next 7 weeks leading up to this years Grumpy Grind 7, so check back often.