First off, a huge thank you to all the riders and volunteers who made the 2015 riding of the Grumpy Grind such a wonderful experience.  

The weekend was a blur with putting the final organizational touches together, and then riding the 3rd Grumpy Grind Bicycle Adventure.  The overall vibe on Sunday was incredibly positive. At the end of the day, I was exhausted, but when I went to sleep my mind was still buzzing with energy. Like all of those who rode, Monday was a cold blast of reality.  Going back to work seemed kind of awkward, and slightly annoying.  But that's how it goes.  We work hard so we can play hard.  It makes things that much more rewarding.  So it's Tuesday now and I wanted to throw out a few highlights of this years event that made it such a great day. 

• There was a record number of participants starting off the ride.  The 80 riders that showed up more than doubled the number that participated last year.  62 riders completed the course.  
• We can now say that the Grumpy Grind had an international field of riders.  Kae Takeshita (Japan) and Colin Flannery (Ireland) came to ride. I'm curious how many states were represented?
• Eleven female riders participated this year.  That's ten more than in 2014.
• The weather was the big story of this years ride.  It was actually decent this year.  Yes, it was windy, but I didn't hear anyone complain about the almost 20 miles of amazing tailwind they also got to experience.  
• As a single speed rider, I'll complain that my easy gearing choice made the giant tailwinds a bore to ride.  Hills and moderate winds are actually my friends.
• Gravel riders have to be the kindest people, and hardest working riders out there.  There's just something about not needing to have a license, not worrying about your ranking, and competing for free (and for fun) that brings out the best in everyone.  
• The overall strength of field for this years riders was impressive.  Five riders finished under the 5 hour mark, with five more riders on the cusp of doing such.  Word has it that that the top riders put down the hammer right from the start. 
  

Had a couple of last minute details I thought I should add.  

UNMARKED ROADS:
There are several areas on the course where there is no signage where you will need to turn.  So please keep up with your mileage on your cue sheet so you know where to turn.  For the intersections that still might confuse people, I did put up small stakes with pink flags attached to them.  This signifies that you should turn at that intersection.  They are not giant flags, so you will have to look for them.  If the road is unmarked, but the road T's and it is obvious you have to turn a specified direction, there will NOT be any pink flag to look for.  Bring your common sense with you and you will be fine.  

CAMPING AND PARKING:
It looks like a great night to pitch a tent.  For those staying at the farm tonight, please park on the gravel or a paved area of the farm, and not on the grass.  About an inch of rain fell on Thursday making the grass a little soft.  Also, the dogs name is Max, and he's quite friendly.

TRAVEL:
Many of you are traveling a decent distance to get to the event.  If you start to get nervous because you feel like you are driving to the middle of nowhere, just know that you are on the right track.  Home base for this ride is definitely in a rural area.

ROAD CONDITIONS:
The rain did create some ruts, and softened the few grass lanes we traverse, but the roads are otherwise fine.  The fresh spring gravel is still rather loose and could be sketchy in some areas, so pay attention to your tire pressure and be willing to not run it too high, or you'll find your ride most uncomfortable. There is a tree that blew down on the short bit of rails-to-trails section we ride on, but you can easily maneuver around it.

SEE YOU TOMORROW, RAIN OR SHINE!
There is a slight chance of rain tomorrow, but who knows what will happen. There is no make up date for the Grumpy Grind, and we will ride rain or shine.  There is a hose to wash your bikes off at the finish.  Make sure to bring a towel and change of clothes so you can relax and enjoy feeding up after the ride before your travels home.  

The number of current riders planning to attend the Grumpy Grind on Sunday is up to 74.  About 30 of those people have contacted me in the last week.  I'm guessing the 10 day forecast finally presented itself and people finally decided to commit once they saw the weather for Sunday looked decent.  If this ride is like many others gravel grinds I've attended, I'm guessing there will be about 15 no shows from that list, with possibly another 30 riders coming to take their place.  I guess that is directly related to the psychology of having nice weather, combined with offering a free event.  My goal of offering this event was never to make it the biggest ride out there, but simply to make it a great experience for those who do choose to ride in the early spring.  I sincerely thank all of you who have committed to ride and I look forward to meeting you on Sunday.  

Here are a list of things to remember for Sunday's ride.

YOU ARE COMPLETELY RESPONSIBLE FOR YOURSELF:  At the registration area I will provide you a number to call to let me know if you are bailing out, but you are responsible for arranging your own ride back to the start.

REGISTRATION: Registration is over at 8:45 and the ride will start promptly at 9:00.  All participants will register inside the barn and must sign an event waiver.  Cue Cards, bibs, and event water bottles will be given to riders once the waiver has been signed.  A port-a-potty will be available behind the barns, and a bathroom will be available at the farm house if there is overflow.  

CHECKPOINTS: The one and only checkpoint is at mile 37.5.  You are required to check in with one of the volunteers before you continue or you will be considered a DNF.  A toilet is available at this checkpoint.

FOOD/WATER/CONVENIENCE STORES: There will be snacks (cookies, gummie bears, bananas, grapes, etc.) at the checkpoint.  Water will also be provided at the checkpoint, with a Gatorade powder option.  There are no convenience stores/gas stations along the route of the ride.  Come prepared to go the distance.  

CUE CARDS/TURNS: Cue cards are the gospel for this ride.  The mileage should be accurate within a tenth of a mile or better (keep in mind that Garmins are not always perfect).  The roads are marked with standard road signage.  Roads with no signage will be listed as "Unmarked", and a pink flagged stake will be posted indicating a turn needs to take place.

DON'T TRUST THE INTERNET: This years route has not yet been posted. The routes you may have found posted on the internet are not correct.  So please don't download them and plan to follow them.

RIDE SAFE and "RIDE RIGHT": Please ride safe by not riding more than two abreast, and NEVER ride in the center of the road when you are cresting a hill.  Riding bikes is about having fun, so please don't put yourself in a dangerous position. Remember, the first place finisher gets the same prize as the last place finisher.  

POST RIDE EATS: I am prepared to feed 90 riders.  That would quadruple last years numbers.  If the number of participants blows up at registration, that is great, but consider bringing your own post ride snacks just in case. BBQ, beans, pasta, chips, and beverages will be provided.  If you are a vegetarian or a picky eater, please come prepared with your own post ride fuel.  Sorry.

CAMPING: You are welcome to camp out at the farm the night before. Please keep in mind that Milledgeville is a small town.  There is a Casey's General Store, but no grocery store.  There are some small places to eat and some bars, but that is about it.  So be prepared to bring most of your own supplies.  Refer to a prior blog post for more camping information.  

ODDS AND ENDS: I'm sure I'm forgetting to provide some sort of information to you.  So if you have any questions please email me.  


   

 

More than a few people have inquired about camping out at the farm the night before the ride.  Hopefully the weather will be cooperative, and this will work out for those who feel like adding camping to their adventurous weekend.  So here's what you need to know about camping. 
 
*Camping is available at the farmstead where the ride will start and finish. The address for this farmstead is 5493 Otter Creek Drive, Milldegeville IL. You will likely feel like you are driving to the middle of nowhere to find this place.
*Mr. Peters, the farmer who lives there, is a pretty nice guy who is super awesome for allowing us to use his farmstead, so please be respectful of his property.
*There will be a port-a-potty located at the back of the barn area.  So leave your shovels at home and don't worry about digging any special "pits."
*Pull in the driveway and follow it to the backside of the barn/shed areas where there are concrete slabs you can park on.
*Water is available at the farmers well.
*You are welcome to create a small fire/bonfire if you bring your own wood.
*You can camp out anywhere in the grass area.
*If weather turns scary (there were some crazy winds last year), you are welcome to sleep inside the barn.
*The closest convenience store is in Milledgeville, which is about 4 miles away.
*Farmer Peters expects people to be coming to camp, so drive on in and get yourself set up.
*There is a dog (and cat) that live here, but they are friendly.
*I'll be there early Sunday morning getting registration and such all set up.  So if you're sleeping in the barn, be prepared for an early wake-up.

Did my final ride of the course today just to double check my cue cards and looks for errors.  Everything checked out and it ended up being a nice training ride.  The weather has been extremely dry, leaving the roads more bone jarring than they usually would be this time of year. Because of this, tire pressure had to be adjusted accordingly a couple of times.  The west winds were pretty amped up today, gusting up to around 25 miles per hour.  There were a couple of gradual down hills where I found myself exerting effort to pedal, which just didn't seem fair. Illinois doesn't have mountains, but it does have wind in the spring.

Some people who are concerned about their fitness have asked me about a "bail out" point in the ride.  The only bail out point I can suggest is at the course checkpoint.  The one, and only checkpoint is at Mile 37.5.  This is located just south of Polo at the "Joe Stengel Trail" parking lot.  If you are heading north into Polo on Route 52/Route 26, you will head east on Judson Rd (Wilson St.) and the trail head parking lot will be located about 1/4 mile down the road on the south side of the street.  Please remember that YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOURSELF. In other words, if you plan on bailing out, it is up to you to arrange this. There will be no shuttle rides offered.  The second half of the ride is a little longer than the first half, and it offers more gravel, so make a responsible choice if you aren't sure you can make it.  And you are still welcome to come back to the start/finish area to enjoy some food and share stories with fellow riders.    

I like to take care of my volunteers by getting them some shirts to make them stand out.  Plus it's fun to create a graphic surrounding the event.  If you are someone who likes to sport a t-shirt that represents the memories of your adventures, it will cost you a $10 donation to get one of these shirts.  If you'd like to reserve one, please contact me by April 5th and let me know. The shirts come in unisex sizing only. For riders who don't really care about t-shirt, remember that all riders will receive a water bottle, and the first 50 finishers will receive a pint glass with the Grumpy Grind emblem.  

I have to apologize to all of the people anticipating an 80 mile bike ride.  I completed my final course recon ride yesterday, double checking my cue cards, and the mileage only came up to 78.5 miles.  If you would like a full refund or wish to file a petition of grievance regarding this matter, I will have the Grumpy Grind committee review your case.  

**Information about camping on the farm will be coming up in the next couple of days.