One of my favorite sections of the course near Brookville. We rode this section twice in case you didn't know.
The spring is a busy time of year for me. The two things that take up the bulk of my time are coaching my kids soccer team, and preparing for and organizing the Grumpy Grind. Oh yeah, and I try and sneak in some training rides for another round of TransIowa (coming up next week!). All of these things are important to me, but rarely do they ever balance themselves out too well. My focus the last couple of weeks was on putting the final touches together for the Grumpy Grind 6.
Sunday's Grumpy Grind 6 proved to be a great day for riding. 90 riders started the event, and 82 of them finished. Those numbers both are pretty good for my event. Some of those riders were hearty gravel riders, like Kae Takeshita, a gravel worlds champion rider. And Bryce Mead, a local rider and former pro who burned up the coarse averaging over 19mph for the duration of 86 miles. Whoa! There were also plenty of first time riders who conquered the course and finished with exhausted grins on their faces.
Sunday's Grumpy Grind 6 proved to be a great day for riding. 90 riders started the event, and 82 of them finished. Those numbers both are pretty good for my event. Some of those riders were hearty gravel riders, like Kae Takeshita, a gravel worlds champion rider. And Bryce Mead, a local rider and former pro who burned up the coarse averaging over 19mph for the duration of 86 miles. Whoa! There were also plenty of first time riders who conquered the course and finished with exhausted grins on their faces.
A pack of riders (including Grumpy McGrumperson?) on the home stretch.
I don't want to get overly mushy, but I really want to thank all of those who rode the event, all of those who volunteered their time in helping, and all of you who donated to help fund what turned out to be another great Grumpy Grind. I am always humbled by the willingness of my volunteers (mostly friends) who pitch in on the day of the event each year. And I'm grateful so many riders choose to come. Driving to Milledgeville to do this event is basically choosing to drive to the middle of nowhere with faith and hope that something good will come of it.
The Grumpy Grind isn't the biggest gravel event on the map by any stretch, and never will be, but I think I put together a challenging ride with amenities that make for a positive experience. That being said, not everything about the day was perfect. There were some missed turns by some, a few mechanicals, a strong head wind from time to time, and even a rumor about a "fight" among a group of riders who disputed which way to go. But those are all part of the adventure.
Next year the farm at which we have started at the last five years will be turned into a Dairy Barn once again. So the venue will have to change. This in turn means the date will likely change too, but we'll see. I don't have the answers to when and where the next Grumpy Grind will be, but I do plan on it happening. I hope all who rode and are reading this search the events page next year to see what the next Grumpy Grind has in store. I'll do my best to make it an adventure worth showing up for.
The Grumpy Grind isn't the biggest gravel event on the map by any stretch, and never will be, but I think I put together a challenging ride with amenities that make for a positive experience. That being said, not everything about the day was perfect. There were some missed turns by some, a few mechanicals, a strong head wind from time to time, and even a rumor about a "fight" among a group of riders who disputed which way to go. But those are all part of the adventure.
Next year the farm at which we have started at the last five years will be turned into a Dairy Barn once again. So the venue will have to change. This in turn means the date will likely change too, but we'll see. I don't have the answers to when and where the next Grumpy Grind will be, but I do plan on it happening. I hope all who rode and are reading this search the events page next year to see what the next Grumpy Grind has in store. I'll do my best to make it an adventure worth showing up for.
I love the subtlety of this picture. Notice two riders faintly in the background.
On one final note. I did not take many pictures, but a friend of mine stopped by in the afternoon and took some photos. I think he missed the lead pack of riders, but there are plenty of pictures of riders coming in over the last twenty miles. Click on the link to check out some nicely taken Grumpy Grind 2018 Photos.
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