by Connor
About two months in the past, my fiancée and I took a street journey down from DC to Seneca Rocks to camp for a weekend. West Virginia, for these of you who have not been, is totally attractive, and is undoubtedly one of the (if not essentially the most) lovely states on the east coast. I feel all of it comes right down to how undeveloped and untouched many of the state is – no sprawling cityscapes, no mile extensive highways, and no McDonald’s each 2 miles. Fairly truthfully, the state is so lined in rolling hills and mountain ranges, it might by no means have the ability to be developed practically as a lot because it’s extra suburbanized East-coast neighbors like Virginia and Maryland.
On this journey, we ended up taking a detour from Seneca Rocks to hike off the summit of Spruce Knob, the very best level in West Virginia, and the tallest mountain for tons of of miles round. Upon our return to the lot, I observed a son and his father completely struggling on their street bikes up the final stretch of the climb to the height, and I assumed to myself “that appears like no enjoyable, I am unsure I would ever come down right here to try this.”
…reduce to this weekend.
I signed up for the GRUSK (Gravel Race Up Spruce Knob) on a whim a few month in the past, proper earlier than registration closed. I wasn’t positive concerning the course profile, however I knew I needed to do the usual 82-mile occasion and I knew I needed to race within the single-speed class. I arrived in Circleville very late within the night time on Friday, and crawled my approach up the rocky mountain street as much as the Spruce Knob Mountain Middle, a privately-owned out of doors studying and tenting space.
One factor to notice if you happen to plan on racing this occasion – carry a truck. Or an SUV. Or something however a Volkswagen Golf. The roads up the mountain had been certainly not paved and I scraped the underside of my automobile a number of occasions on the best way up. The tenting/parking areas had been mowed fields, and as I slowly rolled alongside the rows of automobiles already parked for the night time. I bottomed out my automobile on a rut and acquired it caught on a hump within the area. I then spent the subsequent 10 minutes or so waking the complete campground late at night time making an attempt to get un-stuck, burning up my clutch, and in the end breaking free after somewhat assist from an irritated neighbor. I acquired my tent arrange, and hoped the subsequent morning could be much less bleak. What i woke to far exceeded my expectations;
The rolling foothills of West Virginia greeted me with a cool breeze and honest skies, telling me that I’d, in reality, have an amazing day in any case. I managed to maneuver my automobile to a much less treacherous a part of the sphere nearer to the beginning space, and brewed up some espresso despatched our approach from our pals at Ruby Roasters out in Wisconsin. The brand new development of instant-coffee steeping sachets appears somewhat gimmicky, but it surely beats the hell out of coping with the mess of a French press or the like. To not point out it makes a rattling tremendous cup of espresso.
One factor that actually stands out about this occasion is how well-supported it was, and the way concerned the race organizers and volunteers had been within the proceedings from begin to end. The venue was a pleasant little tucked away hangout on a close-by part of the property, and acted as an excellent gathering place for race begins. It was an amazing spot for people to convene with fellow riders as they crossed the end line and made a beeline for the beer line. Individuals had been hanging out, chatting, recalling race tales from days of yore, and coming again to cheer on finishers crossing that line.
Lastly, 10am rolled round, and after a moderated rolling begin out of the campground, the race was on. A comparatively double file line took a tough flip proper and exploded into an all-out dash down the primary descent. Bottles getting jostled free flew to the facet of the street, the sounds of punctured tubeless tires whirring within the distance and shouts throughout. The course profile actually appears quite tame on paper:
And that 2000ft climb to the summit seems pretty prolonged and intimidating, however the hardest components had been truly the brief, steep, punchy climbs. My 42-18 gear ratio was approach too tall, and I spun out on the downhill sections anyhow, so I possible might’ve run a 40-20, or a 36-17. That flat part within the center was nice and I used to be hauling for many of it, however as quickly as I hit these shorter punches up, I acquired to the purpose the place I virtually could not bodily flip the gear over. Hindsight’s 20/20, I assume.
Jammed in between these few difficult areas, nevertheless, had been dozens of miles of rolling hills, quick and free gravel descents, farm roads and shady forest service roads. There truthfully wasn’t a mile on this race that wasn’t surrounded by a sprawling nature-scape. If you happen to did not lookup sometimes, you’d miss the great thing about all of it. This was solely compounded by the good perspective shared by everybody out within the area. Feedback of disbelief and assist for one of many 5 single speeders out on the course had been considerable, and my VO-spec’d-out Nature Boy was the focal point at each relaxation cease and the miles in between. I can truthfully say this race had the “happiest” general perspective amongst its contributors of any biking occasion I’ve ever been to. There was nonetheless a aggressive air about it, however everybody needed everybody else to do their highest and end. I get the sense that this will have been because of the variety of separate fields accessible at registration. Fairly than only a “males’s open” and a “ladies’s open,” there have been in all probability half a dozen classes every, and some different odds and ends like single-speed lessons. Extra alternatives for podiums, extra enjoyable to share, extra like to go round.
One disadvantage of not having the summit be the finale of the race is when you get your self to the highest, you actually haven’t got time to understand the views. I imply, you do, however you are in a race and also you simply watched the individual one place forward of you fly again down the mountain within the different course as you completed your climb, and you may’t waste time for a photo-op. Logistically, I perceive it is clearly not an excellent place to complete a race, however you’ll be able to’t assist however really feel somewhat robbed of the chance to understand the unimaginable views of the encircling mountains and valleys.
After completely dogging myself to get to the height, maybe the largest problem of the day laid earlier than me; staying awake for the 8-mile descent off the summit to the ultimate climb into the end. The ultimate punch within the intestine is the final 2 miles as much as the campground, adopted by a bumpy, rocky, rutted out taped off track to the end line. The meals was nonetheless heat and the beer was chilly, what extra can I say? I completed fifth within the single pace class out of 5, which suggests I concurrently podiumed and completed DFL. Nonetheless, the congratulations and assist from strangers had been considerable, and it simply appeared like everybody was there to rejoice finishers irrespective of the place they placed- an environment any bike occasion organizer might try to attain, and one Travis did a hell of a job establishing.
Gear Spherical Up:
After having Sunday to get well and assessment notes concerning the race as a complete and my bike, I had a number of issues to notice that I discovered mentionable.
Daija Cycleworks Far Bar (and Splash Tape!)
Velo Orange Zeste Cantilever Brakes
Velo Orange Touring Saddle (and pictured lengthy setback seatpost)
Velo Orange Retro Bottle Cage
The Sum-Up
This yr’s GRUSK was in all probability my favourite organized biking occasion I have been to in a number of years, second solely possibly to a handful of ‘cross races. The venue was clear, unfold out, quiet and spacious. There have been amenities in every quadrant of the tenting areas, and dorm/yurt choices had been accessible if you happen to needed to spring for that. As there was no mobile protection on the mountain, the lodge on the property supplied wifi, and people had been greater than keen to reply questions and get you in the best course. The race organizers, officers, and volunteers did an amazing job internet hosting and supporting the occasion (these had been a few of the greatest run assist stations I’ve ever seen), and the course was spectacular. My solely grievance was that within the 4 days previous to the race, Travis despatched out 6 emails with about as a lot data as you possibly can presumably want concerning the logistics of the occasion, however he failed to say how tough the street up and down was, and the way poorly marked the tenting areas had been. I am positive it is regular down there to come across gravel roads each day, however I met individuals who traveled in from throughout, and I used to be not alone in my shock at how tough the entry was to the venue. So! All I will say is, take an SUV, do not take your Golf. Mine is at present within the store after busting an oil leak from a type of rocks I ran over on the best way out.
I will possible be going again subsequent yr (with both a unique ratio or a geared bike), and I’d advocate it to anybody on the lookout for a reasonably troublesome problem. Gravel racing is beginning to choose up extra reputation yearly, and it is encouraging to see this type of pleasant and good-natured atmosphere be the muse for an additional department of biking.
