Gravel

Following a recent ride of the Oregon Outback I got to thinking a bit more about something that I’ve experienced for nearly three decades – what I call Post Adventure Blues (or PAB).  Recently I’ve discovered that this is a common condition known as Post Event Depression.  For me, the feeling has never escalated for […]

In late 2014, when times were much different, I opened up the autumn issue of Bicycle Quarterly and read about a bikepacking race that stretched the length of Oregon, it was called the Oregon Outback.  That year the co-owner of Breadwinner Bicycles and fellow Des Moines, Iowa native, Ira Ryan won the 363-mile event with […]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the Northwest Gravel Riders Facebook group is an awesome source of route and route condition information.  Last week while scanning through the suggested routes page I came across an interesting prospect through the hills north of Darrington – a sixty-seven mile loop with two significant sustained […]

Despite being a born and raised Iowan (I left the state in 1988 at the age of 22) I must confess to being ignorant of most of the state, especially the northwestern quadrant.  When I decided to ride RAGBRAI 2021 I was happy to see that the route would take me through this corner of […]

RAGBRAI Day Minus 2 I have a habit of biting off more than I can chew, at least more than I think I can chew.  If at least one time during an endeavor you say “what the hell was I thinking” it wasn’t worth it.  This attitude has served me well, but if you continually […]

Stampede Pass to Tacoma Pass via Lizard Lake While I embrace the uncertainty of adventure cycling, I prefer to have some confidence that a route actually pushes through the rough stuff and actually goes somewhere.  This is why I appreciate the NW Gravel Riders Facebook group – new routes that are ridable and that don’t […]

75 miles/5100′ vertical elevation gain in Northwest Washington. Map here:Worried About Lead Poisoning Near Spada Lake | Ride | Strava I like the ride to Sultan, either via the Mackworth Forest or by the Ben Howard road, so when I mapped out a route to Spada Lake I decided to go via the former and […]

The following is a listing of what I brought, what I wish I’d brought and what I left behind. What I Brought Clothing *Bibs – two pair, wore one for Days 1 and 2, wore second for Day 3, both for Days 4-7 Jersey – food storage Sleeveless baselayer – has cargo pockets if needed […]

A number of people have asked about my bike slash gear set-up for the Cross Washington Mountain Bike Race, so I figured that I’d try to write it all down, starting today with the bike itself. I rode my trusty Ibis Hakka MX fitted with Shimano GRX components (42 ring up front and an 11-46 […]

After our sixth evening out Mykenna and I were getting dialed in.  We both awoke with the rising sun, ate breakfast (cold instant coffee and Pop Tart Bites) and were packed, strapped and rolling by half past five.  We made good time on good roads when, a mile outside of Pine City, we followed bike […]