Last night I was finishing getting the tomato plants set in the garden, and I encountered this really tough root. It took a couple rounds of jumping on the shovel to punch through it. Turns out it was my cable internet line.
Sooooo ...... since I cant check email at work and the internets are a black hole at home don't expect any rapid responses. Wednesday I leave for Pennsylvania for Dirtrag Magazines DirtFest.
So bottom line, keep the entries flowing in, but don't expect a super rapid reply from me.
As of last night, there were 8 automatic entries left.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Sunday, May 6, 2012
The glass is half full
And so is registration. Now is the time to stop being a pansy, and submit your registration. 15 more spots get automatic bids, then it goes to the lotto. Entry into the Lotto ends June 1st. Registration must be finalized by June 15th. Meaning, if there is not an "A" between your hometown and your email address in the roster you are not in.
Deep breath, collect yourself, and finish (or start) your registration.
Deep breath, collect yourself, and finish (or start) your registration.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
The North Woods Adventure
It's Back.
September 7th-9th, 2012
Price: Free
75 Co-Conspirators will depart from Grand Marais, MN for 3 days of gravel and dirt road bike riding through the beautiful Superior National Forest, skirting the southern edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Each night will be spent at a resort, campground or public house.
Your gear will be hauled to each nights stage finish in a Box Truck.
Accommodations can be as extravagant or economical as the entrant desires. But you have to get there on your own power.
There is no sag, there is no support, no one will come to get you if you get a flat. At times you will be 40 miles from the nearest gas station.
You could get eaten. Bugs. Bears. Cougars (not the sassy, middle-aged kind either).
We would be sad, but its a reality that you have to face. This endeavor is not to be taken lightly.
The Route
Each Stage will be between 60 and 120 miles, and will consist of predominantly Forest Service and logging roads.
The First Stage will end at Bear Skin Lodge just off of the Gunflint Trail.
The 2nd Stage will end in Ely, MN
The Final Stage will bring riders back into Grand Marais.
Why?
My experience has been that too often in one day events, you get to ride with and meet a lot of really interesting people, but as soon as the race is over everybody climbs into their cars and goes home. I wanted to put on a low key, challenging event, that gave riders a chance to hangout in a beautiful locale, after a full day of riding.
Yay bikes!
Sound Great? Good!
Registration will open May 1st. All the details are here.
Got Questions? There is a good chance that they will be answered here
September 7th-9th, 2012
Price: Free
75 Co-Conspirators will depart from Grand Marais, MN for 3 days of gravel and dirt road bike riding through the beautiful Superior National Forest, skirting the southern edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Each night will be spent at a resort, campground or public house.
Your gear will be hauled to each nights stage finish in a Box Truck.
Accommodations can be as extravagant or economical as the entrant desires. But you have to get there on your own power.
There is no sag, there is no support, no one will come to get you if you get a flat. At times you will be 40 miles from the nearest gas station.
You could get eaten. Bugs. Bears. Cougars (not the sassy, middle-aged kind either).
We would be sad, but its a reality that you have to face. This endeavor is not to be taken lightly.
The Route
Each Stage will be between 60 and 120 miles, and will consist of predominantly Forest Service and logging roads.
The First Stage will end at Bear Skin Lodge just off of the Gunflint Trail.
The 2nd Stage will end in Ely, MN
The Final Stage will bring riders back into Grand Marais.
Why?
My experience has been that too often in one day events, you get to ride with and meet a lot of really interesting people, but as soon as the race is over everybody climbs into their cars and goes home. I wanted to put on a low key, challenging event, that gave riders a chance to hangout in a beautiful locale, after a full day of riding.
Yay bikes!
Sound Great? Good!
Registration will open May 1st. All the details are here.
Got Questions? There is a good chance that they will be answered here
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Quick results
In a moment of hesitation...... involving a bovine, Mark Smelser was able to sneak away from, and hold off, for 70 miles!, the hard charging Corey Godfrey and Dan Hughes. Troy Krause rounded out the top 4. Matt Wills won the SS division. James Stamper (no relation) walked away with a custom fitting session with Carmichael Training Systems with a hand of two pair, and Craig Schimdt won a hour massage at lotus health works with two aces!
Great time and fellowship were had by all.
My apologies for the marginal directions. Several folks got to spent some quality time in a bar in Alta Vista, waiting for transportation.
Glad that you guys got to meet bearded Tom.
More details and a better synopsis later once I unload everything and and collect myself.
Big Shout out to our gracious sponsors, Sunflower Outdoors, CTS, Cycle City, Big Poppies, City Billy Cycles ( the shirts were a huge hit!), Spilker Ales, Chamois Butter and Lotus Health Works.
Many thanks to all the participants that made this event happen, and to my lovely and gracious wife who does not smother me in sleep for hosting events like this, and dispenses goo and pizza with the utmost grace and panache.
Cheers
Joshua
Great time and fellowship were had by all.
My apologies for the marginal directions. Several folks got to spent some quality time in a bar in Alta Vista, waiting for transportation.
Glad that you guys got to meet bearded Tom.
More details and a better synopsis later once I unload everything and and collect myself.
Big Shout out to our gracious sponsors, Sunflower Outdoors, CTS, Cycle City, Big Poppies, City Billy Cycles ( the shirts were a huge hit!), Spilker Ales, Chamois Butter and Lotus Health Works.
Many thanks to all the participants that made this event happen, and to my lovely and gracious wife who does not smother me in sleep for hosting events like this, and dispenses goo and pizza with the utmost grace and panache.
Cheers
Joshua
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
The details and course info and general paranoia
Looks like the cows are up to somethin, and it don't look good.
True dat!
See Here for a google document which includes a link to the updated course map and the cue sheet.
Familiarize yourself with the course several times by reading the cue sheet and looking at the map.
You must print off your own copy of the map and cue sheet!
I will not have any on the day of the event, if you forget one you better start making friends real quick.
When: 9am Saturday May 16th 2009
Where:We will be leaving the gravel lot on the corner of Wreath Ave. and Robinson Dr. on the western side of Cico Park in Manhattan, KS.
You can leave you cars in the gravel lot there.
I rode the course on Saturday and it took me about 7 hours of saddle time, rolling on a 42:18 gearing. All road were in good shape and assuming we do not receive rainfall of biblical proportions in the next few days the roads should be in great shape.
I will make sure that the course is marked with spray paint on the gravel sections. I will not paint paved roads so use those maps!
Let me know if you have any questions. I will not get back to you until after 11 am tomorrow since I am preparing for 900 level plant physiology final.
If its really important you can call my Cell (by really important I mean you are gonna tell me that you are going to donate a ton of money, provide podium girls, or provide me with a credit card with which to underwrite this event)
336-469-1526 otherwise just shooot me an email :-)
Looking forward to seeing you crusty faces.
Cheers
Joshua
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
The paranoia begins on May 16, 2008
Is your daily calcium intake met by the limestone dust that accumulates on your water bottles?
Is your idea of fun hurtling down a gravel road at 35 MPH?
Do the people at Casey's General Stores know you by name?
Does your family stare at the ground and softly talk about your "gravel problem"?
If so we have got something for you!
In the spirit of the PCL, the Dirty Kanza, Trans Iowa, and "I hate Disco Nite" at Wrigley Field
........the Gravel Conspiracy present a gravel ride in the northern flinthills just in time for you to get in that last long ride before the Chase County madness that is the Dirty Kanza 200.
The Low Down:
Its FREE. If that does not get you here nothing will.
It will be a little over 100 miles of flint hills chert-limestone and B-roads.
We will have aid stations with the kind of food that we think that you would want in the midst of a long ride (pizza, PBJ, fruit, pretzels, assorted beverages) with donations being accepted to off set these costs and benefit the K-State Cycling program.
The tentative route can be found here
This ride is all about fun, fellowship, and making sure that you have got it together for the other longer rides that we hold so dear to our hearts. Bear in mind that you are on your own, and we will not come get you.
Donde?
We will Start the race/ride from Cico Park in Manhattan, KS, leave the town via the linear trail.
The course will be "painted" once the route is finalized.
Hopefully we will finish the Race at the LAB for some good eats as its only about 400 yards from where you left your vehicle at the start.
So How does one go about signing up for this soiree?
You need to shoot me an email with your name, age, and home town.
Field size will be limited to 50 so I can simplify the logistics.
If you are interested in helping sponsor this event with product, dinero, bandwidth or your time give me a shout @
gravelconspiracy@gmail.com
Is your idea of fun hurtling down a gravel road at 35 MPH?
Do the people at Casey's General Stores know you by name?
Does your family stare at the ground and softly talk about your "gravel problem"?
If so we have got something for you!
In the spirit of the PCL, the Dirty Kanza, Trans Iowa, and "I hate Disco Nite" at Wrigley Field
........the Gravel Conspiracy present a gravel ride in the northern flinthills just in time for you to get in that last long ride before the Chase County madness that is the Dirty Kanza 200.
The Low Down:
Its FREE. If that does not get you here nothing will.
It will be a little over 100 miles of flint hills chert-limestone and B-roads.
We will have aid stations with the kind of food that we think that you would want in the midst of a long ride (pizza, PBJ, fruit, pretzels, assorted beverages) with donations being accepted to off set these costs and benefit the K-State Cycling program.
The tentative route can be found here
This ride is all about fun, fellowship, and making sure that you have got it together for the other longer rides that we hold so dear to our hearts. Bear in mind that you are on your own, and we will not come get you.
Donde?
We will Start the race/ride from Cico Park in Manhattan, KS, leave the town via the linear trail.
The course will be "painted" once the route is finalized.
Hopefully we will finish the Race at the LAB for some good eats as its only about 400 yards from where you left your vehicle at the start.
So How does one go about signing up for this soiree?
You need to shoot me an email with your name, age, and home town.
Field size will be limited to 50 so I can simplify the logistics.
If you are interested in helping sponsor this event with product, dinero, bandwidth or your time give me a shout @
gravelconspiracy@gmail.com
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