The 2016 Specifics

Friday, September 9
Registration at 8am
9am Depart for Ely. Route is about 80 miles with little tono locations for resupply. I will have an aid station out on course on the first and last day. We do this as a potluck, so bring some ride food to share. I will have a cooler of drinks and drinking water.



I will email all participants a PDF with cues and GPX files soon. If you are not registered you will not get the route.
You will need to arrange lodging in Ely for Friday and Saturday night. There are tons of places to stay in Ely. Please tag you luggage with your name and lodging location so I can make sure it is there when you check in. Usually we try to get together to eat dinner somewhere once everyone gets into town. I will see if I can find an establishment that can host us.

 Saturday September 10th
9am Depart from Bandstand at Whiteside Park in Ely.

The route will make a large loop out to the west of Ely. Total milage will be around 70 miles. Expect to get your feet wet, but you should not encounter water more than knee deep. There will not be any services for the first 50 miles, and even then, the pickings are pretty slim in Tower and Soudan. But the general store in Tower has a great little ice cream bar and soda fountain. I will not have an aid station out on course this day (because I am going to be riding too!) so make sure that you are prepared to go all day.

Sunday September 11th
8am: I will start collecting your luggage from your respective lodging.
9am Depart from Whiteside Park to head back to Silver Bay.
Expect to see some of the same trails that you hit on the way into Ely, but then we will take a northerly route so that you can have Brunch at the venerable Trestle Inn. They only take cash!
I will have drinks and food at the Trestle if you just want to resupply and boost.

Note: I haul your gear to Ely, but please try to keep your stuff to a minimum. I am not going to lease a big box truck if I do not have to. No spare wheels and no extra bikes. You are responsible for you.


Questions? Comments. Give me a holler gravelconspiracy@gmail.com

Gravel Conspiracy 2016: September 9-11th

Its that time again. Mark your calendars for September 9th through the 11th, 2016.
Registration for the 6th Gravel Conspiracy is open (click on the registration link above).

The tentative route (I am finalizing the route next weekend) will be to start from around Silver Bay and ride to Ely via double track, dirt roads, and gravel.
Second day will see us on a big loop west of Ely, and then returning to town for a 2nd night. This really simplifies the logistics.
The last day will have us rolling back to Silver Bay.

As always, I take care of the transportation logistics of getting your stuff from the start to your lodging, but if you want to bikepack it, RESPECT!
I will post the formal agenda in two weeks after I finalize everything with local authorities.

2015 Happened. And then I went on a Bike tour

GC15 was a blast, despite getting a toad of a truck from Penske.
I wanted to post about this earlier, but I went on a bikepacking trip after GC. I will spin that yarn later.
Here are what other people have to say about GC15:

Ben Oney: "This year was my 3rd Gravel Conspiracy (I missed the first one). Each year I finish this event amazed that there aren’t 300 people demanding a spot on the roster. Admittedly, GC is hard to define. It’s not a race, but it attracts some fast riders who like to push themselves. It’s not bikepacking, but the route is as remote as anything you’ve ridden and you have the option of carrying your gear and camping every night if you wish. It’s not a party ride, but you’ll have access to a cooler of beer at some key points throughout the weekend."

DeathRider: "The Gravel Conspiracy........To me, is...... three days of riding amongst the best terrain in Minnesota with your pals."

Ben Mullin for CyclovaXC: "You are responsible for you".  That was a direct quote and the general gist of Head Conspirator Josh Stamper's pep talk as we gathered around the truck Friday morning just north of Duluth.  My third year of participation had me translating that statement to "You are responsible for you, and anyone you encouraged to also do this crazy thing."

There is lots'o stuff on the book of faces. Google that mess.

Here are a few from me that I really enjoyed:

I was super pumped to get Nate Ball up here this year!

Filter was defiled

We thought that replacing the filter would fix it. Spoiler Alert: it didn't.

This guy. Sunshine on my shoulder.

Nothing like the morning calm.

Spirit Animal. Kunisher

Organizing the box

The hand off. 

The Wizard says to get your honkey bottom to Silver Bay  for GC16

Lodging for 2015

Conspirators,
We will be following a similar route to last year:

How we get from Korkki to Grand Portage (hence the bus ticket)

• Meet at Korkki Ski area by 8am, load bikes and gear in box truck, and load people in tour bus.
• Proceed in tour bus to Grand Portage where the real adventure begins

Stage 1: Ride from Grand Portage to Grand Marais (~60 miles)

Rolling down pin cushion

Stage 2: ride bikes from Grand Marais to Silver Bay/Beaver Bay (~100 miles)

Obligatory stop at the trestle inn for lunch and tetherball

Stage 3: Ride bikes from Beaver Bay back to the Korkki Ski area (~50 miles)

Briton Pit mine section

As we are starting to fill up I would like you to think about where you would like to stay for the two nights that we will be out. We will be staying in Grand Marais the first night, and Silver Bay/Beaver Bay the second night.

In Grand Marais (September 11th, 2015) here are some places that I have stayed at or have come recommended:
Art House B&B
Macarthur House B&B
Gunflint Motel
Grand Marais Municipal Campground
Other lodging options are available through the Cook Co Visitors Bureau

The second night (September 12th, 2015) we will be staying in Silver Bay/Beaver Bay (they are only 2 miles apart). Lodging options are limited so make your reservation early.
AmericInn in Silver Bay (its pricey but they have a hot tub and a giant waterslide that will make grown men squeal)
The Mariner in Silver Bay (they want a 2 day stay, but 2 nights at the Mariner is still cheaper than one night at the Americinn.)
The Silver Bay Marina Campground: They have a few campsites at the marina that they do not advertise. You will need to call to reserve these.
Camp 61 Bunkhouse in Beaver Bay (We actually start the last day from right in front of this place)

Questions? Just leave a comment

2015 Date

Gravel Conspiracy.

September 11th-13th, 2015. Plan your life accordingly.

Same format as last year, but route may change slightly depending if I can get a boat to ferry people across a lake.

Registration opens in March 15th. Registration is capped at 75.

More will be revealed with the passing of time.

Gravel Conspiracy 2014

When: Sept 5-7th 2014
Where: Duluth to Grand Portage and back to Duluth
What: 250 miles of gravel, dirt and Forest service roads roads on the north shore of Minnesota

Friday morning September 5th we will meet in Duluth, load bikes into a box truck and board a 55 passenger coach that will deposit you just short of the Canadian border. around lunch time.

Day 1 will see you ride from Grand Portage to Grand Marais over some of the roughest roads in MN. You will go from the lowest point in the state, to near the highest point, and back to the lowest in 65 miles.

Day 2 will send you one a rollercoaster ride down the Laurential Divide to Silver Bay. Past conspirators will remember Bally Creek, Mark Lake, and Honeymoon Trail.  We even are gonna be revisiting Heartbreak Hill, but this time going down it! Then a quick break at the Trestle Inn for some beers and tetherball

Day 3 will take us along the shore to Gooseberry falls, and then we turn inland  before coming back into Duluth.

For the sake of logistics I have reserved a 55 passenger bus and leased a Box Truck to transport people and their gear from Duluth to Grand Portage.  I will make sure that your belongings are delivered to you each night from the box truck. If you wish to ride the bus, I would ask that you purchase a bus ticket. You are not required to purchase a ticket to participate in the Gravel Conspiracy. As always the Gravel Conspiracy is a free event.
As always you are on your own. If something goes wrong, you are on your own. THERE IS NO SAG. There is no cell service. You could die!
More will be revealed in the coming days. To Register click on the registration link or just fill out the form.

Northern Promises

A beautiful start.

Starting up the shore. The group would splinter quickly

Rob was on the prowl for some gnar.

LisaT motors on all smiles

Monika Sattler would soon fashion a voodoo doll named Joshua Stamper. Photo cred Ben Oney

We ended up having to have a gas station potluck when the casino closed the kitchen.

   

John Carline rolling towards the Canadian border.

Ben Oney is the rose between two thorns PhotoCred: Ben Oney

Yeah, I Hauled pizza out to the middle of no-where. Photo cred: Ben Mullin

Bryce, why you bleeding all over the place? PhotoCred: Ben Oney

Ben Mullen captured the engineering prowess of beavers

We made time to break bread as a group. Photo cred: Doug Krone

Greatest bloody mary EVAR? Photocred: Doug Krone

After Bryce tried to put a hole in his hand, he volunteered to run the aid station, which meant that I got to ride on the last day! Thanks Bryce!

Dallas Wynne rolls in as a 2 time GC finisher

John Carline is also a 2x finisher, and Scott Spoo finshed his first GC

Bob was our resident meteorologist!

 

Monika and Chukker rolling down Bally Creek

Bryce shows off his puncture wound

Ben Mullen captures the essence of the north shore.

"There is a whole ocean of water down there, and you can drink it"

Many thanks to all the participants for bringing their A games. Everyone had fun and got to make some new friends.

Gravel Conspiracy 2014 will start on September 5th. We will start in Duluth, take a tour bus up to the canadian and then ride back to Duluth. Details will be forthcoming.

Laurential Divide Routes

 Ok. The routes are finalized.  Look for a series of emails from me over the next 36 hours that will include your schedule, cue sheets and GXP files.

Stage 1: Sept 13th GM to GP 52miles

 Stage 1 Start Time is at 12 Noon: GM to Grand Portage (GP) will start with 15 miles along hwy 61 then it turns straight up as you move away from the shore.  Expect road surfaces to be very poor with large rocks in the double track. Once you cross Tomohawk Trl you must be extremely alert as there is a very active logging operation in the area.  I will mark this on the cue sheets. You will then proceed into the Grand Portage Reservation and on to the Casino.  Dinner is on your own.

Stage 2: Sept 14th GP to GM 85 miles

Stage 2: We will leave the casino at 9am and traverse the northern border of the US and Canada (you will almost be able to smell the poutine, we are so close). There are no sources of potable water on the northern part of this route. I know this because I ran out of water and ended up having to drink untreated lake water. In a few more days we will find out if I have been living right.  I will set up a aid station around Greenwood Lake.  There is well water access on the lower third of the route at the kimball lake campground, and this will be marked on your cue sheets.

Oh Canada!

Stage 3: Sept 15th Lutsen Figure-8 65 miles

Stage 3: Depart GM at 9am and start running the ridges south. We will actually ride in a large figure-8 so I will set up a aid station at the crossing. 

This is a subtle reminder that we will be in a very large, very remote place.  It took them 12 years to find these guys and the crash site is less than 20 miles from a US highway.  Know how to navigate and Be prepared!

Recon 2013

Went up north with family this weekend to hammer out some unknowns on the route and donate some blood to some of the locals. Much gnar was had and questions got answered. Final route recon is in a few weeks. Then I will send out the route files. I also tried digitizing some maps for distibution, and have figured out how to use google maps offline with a smart phone in airplane mode so it does not kill your battery. All this will soon be revealed. Patience, weedhopper.

Roster

As a means of confirming that I got your registration email, your name and info should end up here within a day or two. You will recieve further instructions via email within a few days.

Gravel Conspiracy 2013: Laurential Divide

It's Back.
September 13th-15th, 2013
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.

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 100 miles, and will consist of predominantly Forest Service and logging roads. Note: We will not have the wide open Gravel "superhighways" like "the Grade" last year. Think a healthy dose of double track.

• The First Stage will end The Grand Portage Casino

• The 2nd Stage will end in Grand Marais, MN

• The Final Stage will bring riders back into Grand Marais.

Note: This years course is going to be especially rugged, poorly marked,  and will cover some very mountainous terrain.  You MUST Have a GPS that allows you to follow a GPX or a TCX course. Cue sheets are only a tool of last resort.
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

2012 Stories

I hope that everyone has had a chance to recover and reflect on all the good times that were had. Just want to thank yall for all the kind words, and present some of my thoughts for what I would like to do next year.
First, while this is not a race, there is plenty of folks that wanted to go to the front and push the pace. Drew was chief among them, and was the first finisher on the first and last day.  His dominance was only interupted by my faulty GPS track on the 2nd day going from Bearskin to Ely.  Aaron Alto was able to capitalize on Drews detour, and was the first finisher on Saturday. I actually gave up trying to keep track of peoples times when riders started wanting to leave early and late, some staying on track, some taking more well established routes. Regardless, everyone got their monies worth.
Drew, Deathrider, Lisa, and Charly all have their own stories to tell, so I will let you check them out yourself.
After collecting feedback from the participants I think that we will make a few changes for next year.

• Stage lengths are going to get trimmed.  I want these events to be a challenge to people, but I also have to recognize that not everyone is capable of averaging 18 mph, and having riders unprepared to finish in the dark was a little too risky. This also gives everyone a little more time to hang out and enjoy company. Expect to ride 60, 90and 80 miles next year, but expect a little more up and down.
• The date is going to be pushed back one week for the sake of Ted Loosens marriage and so that there is a little bit of a break between the Dakota-50 and the GC. Next years date is going to be September 13-15th, 2013.
•  The GPX and TCX files that you get next year will be the actual route that I have ridden, not a transposed version that I created in Bike Route Toaster. This is what caused the one snafu this year on the 2nd day.  If I feel the need to flag a route section I will use a VERY distinct type of flagging (like purple polka dots) or chalk mark the ground.
• I am probably going to have a short list of things that I would like to see everyone carry (front and rear lights, a space blanket, etc)
• We will be using plastic name plates next year.  They will be waterproof, rigid, and will make a nice keepsake.

I did encounter a problem this year that I really do not know how to get around, about 35% of the folks that registered did not show up.  This is nothing new, but it does present a problem when I am turning people away and telling sponsors that they will be getting a set amount of exposure.  What if I asked you to write a check for a nominal amount of money, and if you show up at the start, you get your check back?  If you withdraw 6 weeks before the event, you would also be able to get your money back (this period would also correspond with Bearskin Lodges cancellation policy). Let me know your thoughts in the comment section.

New sponsor

Wanted to send you all a quick update.  After talking with the gents at Skratch Labs I am excited to tell you that we will have Skratch SDM available at the aid stations on course.

I have used SDM this past year and really liked the light flavor, and how fresh I still felt at the end of the day. Its pretty low calorie (ie less sugar, more electrolytes), and Allen Lim advises athletes to eat real food as a source of calories.  I will have Rice Cakes made and wrapped at the aid stations.

Many Thanks to all the people that have volunteered to bring items. We appear to be good to go on all the gear.
See you on Friday!

Hey Crew,
Frank Lundeen of Cyclova XC put together a useful check list for when you are on the bike.  Cyclova XC will also have some basic bike consumables (tubes, chains, quick links, etc) for sale should you burn through your tubes on in the 1st day.

I also put together a short opus on using a GPS to navigate on the bike on my personal blog.

Water: Anytime you see a sign for a campground there is a good probability that there will be well water available.  I will always have at least 20 gallons of water and ice in the truck.

Aid stations: On stages 2 and 3 I will be on course near Isabella with all sorts of beverages and food. There is also the Trestle Inn on the last stage (just before you start heading up Heartbreak!).
Let me know if you have questions

The Route

If you registered you should have received 3 emails from me with the final routes as GPX and TCX files, and Cue sheets.
Below is what the route looks like from 30,000 ft.

Stage 1: Grand Marais to East Bearskin Lake ~50 miles

Stage 2: Bearskin Lake to Ely ~125 miles

Stage 3: Ely back to Grand Marais ~115 miles

I would also like acknowledge our newest sponsor: A-Train Cycles This event would not be possible without the generous support of businesses large and small. Thanks!

Final Recon

Its gonna hurt.

It is finished. Under 300 miles. I have a route put together and will have GPX, TCX, and cue sheets out to you by the end of the week via email.
Few Details: Hwy 1 is still closed and is nowhere near being completed.  I rode through trespassed the construction zone on Friday and almost got ran over by several 60 ton Terex mining dump trucks that were positively flying.  That was the most scared I have been in quite a while.  The official Hwy 1 detour would subject you to about 40 miles of narrow pavement, and I was not thrilled about that prospect either.
So I spent some time evaluating the prospects of routing on "unimproved routes" that connects Tomahwk Rd with Spruce Rd by the Kawishiwi River.  This would totally bypass all the construction and still spit you out on Hwy 1 about 8 miles south of the airport.  I rode the route, found it to be very acceptable, and then marked it with yellow fluorescent tape to aid with navigation since there are no road signs.

Another flat, but I catch this one early, and manage to nip it in the bud.

I only had 1 tire plug and thankfully it held.

140 strokes with the floor pump to get to 35 psi

I managed to get about 125 miles over the weekend, and I can say that I would not be afraid of riding a mountain bike on this course.  There is only about 10 miles that would require you to be super careful on a cross bike with 35c tires, but there is a lot of piece of mind rolling on bigger tires.  It allows you to look about and be negligent with your line choice.  If you intend to SS, please choose a conservative gear ratio (no more than 60 gear inches) and be prepared to do some walking on the last day.

My trusty steed.

Northern Culture on the Skids

Let me know if you have questions