He did it! Holy crap cycling fans! Marty beat the sun! To be true, he beat it, then punched it in the throat. Respect, friend. Eric and Becca did some throats punching of their own finishing the DK100. Congrats! And now we wait for Tony – one more teammate racing the sun.
And now we wait. Marty and Tony came in strong to the third checkpoint. Marty looked a little less white (schwoo) and Tony was cool and calm, as usual. No reports of either falling asleep on their bikes. They were both on pace for the “racing the sun award”. It would be a huge accomplishment … More Racing the sun DK200 Update
After thirty four miles of absolutely sending it, the perils of gravel racing took Eric down. He slashed a tire on a flint rock and switched to a tube, losing several minutes. He got up and going again only to rip off his derailleur a hundred yards later. A very expensive paperweight. He eventually got … More Havoc Wreaked
I talked to Eric last night and he was locked and (carbo) loaded for the race. Here they are looking ready for a long day. My tracker has them moving along at just shy of 19 mph for the first 30 miles or so. We’re planning on catching up with them at the second checkpoint. … More It begins
It’s here gravel grinders, the premiere cycling event of the year — DK200! Eric is off preparing so I (Eric’s wife and part of the Abe’s support crew) will be stepping into keep the blog updated with all of the day’s highs and lows. Our Lincoln Abrahams are in Emporia, KS already soaking up the … More DK200 2017 Updates
Editor’s foreword It’s a Dirt Tan Bike Club milestone, people! You know your blog has hit the (teeny-tiny) big time when somebody agrees to be a guest contributor. Here’s my fellow Lincoln Abraham, sportsman of the year, and owner of the occasional serious dirt tan—Dr. Addison Killeen. He’s a Dirty Kanza and Gravel Worlds finisher … More Be Prepared
Ten Points By Bill Strickland Hyperion Books, 2007 241 pages $24 The death of cycling legend Steve Tilford in April led me to this outstanding 1998 profile by Bill Strickland. The late world champion, Steve Tilford. Thanks to stories from Eric and Tony, I already knew a fair amount about the world champion Tilford’s grit, … More Book Review: Ten Points
This blog has featured a fair amount of whining by poor me about how I didn’t make it into the Dirty Kanza 200 on registration day. America’s top gravel grinder has grown so popular that, in 2016, registration filled in just a few hours. This year, interest dialed up even more, and the field filled … More This Just in: I’m in
There’s a woe-is-me Homer Simpson quote I’ve never forgotten: “Sick on a weekend … What are the odds—one in 10,000?” It’s easy to see random misfortune as darkly cosmic. Our cars fail to start “at the worst possible moment.” What we usually mean by “worst possible moment” is simply “now.” And misfortune can’t help but … More Long Odds, Cruel Ends
Says the blogger’s daughter, “Pedal. Faster.” A friend posted an essay to my wall on the nature of toughness. Vacek said, “You and all the Abes were all I could think about when I read this article.” In it, Khaled Allen made his case for “simple, plain old ruggedness.” When it comes to grit, Vacek … More Rethink Tough
Dirt Tan Bike Club 