This won’t be your typical summery Solstice race summary—because this year (spoiler alert), I only made it 10 miles into my favorite 100-mile race. This Solstice 100 was, by all accounts I heard, another gem of a Joe Billesbach dry course—with lots of minimum maintenance roads, plenty of pit-stop options, and an ADHD-friendly absence of … More Solstice 2024: The Way Things Unused to Be
When Mike told me about a new local race set for early April—the Louisville Classic—I had two thoughts. I checked the family calendar and signed my classic fanny up for the 100k. Gosh, I looked forward to this race all winter. Imagining the hills down there helped me through those cinderblock months of winter training … More Instant Classic: Meet the Louisville Classic Gravel Grinder
In 10 years of racing gravel, I’ve never known where to fit Oklahoma. The Mid South tempted me toward Stillwater each March, but I knew the horror stories. Red mud deep enough for every letter of murder. Chains chewed. Derailleurs gargled and spat. Some springs: hypothermia. Couldn’t I just believe Oklahoma’s brutal history without sticking … More Mid South 2024: The Durability of Joy
Go for a ride or two on city streets, and gravel cycling’s appeal as a safer alternative becomes obvious pretty quickly. Much of gravel’s pull hinges on what we’re riding away from: The traffic. The noise. The rancor and danger and bullshit that come with being a human being on a bicycle in a car-centric … More A Country Welcome
You’ve been good all year. And I hope your haul for Christmas 2023 included some really cool bike stuff. That thing you’ve been wanting forever—or maybe that thing you had no idea you’d love. (If not—there are always those gifts you give yourself…) As we get older, our collections of bikes, gear and tools tend … More A New Year for Old Racers
Dirt Tan Bike Club 